U.S. patent application number 11/608785 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-01 for methods and apparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or using delay information.
Invention is credited to Arnab Das, Vincent Park.
Application Number | 20070253449 11/608785 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40214836 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070253449 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Das; Arnab ; et al. |
November 1, 2007 |
METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO DETERMINING, COMMUNICATING, AND/OR
USING DELAY INFORMATION
Abstract
Methods and apparatus related to determining, communicating,
and/or using delay information and described. A wireless terminal
determines delay information corresponding to queued information
that it intends to transmits. The delay information includes a
minimum time to a transmission deadline indicating a minimum amount
of time remaining before information will be discarded if not
transmitted. The determined delay information is communicated to a
base station in a control information report. Alternatives formats
for the control information report are possible including a report
type conveying only delay information and a report type conveying
delay information and queue backlog count information jointly
coded. A base station uses received delay information received from
one or more wireless terminals to efficiently schedule uplink
traffic channel segments.
Inventors: |
Das; Arnab; (Summit, NJ)
; Park; Vincent; (Budd Lake, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
5775 MOREHOUSE DR.
SAN DIEGO
CA
92121
US
|
Family ID: |
40214836 |
Appl. No.: |
11/608785 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60752973 |
Dec 22, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/498 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 2027/002 20130101;
H04W 72/1252 20130101; H04W 72/1221 20130101; H04L 47/10 20130101;
H04W 24/10 20130101; H04W 72/1236 20130101; H04L 1/0026 20130101;
H04W 72/005 20130101; H04L 1/0693 20130101; H04W 28/18 20130101;
H04L 27/2646 20130101; H04W 28/0278 20130101; H04L 1/0073 20130101;
H04W 72/1284 20130101; H04W 28/12 20130101; H04W 28/24 20130101;
H04L 1/0687 20130101; H04L 27/2602 20130101; H04W 72/1242
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/498 |
International
Class: |
H04J 3/00 20060101
H04J003/00 |
Claims
1. A method of operating a wireless terminal, comprising:
determining delay information corresponding to data to be
transmitted, said delay information including at lest a minimum
delay to a transmission deadline; and communicating at least some
of said determined delay information to a base station.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said minimum delay to a
transmission deadline is a first minimum delay to a first packet
transmission deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to
data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been
waiting in a first transmission queue.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: dropping at least one
packet from said first transmission queue if no data is transmitted
from said first transmission queue by the transmission
deadline.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining delay information
further includes: determining a second minimum delay to a second
packet transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to a
transmission deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by
the wireless terminal that has been waiting in a second
transmission queue; and wherein communicating at least some of said
determined delay information to a base station includes
communicating said first and second minimum delays to the base
station.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second
transmission queues correspond to different traffic flows.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first transmission queue
corresponds to a voice traffic flow and the second transmission
queue corresponds to a non-voice traffic flow.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said first minimum delay is
reported more frequently than said second minimum delay.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating backlog
information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein communicating at least some of
said determined delay information includes transmitting said
minimum delay in a delay information report transmitted over a
wireless communications link; and wherein communicating backlog
information includes transmitting said backlog information over
said wireless communications link in a backlog information
report.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein communicating backlog
information indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted
includes: jointly coding frame counts of data to be transmitted and
delay information; and transmitting the jointly coded information
over a wireless communications link.
11. The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining an
aggregated backlog value indicating an amount of information
corresponding to a plurality of data transmission streams waiting
to be communicated.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining a
timing constrained backlog amount indicating an amount of backlog
waiting to be transmitted which satisfies a timing constraint.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: communicating the
determined timing constrained backlog amount to a base station.
14. A wireless terminal, comprising: a transmission delay
determination module for determining delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and
a wireless transmitter module for transmitting at least some delay
information determined by said delay determination module.
15. The wireless terminal of claim 14, further comprising: a first
transmission queue for storing data to be transmitted; memory
including queue statistics including said determined delay
information which includes said minimum delay to a transmission
deadline, said minimum delay to a transmission deadline being a
first minimum delay to a first packet transmission deadline, said
first minimum delay corresponding to data to be transmitted by the
wireless terminal that has been waiting in the first transmission
queue.
16. The wireless terminal of claim 15, further comprising: a queue
management module for dropping at least one packet from said first
transmission queue if no data is transmitted from said first
transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
17. The wireless terminal of claim 15, further comprising: a second
transmission queue for storing data to be transmitted; and wherein
said queue statistics including said determined delay information
further include a second minimum delay to a second packet
transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to a transmission
deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless
terminal that has been waiting in the second transmission queue;
and wherein said wireless transmitter is for transmitting said
first and second minimum delays to the base station.
18. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein said first and
second transmission queues correspond to different traffic
flows.
19. The wireless terminal of claim 18, wherein the first
transmission queue corresponds to a voice traffic flow and the
second transmission queue corresponds to a non-voice traffic
flow.
20. The wireless terminal of claim 18, further comprising: a
transmission control module for controlling the transmitter to
transmit said first minimum delay to transmission deadline more
frequently than said second minimum delay to transmission
deadline.
21. The wireless terminal of claim 15, further comprising: a
backlog information generation module for generating information
indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted.
22. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising: a coding
module for jointly coding frame counts of data to be transmitted
and delay information.
23. The wireless terminal of claim 14, further comprising: a data
unit count aggregation module for determining a total amount of
data waiting to be transmitted, said data corresponding to a
plurality of different data transmission streams.
24. The wireless terminal of claim 14, further comprising: a
constrained data unit module for determining an amount of data
waiting to be transmitted that satisfies a transmission timing
constraint.
25. A wireless terminal, comprising: a transmission delay
determination means for determining delay information corresponding
to data to be transmitted, said delay information including at
least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and a wireless
transmitter means for transmitting at least some delay information
determined by said delay determination module.
