WO2010010422A1

WO2010010422A1 - Method, apparatus, and computer program product for resource allocation

Info

Publication number: WO2010010422A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/052936
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Nentwig
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation; Nokia, Inc.
Priority date: 2008-07-21
Filing date: 2008-07-21
Publication date: 2010-01-28

Abstract

An apparatus for resource allocation may include a processor. The processor may be configured to provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource and detect a request collision in response to the transmission of the request. The processor may also be configured to determine a backoff period in response to detecting the collision and provide for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay * may have a duration of the backoff period. The processor may also be configured to provide for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay. Associated method and computer program products may also be provided.

Description

METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to resource allocation and, more particularly, relate to an apparatus, method and a computer program product for facilitating resource allocation in wireless communications environments.

BACKGROUND The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless communication networks. Various types of networking technologies have been developed resulting in unprecedented expansion of computer networks, television networks, telephony networks, and the like, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.

With the aid of wireless and mobile networking technologies the availability of wireless communications devices has increased, due in part to reductions in cost of devices and the construction of infrastructures able to support these devices. Since consumers can more readily own and/or utilize a wireless communications device, the demands for dynamic functionality of these devices has increased. The marketplace has responded to these demands by providing increased functionality to the devices. For example, many conventional wireless communications devices now provide for various means of communication (e.g., voice communications, text messaging, email, etc.). Many mobile devices also provide access to information sharing via the Internet or other networks. Further, many mobile devices also include image and audio capturing capabilities, location identification capabilities, and other task-specific applications that can be used in conjunction with the communications capabilities of these devices.

Accordingly, as mobile devices become more and more ubiquitous, the limited communications resources (e.g., spectrum resources) available for wireless communications are increasingly consumed. The combination of increased demand for communications resources and a limited supply of communications resources can create quality of service issues for network operators and end users. The limited supply of communications resources may often come as a result of underdeveloped infrastructure, government restrictions on spectrum use, or the like. Accordingly, in some instances, the demand for communications resources can reach saturation. In this regard, all communications resources can be currently in use by devices and no additional wireless communications devices may be allocated resources for communications. A mobile device may be required to wait until communications resources are released by another device before a communications session may be initiated. Accordingly, saturated networks may experience latency and poor quality of service to the customer.

BRIEF SUMMARY A method, apparatus, and computer program product are described that provide for resource allocation. In this regard, embodiments of the present invention may request the release of control over communications resources from another device that has reserved or is otherwise utilizing the communications resources. In some embodiments, a communications resource may be defined by a predefined segment or portion of the radio spectrum. In response to transmission of the request, various embodiments of the present invention may detect a request collision. In some exemplary embodiments, a collision may be the result of two or more wireless communications devices transmitting a request for a resource to the same wireless device such that the requests interfere with each other or otherwise cannot be delivered. In some exemplary embodiments, a request may be transmitted on a communications channel that may be randomly accessed, and need not be a synchronized channel.

In response to detecting a collision, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may determine a backoff period. The determination of the backoff period may be based on various criteria including, for example, the quantity of communications resources currently being reserved, the duration that communications resources have been reserved, the type of data to be transmitted via the requested communications resource, the number of previously detected collisions, or the like. Further, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide for a backoff delay, where the backoff delay is for the duration of the backoff period. Exemplary embodiments may also provide for transmission of a second request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay. In one exemplary embodiment, a method for resource allocation is described. The method may include providing for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource and detecting a request collision in response to the transmission of the request. The exemplary method may also include determining a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision and providing for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. Further, the exemplary method may also include providing for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for resource allocation may be provided. The apparatus may include a processor. The processor may be configured to provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource and detect a request collision in response to the transmission of the request. The processor may also be configured to determine a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision and provide for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. The processor may also be configured to provide for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product for resource allocation may be provided. The computer program product may comprise at least one computer-readable storage medium having executable computer-readable program code instructions stored therein. The computer- readable program code instructions may include first program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource and second program code instructions configured to detect a request collision in response to the transmission of the request. The computer readable program code instructions may also include third program code instructions configured to determine a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision and fourth program code instructions configured to provide for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. Further, the computer readable program code instructions may also include fifth program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

