KR20020043566A - Method and System for Frequency Spectrum Resource Allocation - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for allocating one or more portions of a frequency spectrum between a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transmitters and / or receivers. The system includes a hub station that dynamically allocates a frequency spectrum in response to the requirements of a plurality of RF transmitters and / or receivers. Based on this requirement, the hub station analyzes the performance state of one or more groups of multiple RF transmitters and / or receivers to optimize the use of the assigned frequency spectrum.

Description

Frequency Spectrum Resource Allocation Method and System

A wireless communication system provides for the transmission and reception of voice, data and video information between multiple remote stations (e.g., remote devices) via radio frequency (RF) channels. The RF spectrum is limited by its own characteristics, so that only a small portion of the spectrum can be assigned to a particular industry. Thus, in the field of business such as the satellite communications or cellular phone industry, designers are constantly being asked to efficiently allocate limited spectrum in order to allow as many remote devices as possible to access the assigned frequency spectrum.

One way to meet this need is to implement one or more modulation techniques. Some modulation techniques, such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA), have demonstrated efficient spectrum utilization. Each of these connection technologies is well known in the art to which the present invention pertains, and therefore, description thereof is omitted here. In general, each of these techniques provides a method of accessing a particular fragment of the spectrum by a number of competing remotes (eg, users). However, when assigning particular fragments of the spectrum to multiple users, these techniques do not account for or adapt to variations in propagation conditions. For example, in satellite systems using TDMA technology, a particular periodic timeslot (on a given frequency) is generally assigned to a user corresponding to a period during which the user can communicate with a hub station. In order to enable multiple users to communicate with the hub station, multiple non-overlapping timeslots are each assigned to multiple users. However, in almost all wireless systems, signal propagation may experience unpredictable degradation over one or more intervals. In general, there are a number of physical phenomena that introduce degradation into a wireless medium. For example, in a satellite communication system, signal degradation may occur due to weather conditions (for example, storms) or environmental interference. In land-based communication systems, signal degradation can occur due to physical phenomena such as multipath propagation and distance change between transmitter and receiver. Such signal degradation adversely affects channel performance for some users but does not necessarily adversely affect other users.

Moreover, these complex approaches do not accommodate or respond to changes in the use of allocated spectrum among multiple users. For example, during a particular period of time, a user may need to transmit an amount of information that may take an excessive length of time if transmitted over the current bandwidth. During the same period, other users do not have this need and may be at rest. This situation is particularly common in data communications networks, such as the Internet, in which data is transmitted in bursts or packets (ie, a group of bits) between one communication station and another. The intensive nature of these networks makes the use of conventional frequency spectrum inefficient.

Thus, there has been a need in the industry to dynamically allocate frequency spectrum usage in accordance with the needs and performance of users so that all users have adequate access to the allocated spectrum.

Summary of the Invention

To overcome the above limitations, the present invention provides a method and system for optimizing the use of frequency spectrum. The present invention provides a method of allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of RF transmitters. The method includes monitoring the aggregate demand of a group of a plurality of transmitters existing within a plurality of RF transmitters. This group has at least one RF transmitter. The method further includes determining, in response to the monitored demand amount, relative data congestion of the transmitter group. The method further includes allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the lowest amount of congestion to at least one of the plurality of other RF transmitters.

Moreover, the present invention provides a system for allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of RF transmitters. The system includes a plurality of RF transmitters, each configured to transmit data on each RF channel. The system further includes a hub transceiver for communicating with the plurality of RF transmitters. The hub transceiver is configured to monitor the aggregate requirement of a group of multiple RF transmitters. This group has at least one RF transmitter. The hub transceiver is further configured to reallocate a portion of the RF spectrum from the group of RF transmitters with the lowest overall requirement to at least one of the plurality of other RF transmitters.

The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to optimizing the allocation of frequency spectrum among a plurality of remote stations in a wireless communication system.

The foregoing invention, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

1 is a block diagram of a general satellite communication system in which the present invention may be implemented.

2 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system having a base station and a plurality of remote devices in accordance with the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining whether to allocate a frequency spectrum between two or more groups of the wireless communication system shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process of determining an aggregate requirement of one or more groups of the wireless communication system shown in FIG. 2.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining congestion and reallocating a frequency spectrum between one or more groups of remote devices in the wireless communication system shown in FIG.

6 is a table illustrating an example of remote device groups of the wireless communication system shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating an example of changing groups of the wireless communication system illustrated in FIG. 2.

8 is a graph illustrating one embodiment of the process of reallocating the frequency spectrum between remote devices as a function of frequency and time.

9 is a graph illustrating three areas of service quality management areas for a remote device.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of dynamically scheduling remote device communication according to another embodiment of the present invention.

11 is an exemplary graph illustrating the results of a process of scheduling remote device communication as a function of frequency and time.

The following description should not be construed as limiting the invention, but is merely given to illustrate the general principles of the invention. The same reference numerals are used for the same components throughout the following description. The scope of the invention should be defined with reference to the claims.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system 150 in which the present invention may be implemented. The system 150 provides a fast and reliable internet communication service over a satellite link.

In particular, the system 150 has one or more content servers 100 connected to the Internet 102, while the Internet is connected to the hub station 104. Hub station 104 is configured to request digital data from content server 100 and receive this data from content servos. The hub station 104 also communicates with a plurality of remote devices 108A- 108N via satellite 106. For example, hub station 104 transmits signals to satellite 106 via forward uplink 110. Satellite 106 receives signals from forward uplink 110 and retransmits these signals on forward downlink 112. At this time, the entire forward uplink 110 and the forward downlink 112 is called a forward link. Remotes 108A-108N monitor one or more channels, including the forward link, to receive remote-specific broadcast messages from hub station 104.

Similarly, remote devices 108A- 108N transmit signals to satellite 106 via reverse uplink 114. Satellite 106 receives signals from reverse uplink 114 and retransmits these signals on reverse downlink 116. Reverse uplink 114 and reverse downlink 116 together are called reverse links. Hub station 104 monitors one or more channels, including the reverse link, to extract messages from remote devices 108A- 108N.

In one embodiment of system 150, each remote device 108A-108N is connected to a plurality of system users. For example, in FIG. 1, the remote device 108A is shown connected to the local area network 116, while the local area network is connected to a group of user terminals 118A- 118N. The user terminals 118A-118N may be one of a number of types of premises nodes, such as personal or network computers, printers, digital instrument readers, and the like. When a message is received over a forward link destined for one of the user terminals 118A- 118N, the remote device 108A forwards it to the appropriate user terminal 118 via the local area network 116. Similarly, user terminals 118A- 118N may send messages to remote device 108A via premises network 116.