26. The wireless terminal of claim 25, further comprising: first
transmission queue means for storing data to be transmitted; and
memory means for storing queue statistics including said determined
delay information which includes said minimum delay to a
transmission deadline, said minimum delay to a transmission
deadline being a first minimum delay to a first packet transmission
deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to data to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in the
first transmission queue.
27. The wireless terminal of claim 26, further comprising: a queue
management means for dropping at least one packet from said first
transmission queue if no data is transmitted from said first
transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
28. The wireless terminal of claim 26, further comprising: second
transmission queue means for storing data to be transmitted; and
wherein said queue statistics including said determined delay
information further include a second minimum delay to a second
packet transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to a
transmission deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by
the wireless terminal that has been waiting in the second
transmission queue.
29. The wireless terminal of claim 26, wherein said first and
second transmission queue means correspond to different traffic
flows.
30. The wireless terminal of claim 29, further comprising: a
transmission control means for controlling the transmitter to
transmit said first minimum delay more frequently than said second
minimum delay; and a backlog information generation means for
generating information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted.
31. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable
instructions for controlling a wireless terminal to implement a
method, the method comprising: determining delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and
communicating at least some of said determined delay information to
a base station.
32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein said minimum
delay to a transmission deadline is a first minimum delay to a
first packet transmission deadline, said first minimum delay
corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal
that has been waiting in a first transmission queue.
33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, further embodying
machine executable instructions for: dropping at least one packet
from said first transmission queue if no data is transmitted from
said first transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
34. The computer readable medium of claim 32, further embodying
machine executable instructions for: determining a second minimum
delay to a second packet transmission deadline, said second minimum
delay to a transmission deadline corresponding to data to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in a
second transmission queue, as part of said step of determining
delay information; and communicating said first and second minimum
delays to the base station, as part of said step of communicating
at least some of said determined delay information to a base
station.
35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said first
and second transmission queues correspond to different traffic
flows.
36. A device comprising: a processor configured to: determine delay
information corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay
information including at least a minimum delay to a transmission
deadline; and communicate at least some of said determined delay
information to a base station.
37. The device of claim 36, wherein said minimum delay to a
transmission deadline is a first minimum delay to a first packet
transmission deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to
data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been
waiting in a first transmission queue.
38. The device of claim 37, wherein said processor is further
configured to: drop at least one packet from said first
transmission queue if no data is transmitted from said first
transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
39. The device of claim 37, wherein said processor is further
configured to: determine a second minimum delay to a second packet
transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to a transmission
deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless
terminal that has been waiting in a second transmission queue, as
part of said step of determining delay information; and communicate
said first and second minimum delays to the base station, as part
of said step of communicating at least some of said determined
delay information to a base station.
40. The device of claim 39, wherein said first and second
transmission queues correspond to different traffic flows.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/752,973, filed on Dec.
22, 2005, titled "COMMUNICATIONS METHODS AND APPARATUS", and U.S.
patent applications Ser. No. 11/333,792, filed on Jan. 17, 2006,
titled "METHODS AND APPARATUS OF IMPLEMENTING AND/OR USING A
DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL", each of which is hereby expressly
incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to wireless communications
methods and apparatus and, more particularly, to methods and
apparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or using delay
information.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a multiple access wireless communications system in which
a base station schedules air link resources to wireless terminals
competing for those resources, different wireless terminals, at
different times may have different needs. A wireless terminal's
resource needs may vary as a function of: types of applications,
quality of service requirements, queued backlog, time
data/information to be transmitted by the wireless terminal has
been waiting in a queue, and/or data/information latency
requirements. Control information about a wireless terminal
reported to a base station by the wireless allows a base station's
scheduler to characterize the wireless terminal's needs and weight
the wireless terminal's needs against those of other wireless
terminal's competing for the air link resources, e.g., competing
for uplink traffic channel segments. Typically, some
data/information waiting to be transmitted by a wireless terminal
is delay-sensitive data/information, e.g., voice traffic, gaming
traffic, etc. It would be beneficial if methods and apparatus
provided for determining, reporting, communicating, and/or using
delay information. A base station receiving delay sensitive
information, e.g., delay sensitive information associated with
uplink transmission backlog, could benefit from such knowledge in
performing scheduling. More efficient scheduling methods and
apparatus can lead to better a quality of service for users, higher
user satisfaction and/or higher overall throughput.
SUMMARY
[0004] Various embodiments are directed to wireless communications
methods and apparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or
using delay information. For example, delay information may
corresponding to uplink traffic waiting to be transmitted in a
wireless terminal; the delay information is determined by a
wireless terminal and communicated to a base station, where the
received delay information is used to more efficiently schedule air
link resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments.
[0005] Various embodiments are directed to a method of operating a
wireless terminal including determining delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and
communicating at least some of said determined delay information to
a base station.
[0006] In some such embodiments, the minimum delay to a
transmission deadline is a first minimum delay to a first
transmission deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to
data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been
waiting in a first transmission queue.
[0007] Some embodiments are directed to apparatus such as a
wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, including: a transmission
delay determination module for determining delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and
a wireless transmitter module for transmitting at least some delay
information determined by said delay determination module.
[0008] In some embodiments determined delay information
corresponding to queued uplink traffic is communicated in uplink
control information reports. Some types of control information
reports have a format such as to communicate delay information
exclusively. Other types of control information reports are
formatted to convey queue backlog count information. and
corresponding delay information, e.g., jointly coded. Some
embodiments, implement a plurality of different possible report
dictionaries facilitating alternative reporting scenarios for
communicating delay information.