In an additional exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for resource allocation is described. The apparatus may include means for providing for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource and means for detecting a request collision in response to the transmission of the request. The exemplary apparatus may also include means for determining a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision and means for providing for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. Further, the exemplary apparatus may also include means for providing for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIGs. Ia and Ib illustrate frequency band allocations into allocation units according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIGs. 2 and 3 illustrate wireless networks supporting resource allocation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus configured to perform resource allocation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a method for resource allocation according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms "data," "content," "information," and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, operated on, and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, the term "exemplary," as used herein, is not provided to convey any qualitative assessment, but instead to merely convey an illustration of an example.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide for resource allocation within a wireless communication system. Some embodiments of the present invention may be directed to systems and apparatuses that implement flexible spectrum use (FSU). Further, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide for increased utilization of communications resources in environments that include many wireless devices where the demand for communications resources is relatively high, such as, for example, shopping malls, office buildings, lecture halls, universities, airports, stadiums, arenas, or other locations with a high concentration of wireless communications device users. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide for the implementation of a resource allocation mechanism that can result in the fair and efficient use of limited communications resources. In this regard, fairness may be described as wireless communications devices being configured to allocate similar measures of communications resources based on, for example, quantities of resources, duration of resource use, or other criteria, which can lead to similar qualities of service amongst wireless communications devices. Further, efficient use of communications resources may be indicated by a total quantity of successfully transmitted data, possibly also weighted by the value of the data.

In this regard, when a wireless communications device utilizes a communications resource, the resource may be dedicated to only that wireless communications device. To manage the communications resources, a wireless communications device may reserve one or more communication resources for wireless communications. Reserving a communication resource may include holding the resource for future use to the exclusion of other wireless communications devices and/or utilizing the communication resource for transmission and/or reception of communications. Due to the power limitations of various wireless communications signals, some wireless communications devices may reserve communications resources within a particular geographic proximity. In some exemplary embodiments, communication resources may be associated with predefined segments or portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. These segments or portions of the electromagnetic spectrum may be referred to as allocation units. FIG. Ia illustrates an exemplary division of spectrum (e.g., radio spectrum) into allocation units 100 based on frequency. The allocation units 100 may be defined by a given center frequency with positive and negative offsets or a frequency range. For example, each allocation unit 100 may include a 5 MHz segment of the spectrum.

FIG. Ib illustrates an alternative exemplary division of spectrum into allocation units 100 based on frequency and time. In this regard, allocation units may be defined with respect to a portion of the spectrum such as, by a given center frequency with positive and negative offsets or a frequency range. Further, the allocation units 100 may also be defined with respect to time by being associated with a time slot. In this regard, an allocation unit 100 may be defined by a time slot that may recur at regular or irregular time intervals in association with a given frequency or frequency range. Time slots used by wireless communications devices on the system may be synchronized to a common clock. For example, the clock period may have a 100 millisecond cycle time, which may allow for 10 allocation units (referring to FIG. Ib, m may equal 10) to share a common frequency (represented as a column in FIG. Ib). Sharing segments of the spectrum based on time to define allocation units serves merely as another example, and additional schemes for defining allocation units may also be employed such as, implementing spreading with orthogonal codes or by using non-overlapping frequency hopping patterns. Further, allocation units may be defined with respect to code division multiple access (CDMA) schemes or wideband CDMA (WCDMA) schemes.

As described above, according to various embodiments of the present invention, a wireless communications device may reserve communication resources, such as allocation units, for use in communications. In this regard, a wireless communications device may be configured to analyze the applications being implemented by the device to determine a demand for communications resources (e.g., allocation units). A quantity of communications resources may be identified as being needed to support the communications of the wireless communications device. In some exemplary embodiments, a needed quantity of communication resources may merely be a desired or preferred quantity, and as such, the needed quantity of communications resources need not be required to conduct communications. The mobile communications device may also analyze the availability of communications resources, and in instances where more than the needed quantity of communications resources are available (e.g., some communications resources are not reserved by another wireless communications device above those needed by the wireless communications device) additional resources above the needed quantity may be reserved.