In one embodiment of system 150, remote devices 108A-108N provide Internet services to a plurality of users. For example, user terminal 118A may be a personal computer running browser software to access the World Wide Web. When the browser receives a request for a web page or an embedded object from the user, the user terminal 118A generates a request message according to a known technique. User terminal 118A likewise transmits the request message to remote device 108A via premises network 116 using well known techniques. Based on the request message, the remote device 108A generates and transmits a radio link request through the channels of the reverse uplink 114 and the reverse downlink 116. Hub station 104 receives a radio link request over a reverse link. Based on the radio link request, the hub station 104 forwards the request message to the corresponding content server 100 via the Internet 102.

In response to the request message, the content server 100 delivers the requested page or object to the hub station 104 via the Internet 102. Hub station 104 receives the requested page or object and generates a radio link response. The hub station transmits a radio link response over the channels of forward uplink 110 and forward downlink 112.

The remote device 108A receives the radio link response and forwards the corresponding response message to the user terminal 118A via the local area network 116. In this way, a bidirectional link is established between the user terminal 118A and the content server 100.

As mentioned above, the present invention provides a method and system for optimizing the use of frequency spectrum in response to changing demands of remote devices. There are a number of methods for evaluating the state of a channel of a particular remote device in a wireless system. One common method involves estimating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a signal received from a remote device. SNR corresponds to a measure of the energy of a signal (usually expressed in decibels, ie dB) over a predetermined bandwidth and / or time interval, relative to the energy of noise added to the signal. Generally, "noise" refers to the difference between the signal transmitted by one of the remotes and the signal received by the hub station 104. The higher the SNR of the channel, the better the channel performance.

Another general method of specifying channel performance involves estimating the bit error rate (BER) of a channel. In short, BER is expressed as a fraction of the number of incorrectly received bits relative to the total number of transmitted bits. BER is expressed as a percentage or more generally a ratio. In fact, BER corresponds to a measure of the probability of a bit error within the channel. The lower the BER, the better the channel performance.

2 shows a block diagram of a wireless communication system 200 with a hub station 210 and representative remote devices 212, 214, 216, 232, 234, 252, 254 in accordance with the present invention. The system 200 may include a satellite based wireless system (such as shown in FIG. 1) or other type of wireless system (eg, a cellular phone) with multiple remote devices. The system 200 may employ TDMA, FDMA, any other access technology, or a combination of these access technologies to implement the present invention. Since the number of remote stations in the system 200 is for illustrative purposes only, the system 200 may have any desired number of hubs and remote stations.

These remote devices are classified into two or more operating groups consisting of a plurality of remote devices (often called "camps" of remote devices) based on the assigned data transfer rate of each remote device. In one embodiment, the system 200 has three remote device groups, namely group 32, group 64 and group 128. Group 32 contains one or more remote devices operating at a data rate of 32 kbps. Group 64 includes one or more remotes operating at a data rate of 64 kbps, and group 128 includes one or more remotes operating at a 128 kbps data rate. In general, the hub station 210 can place these remotes in group 32 by assigning a data rate of 32 kbps to the remotes 212, 214, and 216. Similarly, the hub station 210 can place these remotes in group 64 by assigning data rates of 64 kbps to the remotes 232 and 234. Finally, the hub station can place these remotes in group 128 by allocating a data rate of 128 kbps to the remotes 252 and 254.

Hub station 210 determines the data rate based on the channel status of each of the remote devices, and assigns this data rate to each remote device. The channel state indicates the channel's ability to maintain the assigned data rate while still maintaining acceptable signal performance (eg, SNR). In one embodiment, the hub station 210 is configured to monitor channel performance continuously or for a predetermined period of time based on the signals received at each remote device. More specifically, the hub station 210 can measure the SNR over a period of time to evaluate the channel performance of each remote device. The SNR threshold may comprise a lower threshold (eg 8 dB) and an upper threshold (eg 11 dB). Based on this comparison, the hub station 210 determines whether to change the currently assigned data rate for each remote device and, accordingly, whether to reclassify the remote device from one group to another. do.

For example, if the measured SNR of the signal received from the remote device 232 falls within the lower and upper thresholds, the hub station 210 may operate at the optimal data rate and the remote device 232 may be allocated accordingly. It is determined that the change of the data rate is unnecessary. If the measured SNR exceeds the upper threshold, the hub station 210 determines that the channel of the remote device 232 can withstand higher data rates. Thus, hub station 210 may instruct remote device 232 to raise its data rate from 64 kbps to a higher data rate, for example 128 kbps. On the other hand, if the measured SNR is lower than the lower threshold, the hub station 210 determines that the channel usage of the remote device 232 cannot be allowed, so that its currently allocated data rate should be reduced. Thus, hub station 210 can instruct remote device 232 to reduce its data rate from 64 kbps to a lower data rate, for example 32 kbps. The hub station 210 may repeat this process to optimize channel usage for all remote devices. In one embodiment, the average transmit power of each remote device is not affected and remains nearly constant throughout this process.

Moreover, the hub station 210 is configured to dynamically allocate portions of the allocated frequency spectrum to these remotes in response to changes in the requirements of each remote. As used herein, the term “required amount” refers to the amount of information (eg, data expressed in bits) that a remote device wants to exchange or transmit at a particular moment. In general, system 200 uses a channel, such as a reservation channel, that is used when reporting or transmitting its own current demand to hub station 210, either periodically or when requested. . In one embodiment, the hub station 210 is configured to determine the overall requirements of the remote devices (hereinafter referred to as "total requirements") on a group basis. As described in more detail below, the hub station 210 determines the portion of the frequency spectrum to be assigned to each of the groups 32, 64, and 128, based at least in part on the aggregate requirements of each of the groups 32, 64, and 128, respectively. . By doing so, the hub station 210 continuously reduces the congestion and transmission delay of the remote device group and optimizes frequency usage among the remote device groups.

In one embodiment, it is desirable to check the quality of service (QoS) assigned to each remote device before determining the overall requirements of each of groups 32, 64, and 128. In general, QoS may specify a guaranteed nominal throughput level (e.g., amount of data in bits) or data rate (in kbps) for each remote device. QoS is generally assigned to each remote device according to a subscription agreement between the remote device and the service provider, eg, the owner of the hub station 210. As used herein, the term “QoS” refers to one or more criteria that the hub station 210 can use to classify the quality of performance associated with or provided to a remote device.