[0009] While various embodiments have been discussed in the summary
above, it should be appreciated that not necessarily all
embodiments include the same features and some of the features
described above are not necessary but can be desirable in some
embodiments. Numerous additional features, embodiments and benefits
of the present invention are discussed in the detailed description
which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0010] FIG. 1 is drawing of an exemplary wireless communications
system implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g.,
mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a drawing of another exemplary wireless terminal,
e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a drawing of an exemplary base station in
accordance with various embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of
operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 9 comprising the combination of FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and
FIG. 9C is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of
operating a base station in accordance with various
embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a drawing of exemplary uplink dedicated control
channel (DCCH) segments in an exemplary uplink timing and frequency
structure in an exemplary orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) multiple access wireless communications
system.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a table listing exemplary dedicated control
reports that may be communicated using the dedicated control
channel segments of FIG. 10.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary reporting
format information in an exemplary recurring time interval for a
given dedicated control channel tone, e.g., corresponding to a
wireless terminal.
[0022] FIG. 13 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary
format of exemplary 4 bit delay report
[0023] FIG. 14 is a drawing of a table describing another exemplary
format of exemplary 4 bit delay report
[0024] FIG. 15 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary
flexible report in which a wireless terminal has the opportunity to
select to communicate a delay information report.
[0025] FIG. 16 is a drawing of a table illustrating exemplary
control factor determination as a function of previously reported
control information, the control factors being used in interpreting
request reports.
[0026] FIG. 17 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3
bit uplink request report format corresponding to an exemplary
Request Dictionary A.
[0027] FIG. 18 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4
bit uplink request report format corresponding to the exemplary
Request Dictionary A.
[0028] FIG. 19 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3
bit uplink request report format corresponding to an exemplary
Request Dictionary B.
[0029] FIG. 20 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4
bit uplink request report format corresponding to the exemplary
Request Dictionary B.
[0030] FIG. 21 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3
bit uplink request report format corresponding to an exemplary
Request Dictionary C.
[0031] FIG. 22 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4
bit uplink request report format corresponding to the exemplary
Request Dictionary C.
[0032] FIG. 23 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 1
bit uplink request report format.
[0033] FIG. 24 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4
bit uplink request report format corresponding to an exemplary
Request Dictionary with reference number 0.
[0034] FIG. 25 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3
bit uplink request report format corresponding to the exemplary
Request Dictionary with reference number 0.
[0035] FIG. 26 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4
bit uplink request report format corresponding to an exemplary
Request Dictionary with reference number 1.
[0036] FIG. 27 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3
bit uplink request report format corresponding to the exemplary
Request Dictionary with reference number 1.
[0037] FIG. 28 is a drawing of another exemplary wireless terminal,
e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
[0038] FIG. 29 is a drawing of another exemplary base station in
accordance with various embodiments.
[0039] FIG. 30 comprising the combination of FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B
is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a
base station in accordance with various embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] FIG. 1 is drawing of an exemplary wireless communications
system 100 implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
Exemplary wireless communications system 100 is, e.g., an
orthogonal frequency division multiple (OFDM) multiple access
wireless communications system.
[0041] Exemplary wireless communications system 100 includes a
plurality of base stations (base station 1 102, . . . , base
station M 104). Each base station (102, 104) has a corresponding
wireless coverage area (cell 1 106, cell M 108), respectively.
System 100 also includes network node 118 which is coupled to base
stations (102, 104) via network links (120, 122), respectively.
Network node 118 is also coupled to other network nodes and/or the
Internet via link 124. Network links (120, 122, 124) are, e.g.,
fiber optic links. System 100 may also include cells with multiple
sectors and/or cells using multiple carriers.
[0042] System 100 also includes a plurality of wireless terminals.
At least some of the wireless terminals are mobile nodes which may
move throughout the communication system. In FIG. 1, wireless
terminals (WT 1 110, WT N 112) are located in cell 1 106 and
coupled to base station 1 102 via wireless links (126, 128),
respectively. In FIG. 1, wireless terminals (WT 1' 114, WT N' 116)
are located in cell M 108 and coupled to base station M 104 via
wireless links (130, 132), respectively. In accordance with various
embodiments, at least some of the wireless terminals communicate
delay information corresponding to data to be transmitted to a base
station. In accordance with various embodiments, a base station
performs scheduling of uplink air ink resources, e.g., uplink
traffic channel segments, as a function of received delay
information from wireless terminals.
[0043] FIG. 2 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 200
e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
Exemplary wireless terminal 200 may be any of the exemplary
wireless terminals (110, 112, 114, 116) of system 100 of FIG.
1.
[0044] Wireless terminal 200 includes a receiver module 202, a
transmitter module 204, a processor 206, user I/O devices 208, and
a memory 210 coupled together via a bus 212 over which the various
elements interchange data and information. Memory 210 includes
routines 214 and data/information 216. The processor 206, e.g., a
CPU, executes the routines 214 and uses the data/information 216 in
memory 210 to control the operation of the wireless terminal 200
and implement methods.
[0045] Receiver module 202, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to
receive antenna 203 via which the wireless terminal 200 receives
downlink signals. Downlink signals include assignment signals
including assignments of uplink communications resources e.g.,
assignments of uplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module
204, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna 205,
via which the wireless terminal 200 transmits uplink signals to a
base station. Uplink signals include e.g., control information
reports including delay information reports, backlog information
reports, and/or joint delay/backlog information reports. Uplink
signals also include uplink traffic channel segment signals
conveying packets of information from transmission queues.
Transmitter module 204 transmits at least some delay information
determined by transmission delay determination module 218. In some
embodiments, transmitter module 204 transmits first and second
maximum queuing delays corresponding to first and second
transmission queues to a base station. In some embodiments, the
same antenna is used for receiver and transmitter.
[0046] User I/O devices 208, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard,
mouse, switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allow a user of
wireless terminal 200 to input data/information and to access
output data/information. User I/O devices 208 also allow a user of
wireless terminal 200 to control at least some functions of the
wireless terminal.
