Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W72/00—Local resource management
  • H04W72/50—Allocation or scheduling criteria for wireless resources
  • H04W72/54—Allocation or scheduling criteria for wireless resources based on quality criteria

Definitions

• the present invention belongs to the general field of telecommunications, and more particularly wireless communications implemented in cellular networks such as mobile networks (eg 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), WiMAX, etc.
• cellular networks such as mobile networks (eg 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), WiMAX, etc.
• cellular network By “cellular network”, reference is made, conventionally, to a wireless communication network formed by a plurality of communication cells. Each cell corresponds to the radio coverage offered by an antenna capable of transmitting data via transmission beams (“beam” in English), and can be theoretically represented on the ground in the form of a hexagon. Since the cells are contiguous with each other, the cellular network therefore admits a so-called “honeycomb” topology.
• a cell can indiscriminately correspond to the radio coverage obtained thanks to an antenna fitted to a base station on the ground (the said base station can moreover be equipped with a plurality of antennas), or even thanks to an antenna fitted to a non-terrestrial platform, such as for example a HAP platform, a drone, a satellite, etc.
• a non-terrestrial platform such as for example a HAP platform, a drone, a satellite, etc.
• HAP platforms we notes that their deployment is today the subject of particular attention insofar as it makes it possible, in particular, to extend access to radio resources in areas that are difficult to access by land.
• the ICIC techniques make it possible to impose access restrictions on the available radio resources, while achieving high spectral efficiency. They are based in particular on an intercellular signaling mechanism (i.e. messages exchanged between cells), and take advantage of the fact that the "cellular" structure of the network advantageously lends itself to the reuse (mutualization), between different cells, of several frequencies from a same given set of frequencies (this set being also called “frequency band”).
• FFR Functional Frequency Reuse
• This FFR technique is based on the partitioning of a cell into two zones, a central zone and a peripheral zone.
• the central zone is managed so as to present a reuse factor equal to 1 (ie all the frequencies of the frequency band are accessible).
• the peripheral zone is managed in such a way as to present a reuse factor greater than 1 (ie only a fraction of the frequencies of the frequency band are accessible). Proceeding in this way makes it possible to limit interference at the edge of cells insofar as the users positioned in two neighboring peripheral zones carry out communications on disjoint frequency spectra.
• the FFR technique Although it seems to meet a large number of requirements sought during the implementation of communications in a cellular network, the FFR technique nevertheless remains disadvantageous in certain aspects. Indeed, the reuse factor associated with a zone (central or peripheral) of a cell remains fixed over time. What is more, within a peripheral zone, only a well-defined portion of the available frequency spectrum is intended to be used permanently. In other words, the management of the radio resources in a cell in accordance with the FFR technique obeys a pre-established program, thus creating a particularly rigid operating framework. This results in an inability to adapt to a dynamic evolution of the number of users present in the different zones.
• the present invention aims to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular those set out above, by proposing a solution which makes it possible to obtain a very good compromise between spectral efficiency and limitation of interference. between adjacent cells of a cellular network, while offering a great ability to adapt to changes in the number of users in a peripheral zone of a cell.
• the invention relates to a method for allocating a frequency resource to at least one terminal positioned in a region of a cell belonging to a cellular network, said cell being partitioned into a plurality of regions, the same set E of frequency resources being associated with each region of the cell. Furthermore, said method comprises, following the transmission by said at least one terminal of a request for allocation of a frequency resource from among said set E, steps of:
• the allocation method according to the invention is initially based on the fact that the same set E of frequency resources is assigned to each of the regions of the cell.
• said set E may relate to the entire frequency spectrum offered by the radiating source(s) (example: high altitude platform, base station(s), etc.) at the origin of the cellular network.
• the radiating source(s) example: high altitude platform, base station(s), etc.
• Such arrangements advantageously make it possible to retain great flexibility of use in the case of a marked change in the number of users in a cell.
• each of the resources of the set E is associated with a numerical value likely to be updated by reinforcement (positive reinforcement, i.e. increase, or negative reinforcement, i.e. by decrease) depending on whether a comparison criterion by with respect to a quantity is satisfied or not.