In general, hub station 210 may use any communication parameter to allocate one or more portions of the frequency spectrum between remote devices. The communication parameters include the total requirements of the group of remotes, the individual requirements of one remote, the quality of service, the channel performance (e.g., SNR or BER measurements), the number of remotes present in the group, the propagation path (e.g. Distance, terrain, etc.), other parameters affecting the performance of the wireless communication system 200, or a combination of these parameters. As will be described further below, based on this communication parameter, hub station 210 determines the current or expected state of performance of a group of remote devices (or one remote device) to determine one or more of the frequency spectrum. Allocate the above part.

3 is a flow chart illustrating a process of determining whether to reassign a frequency spectrum between two or more groups of remote devices in the system shown in FIG. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, remote devices are classified into groups 32, 64, and 128, and are distributed between these groups. This process begins at block 300 when the system 200 initiates an algorithm to check channel performance for each remote device. For example, this algorithm may be implemented using any microprocessor-based instructions, such as conventional firmware programmed on or within the device to which the hub station 210 can quickly access. At block 310, system 210 monitors the channel by listening to a signal received at a first remote device (eg, remote device 232). In one embodiment, each remote device may transmit a signal to the hub station 210 over a predetermined or other available channel for a periodic period of time. The hub station 210 measures signal energy and noise components of signals arriving from the remote device 232. As mentioned above, the hub station calculates the SNR for the remote device 232 over a period of time (eg, 100 milliseconds).

At decision block 320, the hub station 210 determines whether to change the currently assigned data rate of the remote device 232 based on the measured SNR. As mentioned above, the hub station 210 is programmed to have a lower (eg, 8 dB) threshold and an upper (eg, 11 dB) threshold to compare the measured SNR. The range between the lower and upper thresholds indicates sufficient channel performance for the currently allocated data rate. Thus, if the measured SNR falls between the lower and upper thresholds, the process proceeds to block 330 where the hub station 210 maintains the data rate currently assigned for the remote device 232. In such a case, the process proceeds to block 370 to determine whether the hub station 210 has examined all remote devices within the group as described below.

A range of SNRs below the lower threshold indicates undesirable channel performance with a relatively high noise level for the currently assigned data rate. Thus, if the measured SNR belongs to a value less than the lower threshold, the process proceeds to block 340 where the hub station 210 determines that the remote device 232 has its current allocated data rate lower than 64 kbps, For example, to reduce it to 32 kbps. Thus, in this case, hub station 210 reclassifies remote device 232 from group 64 to group 32. On the other hand, a range of SNRs above the upper threshold indicates inadequate use of channels with relatively low noise levels for the currently assigned data rate. Thus, at block 320, if the measured SNR belongs to a value greater than the upper threshold, the process proceeds to block 350, where the hub station 210 indicates that the remote device 232 has set its current allocated data rate higher than 64 kbps. Command to increase the data rate, for example 128 kbps. Thus, in this case, the hub station 210 reclassifies the remote device 232 from group 64 to group 128.

At block 360, hub station 210 collects one or more signals indicative of the requirements of remote device 232 over the reservation channel. Hub station 210 stores this requirement in an accessible memory (not shown) for later retrieval. The timing of acquisition of the demand signal is not critical to the present invention and can be performed before, during or after the SNR measurement of each remote device. For example, the hub station 210 may collect and store the requirements of all remote devices before starting the process shown in FIG. In block 370, the hub station 210 determines whether the demand from all remote devices has been obtained. If more remote device requirements are still needed, the process returns to block 310 to measure the SNR of the remaining remote device and repeat the process described so far. Alternatively, the process may return to block 360 to collect the remaining requirements of the remote device via the reservation channel. In one embodiment, one or more of these steps may be performed in parallel.

On the other hand, when the requirements of all remote devices have been collected, the hub station 210 determines at block 380 whether one or more of the groups 32, 64, 128 are in a relatively congested state. This process will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. If the hub station 210 determines that no congestion was detected, the process proceeds to block 310 to execute the entire process again. Optionally, the process may end at this stage and resume later. On the other hand, if the hub station 210 determines that one or more of the groups 32, 64, and 128 are in a congested state, the frequency spectrum from the group in the lowest congestion state (ie, having the best performance state) to the other group The process proceeds to reassign. Thus, at block 390, the hub station 210 reduces the assigned frequency spectrum portion of the group in the lowest congestion state and increases the assigned frequency spectrum portion of the other groups. This process will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 5. The above process ends at block 390.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the process performed in block 380 shown in FIG. 3 for determining the overall requirement amount of one or more groups. This process begins with block 400. As described above, the hub station 210 may be configured to determine the relative congestion of groups 32, 64, and 128, respectively. At block 410, the hub station 210 monitors the remote device's requirements over a reservation channel. As mentioned above, the demand represents the amount of data (expressed in bits) that the remote device wishes to exchange or transmit at a particular moment. In block 420, the hub station 210 examines the QoS assigned to the remote device to evaluate the received demand. Hub station 210 usually remembers, or at least accesses, the QoS of each remote device operating within its communicable area. By evaluating the requirements, the hub station 210 checks the QoS of the remote device to determine whether the QoS allows the allocation of resources to meet the overall requirements. According to decision block 430, if the QoS can meet the overall requested requirement of the remote device, then at block 440, the hub station 210 takes into account the overall requirement when evaluating the overall requirement of one of groups 32, 64, and 128. do. On the other hand, if QoS does not allow the requested requirement, hub station 210 determines the reduced requirement for the remote at block 450 (i.e., reduces the size of the requirement), and decreases when evaluating the overall requirement of the group. Consider the requirements.

For example, remote device 212 is assigned a QoS criterion that allows the remote device to exchange data up to 32 kilobits per second, providing an average amount of data of 1.92 (ie, approximately 2) megabits per minute. have. At 12:00:00, if remote device 212 transmits 1 megabit, hub station 210 checks the QoS of remote device 212 to determine that up to about 2 megabits of data is allowed. Thus, at 12:00, the hub station 210 takes into account the total 1 megabit to assess the total congestion for group 32. However, at 12:00:30 (i.e., after 30 seconds), if the remote device 212 requests a requirement for transmitting 2 megabits, the hub station 210 will take 1 minute based on the QoS of the remote device 212. For the time of the interval, i.e. during 12: 00: 00-12: 00: 01, we determine that a requirement of about 1 megabit is allowed. Thus, to evaluate the total congestion for group 32 at 12:00:30, hub station 210 reduces the size of the requirement from 2 megabits to 1 megabit.