[0047] Routines 214 include a transmission delay determination
module 218, a queue management module 220, a transmission control
module 222, a backlog information generation module 224, and a
coding module 226. Transmission delay determination module 218
determines delay information corresponding to data to be
transmitted. Queue management module 220 manages one or more
transmission queues. Operations of queue management module 220
include dropping data, e.g., a packet, from a transmission queue if
a queuing delay associated with the data, e.g., the packet, exceeds
maximum threshold associated with the data, e.g., a staleness
threshold. Transmission control module 222 controls the transmitter
module 204 to transmit maximum queuing delay information. In some
embodiments, the transmission control module 222 controls the
transmitter 204 to transmit a first maximum queuing delay more
frequently than a second maximum queuing delay, e.g., maximum
queuing delay 246 corresponding to transmission queue 1 228 is
controlled to be transmitted more frequently than maximum queuing
delay 250 corresponding to transmission queue N 230.
[0048] Backlog information generation module 224 generates
information indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted,
e.g., queue 1 backlog count information 248. Backlog information
generation module 224 also uses queue backlog count information,
e.g., queue 1 backlog count information 248, to generate a backlog
report corresponding to backlog report information 262. Coding
module 226 performs coding operations including jointly coding
backlog information, e.g., frame counts of data to be transmitted,
and delay information. For example, coding module 226 jointly codes
1.sup.st maximum queuing delay 246 and queue 1 backlog count
information 248 into an uplink control information report
corresponding to report information 264.
[0049] Data/information 216 includes one or more transmission
queues (transmission queue 1 228, . . . , transmission queue N
230), queue statistics 232, information identifying packet(s) to be
dropped 254, delay transmission rate information 256, information
associating queues with types of traffic flows 258, delay report
information 260, backlog report information 262, report information
including jointly coded delay and backlog information 264, channel
structure information 266 and control reports' format information
268.
[0050] The transmission queues (228, 230) store data to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal. Transmission queue 1 228
includes a plurality of packets (packet 1 info 234, . . . , packet
n info 236). Transmission queue N 230 includes a plurality of
packets (packet 1 info 238, . . . , packet m info 240). Queue
statistics 232 includes one or more sets of determined delay
information for a corresponding transmission queue (determined
delay information for transmission queue 1 242, . . . , determined
delay information for transmission queue N 244). Determined delay
information for transmission queue 1 242 includes a 1.sup.st
maximum queuing delay 246 and transmission queue 1 backlog count
information 248, e.g., frame counts of backlog for transmission
queue 1. Determined delay information for transmission queue N 242
includes a Nth maximum queuing delay 250 and transmission queue N
backlog count information 252, e.g., frame counts of backlog for
transmission queue N.
[0051] 1.sup.st maximum queuing delay 246 indicates a maximum
amount of time a packet in the first transmission queue 228 has
been waiting to be transmitted by the wireless terminal 200.
Similarly, N.sup.th maximum queuing delay 250 indicates a maximum
amount of time a packet in the Nth transmission queue 230 has been
waiting to be transmitted by the wireless terminal 200. Queue 1
backlog information 248 indicates an amount of backlog
corresponding to transmission queue 1 228, e.g., a number of
frames, e.g., number of MAC frames, of backlog. Queue N backlog
information 252 indicates and amount of backlog corresponding to
transmission queue N 230, e.g., a number of frames, e.g., number of
MAC frames, of backlog.
[0052] In some embodiments, at least some different transmission
queues correspond to different traffic flows. Information 258
associates queues with types of traffic. For example, in one
exemplary embodiment, transmission queue 1 228 is associated with a
voice traffic flow and transmission queue N 230 is associated with
a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming or other interactive
traffic flow.
[0053] Information identifying a packet to be dropped 254 is an
output of queue management module 220 and is used to update a
transmission queue, e.g., management module 220 updates
transmission queue 1 228 based on information 254. Delay
transmission rate information 256, e.g., scheduling information
corresponding to communicating delay information control reports
and/or backlog reports including delay information, is used by
transmission control module 222 to control the communication of
delay information corresponding to different queues. Delay report
information 260 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wireless
terminal 200 generated delay information report, e.g., in a
dedicated control channel reporting structure. Backlog report
information 262 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wireless
terminal 200 generated backlog report, e.g., in a dedicated control
channel reporting structure. Report information including jointly
coded delay and backlog information 264, e.g., an output of coding
module 226, represents a control information report conveying both
delay information and backlog information, e.g., in a dedicated
control channel reporting structure.
[0054] Channel structure information 266 includes, e.g., uplink
dedicated control channel structure information identifying
locations in a recurring structure for communicating delay
information and/or backlog information. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include
exemplary information that may be included as part of channel
control structure information. Control reports' format information
268 include bit mapping definition information corresponding to
control information reports including delay information reports,
backlog information reports, and combination delay/backlog reports.
FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27
provide some exemplary reporting formats. For example, FIG. 13
describes the format of a report communicating maximum delay
information. Numerous variations of reporting formats are possible
and may be used in various embodiments. For example, a particular
reporting format may, and in some embodiments does, convey maximum
delay information instead of minimum delay to a transmission
deadline. Some formats may convey delay and/or backlog information
associated with different designated transmission queues, request
groups or transmission streams, e.g., frame count information
(N[1], N[2], N[3], N[4]) and/or delay information (Delay[1],
Delay[2], Delay[3], Delay[4]), associated with transmission queues,
request groups or transmission streams (1, 2, 3, 4), respectively.
Some embodiments alternate reporting to convey information about
different transmission queues, request groups or transmission
streams, e.g., following a predetermined pattern. Some formats
convey information identifying the associated transmission queues,
request groups or transmission streams to which the delay
information and/or backlog information corresponds. Some formats
support the opportunity to report about different transmission
queues, request groups or transmission streams in the same report
slot. Some formats may convey aggregate delay and/or backlog
information for the wireless terminal.
[0055] FIG. 3 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 300,
e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
Exemplary wireless terminal 300 may be any of the exemplary
wireless terminals (110, 112, 114, 116) of system 100 of FIG.