• the fact of executing the learning algorithm makes it possible to carry out a qualitative selection among the frequency resources available (ie not yet allocated), because of the values respectively associated with them. In this way, the fact that everything the set E is accessible (at least theoretically) for a region is advantageously counterbalanced by the hierarchy created between the resources of the table of said region.
• the allocation method may also include one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in all technically possible combinations.
• the reinforcement learning algorithm is a Q-reinforcement learning algorithm.
• the cell to which said at least one terminal belongs is partitioned into two regions separated by a boundary defined as being a level line of a determined magnitude.
• each cell of the cellular network comprises six adjacent cells, the cell to which said at least one terminal belongs being partitioned into seven regions comprising a central region in contact with each of the other six regions, the boundary of said central region being defined as being a Voronoi curve parametrized by a determined magnitude and characterized by the values taken by said magnitude relative to the cells adjacent to said cell to which said at least one terminal belongs.
• the quantity relating to the measurement obtained during a communication carried out by said at least one terminal using the selected frequency resource is one of: a signal-to-noise ratio, a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio, an indicator of power level, a signal quality indicator, and
• the magnitude from which a boundary is defined is one of: a signal to noise ratio, a signal to noise plus interference ratio, a power level indicator, a signal quality indicator.
• the cellular network is generated by:
• hybrid infrastructure comprising a non-terrestrial mobile site and a terrestrial mobile site.
• the cellular network can be generated by at least one base station.
• the invention relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing an allocation method according to the invention when said computer program is executed by a computer.
• This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in no any other desirable shape.
• the invention relates to an information or recording medium readable by a computer on which is recorded a computer program according to the invention.
• the information or recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program.
• the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or else a magnetic recording means, for example a hard disk.
• the information or recording medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means.
• the program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from an Internet-type network.
• the information or recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.
• the invention relates to a device for allocating a frequency resource to at least one terminal positioned in a region of a cell belonging to a cellular network, said cell being partitioned into a plurality of regions, the same set E of frequency resources being associated with each region of the cell.
• said device comprises:
• an identification module configured to identify the cell and the region associated with said at least one terminal following the transmission by said at least one terminal of a request for allocation of a frequency resource from among said set E,
• a verification module configured to verify the availability of at least one frequency resource in a table listing said set E, associated with the identified cell and region, and comprising values respectively associated with the listed resources
• an execution module configured to execute, if at least one frequency resource is available in said table, a reinforcement learning algorithm based on the value or values associated with said at least one available frequency resource, said module execution comprising:
• a selection sub-module configured to select a frequency resource from said at least one available frequency resource
• an obtaining sub-module configured to obtain a measurement of a determined quantity associated with said at least one terminal, said measurement being carried out during a communication carried out by said at least one terminal using the selected frequency resource
• a comparison sub-module configured to compare the measurement obtained with a given threshold, so as to obtain a comparison result
• a rejection module configured to reject the allocation request in the case of a negative reinforcement or if no frequency resource is available.
• the invention relates to a wireless communication system comprising means configured to generate a cellular network, at least one terminal positioned in a region of a cell belonging to said cellular network as well as a device for the allocation of a frequency resource to said at least one terminal in accordance with the invention.
• FIG. 1 schematically represents, in its environment, a particular embodiment of a wireless communication system according to the invention
• FIG. 2 schematically represents an example of partitioning of a cell of a cellular network generated by a high altitude platform belonging to the wireless communication system of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 schematically represents another example of partitioning of a cell of a cellular network generated by a high altitude platform belonging to the wireless communication system of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 illustrates in more detail the principle of the partitioning of FIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 schematically represents an example of hardware architecture of an allocation device belonging to the wireless communication system of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 6 represents, in the form of a flowchart, a particular mode of implementation of an allocation method according to the invention as executed by the allocation device of FIG. 5.
• Figure 1 schematically shows, in its environment, a particular embodiment of a wireless communication system SYS according to the invention.
• the wireless communication system SYS comprises means configured to generate (on the ground) a cellular wireless communication network (in other words, access to the cellular wireless network is carried out via said means).
• a cellular wireless communication network in other words, access to the cellular wireless network is carried out via said means.
• the system SYS can be configured to use a bandwidth of 5 MHz, the carrier being fixed at 2 GHz and where the set E comprises 300 frequency resources each of 15 kHz (the bandwidth of 5 MHz is partitioned into 25 resource blocks of 180 kHz each, each block containing 12 frequency resources of 15 kHz).