In some exemplary embodiments, a wireless communications device may broadcast the existence of current reservations of communications resources held by the wireless communications device on at least one broadcast channel. The transmitted broadcast signal may be a beacon that indicates to other devices that particular communications resources are reserved. The beacon may be transmitted using the reserved communications resources, or other communications channels associated with the communications resources may be utilized. In this regard, in some exemplary embodiments, each communications resource may be associated with a dedicated channel for that communications resource that may be used to transmit the beacon for that communications resource. Another wireless communications device may receive the beacon and determine, whether the communication resources are reserved. In some exemplary embodiments, wireless communications devices may be configured to receive the beacon indicating that a communication resource is reserved by another device, and prevent attempts to communicate using the reserved communication resource, at least in part to avoid the possibility of interference on the communications resource.

In some instances, some or all of the needed quantity of communications resources for a wireless communications device may be unavailable due to communication resources being reserved by other wireless communications devices. The wireless communications devices that have reserved communications resources that are needed or desired by another wireless communications device may be referred to as reserving devices. On the other hand, wireless communications devices that need the communications resources of another device may be requesting devices. To obtain the needed communications resources, a requesting device may transmit a request to a reserving device. The request may solicit the reserving device to release control over some or all communications resources, or portions of communications resources currently reserved by the reserving devices. In this regard, in some exemplary embodiments, releasing control over communications resources may include releasing control over one or more, or portions of one or more communications resources. Further, releasing control over a communications resource may include not permitting further communication using the communication resource by the releasing device or the releasing device otherwise controlling or interacting with the released communication resource. If two or more simultaneous requests for resources are transmitted to a reserving device, a collision with respect to requests for communications resources may occur.

Requests for release of control over communications resources may be transmitted on a requesting channel. The requesting channel may be a random access channel. In some embodiments, the wireless communications device on each end of the requesting channel may open the channel to provide for communications on the channel. In some exemplary embodiments, the requesting channel may be a non-synchronized channel. Additionally or alternatively, in some exemplary embodiments, each communications resource may be associated with a dedicated requesting channel. The dedicated requesting channel may be associated with one or more dedicated subcarriers in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The requesting channel may be utilized by a requesting device to transmit a request for a reserving device to release control over communication resources for use by the requesting device. When multiple requesting devices transmit a request on the requesting channel simultaneously or such that interference occurs, a request collision can occur.

FIG. 2 illustrates a wireless communications system according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The wireless communications system may include mobile terminals 10 (e.g., mobile terminal 10a, mobile terminal 1 Ob, and mobile terminal 1 Oc), which may be an exemplary type of wireless communications device. Mobile terminals 10 may be configured to communicate directly with each other and with the base station 20. Base station 20, another exemplary type of wireless communications device, may act as a hub for communications amongst the mobile terminals 10 or between the mobile terminals 10 and the network 30. The network 30 may provide direct or indirect communications connections to wired and wireless communications devices, other networks, such as, for example, the Internet, or the like.

The mobile terminals 10 may communicate with the base station 20 by reserving and utilizing communications resources. Communications signals 11 (e.g., communication signal 11a associated with mobile terminal 10a, communication signal l ib associated with mobile terminal 10b, and communication signal l ie associated with mobile terminal 10c) may represent communications between the mobile terminals 10 and the base station 20 that utilize reserved communications resources, such as reserved allocation units. In this regard, the mobile terminals 10 may also be configured to transmit a beacon that may indicate that particular communications resources have been reserved by the mobile terminals 10.

Requesting signals 12 (e.g., requesting signal 12b associated with mobile terminal 10b and requesting signal 12c associated with mobile terminal 10c) may represent requests for the release of control over communications resources on a requesting channel. Requesting signals 12 may be transmitted on a peer-to-peer channel as depicted in FIG. 2, or requesting signals 12 may be transmitted through the base station 20 and/or the network 30. As described above, request signals 12 may be transmitted randomly in, for example, a non-synchronized manner.