1.
[0056] Wireless terminal 300 includes a receiver module 302, a
transmitter module 304, a processor 306, user I/O devices 308, and
a memory 310 coupled together via a bus 312 over which the various
elements interchange data and information. Memory 310 includes
routines 314 and data/information 316. The processor 306, e.g., a
CPU, executes the routines 314 and uses the data/information 316 in
memory 310 to connect the operation of the wireless terminal 300
and implement methods.
[0057] Receiver module 302, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to
receive antenna 303 via which the wireless terminal 300 receives
downlink signals. Downlink signals include assignment signals
including assignments of uplink communications resources, e.g.,
assignment of uplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module
304, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna 305,
via which the wireless terminal 300 transmits uplink signals to a
base station. Uplink signals include, e.g., control information
reports including delay information reports, backlog information
reports, and/or joint delay/backlog information reports. Uplink
signals also include uplink traffic channel segment signals
conveying packets of information from transmission queues.
Transmitter module 304 transmits at least some delay information
determined by transmission delay determination module 318. In some
embodiments, transmitter module 304 transmits first and second
minimum delays to transmission deadline corresponding to first and
second transmission queues to a base station. In some embodiments,
the same antenna is used for receiver and transmitters.
[0058] User I/O devices 308, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard,
mouse, switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allows a user of
wireless terminal 300 to input data/information and to access
output data/information. User I/O devices 308 also allow a user of
wireless terminal 300 to control at least some functions of the
wireless terminal.
[0059] Routines 314 include a transmission delay determination
module 318, a queue management module 320, a transmission control
module 322, a backlog information generation module 324, and a
coding module 326. Transmission delay determination module 318
determines delay information corresponding to data to be
transmitted, said delay information including at least a minimum
delay to transmission deadline. Queue management module 320 manages
the one or more transmission queues. Operations of queue management
module 320 include dropping data, e.g., a packet, from a first
transmission queue if no data is transmitted from the first
transmission queue by the transmission deadline. Transmission
control module 322 controls the transmitter module 304 to transmit
minimum delay to transmission deadline information. In some
embodiments, the transmission control module 322 controls the
transmitter 304 to transmit a first minimum delay to transmission
deadline more frequently than a second minimum delay to
transmission deadline, e.g., minimum delay to transmission deadline
346 corresponding to transmission queue 1 328 is controlled to be
transmitted more frequently than minimum delay to transmission
deadline 350 corresponding to transmission queue N 330.
[0060] Backlog information generation module 324 generates
information indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted
e.g., queue 1 backlog count information 348. Backlog information
generation module 324 also uses queue backlog count information,
e.g., queue 1 backlog count information 348, to generate a backlog
report corresponding to backlog report information 362. Coding
module 326 performs coding operations including jointly coding
backlog information, e.g., frame counts of data to be transmitted,
and delay information. For example, coding module 326 jointly codes
1.sup.st minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 and queue 1
backlog count information 348 into an uplink control information
report corresponding to report information 364.
[0061] Data/information 316 includes one or more transmission
queues (transmission queue 1 328, . . . , transmission queue N
330), queue statistics 332, information identifying packet(s) to be
dropped 354, delay transmission rate information 356, information
associating queues with types of traffic flows 358, delay report
information 360, backlog report information 362, report information
including jointly coded delay and backlog information 364, channel
structure information 366 and control reports' format information
368.
[0062] The transmission queues (328, 33) store data to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal. Transmission queue 1 328
includes a plurality of packets (packet 1 info 334, . . . , packet
n info 336). Transmission queue N 330 includes a plurality of
packets (packet 1 info 338, . . . , packet m info 340). Queue
statistics 332 includes one or more sets of determined delay
information for a corresponding transmission queue (determined
delay information for transmission queue 1 342, . . . , determined
delay information for transmission queue N 344). Determined delay
information for transmission queue 1 342 includes a 1.sup.st
minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 and transmission queue 1
backlog count information 348, e.g., frame counts of backlog for
transmission queue 1. Determined delay information for transmission
queue N 342 includes a Nth minimum delay to transmission deadline
346 and transmission queue N backlog count information 352, e.g.,
frame counts of backlog for transmission queue N.
[0063] 1.sup.st minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 is a
first minimum delay to a first data, e.g., packet, transmission
deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to data to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in the
first transmission queue 328. Similarly, N.sup.th minimum delay to
transmission deadline 350 is a Nth minimum delay to an Nth data,
e.g., packet, transmission deadline, said Nth minimum delay to a
transmission deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by
the wireless terminal that has been waiting in the Nth transmission
queue 330. Queue 1 backlog information 348 indicates and amount of
backlog corresponding to transmission queue 1 328, e.g., a number
of frames, e.g., a number of MAC frames, of backlog. Queue N
backlog information 352 indicates and amount of backlog
corresponding to transmission queue N 330, e.g., a number of
frames, e.g., a number of MAC frames, of backlog.
[0064] In some embodiments, at least some different transmission
queues correspond to different traffic flows. Information 358
associates queues with types of traffic. For example, in one
exemplary embodiment, transmission queue 1 328 is associated with a
voice traffic flow and transmission queue N 330 is associated with
a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming or other interactive
traffic flow.
[0065] Information identifying a packet to be dropped 354 is an
output of queue management module 320 and is used to update a
transmission queue, e.g., management module 320 updates
transmission queue 1 328 based on information 354. Delay
transmission rate information 356, e.g., scheduling information
corresponding to communicating delay information control reports
and/or backlog reports including delay information is used by
transmission control module 322 to control the communication of
delay information corresponding to different queues. Delay report
information 360 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wireless
terminal 300 generated delay information report, e.g., in a
dedicated control channel reporting structure. Backlog report
information 360 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wireless
terminal 300 generated backlog report, e.g., in a dedicated control
channel reporting structure. Report information including jointly
coded delay and backlog information 364, e.g., an output of coding
module 326, represents a control information report conveying both
delay information and backlog information, e.g., in a dedicated
control channel reporting structure.
