SCHEDULING IN CELLULAR NETWORKS

• US 20160286567A1
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ZANDER, Olof, PLICANIC SAMUELSSON, Vanja, PRIYANTO, Basuki, LJUNG, Rickard
• Granted Patent: US 10,461,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users

Abstract

First reoccurring resources on a radio link of a cellular network are allocated to the first relaying channel. Second reoccurring resources on the radio link are allocated to a second relaying channel. The first reoccurring resources are shared between communication devices assigned to a first set; the second reoccurring resources are shared between communication devices assigned to a second set. The first reoccurring resources, in some embodiments, may be orthogonal to the second reoccurring resources.

Claims

1. A node of a cellular network, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a plurality of communication devices attached to the cellular network via a radio link,

at least one processor configured to allocate first reoccurring resources on the radio link of the cellular network to a first relaying channel, the first relaying channel being between an access point node of the cellular network and some of the plurality of communication devices that are assigned to a first set,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to allocate second reoccurring resources on the radio link of the cellular network to a second relaying channel, the second relaying channel being between the access point node of the cellular network and some of the plurality of communication devices that are assigned to a second set,

wherein the first reoccurring resources are shared between the communication devices assigned to the first set,

wherein the second reoccurring resources are shared between the communication devices assigned to the second set.

2. The node of claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to send, via the interface to a first relaying node, a first scheduling message, the first relaying node being configured to establish the first relaying channel, the first scheduling message indicating the first reoccurring resources,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to send, via the interface to a second relaying node, a second scheduling message, the second relaying node being configured to establish the second relaying channel, the second scheduling message indicating the second reoccurring resources.

3. The node of claim 2,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, via the interface from the first relaying node, a first capability message, the first capability message indicating a capability of the first relaying node to establish the first relaying channel,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, via the interface from the second relaying node, a second capability message, the second capability message indicating a capability of the second relaying node to establish the second relaying channel,

wherein said allocating of the first reoccurring resources is in response to receiving the first capability message,

wherein said allocating of the second reoccurring resources is in response to receiving the second capability message.

4. The node of claim 2,

wherein the node is the access point node configured to wirelessly transceive on the radio link,

wherein at least one of the first relaying node and the second relaying node is a communication device selected from the plurality of communication devices,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate, via the interface with the at least one of the first relaying node and the second relaying node, on a direct channel of the radio link.

5. The node of claim 1,

wherein the node is the access point node of the cellular network configured to wirelessly transceive on the radio link,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate, via the interface with the communication devices assigned to the first set, on the first relaying channel,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate, via the interface with the communication devices assigned to the second set, on the second relaying channel.

6. The node of claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate, via the interface with the communication devices assigned to the first set and with the communication devices assigned to the second set, on respective direct channels of the radio link in an idle mode.

7. The node of claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, via the interface, a connection message, the connection message indicating a given one of the plurality of communication devices,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign the given one of the plurality of communication devices to the first set or the second set in response to receiving the connection message.

8. The node of claim 7,

wherein the connection message further indicates a channel quality of a frontend of at least one of the first relaying channel and the second relaying channel,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign the given one of the plurality of communication devices to the first set or the second set depending on the indicated channel quality of the at least one of the first relaying channel and the second relaying channel.

9. The node of claim 8,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the channel quality of the frontend of the at least one of the first relaying channel and the second relaying channel in response to allocating the first reoccurring resources and the second reoccurring resources.

10. The node of claim 1,

wherein the connection message further indicates at least one element selected from the group comprising:

a Machine Type Communication functionality of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a traffic pattern of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a feature capability of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a quality-of-service requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a category of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a location within the cellular network of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a channel quality of a direct channel between the given one of the plurality of communication devices and the access point node of the cellular network;

a coverage requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign the given one of the plurality of communication devices to the first set or the second set depending on the indicated at least one element.

11. The node of claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to establish set classification information for the first set and the second set,

wherein the set classification information parameterizes assignment of communication devices to the first set and the second set,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to send, via the interface to the first relaying node and the second relaying node, at least one assignment configuration message indicating the set classification information.

12. The node of claim 1,

wherein the first reoccurring resources are orthogonal to the second reoccurring resources.

13. A method, comprising:

allocating, to a first relaying channel, first reoccurring resources on a radio link of a cellular network, the first relaying channel being between an access point node of the cellular network and some of a plurality of communication devices attached to the cellular network via the radio link,

allocating, to a second relaying channel, second reoccurring resources on the radio link of the cellular network, the second relaying channel being between the access point node of the cellular network and some of the plurality of communication devices attached to the cellular network via the radio link,

wherein the first reoccurring resources are shared between the communication devices assigned to a first set,

wherein the second reoccurring resources are shared between the communication devices assigned to a second set.

14. A relaying node of a cellular network, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a node of a cellular network via a radio link of the cellular network and further configured to communicate with some of a plurality of communication devices attached to the cellular network via the radio link,

at least one processor configured to receive, via the interface from the node, a scheduling message, the scheduling message indicating reoccurring resources allocated to a relaying channel of the radio link, the relaying channel being between an access point node of the cellular network and the some of the plurality of communicating devices that are assigned to a set, the reoccurring resources being shared between the communication devices assigned to the set,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to establish the relaying channel and to relay communication between the access point node of the cellular network and the communication devices assigned to the set on the relaying channel.

15. The relaying node of claim 14,

wherein the relaying node is configured to send, via the interface to the node, a capability message, the capability message indicating a capability of the relaying node to establish the relaying channel.

16. The relaying node of claim 14,

wherein the relaying node is a communication device selected from the plurality of communication devices,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate, via the interface with the access point node of the cellular network, on a direct channel of the radio link.

17. The relaying node of claim 14,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, via the interface from a given one of the plurality of communication devices, a connection message indicating the given one of the plurality of communication devices.

18. The relaying node of claim 17,

wherein the connection message further indicates at least one element selected from the group comprising:

a Machine Type Communication functionality of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a traffic pattern of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a feature capability of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a quality-of-service requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a category of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a location within the cellular network of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a channel quality of a direct channel between the given one of the plurality of communication devices and the access point node of the cellular network;

a coverage requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a channel quality of a frontend of the relaying channel between the given one of the plurality of communication devices and the access point node of the cellular network.

wherein the at least one processor configured to selectively assign the given one of the plurality of communication devices to the set depending on the indicated at least one element.

19. The relaying node of claim 18,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, via the interface from the node, an assignment configuration message, the assignment configuration message indicating set classification information, the set classification information parameterizing assignment of communication devices to the set,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign a given one of the plurality of communication devices to the set depending on the set classification information,

wherein the set classification information preferably parameterizes at least one element selected from the group comprising:

a Machine Type Communication functionality of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a traffic pattern of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a feature capability of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a quality-of-service requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a category of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a location within the cellular network of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a channel quality of a direct channel between the given one of the plurality of communication devices and the access point node of the cellular network;

a coverage requirement of the given one of the plurality of communication devices;

a channel quality of a frontend of the relaying channel between the given one of the plurality of communication devices and the access point node of the cellular network;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively assign the given one of the plurality of communication devices to the set depending on a comparison between the indicated at least one element of the connection message and the at least one element parametrized by the set classification information.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a node of a cellular network, a scheduling message, the scheduling message indicating reoccurring resources allocated to a relaying channel of the radio link, the relaying channel being between an access point node of the cellular network and some of a plurality of communication devices attached to the cellular network via a radio link and being assigned to a set, the reoccurring resources being shared between the communication devices assigned to the set,

establishing the relaying channel,

relaying, on the relaying channel, communication between the access point node of the cellular network and the communication devices assigned to the set.