For each group, the hub station 210 calculates the group's total requirement based on the overall requirement of all remote devices in the group. Thus, at decision block 460, a check is made to see if a requirement has been collected from all remote devices in the group. If the requirement of more remotes is to be collected, the process returns to block 410. On the other hand, if the hub station 210 determines that the demand has been collected at all remote devices in the group, the process proceeds to block 470. To determine the aggregate requirement of one group, the hub station 210 sums the requirements and / or reduced requirements of all remotes in the group at block 470. Overall demand represents a measure of the (average) length for a queue of bits for this group. Hub station 210 may repeat this process for all groups 32, 64, and 128, and store the total requirements of all groups in its own memory to perform congestion analysis. The above process ends at block 480.

There are a number of ways to analyze congestion for each group of remotes. In one embodiment, hub station 21 determines the congestion of each group for the group with the lowest congestion state. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the process of determining congestion and reallocating frequency spectrum between two or more groups of remote devices. This process begins at block 500. At block 510, the hub station 210 identifies the group that is in the lowest congestion state that generally corresponds to the group with the shortest queue length. Once the group with the lowest runaway state is identified, hub station 210 compares the queue lengths of the other groups to the group with the lowest runaway state at block 520. By such a comparison, the hub station can calculate the percentage of excess bits by dividing the queue length of one group by the queue length of the group with the lowest congestion. The percentage of this excess bit indicates the degree of congestion of either group relative to the group with the lowest congestion state. For example, the average queue lengths of each of groups 32, 64, and 128 are 100, 300, and 250 megabits, respectively. In this example, group 32 with a queue length of 100 megabits indicates the group with the lowest runaway state. The percentage of excess bits for group 64 is 300% (i.e. 300/100) and the percentage for group 128 is 250% (i.e. 250/100). As shown in this example, the queue length of any group Since is always greater than (or equal to) the queue length of the group with the lowest congestion, the percentage of surplus bits corresponds to a number greater than or equal to 100%.

At block 530, the hub station 210 determines whether it is necessary to reallocate a portion of the frequency spectrum from the group with the lowest runaway state to another group based on the relative congestion of the groups. In one embodiment, hub station 210 bases its determination on the percentage of excess bits. For example, the hub station 210 may be configured to reallocate the frequency spectrum only for groups that have a percentage of excess bits of 200% or more. Thus, based on the numerical example described above, the hub station 210 may remove the frequency spectrum portion from group 32 and assign it to groups 64 and 128. Thus, if reallocation of the frequency spectrum is guaranteed to mitigate congestion, then the process proceeds to block 540. On the other hand, if reassignment of the frequency spectrum is not guaranteed, the above process ends at block 560.

In block 540, the hub station 210 determines the amount of frequency spectrum (ie, the size of the bandwidth) to be allocated from the group with the lowest runaway state to another group. Bandwidth generally refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted over a period of time over a transmission channel, such as a wireless transmitter. Typically, bandwidth is expressed in cycles per second (hertz or Hz) or bits per second (bps). It is desirable to minimize the amount of bandwidth to be reallocated from the group with the lowest runaway state to another group. By minimizing the amount of reallocated bandwidth, the probability of queue oscillation and thus system instability is reduced. Queue vibration usually refers to the movement of the runaway back and forth, ie, vibrating, between the group with the lowest runaway state and the other groups.

In order to minimize queue vibration, it is desirable to reallocate the bandwidth step by step from the group with the lowest runaway state to another group. In one embodiment, using a phased approach, hub station 210 may reallocate bandwidth in units of increments into a group with a higher congestion. For example, using the numerical example described above, the hub station 210 can reallocate 64 kbps of bandwidth from group 32 to group 64 and 128 kbps of bandwidth from group 32 to group 128. The purpose of reallocating bandwidth is to mitigate congestion within the group with greater congestion. Thus, at block 550, the hub station 210 reallocates the frequency spectrum portion from the group with the lowest runaway state to another group. This reallocation process ends at block 560.

In one embodiment, the hub station 210 repeats the process shown in FIG. 5 continuously or for a period of time. Mitigation of congestion in other groups may increase the likelihood of congestion in the group with the lowest congestion condition. However, the hub station 210's ability to continuously monitor group congestion and reassign the allocated frequency spectrum between groups of remote units reduces the likelihood of congestion in one group. Moreover, continuous monitoring and reallocation of the frequency spectrum optimizes frequency utilization among remote devices.

FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of the remote device groups shown in FIG. 2. As discussed above, hub station 210 assigns each remote to a camp or group based on the data rate assigned to that remote. In this table 600, the hub station 210 assigns data rates of 32 kbps to remotes 212-224 and 244-246, so these remotes belong to group 32. Similarly, hub station 210 assigns data rates of 64 kbps to remote devices 232-242, so these remote devices belong to group 64. Finally, the hub station 210 assigns a data rate of 128 kbps to the remote devices 252-270, so these remote devices belong to group 128. As mentioned above, the data rate is generally assigned to each remote device based on its channel performance, e.g., the measured SNR of the signal transmitted from each remote device and received at the hub station 210. do. As described above, if the SNR falls within the optimal range, the currently allocated data rate of the remote device is maintained. If the SNR belongs to a value lower than the lower threshold or higher than the upper threshold, then the data rate of the remote device is decreased or increased accordingly. To track and update each group of remote devices, hub station 210 keeps table 600 in memory or where it can be easily accessed.

7 is a table showing examples of changes in groups 32, 64, and 128. In the present embodiment, the table 700 indicates that the remote devices 244 and 246 no longer belong to group 32, but belong to group 64. In general, the change in grouping of remotes 244 and 246 indicates that the measured SNR of the channels of each remote 244 and 246 belongs to a value that is greater than the upper threshold. In this case, hub station 210 commands remote devices 244 and 246 to increase their respective data rates from 32 kbps to 64 kbps. Accordingly, hub station 210 updates table 600 with table 700 indicating that remote devices 244 and 246 belong to group 64.

8 is a graph illustrating the process of reallocating the frequency spectrum between remote devices as a function of frequency and time. Graph 800 includes a vertical axis that indicates the portion of the frequency spectrum (eg, bandwidth) assigned to each group. More specifically, graph 800 shows that bandwidth 832 is assigned to group 32, bandwidth 864 is assigned to group 64, and bandwidth 828 is assigned to group 128. In addition, graph 800 includes a horizontal axis representing the time domain T. Starting at T = 0, graph 800 indicates that the interval with which each remote device can communicate is indicated by a box (or timeslot) indicated by the remote device number.