• the invention remains applicable to other types of mobile networks (for example 2G, 3G, 4G), WiMAX, etc.
• mobile networks for example 2G, 3G, 4G
• WiMAX WiMAX
• no limitation is attached to the wireless communication network that can be considered in the context of the present invention when the latter is a cellular network.
• a “set of frequency resources” can comprise one or more frequency resources.
• frequency resource can also admit other denominations, such as for example "sub-channel” in the context of cellular networks as defined by the 3GPP consortium and relying on the OFDMA data encoding technique.
• said means configured to generate the cellular network correspond to a high altitude HAP platform taking the form of an airship-type aircraft positioned in the stratosphere at an altitude of between 17 km and 22 km.
• a high altitude platform other than an airship such as an airplane, a drone, etc.
• said HAP high altitude platform is equipped with an antenna.
• This antenna is formed of a plurality of elementary antennas organized in antenna array and configured to transmit data using transmission beams.
• the cells of the cellular network are thus generated by means of said transmission beams and are separated from each other in accordance with a radiation pattern specific to the antenna equipping the high altitude platform HAP.
• the shape and size of the cells on the ground are therefore determined by the characteristics of the antenna, but also by an elevation angle evaluated with respect to a horizontal plane in which the antenna extends (when the angle of elevation decreases, cells become larger with increasing overlap between them).
• each antenna beam provides uniform illumination to one cell in the cellular network.
• - a land mobile site typically equipped with one or more base stations, or
• an infrastructure comprising at least one terrestrial mobile site and at least one non-terrestrial mobile site (example: a high altitude HAP platform).
• a high altitude HAP platform example: a high altitude HAP platform.
• a cell belonging to the cellular network can conventionally be represented in an abstract manner in the form of a hexagon.
• the cellular network has a so-called “honeycomb” structure, each cell having six adjacent cells.
• the hexagonal shape constitutes a known abstract representation of a cell
• said cell can still be represented in another form substantially similar to that of a disc. More particularly, such a disc is configured so that its border forms a circle circumscribed to the hexagon concerned. It is nevertheless important to observe that such a circular representation of a cell remains theoretical insofar as it is above all based on hypotheses linked to the conditions of propagation of the radioelectric signals (absence of obstacles likely to induce reflections, diffractions , etc.).
• the circular boundary of a cell is defined as a function (corresponds to a level line) of a quantity characteristic of the attenuation of a radioelectric signal between a first point (site of measurement of said magnitude) of the cell and a second substantially central point within the cell.
• this second point typically corresponds to the nadir relative to the antenna element belonging to the high altitude platform HAP and responsible for generating the cell (it should be noted that in the case of an implementation via station (s) base, said second point corresponds to the location of the base station in the cell).
• said quantity may correspond to a signal-to-noise ratio, also called “CNR” (acronym of the English expression “Carrier to Noise Ratio”) or else “C/N”.
• said magnitude may correspond to a signal to interference plus noise ratio, also called “CINR” (acronym of the English expression “Carrier to Interference plus Noise Ratio”).
• CINR signal to interference plus noise ratio
• a cell of the cellular network can correspond to a macro-cell, or to a micro-cell, or to a pico-cell, etc.
• the wireless communication system SYS also comprises a user terminal UE attached to (and therefore served by) the high altitude platform HAP and positioned in a cell CELL of the cellular network.
• the CELL cell is represented in FIG. 1 in correspondence with the theoretical circular shape described above.
• the UE terminal corresponds for example to a cellular telephone, for example of the smartphone type, a touch pad, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, etc. In general, no limitation is attached to the nature of said terminal UE.
• the UE terminal is in particular configured in a manner known per se so as to be able to carry out processing operations enabling it to transmit to the high altitude platform 11 (or to another device, known as the “allocation device” D_A , belonging to the communication system SYS and described below) a request for allocation of a frequency resource among the set E as well as to exchange data (and therefore communicate) with, in particular, the high altitude platform HAP and said allocation device D_A, by implementing a communication method.