[0066] Channel structure information 366 includes, e.g., uplink
dedicated control channel structure information identifying
locations in a recurring structure for communicating delay
information and/or backlog information. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include
exemplary information that may be included as part of channel
control structure information. Control reports' format information
368 include bit mapping definition information corresponding to
control information reports including delay information reports,
backlog information reports, and combination delay/backlog reports.
FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27
provide some exemplary reporting formats. For example, FIG. 14
describes the format of a report communicating minimum delay to
transmission deadline information. Numerous variations of reporting
formats are possible and may be used in various embodiments. For
example, a particular reporting format may, and in some embodiments
does, convey minimum delay to a transmission deadline information
instead of a maximum queuing delay. Some formats may convey delay
and/or backlog information associated with different designated
transmission queues, request groups or transmission streams, e.g.,
frame count information (N[1], N[2], N[3], N[4]) and/or delay
information (Delay[1], Delay[2], Delay[3], Delay[4]), associated
with transmission queues, request groups or transmission streams
(1, 2, 3, 4), respectively. Some embodiments alternate reporting to
convey information about different transmission queues, request
groups or transmission streams, e.g., following a predetermined
pattern. Some formats convey information identifying the associated
transmission queues, request groups or transmission streams to
which the delay information and/or backlog information corresponds.
Some formats support the opportunity to report about different
transmission queues, request groups or transmission streams in the
same report slot. Some formats may convey aggregate delay and/or
backlog information for the wireless terminal.
[0067] FIG. 4 is a drawing of an exemplary base station 400 in
accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary base station 400 may
be any of the exemplary base stations (102, 104) of exemplary
system 100 of FIG. 1.
[0068] Base station 400 includes a receiver module 404, a
transmitter module 408, a processor 410, an I/O interface 412, and
a memory 414 coupled together via a bus 416 over which the various
elements may interchange data and information. Memory 414 includes
routines 418 and data/information 420. The processor 410, e.g., a
CPU, executes the routines 418 and uses the data/information 420 in
memory 414 to control the operation of the base station 400 and
implement methods.
[0069] Receiver module 404, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to
receive antenna 402 via which the base station 400 receives uplink
signals from a plurality of wireless terminals. Uplink signals
include, e.g., control information reports such as delay
information reports, backlog information reports, and/or reports
including jointly coded delay and backlog information. Receiver
module 404 receives delay information from a first wireless
terminal, the delay information corresponding to data waiting to be
transmitted by the first wireless terminal. The receiver module 404
also receives additional delay information from at least one
additional wireless terminal corresponding to data waiting to be
transmitted by the at lest one additional wireless terminal. Uplink
signals also include traffic channel segment signals from wireless
terminals conveying WT transmission queue(s) data.
[0070] Transmitter module 408, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is
coupled to transmit antenna 406 via which the base station
transmits downlink signals to wireless terminals. The downlink
signals include assignment signals conveying assignments of uplink
traffic channel segments for wireless terminals.
[0071] I/O interface 412 couples the base station 400 to other
network nodes, e.g., other base stations, routers, AAA nodes, Home
agent nodes, etc. and/or the Internet. I/O interface 412 by
coupling base station 400 to a backhaul network allows a wireless
terminal using a base station 400 attachment point to participate
in a communications session with another wireless terminal using a
different base station as its point of network attachment.
[0072] Routines 418 include a scheduling module 422, a control
report processing module 424, an assignment signals generation
module 426, and a traffic channel segment processing module 428.
Scheduling module 422, e.g. a scheduler, schedules wireless
terminal uplink transmission to said first wireless terminal as a
function of received delay information corresponding to the first
wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink
transmission to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling
module 422 is also performed as a function of received additional
delay information corresponding to at least one additional wireless
terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink
transmission to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling
module 422 is also performed as a function of received backlog
information from the first wireless terminal. In some embodiments,
the scheduling of uplink transmission to said first wireless
terminal by the scheduling module 422 is also performed as a
function of received backlog information from at least one
additional wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling
of uplink transmission to said first wireless terminal by the
scheduling module 422 is also performed as a function of stored
quality of service information corresponding to the first wireless
terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink
transmission to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling
module 422 is also performed as a function of stored quality of
service information corresponding to at least one additional
wireless terminal.
[0073] In some embodiments, the first wireless terminal includes
first and second queues, and delay information is received and
stored corresponding to both first and second queues. In some such
embodiments, the scheduling module 422 schedules wireless terminal
uplink transmissions to the first wireless terminal as a function
of the stored delay information corresponding to both first and
second queues.
[0074] In various embodiments, first and second transmission queues
of the first wireless terminal correspond to first and second
traffic flows, and the first traffic flow is a voice traffic flow
and the second traffic flow is a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a
gaming or other interactive uplink traffic flow.
[0075] Control report processing module 424 processes received
uplink control information reports, e.g., delay information
reports, backlog information reports, and/or combination reports
conveying jointly coded delay and backlog information, and recovers
the information being communicated, e.g., a maximum queuing delay,
a minimum delay to transmission deadline, and/or backlog
information such as queue frame count or a queue delta frame count
with respect to a previous report.
[0076] Assignment signals generation module 426 is responsive to
scheduling module 422 decisions and generates assignment signals
conveying uplink traffic channel segment assignments directed to
identified wireless terminals. Traffic channel segment processing
module 428 recovers uplink traffic channel segment signals from
wireless terminals and associates the recovered information, e.g.,
packets of user data, with the scheduled wireless terminal
corresponding to the segment.
[0077] Data/information 420 includes a plurality of sets of
wireless terminal data/information (WT 1 data/information 430, . .