For example, during interval 0-t ₃ , graph 800 shows that time slot 212 and carrier frequency F ₈ are assigned to remote device 212, and the remote device is operating in group 32 at a data rate of 32 kbps. During the same interval 0-t ₃ , graph 800 shows that time slot 214 and carrier frequency F ₇ are assigned to remote device 214 and the remote device is operating in group 32 at a data rate of 32 kbps. During interval 0-t ₂ , graph 800 shows that time slot 232 and carrier frequency F ₉ are assigned to remote device 232, and the remote device is operating in group 64 at a data rate of 64 kbps. During interval 0-t ₁ , graph 800 shows that time slot 252 and carrier frequency F ₁₀ are assigned to remote device 252, and the remote device is operating in group 128 at a data rate of 128 kbps.

In this embodiment, the duration of the timeslot for remotes in group 32 is twice as long as the duration of timeslots for remotes in group 64, and is 4 times the timeslot for remotes in group 128. It can be seen that the ship is long. The relationship between the duration of timeslots between multiple groups is generally a function of the assigned data rate. For example, since the data rate of 64 kbps is twice the data rate of 32 kbps, the duration of the group 64 timeslots is expected to be half the duration of the group 32 timeslots. This time slot / frequency structure simplifies the implementation of TDMA and FDMA systems with various operational data rates. Finally, in all groups, it can be seen that each remote device does not occupy more than one timeslot at the same time. Occupancy of one timeslot simplifies the operation of a single channel transceiver system. Once the frequency spectrum portion for each group is determined, the hub station 210 can specify one or more timeslots / frequency (within the group) using any standard implemented within the hub station 210. Can be assigned to a remote device. The present invention is not limited to such a system and may be implemented using any timeslot / frequency structure compatible with the features of the present invention.

Graph 800 illustrates an example of varying each bandwidth between groups in response to a determination of a hub station to reassign the assigned frequency spectrum. As shown in FIG. 8, at time T = t ₄ , hub station 210 changes the frequency spectrum allocation between groups of remote devices. More specifically, graph 800 shows that the bandwidths 828 and 864 each doubled in size, resulting in a reduction in bandwidth 832. Thus, instead of T = t ₄ prior to the group 128 to be used only one time slot to the remote device of the T = t ₄ after the Group 128 may be used to generate two simultaneous time slots. For example, at time T = t ₄ , it can be seen that remote devices 270 and 268 communicate simultaneously at an assigned data rate (bandwidth 828) of 128 kbps. Similarly, instead of the T = t ₄ prior to the group 64 to be used only one time slot, the remote device of the T = t ₄ after the Group 64 may be used to generate two simultaneous time slots. For example, at time T = t ₄ , it can be seen that remote devices 240 and 242 simultaneously communicate at an assigned data rate (bandwidth 864) of 64 kbps. On the other hand, T = t _4, instead of to enable the time slots to transfer the groups 32 occurs eight concurrent to, T = t ₄ the remote device of the group 32 after are the only possible states using only two time slots. This example, in response to the relative congestion of each of the groups 64 and 128, as detailed above, the hub station 210 reassigns the frequency from group 32 to group 64 and 128 where such congestion has the lowest congestion. Indicates that a decision was made to guarantee.

Moreover, graph 800 shows an example of a change in the data rate of one or more remote devices. As shown in FIG. 8, before T = t ₅ , as shown by timeslots 244 and 246 of group 32, each remote device 244 and 246 operates in group 32 (bandwidth 832) at a data rate of 32 kbps. You can see that it was. However, after time T = T ₅ , as shown in timeslots 244 and 246 of group 64, remote devices 244 and 246 are operating in group 64 (bandwidth 864) at a data rate of 64 kbps. Thus, graph 800 indicates that at any time in intervals t ₄ -t ₅ , the hub station 210 has decided to change the data rate assigned to remote devices 244 and 246 from 32 to 64 kbps. As described in detail above, the hub station 210 is based on its determination of the measured SNR for the channels of each of the remote devices 244 and 246. In this example, the SNR belongs to a value larger than the upper threshold value (e.g., 11 dB), thus ensuring an increase in the data rate. Thus, hub station 210 commands remote devices 244 and 246 to increase their respective data rates.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, reverse link resources are not previously allocated to specific camps of remote devices. FIG. 9 is an exemplary graph illustrating three quality of service areas for a particular remote device, such as remote device 212 (see FIG. 2), operating in such an environment. As mentioned above, QoS is generally assigned to each remote device according to a subscription agreement between the remote device and the service provider. Regardless of the assigned data rate, QoS specifies the assigned average data rate. The assigned data rate specifies the rate at which the remote device can send information over the channel when resources are allocated to the remote device, while the assigned average data rate is determined by the remote device, for example from a service provider. Reflects the average data rate over an extended period of time. For example, if a remote device has an assigned data rate of 256 kbps and an averaged data rate of 32 kbps, even if the remote device transmits in bursts at a 256 kbps rate, the bursts are distributed over time by an idle period, Decreases the average data rate to about 32 kbps. That is, the average tudy cycle of such remote device transmission is at most about one eighth.

The vertical axis 402 of FIG. 9 indicates a range of current average data rates for the remote device 212. In accordance with the contract of the remote device, the remote device 212 subscribes to the assigned average data rate 404 (eg, 32 kbps). An average data rate lower than this value is indicated by IN region 406. In one embodiment, it may be desirable to allow remote device 212 to exceed its assigned average data rate 404 so that it can operate in OUT region 414. OUT area 414 indicates a range of average data rates at which remote device 212 can operate at a value greater than its assigned average data rate 404. Thus, the OUT area 414 indicates an average data rate ranging from the assigned average data rate 404 to the maximum average data rate 408 (eg 48 kbps). As further shown in FIG. 9, the hard drop (HARD DROP) region 412 indicates an average data rate greater than the maximum average data rate 408.

In one embodiment, the assigned average data rate 404 is associated with a particular remote device in accordance with a subscription agreement between the remote device operator and the owner or operator of the hub station. For example, a service provider may wish to reduce operating costs associated with providing Internet services by purchasing a relatively low assigned average data rate 404. As the number of subscribers and the demands on the system increase, the service provider may pay a higher price and purchase a higher assigned average data rate 404.

The quality of service level 404 associated with the remote is stored by the hub station. In one embodiment, the hub station includes tables that store the remote device identifier and the associated average data rate 404 associated therewith. In one embodiment, these tables are updated by the hub station when subscription information is added or changed.

