METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVELY OBTAINING BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION REQUESTS

US 20120033633A1
Filed: 10/13/2011
Published: 02/09/2012
Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A subscriber station for a broadband wireless communication system comprising:

a transceiver; and

a Media Access Control (MAC) module configured toprovision a bandwidth request specifying a requested amount of uplink (UL) bandwidth pertaining to a connection established at the subscriber station,receive a UL bandwidth grant for the connection, andallocate the UL bandwidth grant to at least one of a plurality of connections established at the subscriber station.

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for adaptively obtaining bandwidth requests in a broadband wireless communication system. The method and apparatus includes dynamically varying technique combinations enabling a plurality of users to efficiently request bandwidth from a shared base station. A user may “piggyback” a new bandwidth request upon, or set a “poll-me bit” within, presently allocated bandwidth. A base station may poll users, individually or in groups, by allocating unrequested bandwidth for new requests. Polling may respond to a “poll-me bit,” and/or it may be adaptively periodic at a rate based on communication status parameters, such as recent communication activity and connection QoS levels Group polling permits a possibility of collisions. Polling policies may be established for dynamically varying user groups, or may be determined for each user. Dynamic selection of appropriate polling techniques makes use of efficiency benefits associated with each technique.

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23 Claims

1. A subscriber station for a broadband wireless communication system comprising:
- a transceiver; and
  
  a Media Access Control (MAC) module configured toprovision a bandwidth request specifying a requested amount of uplink (UL) bandwidth pertaining to a connection established at the subscriber station,receive a UL bandwidth grant for the connection, andallocate the UL bandwidth grant to at least one of a plurality of connections established at the subscriber station.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- - 2. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the MAC module is further configured to identify the UL bandwidth grant.
  - 3. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is specified in a UL frame map received by the subscriber station.
  - 4. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 2, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is specified in a UL frame map received by the subscriber station.
  - 5. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is based on a type of service established for the specified connection.
  - 6. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is based on a respective communication parameter associated with the subscriber station.
  - 7. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter includes the quality of service required by at least one of a plurality of user connections served by the subscriber station.
  - 8. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter further includes the amount of bandwidth available for sharing among the subscriber stations.
  - 9. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter further includes the number of active subscriber stations.
  - 10. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter further includes the bandwidth currently used by downlink (DL) traffic.
  - 11. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter further includes a composite priority parameter.
  - 12. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication parameter further includes an estimated amount of bandwidth needed to accommodate bandwidth requests.
  - 13. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is allocated between connections based on a type of service established for each connection.
  - 14. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UL bandwidth grant is allocated based on the current state of queues associated with the plurality of connections.

15. A subscriber station for a broadband wireless communication system comprising:
- transmit and receive circuitry; and
  
  a Media Access Control (MAC) module configured totransmit an explicit message requesting a polling opportunity for enabling the subscriber station to request uplink (UL) bandwidth,receive a polling opportunity as a given amount of UL bandwidth, andprovision a bandwidth request within the given amount of UL bandwidth, the bandwidth request specifying a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber station.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- - 16. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein the MAC module is further configured to receive a UL bandwidth grant identified in a UL frame map.
  - 17. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein the explicit message is a poll-me message.
  - 18. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 17, wherein the poll-me message is a poll-me bit provided in a reserved field in the header of a packet.
  - 19. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 17, wherein the poll-me message is a particular combination of bits provided in a reserved field of a packet.
  - 20. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 17, wherein the poll-me message specifies the required amount of bandwidth in bandwidth units.
  - 21. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 17, wherein the poll-me message further identifies an additional bandwidth request message within the UL traffic.
  - 22. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein the MAC module is further configured to insert the bandwidth request within bandwidth already allocated to UL traffic.
  - 23. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein the bandwidth request has a specified structure for identification by a receiver.

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Current Assignee
Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
Original Assignee
Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
Inventors
Spinar, Brian, Stanwood, Kenneth L., Gilbert, Sheldon I., Klein, Israel Jay, Mollenauer, James F.

Granted Patent

US 8,615,020 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

370/329
CPC Class Codes

H04W 28/06   Optimizing the usage of the...

H04W 28/18   Negotiating wireless commun...

H04W 28/20   Negotiating bandwidth

H04W 72/0453   Resources in frequency doma...

H04W 72/21   in the uplink direction of ...

H04W 72/23   in the downlink direction o...

H04W 74/06   using polling

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVELY OBTAINING BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION REQUESTS

First Claim

3 Assignments

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

7 Citations

23 Claims

Specification

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METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVELY OBTAINING BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION REQUESTS

First Claim

3 Assignments

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0 Petitions

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Accused Products

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Abstract

7 Citations

23 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

Use Cases

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