. WT N data/information 432), channel structure information 434 and
control reports' format information 436. WT 1 data/information 430
includes received uplink control reports 438, delay information
440, received transmission backlog information 442, recovered
uplink traffic data/information 444, assignment information 446,
and quality of service information 448. In some embodiments, at
least some of the different wireless terminals using base station
400 have during some interval different quality of service levels.
Delay information 440 includes one or more sets of delay
information (queue 1 delay information 450, . . . , queue N delay
information 452). Queue 1 delay information 450 includes at least
one of: a maximum queuing delay 454 corresponding to WT 1
transmission queue 1 and a minimum delay to transmission deadline
456 corresponding to WT 1 transmission queue 1. Maximum queuing
delay 454 indicates a maximum amount of time data waiting to be
transmitted has been waiting in WT 1's transmission queue 1. Queue
N delay information 452 includes at lest one of: a maximum queuing
delay 458 corresponding to WT 1 transmission queue N and a minimum
delay to transmission deadline 460 corresponding to WT 1
transmission queue N. Received transmission backlog information 442
indicates amount(s) of data waiting to be transmitted to base
station 400 by WT 1. Received transmission backlog information 442
includes one or more of queue backlog information (queue 1 backlog
information 462, . . . , queue N backlog information 464). For
example, queue 1 backlog information 462 is a frame count
representing WT transmission queue 1 backlog waiting to be
transmitted, and queue N backlog information 464 is a frame count
representing WT transmission queue N backlog waiting to be
transmitted.
[0078] Received uplink control reports 438 include various control
information reports used by the base station to characterize the
wireless terminal, e.g., delay information reports, backlog request
reports for requesting uplink traffic channel resources,
combination backlog/delay reports, interference reports, power
reports, self-noise reports, and SNR reports. Channel structure
information 434 includes, e.g., uplink dedicated control channel
structure information identifying locations in a recurring
structure for communicating delay information and/or backlog
information. In some embodiments, the channel structure information
434 includes information identifying that delay information
corresponding to a wireless terminal's first transmission queue is
to be communicated at a higher rate than delay information
corresponding to the same wireless terminal's second transmission
queue. Control reports' format information 436 includes bit mapping
definition information corresponding to delay information reports,
backlog information reports, and combination delay/backlog
reports.
[0079] FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flowchart 500 of an exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments. Operation starts in step 502, where the wireless
terminal is powered on and initialized, and proceeds to step 504.
In step 504, the wireless terminal determines delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted. Step 504 includes sub-step
506. In sub-step 506, the wireless terminal determines a maximum
queuing delay, said maximum queuing delay indicating a maximum
amount of time data to be transmitted has been waiting to be
transmitted. In some embodiments, determining a maximum queuing
delay includes determining individual maximum queuing delays
corresponding to each a plurality of transmission streams and
determining the maximum queuing delay as a function of the
determined individual maximum queuing delays, e.g., by using the
largest determined individual maximum queuing delay as the
determined maximum queuing delay.
[0080] In some embodiments, the wireless terminal determines
aggregate backlog information and/or condition based aggregate
backlog information corresponding to a plurality of transmission
streams.
[0081] Operation proceeds from step 504 to one of alternate steps
508 and step 510.
[0082] In step 508, the wireless terminal communicates at least
some of said determined delay information to a base station. Step
508 includes sub-step 514. In sub-step 514, the wireless terminal
transmits said maximum queuing delay in a delay information report
transmitted over a wireless communications link. Operation proceeds
from step 508 to step 512. In step 512, the wireless terminal
communicates backlog information indicating an amount of data
waiting to be transmitted. In some such embodiments, the
communicated backlog information includes aggregate backlog
information and/or condition based aggregate backlog information
corresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.
[0083] In alternative step 510, the wireless terminal communicates
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted. Step 510 includes sub-steps 516 and 518. In sub-step
516, the wireless terminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g.,
frame counts, of data to be transmitted and delay information. In
some embodiments, the backlog information includes aggregated
backlog information and/or condition based aggregate backlog
information corresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.
Then, in sub-step 518, the wireless terminal transmits the jointly
coded information over a wireless communications link.
[0084] FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flowchart 600 of an exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments. Operation starts in step 602, where the wireless
terminal is powered on and initialized, and proceeds to step 604.
In step 604, the wireless terminal determines delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted. Step 604 includes
sub-steps 606 and 608. In sub-step 606, the wireless terminal
determines a first maximum queuing delay, said first maximum
queuing delay being a maximum period of time data, e.g., a packet,
in a first transmission queue has been waiting to be transmitted by
the wireless terminal. In sub-step 608, the wireless terminal
determines a second maximum queuing delay, said second maximum
queuing delay being a maximum period of time data, e.g., a packets,
in a second transmission queue has been waiting to be transmitted
by the wireless terminal.
[0085] In some embodiments, the first and second transmission
queues correspond to different traffic flows. In some such
embodiments, the first transmission queue correspond to a voice
traffic flow and the second transmission queue corresponds to a
non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming traffic flow or other
interactive traffic flow. Operation proceeds from step 604 to one
of alternate steps 610 and step 612.
[0086] In step 610, the wireless terminal communicates at least
some of said determined delay information to a base station. Step
610 includes sub-step 616. In sub-step 616, the wireless terminal
communicates said first and second maximum queuing delays to the
base station. Sub-step 616 includes sub-step 618. In sub-step 618,
the wireless terminal transmits said first and second maximum
queuing delays in or more delay information report(s) transmitted
over a wireless communications link. In some embodiments, the first
maximum queuing delay is reported more frequently than the second
queuing delay. In some embodiments, the maximum of the two queuing
delays is reported. Operation provides from step 610 to step 614.
In step 614, the wireless terminal communicates backlog information
indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted.
[0087] In alternative step 612, the wireless terminal communicates
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted. Step 612 includes sub-steps 620 and 622. In sub-step
620, the wireless terminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g.,
frame counts, of data to be transmitted and delay information.