Each hub station stores a range parameter used to define a data rate corresponding to a value at which transmission at the remote device may exceed the assigned average data rate 404. This range parameter defines the size of the OUT area 414 by providing a value for the maximum average data rate 408. This range parameter may be selected based on general system usage, capacity of the hub station, and other factors. The use of the maximum average data rate artificially limits the average data rate of the remote device, even if system resources are available, to encourage the purchase of a higher assigned data rate. In another embodiment, the same mechanism may be employed to limit the maximum average data rate for other reasons.

In this embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for scheduling remote device communications of system 200 within available communication resources. As described above, the hub station 210 may continuously receive the requirements of each remote device over the reservation channel. In this embodiment, the hub station 210 queues each arrived request on a first in first out (FIFO) basis.

In one embodiment, hub station 210 classifies or categorizes each remote device requirement based, at least in part, on a current average data rate for the remote device over the previous some time period. As mentioned above, the hub station 210 may calculate the current average data rate based on a moving average over a predetermined period (eg, 10,30, 60 seconds or other desired interval). The moving average is determined by dividing the amount of data transmitted during a predetermined past period by this predetermined period.

For example, suppose the remote has an assigned average data rate of 48 kbps and a maximum average data rate of 60 kbps, and the hub station uses a predetermined period of 60 seconds to determine the average data rate of the remote. Furthermore, suppose that at 12:00:01 after a long idle state, the remote device 212 has completed transmitting 1 megabit of data. Thus, until 12:00:02, the current average data rate of the remote is about 17 kbps (ie 1 megabit / 60 seconds), which places the remote in the IN area 406. At 12:00:30, remote device 212 completes the transmission of 2 megabits of data. Considering 1 and 2 megabit transmissions, the current average data rate of remote device 212 at time 12:00:31 is 50 kbps (3 megabits / 60 seconds), which means that the operating point of remote device 212 is moved to the OUT area ( 414). Finally, at 12:00:45, when remote device 212 completes the transmission of 3 megabits of data, the current average data rate of remote device 212 at time 12:00:46 is about 100kbs (i.e. 6 megabytes). Bit / 60 seconds), which places the operating point of the remote device in the hard drop area 412. As time elapses, if the remote device 212 is no longer transmitting any more data, then the current average data rate of the remote device will eventually belong to the IN area 406 via the OUT area 414.

10 is a flow chart illustrating a second embodiment of a process for dynamically scheduling remote device communications. This process begins at start block 804. As noted above, in one embodiment, the hub station 210 receives a request for requirements from each remote device that wishes to communicate data via the system 200 (see FIG. 2), and selects the corresponding item. Place inside a FIFO queue. At block 808, the hub station 210 determines the current average data of the first remote device corresponding to the first item in the FIFO queue, for example, as just described.

At block 812, the hub station 210 determines whether the current average data rate of the remote device 212 classifies the remote device as operating in the hard drop area 412 (see FIG. 9). If the remote device 212 is operating in the hard drop area 412 based on the amount of data sent by this remote device over a predetermined interval (eg, the previous 60 seconds), the process proceeds to block 816. Hub station 210 then places the current requirement item at the last position in the FIFO queue. By later delaying meeting the requirements, hub station 210 refuses to assign bandwidth / timeslot to remote device 212 at this point, reducing the current average data rate of the remote device as it moves forward in time. In yet another embodiment, the requirement item is removed from the queue and not replaced inside the queue.

On the other hand, if the remote device 212 does not operate in the hard drop area 412 for a predetermined period, the process proceeds to block 820 where the hub station 210 determines whether the remote device 212 is operating in the OUT area 414. Determine.

Based on the current average data rate of the remote device over the predetermined interval, if the remote device 212 is operating in the OUT area 414, the process proceeds to block 824 where the hub station 210 clears the In / Out bits. Perform an OUT version of a pair of algorithms, such as Random Early Drop (RED) with In / Out bit (REO). In one embodiment, the RED and RIO algorithms are executed by a gateway inside the hub station. In general, the RED algorithm calculates an average queue length, and when the average queue length exceeds a certain dropping threshold, the gateway randomly discards demand requests with a certain probability, with the correct probability being the hub. This is a function of the queue length that exists at the station.

Based on the current average data rate of the remote device over the predetermined interval, if remote device 212 is operating in IN region 406, the process proceeds to block 828 where the second random early drop (RED) algorithm is applied. Is executed. In general, the dropping threshold reflects a longer queue length for IP packets compared to OUT packets, and the probability of discarding OUT packets over the entire range of queue lengths is greater than the probability of discarding IN packets. Or the same. For more details on RED and RIO algorithms and gateways, see Clark, D. and Fang, W., available at http://diffserv.lcs.mit.edu/Papers/exp-alloc-ddc-wf.pdf. See Explicit Allocation of Best Effort Packet Delivery Service.

If the requirement request does not pass the RED algorithm at block 824 or 828 (ie, is discarded), the process returns to block 816 where the hub station 210 places the requirement item at the last position in the FIFO queue or at the FIFO queue. Discard the request. On the other hand, if the requirement request of the remote device 212 in the block 824 or 828 passes the RED algorithm, the process proceeds to block 830.

At block 830, the hub station 210 schedules remote device communication. More specifically, in order to schedule remote device communication, hub station 210 determines the appropriate data rate and appropriate bandwidth of remote device 212. Based on the assigned data rate, the hub station 210 may use this bandwidth (i.e., for another remote device transmission already) over a period of time allowing the remote device 212 to exchange the desired amount of data. Determine the next time T) that is not scheduled. In the present embodiment, the assigned data rate is preferably maintained at the highest rate or group of rates at which the remote device can properly transmit data.

At block 834, the hub station 210 determines whether it is inside the FIFO queue, waiting for the next requirement item to be scheduled. In one embodiment, the process of FIG. 10 is executed continuously to process a queue of requirement items. If there is another requirement item in the FIFO queue, the process proceeds to block 808 where the hub station 210 processes the requirement item as described above. On the other hand, if the requirement item does not exist inside the FIFO queue, the process ends at block 840 or simply waits for the arrival of the next requirement item.

11 is a graph showing an example of the result of a process of scheduling one or more remote devices as a function of frequency and time. Similar to graph 800 (FIG. 8), graph 850 includes a horizontal axis representing time and a vertical axis displaying frequency spectrum. Bandwidth 842 indicates the total bandwidth available for communicating by system 200. The numbered blocks in graph 850 represent the bandwidth and timeslot when the corresponding designated remote device is scheduled to communicate data. As an example, the remote device 252 is marked as scheduled to transmit between times T9 and T10 at the designated center frequency F and the surrounding frequency. For illustrative purposes, the bandwidth required for the remote device 212 is indicated by the bandwidth 844.