FIG. 3 illustrates another exemplary wireless communications system that is a peer-to-peer communications system. In the exemplary wireless communications system of FIG. 3, communication signals 11 are peer-to-peer communications between the mobile terminals 10. As such, the communications resources utilized by the communication signals 11 may be used in peer-to-peer communications .

FIGs. 2 and 3 also illustrate an exemplary scenario where mobile terminal 10a has reserved communications resources that are needed by mobile terminals 10b and 10c. Accordingly, mobile terminal 10b transmits a request signal 12b on the requesting channel to mobile terminal 10a requesting that mobile terminal 10a release control over a communications resource for use by mobile terminal 10b. Similarly, mobile terminal 10c transmits a request signal 12c on the same requesting channel to mobile terminal 1 Oa requesting that mobile terminal 1 Oa release the communications resource for use by mobile terminal 10c. The request signals 12b and 12c are transmitted in a manner such that the signals interfere. As such, a request collision may occur.

Mobile terminals 10b and 10c may be configured to detect the request collision and determine a backoff period. The backoff period for each mobile terminal 10 that detected the request collision may be randomly or pseudo- randomly determined. In some exemplary embodiments, a backoff period may be determined based on various criteria as further described below. Additionally, in some exemplary embodiments, a backoff window may be determined based on various criteria and the backoff period may be selected as a pseudo-random duration that falls within the backoff window. Note that through the use of various criteria, the duration of the backoff period or backoff window may be affected. Accordingly, shorter duration backoff periods or backoff windows may increase the likelihood that a wireless communications device may obtain the needed communications resources over a device that has a longer backoff period or backoff window. As such, based on the utilization of the criteria in determining a backoff period or backoff window, fairness may be incorporated into the resource allocation mechanism. Accordingly, the mobile terminals 10 may also be configured to provide for a backoff delay for the duration of the backoff period. Subsequent to the backoff delay a second request for communication resources may be transmitted.

Additional exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with respect to FIGs. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 400 that may provide for resource allocation. According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus 400 may be embodied as, or included as a component of, any type of wireless communications device, such as, for example, a mobile terminal (e.g. mobile terminals 10) such as, a mobile telephone, a portable digital assistant (PDA), a pager, a mobile television, a gaming device, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a camera, a video recorder, an audio/video player, a radio, and/or a global positioning system (GPS) device, an access point such as a base station (e.g., base station 20), or any combination of the aforementioned, or the like. Further, the apparatus 400 may be configured to implement various aspects of the present invention as described herein including, for example, various exemplary methods of the present invention, where the methods may be implemented by means of a hardware or software configured processor.

The apparatus 400 may include or otherwise be in communication with a processor 405, a memory device 410, and a communication interface 420. The processor 405 may be embodied as various means including, for example, a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a hardware accelerator. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 405 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory device 410 or instructions otherwise accessible to the processor 405. Processor 405 may also be configured to facilitate communications via the communications interface 420 by, for example, controlling hardware and/or software included in the communications interface 420. The memory device 410 may include volatile and/or non- volatile memory.

For example, memory device 410 may include Random Access Memory (RAM) including dynamic and/or static RAM, on-chip or off-chip cache memory, and/or the like. Further, memory device 410 may include non- volatile memory, which may be embedded and/or removable, and may include, for example, read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disk drives, magnetic tape, etc.), optical disc drives and/or media, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and/or the like. Memory device 410 may include a cache area for temporary storage of data. In this regard, some or all of memory device 410 may be included within the processor 405. Further, the memory device 410 may be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions, or the like for enabling the processor 405 and the apparatus 400 to carry out various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, the memory device 410 could be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 405.

Additionally, or alternatively, the memory device 410 may be configured to store instructions for execution by the processor 405.

The communication interface 420 may be any device or means embodied in either hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to a network and/or any other device or module in communication with the apparatus 400. In this regard, the communication interface 420 may include, for example, an antenna, a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver and/or supporting hardware, including a processor or software for enabling communications with network 425, which may be any type of wired or wireless network. Via the communication interface 420 and the network 425, the apparatus 400 may communicate with various other network entities. In this regard, network 425 may include an access point, such as, for example, base station 20.

