User equipment frequency allocation methods and apparatus

• US 20080081633A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Oteri, Oghenekome F., Aziz, Ahsan U.
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

In an embodiment, a wireless communication system (100, FIG. 1) includes one or more nodes (102-108) and one or more user equipments (UE) (130-134). A node may service a cell (110-116). A UE may be classified (802, FIG. 8) into a cell-edge UE group when the UE is within in a cell-edge region (504, 506, 508, FIG. 5) of a cell. The cell-edge UE group may be allocated at least one first frequency range within an available bandwidth (600, 700, FIGS. 6 and 7). A UE may be reclassified (808, FIG. 8) into a cell-center UE group based on at least one indicator of UE performance. The cell-center UE group may be allocated at least one second frequency range within the available bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for allocating frequencies to at least one user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system that includes at least one cell, the method comprising:

classifying a UE into a cell-edge UE group when the UE is within in a cell-edge region of a cell, wherein the cell-edge UE group is allocated at least one first frequency range within an available bandwidth; and

reclassifying the UE into a cell-center UE group based on at least one indicator of UE performance, wherein the cell-center UE group is allocated at least one second frequency range within the available bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator of UE performance is selected from a group of indicators that includes a data throughput indicator and a signal quality indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reclassifying comprises:

selecting the UE to be reclassified when the at least one indicator of UE performance indicates that a performance of the UE is relatively better than performances of other cell-edge group UEs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before reclassifying, determining a pre-reclassification value of a system metric; and

after reclassifying, determining a first post-reclassification value of the system metric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system metric is selected from a group of metrics that includes an average Carrier-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio and an average data throughput.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reclassifying the UE back into the cell-edge UE group when a comparison of the pre-reclassification value and the first post-reclassification value indicates that the system metric has degraded.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

waiting a period of time after reclassifying the UE back into the cell-edge UE group; and

reclassifying the UE or at least one other cell-edge UE into the cell-center UE group based on the at least one indicator of UE performance.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reclassifying at least one other cell-edge UE into the cell-center UE group when a comparison of the pre-reclassification value and the first post-reclassification value indicates that the system metric has not degraded.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reclassifying a cell-center UE into the cell-edge UE group based on the at least one indicator of UE performance when a comparison of the pre-reclassification value and the first post-reclassification value indicates that the system metric has degraded.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the cell-center UE to be reclassified when the at least one indicator of UE performance indicates that a performance of the cell-center UE is relatively worse than performances of other cell-center group UEs.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after reclassifying the cell-center UE, determining a second post-reclassification value for the system metric; and

reclassifying at least one other cell-center UE into the cell-edge UE group when a comparison of the first post-reclassification value and the second post-reclassification value indicates that the system metric has not degraded.

12. A method for allocating frequencies to multiple user equipments (UEs) in a wireless communication system that includes at least one cell, the method comprising:

classifying first selected ones of the multiple UEs as cell-edge UEs when each of the first selected ones are located within in a cell-edge region of a cell, wherein the cell-edge UEs are allocated at least one first frequency range within an available bandwidth;

classifying second selected ones of the multiple UEs as cell-center UEs when each of the second selected ones are located within in a cell-center region of the cell, wherein the cell-center UEs are allocated at least one second frequency range within the available bandwidth;

reclassifying selected ones of the cell-edge UEs into cell-center UEs based on at least one indicator of UE performance; and

reclassifying selected ones of the cell-center UE into cell-edge UEs based on the at least one indicator of UE performance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one indicator of UE performance is selected from a group of indicators that includes a data throughput indicator and a signal quality indicator.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein reclassifying the selected ones of the cell-edge UEs comprises:

selecting the selected ones of the cell-edge UEs to be reclassified when the at least one indicator of UE performance indicates that performances of the selected ones of the cell-edge UEs are relatively better than performances of other cell-edge UEs.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein reclassifying the selected ones of the cell-center UEs comprises:

selecting the selected ones of the cell-center UEs to be reclassified when the at least one indicator of UE performance indicates that performances of the selected ones of the cell-center UEs are relatively worse than performances of other cell-center UEs.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

before reclassifying the selected ones of the cell-edge UEs, determining a pre-reclassification value of a system metric; and

after reclassifying the selected ones of the cell-edge UEs, determining a first post-reclassification value of the system metric.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reclassifying the selected ones of the cell-edge UE back into cell-edge UEs when a comparison of the pre-reclassification value and the first post-reclassification value indicates that the system metric has degraded.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the system metric is selected from a group of metrics that includes an average Carrier-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio and an average data throughput.

19. An apparatus to allocate frequencies to at least one user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network that includes at least one cell, the apparatus comprising:

one or more integrated circuits to classify a UE into a cell-edge UE group when the UE is within in a cell-edge region of a cell, wherein the cell-edge UE group is allocated at least one first frequency range within an available bandwidth, and to reclassify the UE into a cell-center UE group based on at least one indicator of UE performance, wherein the cell-center UE group is allocated at least one second frequency range within the available bandwidth.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus forms a portion of a node, and the apparatus further comprises:

one or more air interface subsystems, operably coupled to the one or more integrated circuits, to receive uplink signals from UEs over an air interface.