As discussed above, to schedule the request of remote device 212, hub station 210 checks the time when the requested bandwidth 844 is available. At time T10, there can be an unscheduled timeslot 846 at its respective frequency and bandwidth. However, this timeslot 846 does not meet the required bandwidth of remote device 212. Hub station 212 does not schedule remote device 212 in this time slot 846 because of insufficient bandwidth. Accordingly, hub station 210 examines the next available timeslot to determine whether there is a bandwidth 844 required for remote device 212. At time T11, hub station 210 finds timeslot 212 with sufficient data bandwidth and the data rate of remote device 212. Accordingly, the hub station schedules the remote device 212 at time T11 for the duration of one timeslot or, if necessary, multiple timeslots. As the hub station continues to schedule transmissions, it may be able to schedule other remote device communications in timeslot 846.

In view of the above-described invention, it can be seen that the present invention solves a difficult problem over a method and system for optimizing the use of frequency spectrum among a plurality of communication stations. This system and method dynamically reallocates the allocated frequency spectrum in response to changes in demand and frequency utilization.

Various embodiments other than the above are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, the assigned data rate is not quantized to multiple discrete data rates; instead, each remote device may be capable of transmitting data regardless of any particular data rate group, or simply much smaller rates. Using groups with granularity, transmit the maximum data rate that the remote can operate on. The present invention can be applied to various operating environments in addition to those described above with reference to FIG. 1 as in the land environment.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof. The foregoing embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (68)