The communications interface 420 may be configured to provide for communications in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. For example, communications interface 420 may be configured to provide for communications in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS- 136 (time division multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system for mobile communication), IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)), third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such as

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), 3.9 generation (3.9G) wireless communication protocols, such as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), with fourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols, international mobile telecommunications advanced (IMT-Advanced) protocols, Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocols including LTE-advanced, or the like. Further, communications interface 420 may be configured to provide for communications in accordance with techniques such as, for example, radio frequency (RF), infrared (IrDA) or any of a number of different wireless networking techniques, including WLAN techniques such as IEEE 802.11 (e.g., 802.1 Ia, 802.1 Ib, 802.1 Ig, 802.1 In, etc.), wireless local area network (WLAN) protocols, world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) techniques such as IEEE 802.16, and/or wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) techniques such as IEEE 802.15, BlueTooth (BT), ultra wideband (UWB) and/or the like.

The request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and backoff generator 434 of apparatus 400 may be any means or device embodied in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, such as processor 405 implementing software instructions or a hardware configured processor 405, that is configured to carry out the functions of request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and/or backoff generator 434, respectively, as described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 405 may include, or otherwise control the request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and/or backoff generator 434. In various exemplary embodiments, the request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and/or backoff generator 434 may reside on differing apparatuses such that some or all of the functionality of the request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and/or backoff generator 434, may be performed by a first apparatus, and the remainder of the functionality of the request generator 430, request collision detector 432, and/or backoff generator 434 may be performed by a second apparatus.

The request generator 430 of apparatus 400 may be configured to determine a demand for communications resources based on the applications and/or other functionality that the apparatus 400 or a wireless communications device that includes apparatus 400 may be implementing or anticipate implementing. In this regard, a quantity of needed communications resources may be determined. The request generator 430 may also be configured to determine a quantity of available or unreserved communications resources on the communications system, in some exemplary embodiments, via receipt of a beacon associated with the communications resources. The request generator may also be configured to reserve communications resources in accordance with the determined need for communications resources.

If the determined need cannot be met, request generator 430 may be configured to provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource. The request may be transmitted on a requesting channel to a wireless communications device that currently holds the reserved communications resource to solicit the wireless communications device to release the requested communications resource. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, the request for a communications resource may be transmitted on a requesting channel that is a random access communications channel. Additionally, or alternatively, in some exemplary embodiments, the request for a communications resource may be transmitted on a requesting channel that is associated with the communications resource. In this regard, one requesting channel may be associated with one communications resource or allocation unit. In some exemplary embodiments, the request for a release of a communications resource may be a request for the release of a communications resource that is an allocation unit, such as, for example, a predefined segment of the radio spectrum. The request collision detector 432 of apparatus 400 may be configured to detect a request collision. In this regard, the request collision may be detected in response to the transmission of the request for a communication resource. As described above, a request collision may occur when two or more wireless communications devices transmit a request for a communication resource such that interference occurs between to the two or more requests. As such, the request collision detector 432 may be configured to detect the request collision by detecting the interference. Further, the detection of a collision may be accomplished in any known manner. In some exemplary embodiments, the request collision detector 432 may be configured to detect interference, or the request collision detector may be configured to receive an acknowledgement signal in response to the request, and if no acknowledgement signal is returned, a request collision may be detected.

The backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff period. The backoff period may be determined in response to detecting a request collision. The backoff period may be determined in a number of ways. In some embodiments, the backoff period may be determined directly based on various criteria. In some embodiments, the backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff window and then select a backoff period that is less than or equal to the duration of the backoff window. In this regard, the backoff window may be determined based on various criteria, and the backoff period may be randomly or pseudo-randomly selected to be a duration that is less than or equal the duration described by the backoff window.