• the UE terminal comprises for example one or more processors and storage means (magnetic hard disk, electronic memory, optical disk, etc.) in which are stored data and a computer program, under the form of a set of program code instructions to be executed to implement said communication method.
• processors and storage means magnetic hard disk, electronic memory, optical disk, etc.
• the UE terminal also comprises one or more programmable logic circuits, of the FPGA, PLD, etc. type, and/or specialized integrated circuits (ASIC), and/or a set of discrete electronic components, etc. . adapted to implement said communication method.
• programmable logic circuits of the FPGA, PLD, etc. type, and/or specialized integrated circuits (ASIC), and/or a set of discrete electronic components, etc. . adapted to implement said communication method.
• the terminal UE comprises a set of means configured in software (specific computer program) and/or hardware (FPGA, PLD, ASIC, etc.) to implement said communication method .
• said UE terminal can occupy a fixed position or even be mobile, the invention being applied indiscriminately to one or the other of these configurations.
• said terminal UE occupies a fixed position in the cell CELL.
• the wireless communication system SYS also comprises an allocation device D_A, the latter being configured in hardware and software to perform processing operations making it possible to allocate a frequency resource to the terminal UE among the set E, by implementing an allocation method according to the invention.
• an allocation device D_A configured in hardware and software to perform processing operations making it possible to allocate a frequency resource to the terminal UE among the set E, by implementing an allocation method according to the invention.
• the aspects related to the architecture of said allocation device D_A as well as to the implementation of said allocation method are described in more detail later.
• each cell of the cellular network (and therefore a fortiori the cell CELL in which the terminal UE is positioned) is partitioned into a plurality of regions. Said terminal UE is therefore more particularly positioned in such a region RJJE of the cell CELL.
• each cell/region is associated with an identifier making it possible to distinguish it from the other cells/regions.
• Each region of a cell (and therefore a fortiori the RJJE region of the cell CELL in which the terminal UE is positioned) is also associated with said set E of frequency resources.
• this association between a region of a cell and said set E here takes the form of a (data) table in which all the frequency resources of said set E are listed.
• a table is associated with the identifiers of the region and of the cell to which it relates, so that it is possible to distinguish between the tables of the cellular network and to access them selectively.
• the invention nevertheless proposes, in addition to this access to the entire spectrum, a learning process making it possible, over time, to prioritize access to certain frequency resources in each region so as to obtain a very good compromise between spectral efficiency and limitation of interference between adjacent cells of the cellular network, while offering a great ability to adapt to changes in the number of users in the cells.
• the resources of the set E listed in a table of a region are respectively associated with (numerical) values intended to be updated in accordance with said learning process, as described below in more detail. details.
• FIG. 2 schematically represents an example of partitioning of the cell CELL to which the terminal UE belongs.
• the cell CELL to which said terminal UE belongs is partitioned into two regions, namely the central region CR_2 and a peripheral region ER_2 (the hexagonal abstract shape of the cell is shown in dotted lines at purely indicative)—Said regions CR_2 and ER_2 are separated by a border defined as a being a level line of a signal-to-noise ratio CNR.
• a quantity other than a CNR quantity can be considered to define the boundary of the partitioning between the regions CR_2, ER_2.
• the quantity in question can be one of: CINR, RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, etc.
• FIG. 3 schematically represents another example of partitioning of the cell
• each of said six level lines extends opposite a cell adjacent to the cell CELL, between two consecutive peaks of said star shape, and corresponds to a level line of a signal to interference plus noise ratio CINR .
• each level line represents the portion of the FR_CR_7 boundary beyond which a CINR measurement is predominantly influenced either by the CELL cell, or by the adjacent cell located opposite said portion, depending on whether said measurement is performed. either side of said portion.
• each region ERi_7 (i being an integer index between 1 and 6) is representative of a zone in which the value of a CINR measurement is dominated by the signals emitted in the adjacent cell which covers said region ERi_7.
• the above elements make it possible to define the FR_CR_7 boundary as being a Voronoi curve parameterized by a signal to interference plus noise ratio CINR and characterized by the values taken by said CINR ratio relative to the cells adjacent to said cell CELL .
• a quantity other than a quantity CINR can be envisaged to define the border FR_CR_7.
• the quantity in question can be one of: CNR, RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, etc.