A method of allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum between at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers, the method comprising: Monitoring communication parameters related to performance of a group comprising at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers residing within the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers; In response to the monitored communication parameters, determining a performance state of the group; Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers from the group having the best performance state.
The method of claim 1, Allocating a data rate to at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers.
The method of claim 1, Determining the size of the portion of the RF spectrum to be allocated from the group having the best performance state.
The method of claim 1, Determining a requirement of the group based at least in part on the requirement of at least one of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
The method of claim 4, wherein Determining a requirement of a group includes adjusting a requirement based at least in part on the quality of service of each of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
The method of claim 1, Monitoring the communication parameters comprises monitoring the overall requirement of the group.
The method of claim 1, Monitoring the communication parameters comprises monitoring the performance of at least one RF channel among the RF transmitters and receivers.
The method of claim 7, wherein Monitoring the performance of the RF channel comprises measuring at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a bit error rate (BER) of the channel.
The method of claim 1, Determining the performance status of the group comprises determining a length of a data queue of the group.
The method of claim 9, Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the best performance state comprises allocating a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the shortest data queue length.
The method of claim 1, Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the best performance state includes allocating a portion of the RF spectrum from the group where data traffic is at the lowest congestion state.
A method of allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of RF transmitters, the method comprising: Monitoring a requirement of a group consisting of a plurality of transmitters, the plurality of transmitters including at least one RF transmitter, present inside the plurality of RF transmitters; In response to the monitored demand amount, determining relative data congestion of the transmitter group; Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the lowest runaway amount to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 12, Adjusting the requirement of each of the transmitters in the group based at least in part on the quality of service of each of the transmitters in the group.
The method of claim 13, Adjusting the requirements of each of the transmitters in the group comprises assigning a small portion of the requirements of each of the transmitters in the group.
The method of claim 14, Determining, based at least in part on the adjusted requirement of each of the transmitters in the group, the aggregate requirement of the group.
The method of claim 12, Monitoring the required amount of the transmitter group comprises receiving information indicative of the amount of data that each of the transmitters in the group requests to exchange.
The method of claim 12, Determining the relative data congestion of the transmitter group comprises identifying a group having the shortest data queue length.
The method of claim 17, Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum comprises assigning a portion of the RF spectrum from a group of transmitters having the shortest data queue length to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 12, And comparing the data queue length of the transmitter group with the data queue length of another transmitter group.
The method of claim 12, Monitoring the requirements of at least one other transmitter group, including at least one RF transmitter, present within the plurality of RF transmitters.
A communication receiver for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals from a plurality of RF transmitters, the method comprising: When the processor is running Monitoring a requirement of a group consisting of a plurality of transmitters, the plurality of transmitters including at least one RF transmitter, present inside the plurality of RF transmitters; In response to the monitored demand amount, determining relative data congestion of the transmitter group; And allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the lowest runaway amount to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 21, The method further comprises adjusting a requirement of each of the transmitters in the group based at least in part on the quality of service of each of the transmitters in the group.
The method of claim 22, Adjusting the requirements of each of the transmitters in the group comprises assigning at least a portion of the requirements of each of the transmitters in the group.
The method of claim 23, wherein And the method further comprises determining a total requirement of the group based at least in part on the adjusted requirement of each of the transmitters of the group.
The method of claim 21, Monitoring the required amount of the transmitter group comprises receiving information indicative of the amount of data that each of the transmitters in the group requests to exchange.
The method of claim 21, Determining the relative data congestion of the transmitter group comprises identifying a group having the shortest data queue length.
The method of claim 26, Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum comprises assigning a portion of the RF spectrum from a group of transmitters having the shortest data queue length to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 21, The method further comprises comparing the data queue length of the transmitter group with the data queue length of another transmitter group.
The method of claim 21, Monitoring a requirement of at least one other transmitter group, including at least one RF transmitter, present within the plurality of RF transmitters.
A system for allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of RF transmitters, the system comprising: A plurality of RF transmitters each configured to communicate data by transmitting data indicative of respective demands; A receiver in communication with the plurality of RF transmitters, the receiver being configured to monitor a requirement of a group comprising at least one RF transmitter, residing inside the plurality of RF transmitters, And the receiver is further configured to reallocate a portion of the RF spectrum from the group of RF transmitters having the lowest demand to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 30, Wherein each RF transmitter is configured to periodically transmit data indicative of respective requirements to a receiver via a dedicated RF channel.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to collect each requirement to determine the overall requirement of the group.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to adjust each requirement based at least in part on the quality of service of at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters.
The method of claim 33, And the receiver is configured to determine the total requirement of the group based at least in part on each adjusted requirement.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to give each of the plurality of RF transmitters at least a portion of the requirement.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to access a processor that reallocates a portion of the RF spectrum from the group of RF transmitters having the lowest demand to at least one other RF transmitter.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to monitor the RF channel performance of at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters.
The method of claim 37, And the receiver is configured to measure at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio and a bit error rate of the RF channel.
The method of claim 38, And the receiver is configured to assign a data rate to at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters based at least in part on channel performance.
The method of claim 38, And if the measured signal to noise ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold, the receiver is configured to assign an increased data rate to at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters.
The method of claim 38, And if the measured signal to noise ratio is less than a predetermined threshold, the receiver is configured to assign a reduced data rate to at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters.
The method of claim 38, And if the measured signal to noise ratio falls within a predetermined range, the receiver is configured to maintain a data rate currently allocated for at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters.
The method of claim 30, And the receiver is configured to reallocate a portion of the RF spectrum to at least one other group having a greater than minimum requirement.
The method of claim 43, And the receiver is configured to reallocate part of the RF spectrum in steps by a predetermined amount of bandwidth.
Allocate a portion of the radio frequency spectrum and timeslot for communicating between a plurality of communication devices, each communication device being configured to communicate information indicative of each demand stored in a demand queue, each communication device being wireless An allocation method comprising at least one of a frequency (RF) transmitter and a receiver, Calculating an average data rate of at least one communication device among the plurality of communication devices, Determining, based at least in part on an average data rate and the size of the demand queue, whether to meet the demand of the one communication device; When determined to meet the requirements of said one communication device, allocating to said one communication device a portion of the frequency spectrum and timeslot that is at least partially suitable for the data rate of said one communication device; Allocation method.
The method of claim 45, If the average data rate of the one communication device exceeds a predetermined threshold, delaying meeting the required amount of the one communication device.
The method of claim 46, Delaying the fulfillment of the requirement includes placing the requirement into a schedule as the last part of the requirement queue.
The method of claim 46, Determining whether or not to satisfy the required amount of the one communication device comprises: determining whether an average data rate is higher than a predetermined data rate lower than the predetermined threshold; Way.
The method of claim 48, And if the average data rate is between the predetermined data rate and the predetermined threshold, executing the OUT random early drop algorithm.
The method of claim 48, And if the average data rate is lower than the predetermined data rate, executing the IN random early drop algorithm.
The method of claim 45, Calculating an average data rate comprises determining a data rate of the one communication device over a predetermined period of time.
The method of claim 45, Assigning to one communication device includes placing the one communication device on a schedule to communicate in the next available timeslot and frequency spectrum portion that accepts communication at the data rate of the one communication device. Assignment method comprising the.
In a communication system programmed with instructions programmed to execute a method of allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum between at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers when executed by a processor, This method, Monitoring communication parameters related to performance of a group comprising at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers residing within the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers; In response to the monitored communication parameters, determining a performance state of the group; Allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers from the group having the best performance state.
The method of claim 53, The method further comprises determining a requirement of the group based at least in part on the requirement of at least one of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
55. The method of claim 54, Determining a requirement of the group includes adjusting the requirement based at least in part on the quality of service of each of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
The method of claim 53, Determining the performance state of the group comprises determining a length of a data queue of the group.
A communication system programmed with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of allocating a portion of a radio frequency spectrum and a timeslot for communicating between a plurality of communication devices. Each communication device is configured to communicate information indicative of each demand stored in a demand queue, each communication device having at least one of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and a receiver, The method, Calculating an average data rate of at least one communication device among the plurality of communication devices, Determining, based at least in part on an average data rate and the size of the demand queue, whether to meet the demand of the one communication device; When determined to meet the requirements of said one communication device, allocating to said one communication device a portion of the frequency spectrum and timeslot that is at least partially suitable for the data rate of said one communication device; Communication system.
The method of claim 57, And the method further comprises delaying meeting the requirements of the one communication device if the average data rate of the one communication device exceeds a predetermined threshold.
The method of claim 57, Assigning to one communication device includes placing the one communication device on a schedule to communicate in the next available timeslot and frequency spectrum portion that accepts communication at the data rate of the one communication device. Communication system comprising a.
A system for allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum between at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers, the method comprising: Means for monitoring a communication parameter related to a performance of a group comprising at least one of a plurality of RF transmitters and receivers residing within the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers; Means for determining a performance state of the group in response to the monitored communication parameters; Means for allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from at least one of the plurality of RF transmitters and receivers from the group having the best performance state.
The method of claim 60, And means for determining a requirement of the group based at least in part on the requirement of at least one of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
62. The method of claim 61, And means for adjusting a requirement based at least in part on the quality of service of each of the group of RF transmitters and receivers.
A system for allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of RF transmitters, the system comprising: Means for monitoring a requirement of a group consisting of a plurality of transmitters, the plurality of transmitters including at least one RF transmitter, present inside the plurality of RF transmitters; Means for determining relative data congestion of the transmitter group in response to the monitored demand amount; Means for allocating at least a portion of the RF spectrum from the group with the lowest runaway amount to at least one other RF transmitter.
A system for allocating at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum, A plurality of means for communicating data by transmitting data indicative of respective demands; Means for monitoring a demand amount of a group including at least one transmission means, present in the plurality of transmission means, Means for allocating a portion of the RF spectrum from the group of transmission means having the lowest demand to at least one other transmission means.
A method of allocating a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum among a plurality of transmitters, the method comprising: Monitoring at least a first transmitter group operating at an average data rate that is different from the data rate of the second transmitter group, and a requirement of the second transmitter group; Adjusting a requirement of each of the at least first and second transmitter groups based at least in part on each transmitter of the first and second transmitter groups and a suitable quality of service; Determining, based at least in part on the adjusted demand, a group of transmitters having the lowest congestion; Reducing the amount of RF bandwidth allocated to the group of transmitters having the lowest mixed state; Increasing the amount of RF bandwidth allocated to another transmitter group.
66. The method of claim 65, Determining the group of transmitters having the lowest congestion comprises identifying a group of transmitters having the smallest data queue.
A method of allocating a portion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum and timeslots between a plurality of transmitters having a demand placed within a data queue, the method comprising: Transmitting a predetermined amount to transmit a predetermined amount of data to a receiver; Determining an average data rate of at least one transmitter among the plurality of transmitters, Comparing the average data rate of the at least one transmitter with at least one predetermined threshold; Assigning a next available RF bandwidth and timeslot to the at least one transmitter if an average data rate is less than the predetermined threshold.
The method of claim 67, Delaying the allocation of RF bandwidth and timeslot if the average data rate is greater than the predetermined threshold.