An example criterion that may be used to determine the backoff period or the backoff window may be the quantity of reserved communication resources. In this regard, the backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff period or backoff window based on the quantity of reserved communication resources currently reserved by the apparatus 400 or a wireless communications device that includes apparatus 400. In some exemplary embodiments, holding more communications resources may result in a longer backoff period or backoff window. In this regard, the duration of the backoff period or backoff window may be directly proportional to the quantity of communications resources currently held by the apparatus 400. In some exemplary embodiments, an incremental duration of time may be included in the backoff period or backoff window with each additional reserved communications resource. Additionally, or alternatively, another example criterion that may be used to determine the backoff period or the backoff window may be the duration that communications resources have been reserved. In this regard, the backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff period or backoff window based on the duration that communications resources have been reserved by the apparatus 400 or a wireless communications device that includes apparatus 400. In some exemplary embodiments, having held a communications resource for a longer duration may result in a longer backoff period or backoff window. In this regard, the duration of the backoff period or backoff window may be directly proportional to the duration of time that communications resources have been held by the apparatus 400. In some exemplary embodiments, an incremental duration of time may be included in the backoff period or backoff window with increases in the time that one or more communications resource has been held by the apparatus 400.

Additionally, or alternatively, another example criterion that may be used to determine the backoff period or the backoff window may be the type of data to be transmitted, and/or received, via the requested communications resource. In this regard, the backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff period or backoff window based on the type of data to be transmitted and/or received via the requested communication resource. In some exemplary embodiments, real-time or near real-time data transmission requirements may provide for a determination of a shorter backoff period or backoff window. Further, backoff period or backoff window determinations in association with short data transmissions may provide for shorter backoff periods or backoff windows relative to longer data transmissions.

In some exemplary embodiments, the type of data may be defined by business or governmental agreements, such as limited exclusive rights agreements. In this regard, data associated with an agreement, or associated with a device that is covered by an agreement, may be granted a priority status relative to data that is not associated with an agreement, or data associated with a device that is not covered by an agreement. As such, the duration of a backoff period or backoff window may be shorter or longer if the data to be transmitted is associated with an agreement. For example, data identified as emergency data, such as an emergency phone call or any data associated with a mobile device utilized by emergency personnel, may be provided a shorter backoff period or backoff window.

Additionally, or alternatively, another example criterion that may be used to determine the backoff period or the backoff window may be the number of previously detected request collisions. In this regard, the backoff generator 434 may be configured to determine a backoff period or backoff window based on the number of previously detected request collisions. In some exemplary embodiments, the previously detected request collisions may be repeated, subsequent request collisions, uninterrupted by a successful request. In some exemplary embodiments, more previously detected request collisions may result in a longer backoff period or backoff window. In this regard, the duration of the backoff period or backoff window may be directly proportional to the quantity of previously detected request collisions. In some exemplary embodiments, an additional previously detected request collision may result in an exponentially longer backoff period or backoff window. For example, in some exemplary embodiments the backoff period or backoff window may be doubled after the detection of a previously detected request collision.

The backoff generator 434 may also be configured to provide for a backoff delay. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. In some exemplary embodiments, during the backoff delay, the apparatus 400 may be restricted from transmitting additional requests for communications resources. The restriction may be limited to additional requests to the same wireless communications device. As such, additional requests for communication resources to other wireless communications device need not be restricted by the backoff delay.

The request generator 430 may be configured to provide for transmission of an additional request for the communications subsequent to the backoff delay. In this regard, after the backoff delay expires the request generator 430 need not be further restricted from transmitting a request for communications resources. As such, a second or subsequent request for communications resources may be transmitted to the same wireless communications device subsequent to the expiration of the backoff delay.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a system, method, and program product according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block, step, or operation of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks, steps or operations in the flowchart, can be implemented by various means. Means for implementing the blocks, steps, or operations of the flowchart, and/or combinations of the blocks, steps or operations in the flowchart may include hardware, such as the processor 405, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program code instructions, program instructions, or executable program code instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described herein may be embodied by computer program code instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described herein may be stored by a memory device, such as memory device 410, of an apparatus, such as apparatus 400, and executed by a processor, such as the processor 405. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (e.g., hardware such as processor 405) to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s), step(s), or operation(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer, a processor, or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the flowcharts block(s), step(s), or operation(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, processor, or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, processor, or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, processor, or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s), step(s), or operation(s).