• FIG. 4 illustrates the partitioning principle of FIG. 3 in more visual detail, limiting itself (for reasons of simplification) to a representation comprising said cell CELL as well as two adjacent cells CELL_ADJ_1, CELL_ADJ_2.
• the ER1_7 region corresponds to the zone of intersection between the respective substantially circular borders of the cells CELL and CELL_ADJ_1 (cells CELL and CELL_ADJ_2 respectively).
• the portion of the border FR_CR_7 which delimits the region ER1_7 corresponds to the portion of the border of the adjacent cell CELL_ADJ_1 (respectively of the adjacent cell CELL_ADJ_2) included in the cell CELL.
• FIG. 5 schematically represents an example of hardware architecture of the allocation device D_A belonging to the system SYS of FIG. 1.
• the allocation device D_A has the hardware architecture of a computer.
• the allocation device D_A comprises, in particular, a processor 1, a random access memory 2, a read only memory 3 and a non-volatile memory 4. It also comprises a communication module 5.
• the ROM 3 of the allocation device D_A constitutes a recording medium in accordance with the invention, readable by the processor 1 and on which is recorded a computer program PROG in accordance with the invention, comprising instructions for the execution of steps of the allocation method according to the invention.
• the program PROG defines functional modules of the allocation device D_A, which are based on or control the hardware elements 1 to 5 of the allocation device D_A mentioned above, and which include in particular:
• an identification module MOD_ID configured to identify the cell CELL and the region R_UE associated with said terminal UE following the transmission by said terminal UE of a request for allocation of a frequency resource from among said set E,
• a verification module MOD_VERIF configured to verify the availability of at least one frequency resource in the table associated with the cell CELL and with the region R_UE identified for the terminal UE
• an execution module MOD_EXEC configured to execute, if at least one frequency resource is available in said table, a reinforcement learning algorithm based on the value(s) associated with said at least one available frequency resource, said MOD_EXEC execution comprising:
• a selection sub-module SS_MOD_SELEC configured to select a frequency resource from said at least one frequency resource available
• a sub-module for obtaining SS_MOD_OBT configured to obtain a measurement of a determined quantity associated with said terminal UE, said measurement being carried out during a communication carried out by said terminal UE using the selected frequency resource
• a comparison module sub-module SS_MOD_COMP configured to compare the measurement obtained with a given threshold, so as to obtain a comparison result
• a rejection module MOD_REJ configured to reject the allocation request in the case of a negative reinforcement or if no frequency resource is available.
• the communication module 5 notably allows the allocation device D_A to communicate with the high altitude platform HAP as well as with the terminal UE.
• the communication module 5 allows the allocation device D_A to receive (directly or indirectly) an allocation request transmitted by the terminal UE as well as to transmit to the latter information (such as an identifier) relating to the frequency resource selected by the selection sub-module SS_MOD_SELEC.
• the expression "to obtain a measurement of a determined quantity associated with said terminal UE" relating to the obtaining sub-module SS_MOD_OBT can take on different meanings from which different embodiments of said sub-module for obtaining SS_MOD_OBT.
• the obtaining in question refers to the measurement as such of said determined magnitude.
• the obtaining sub-module SS_MOD_OBT is configured appropriately to perform said measurement.
• the obtaining sub-module SS_MOD_OBT can comprise an acquisition chain comprising at least one sensor dedicated to the measurement of said quantity, an acquisition card configured to condition (example: amplification and/or filtering) a signal power supplied by said sensor, etc.
• the configuration of such acquisition means is well known to those skilled in the art, and is therefore not detailed here further.
• the obtaining in question refers to the reception of the measurement of said determined quantity, after this measurement has been carried out by the terminal UE itself.
• the obtaining sub-module MOD_OBT is integrated into the communication module 5 of the allocation device D_A.
• the reinforcement learning algorithm is of the Q-reinforcement learning type.
• the quantity considered for the measurement obtained by the obtaining sub-module SS_MOD_OBT as well as for the comparison carried out by the comparison sub-module SS_MOD_COMP corresponds to the signal to interference plus noise ratio CINR.
• the threshold used to compare the measurement quantifies the quality of the signal perceived by the terminal UE on the basis of the resources allocated by the allocation device D_A.
