Dynamic power allocation for unicast-multicast superposition in wireless broadcasting

• US 7,738,905 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bachl, Rainer, Lozano, Angel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rego; Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US11/625,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20080176593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/67.11, 455 68- 70, 455/115.3, 455/127.1, 455/135, 455/226.3, 455/277.2, 455/452.2, 455/161.3, 455/503, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/327 Power control of multicast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for supplying unicast and multicast transmissions to a plurality of mobile devices in a wireless system. The method comprises supplying a multicast signal using a first portion of total available power, wherein the first portion of total available power is a function of a channel quality indicator associated with at least one of the mobile devices. Thereafter, a unicast signal is supplied using a second portion of total available power, wherein the second portion of total available power is a function of the first portion of total available power.

Claims

1. A method for supplying unicast and multicast transmissions to a plurality of mobile devices in a wireless system, comprising:

supplying, from a base station, a multicast signal using a first portion of total available power, wherein the first portion of total available power is a function of a channel quality indicator associated with at least one channel between the base station and at least one of the mobile devices;

supplying, from the base station, a unicast signal using a second portion of total available power, wherein the second portion of total available power is a function of the first portion of total available power;

monitoring variations in the channel quality indicator while supplying the multicast signal and the unicast signal; and

varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power in response to said variations in the channel quality indicator.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in a long term channel quality indicator associated with at least one of the mobile devices.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in the worst long term channel quality indicator associated with the mobile devices.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio associated with at least one of the mobile devices.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in the worst signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio associated with the mobile devices.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in a bit error rate associated with at least one of the mobile devices.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in the worst bit error rate associated with the mobile devices.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in a block error rate associated with at least one of the mobile devices.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein varying the first portion and the second portion of the total available power comprises varying the first portion and the second portion of total available power as a function of monitored variations in the worst block error rate associated with the mobile devices.