Accordingly, blocks, steps, or operations of the flowcharts support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks, steps, or operations of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks, steps, or operations in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware- based computer systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart describing an exemplary method of the present invention for allocating resources. The exemplary method may include providing for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource at 500. In some exemplary embodiments, the communications resource requested may be a segment of the radio spectrum or an allocation unit. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, the request for a release of control over a communications resource may be transmitted to a device currently reserving the communication resource. Additionally, in some exemplary embodiments, the request may be transmitted on a random access communications channel. In some additional exemplary embodiments, the random access communications channel may be associated with the communications resource.

The exemplary method of FIG. 5 may also include detecting a request collision in response to transmission of the request at 510 and determining a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision at 520. In this regard, determining a backoff period may include determining a backoff window and then pseudo-randomly selecting the backoff period as a duration that is less than or equal to the duration of the backoff window. Further, the backoff period or backoff window may be determined based on various example criteria at 550. Some example criteria may include one or more of the quantity of reserved communications resources, the duration that communications resources have been reserved, the type of data to be transmitted via the requested communications resource, and/or the number of previously detected collisions.

The exemplary method of FIG. 5 may include providing for a backoff delay at 530. In this regard, the backoff delay may have a duration of the backoff period. Further, the method may also include providing for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay at 540.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions other than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method comprising: providing for transmission of a request for a release of control over a Communications resource; detecting a request collision in response to the transmission of the request; determining a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision; providing for a backoff delay, the backoff delay having a duration of the backoff period; and providing for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the backoff period includes determining the backoff period based on a quantity of reserved communications resources.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the backoff period includes determining the backoff period based on a duration that communications resources have been reserved.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the backoff period includes determining the backoff period based on the type of data to be transmitted via the requested communications resource.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the backoff period includes determining the backoff period based on a number of previously detected request collisions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes the communications resource being a predefined segment of a radio spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the backoff period includes determining a backoff window and selecting the backoff period to be of a duration less than or equal to a duration of the backoff window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes providing for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes providing for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel, the random access communications channel being associated with the communications resource.

10. An apparatus comprising a processor, the processor configured to: provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource; detect a request collision in response to the transmission of the request; determine a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision; provide for a backoff delay, the backoff delay having a duration of the backoff period; and provide for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a quantity of reserved communications resources.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a duration that communications resources have been reserved.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on the type of data to be transmitted via the requested communications resource.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a number of previously detected request collisions.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource, the communications resource being a predefined segment of a radio spectrum.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine a backoff window and select the backoff period to be of a duration less than or equal to a duration of the backoff window.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel, the random access communications channel being associated with the communications resource.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer- readable storage medium having executable computer-readable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program code instructions comprising: first program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource; second program code instructions configured to detect a request collision in response to the transmission of the request; third program code instructions configured to determine a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision; fourth program code instructions configured to provide for a backoff delay, the backoff delay having a duration of the backoff period; and fifth program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third program code instructions configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a quantity of reserved communications resources.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third program code instructions configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a duration that communications resources have been reserved.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third program code instructions configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on the type of data to be transmitted via the requested communications resource.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third program code instructions configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine the backoff period based on a number of previously detected request collisions.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource, the communications resource being a predefined segment of a radio spectrum.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third program code instructions configured to determine the backoff period includes being configured to determine a backoff window and select the backoff period to be of a duration less than or equal to a duration of the backoff window.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first program code instructions configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource includes being configured to provide for transmission of the request for the release of control over the communications resource on a random access communications channel, the random access communications channel being associated with the communications resource.

28. An apparatus comprising: means for providing for transmission of a request for a release of control over a communications resource; means for detecting a request collision in response to the transmission of the request; means for determining a backoff period in response to detecting the request collision; means for providing for a backoff delay, the backoff delay having a duration of the backoff period; and means for providing for transmission of another request for the communications resource subsequent to the backoff delay.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein means for determining the backoff period includes means for determining the backoff period based on a number of previously detected request collisions.