• This threshold is generally expressed in the same unit as the quantity considered for the measurement, for example in dB/dBm in the case of CINR.
• those skilled in the art know how to set such a threshold to qualify the quality of the signal perceived by the terminal UE.
• each cell of the cellular network is partitioned into a plurality of regions.
• the partitioning of the cells of the cellular network, and therefore a fortiori of the cell CELL in which the terminal UE is located is carried out by an entity other than the device of D_A allocation (for example by the HAP high altitude platform).
• the allocation device D_A is aware of the partitioning before the implementation of the allocation method (it may be for example a digital map stored by the allocation device D_A in its memory not volatile 4), this knowledge resulting from a communication between said other entity and the allocation device D_A (data exchanges implemented, in particular, by the communication means 5).
• the allocation device D_A comprises for example a partitioning module MOD_PART configured to carry out said partitioning.
• the realization of said partitioning can for example be the subject of a step of the allocation process (in which case the partitioning module is a functional module defined by the program PROG), or even be the subject of a partitioning method implemented prior to the allocation method.
• the allocation device D_A stores (for example in its non-volatile memory 4) the tables and the identifiers respectively associated with the cells and regions of the cellular network.
• the tables and the identifiers are stored elsewhere, for example in one or more databases external to the allocation device D_A and to which the latter can have access via the means of communication 5.
• the values contained in the tables can for example result from a prior execution of said allocation method.
• these values can for example result from an initialization consisting of a draw of random values, an assignment of zero values, etc.
• the way in which the values contained in the tables are defined before the execution of the allocation method is not a limiting factor of the invention.
• the set E comprises N frequency resources, N being an integer strictly greater than 1, and that the resources of the set E are denoted CANJ (i being an integer index between 1 and N).
• FIG. 6 represents, in the form of a flowchart, a particular mode of implementation of the allocation method according to the invention as executed by the allocation device D_A of FIG. 5.
• the values contained in a table associated with a region of a cell are independent of the values contained in another table associated with another region of said cell.
• the update of the values of a table is done independently of the values of another table. The way in which the update of a value is carried out is described below.
• said embodiment of the allocation method can be executed for any terminal positioned in a cell of the cellular network, and also independently of the cell in question. It is nevertheless described here for the single terminal UE of the cell CELL in accordance with the non-limiting assumptions made above concerning the wireless communication system SYS. It is nevertheless understood that the steps described below can be iterated (sequentially and/or in parallel) for a plurality of terminals.
• the execution of said mode of implementation is carried out following the transmission by said terminal UE of a request REQ for the allocation of a frequency resource from among said set E.
• the transmission of this request REQ is linked to the fact that the terminal UE wishes to establish a communication (for example with another terminal of the cellular network). Note that this request REQ does not relate to a given specific resource but targets any one of the resources of the set E.
• the defense method comprises a step E10 of identifying the cell CELL and the region R_UE associated with said terminal UE.
• Said step E10 is implemented by the identification module MOD_ID of the allocation device D_A.
• said step E10 of identification comprises initially a reception of the request REQ transmitted (relayed) by the high altitude platform HAP, then a search for the identifiers respectively associated with the cell CELL and to the region RJJE in storage means of the allocation device D_A (as a reminder, it is assumed here that said identifiers are stored by the allocation device D_A).
• the implementation of the identification step E10 may be different from that described above if it is assumed that the identifiers of the cell CELL as well as of the UE region are stored by the platform high altitude HAP (and not by the allocation device D_A) and/or if it is assumed that the request REQ is not relayed to the allocation device D_A.
• the D_A allocation device transmits to said high altitude platform HAP a request for obtaining the identifiers of the cell CELL as well as of the region UE.
• the high altitude platform HAP transmits from it -even to the allocation device D_A the identifiers of the cell CELL as well as of the region UE.
• the allocation method also includes a step E20 of checking the availability of at least one frequency resource CANJ in the table TAB associated with the cell CELL and with the region RJJE. Said step E20 is implemented by the verification module MOD_VERIF of the allocation device D_A.
• Said step E20 consists of browsing the table TAB and determining whether one or more frequency resources CANJ are available, that is to say not yet allocated to one or more other terminals (the allocation device D_A here keeping information in memory enabling the resources already allocated to be identified).
• the allocation request REQ is rejected (step E30 implemented by the rejection module MOD_REJ of the allocation device D_A). It is noted that such a rejection of the allocation request REQ can be likened to a blocking of the user of the terminal UE.
• VAL[CAN_i] the value associated with a frequency resource CANJ in the table TAB is denoted VAL[CAN_i].
• the allocation method includes a step E40 of executing a Q-reinforcement learning algorithm based on the value(s) VAL[ CANJ] associated with said at least one available CANJ frequency resource.
• Said step E40 is implemented by the execution module MOD_EXEC of the allocation device D_A.
• Q-learning in English, and indicated under the reference “Q-ALGO” in FIG. 6
• Q-ALGO the general implementation of a Q-reinforcement learning algorithm
• K frequency resources among the resources CAN_1,..., CAN_N are available (K is an integer between 1 and N), and we denote CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K said K available resources.
• said step E40 initially comprises a sub-step E40_1 for selecting a frequency resource from among said resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K.
• Said selection sub-step E40_1 is implemented by the sub-module SS_MOD_SELEC of the allocation device D_A.
• said selection sub-step E40_1 is carried out in accordance with the general principles of Q-reinforcement learning. More particularly, said sub-step E40_l comprises a first test (reference E40_l_l in FIG. 6) to determine whether the values VAL[CAN_DISP_1],..., VAL[CAN_DISP_K] respectively associated with the resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K in table TAB are equal to each other or not.
• step E40_1 consists of a random selection of a resource from among the resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K (reference E40_1_2 in FIG. 6).
• said sub-step E40_l comprises a second test (reference E40_l_3 in FIG. 6) to determine whether there exist, among the resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K, several resources whose respective values in table TAB are maximum.
• step E40_l consists of a random selection of a resource from among the resources whose respective values in the table TAB are maximum (reference E40_l_4 in FIG. 6 ). If the response to the second test is negative, said sub-step E40_1 includes a selection (reference E40_1_5 in FIG. 6) of a resource from among the resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K with zero probability.
• the fact of carrying out such a probabilistic selection corresponds to a conventional approach within the framework of the implementation of Q-reinforcement learning, also called the exploitation-exploration approach or the e-greedy approach. in English).
• a frequency resource has been selected from among the resources CAN_DISP_1,..., CAN_DISP_K.
• This selected resource is denoted CAN_SELEC and is communicated to the terminal UE by the allocation device D_A (sub-step E40_2 in FIG. 6).
• the communication of the CAN_SELEC resource to the UE terminal is carried out by means of a message comprising information representative of said CAN_SELEC resource, such as for example an identifier of the latter, and from which the UE terminal is able to determine that the resource allocated to it is said CAN_SELEC resource.
• step E40 includes a sub-step E40_3 for obtaining (i.e. receiving in the present embodiment) a measurement MES_CINR of a signal-to-interference plus noise ratio CINR associated with the terminal UE , said measurement MES_CINR being carried out during a communication carried out by said terminal UE using the resource CAN_SELEC.
• Said sub-step E40_3 is implemented by the sub-module SS_MOD_OBT of the allocation device D_A.
• the measurement MES_CINR is carried out by the terminal UE itself, then transmitted to the high altitude platform HAP which relays it to the allocation device D_A.
• the measurement MES_CINR is directly transmitted to the allocation device D_A.
• This measurement MES_CINR is compared with a given threshold S_CINR during a comparison sub-step E40_4 implemented by the sub-module SS_MOD_COMP of the allocation device D_A. In this way, a comparison result is obtained.
• Step E40 therefore includes a sub-step E40_5 for updating by positive or negative reinforcement the value VAL[CAN_SELEC] associated with the selected frequency resource CAN_SELEC as a function of said comparison result.
• Said sub-step E40_5 is implemented by the sub-module SS_MOD_UPDATE of the allocation device D_A.
• step E50 implemented by the rejection module MOD_REJ of the allocation device D_A.

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• 2021
  • 2021-06-23 FR FR2106709A patent/FR3124682A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 2022
  • 2022-06-10 EP EP22735020.4A patent/EP4360385A1/de active Pending
  • 2022-06-10 WO PCT/FR2022/051107 patent/WO2022269157A1/fr active Application Filing

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