Then, in sub-step 622, the wireless terminal transmits the jointly
coded information over a wireless communications link. In some
embodiments, the first maximum queuing delay is reported more
frequently than the second maximum queuing delay.
[0088] FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flowchart 700 of an exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments. Operation starts in step 702, where the wireless
terminal is powered on and initialized, and proceeds to step 704.
In step 704, the wireless terminal determines delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to transmission deadline. In
some embodiments, determining a minimum delay to transmission
deadline to be communicated includes determining an individual
minimum delay to transmission deadline corresponding to each a
plurality of transmission streams and determining the minimum delay
to transmission deadline to be communicated as a function of the
determined individual minimum determined delays, e.g., by using the
smallest of the determined individual delays to deadline from the
set under consideration as the minimum delay to transmission
deadline.
[0089] In some embodiments, the wireless terminal determines
aggregate backlog information and/or condition based aggregate
backlog information corresponding to a plurality of transmission
streams.
[0090] Operation proceeds from step 704 to one of alternate steps
706 and step 708.
[0091] In step 706, the wireless terminal communicates at least
some of said determined delay information to a base station. Step
706 includes sub-step 712. In sub-step 712, the wireless terminal
transmits said determined minimum delay in a delay information
report transmitted over a wireless communications link. Operation
provides from step 706 to step 710. In step 710, the wireless
terminal communicates backlog information indicating an amount of
data waiting to be transmitted. In some such embodiments, the
communicated backlog information includes aggregated backlog
information and/or condition based aggregate backlog information
corresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.
[0092] In alternative step 708, the wireless terminal communicates
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted. Step 708 includes sub-steps 714 and 716. In sub-step
714, the wireless terminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g.,
frame counts, of data to be transmitted and delay information. In
some embodiments, the backlog information includes aggregated
backlog information and/or condition based aggregate backlog
information corresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.
Then, in sub-step 716, the wireless terminal transmits the jointly
coded information over a wireless communications link.
[0093] FIG. 8 is a drawing of a flowchart 800 of an exemplary
method of operating a wireless terminal in accordance with various
embodiments. Operation starts in step 802, where the wireless
terminal is powered on and initialized, and proceeds to step 804.
In step 804, the wireless terminal determines delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay information
including at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline. Step
804 includes sub-steps 806 and 808. In sub-step 806, the wireless
terminal determines a first minimum delay to a first transmission
deadline, e.g., a first packet transmission deadline, said first
minimum delay corresponding to data to be transmitted by the
wireless terminal that has been waiting in a first transmission
queue. In sub-step 808, the wireless terminal determines a second
minimum delay to a second transmission deadline, e.g., a second
packet transmission deadline, said second minimum delay
corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal
that has been waiting in a second transmission queue.
[0094] In some embodiments, the first and second transmission
queues correspond to different traffic flows. In some such
embodiments, the first transmission queue corresponds to a voice
traffic flow and the second transmission queue correspond to a
non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming traffic flow or other
interactive traffic flow. Operation proceeds from step 804 to one
of alternate steps 810 and step 812.
[0095] In step 810, the wireless terminal communicates at least
some of said determined delay information to a base station. Step
810 includes sub-step 816. In sub-step 816, the wireless terminal
communicates said first and second minimum delays to the base
station. Sub-step 816 includes sub-step 818. In sub-step 818, the
wireless terminal transmits said first and second minimum delays in
one or more delay information report(s) transmitted over a wireless
communications link. In some embodiments, the first minimum delay
is reported more frequently than the second minimum delay. In some
embodiments, the minimum of the two delays is reported. Operation
provides from step 810 to step 814. In step 814, the wireless
terminal communicates backlog information indicating an amount of
data waiting to be transmitted.
[0096] In alternative step 812, the wireless terminal communicates
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted. Step 812 includes sub-steps 820 and 822. In sub-step
820, the wireless terminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g.,
frame counts, of data to be transmitted and delay information.
Then, in sub-step 822 the wireless terminal transmits the jointly
coded information over a wireless communications link. In some
embodiments, the first minimum delay is reported more frequently
than the second minimum delay.
[0097] Operation proceeds from step 814 or step 812 to step 824, in
which the wireless terminal updates transmission queues. Step 824
includes sub-step 826 and 828 which are performed at times. In
sub-step 826, the wireless terminal drops at least some data, e.g.,
at least one packet, from said first transmission queue if no data
is transmitted from the first transmission queue by the first
transmission deadline. In sub-step 828, the wireless terminal drops
at least some data, e.g., at least one packet, from said second
transmission queue if no data is transmitted from the second
transmission queue by the second transmission deadline.
[0098] FIG. 9 comprising the combination of FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and
FIG. 9C is a drawing of a flowchart 900 of an exemplary method of
operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
The exemplary method starts in step 902, where the base station is
powered on and initialized and proceeds to steps 904 and 906.
[0099] In step 904, the base station receives transmission backlog
information from a first wireless terminal, the transmission
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted to said base station from said first wireless terminal.
Step 904 includes sub-step 908, and in some embodiments, sub-step
910. In sub-step 908, the base station receives transmission
backlog from the first wireless terminal corresponding to a first
transmission queue. In sub-step 910, the base station receives
transmission backlog from the first wireless terminal corresponding
to a second transmission queue. Operation proceeds from step 904 to
step 916.
[0100] In step 906, the base station receives transmission backlog
information from at least one additional wireless terminal, the
transmission backlog information indicating an amount of data
waiting to be transmitted to said base station from said at least
one additional wireless terminal. Step 906 includes sub-step 912,
and in some embodiments, sub-step 914. In sub-step 912, the base
station receives transmission backlog from the at least one
additional wireless terminal corresponding to a first additional
transmission queue. In sub-step 914, the base station receives
transmission backlog from the at least one additional wireless
terminal corresponding to a second additional transmission queue.
Operation proceeds from step 906 to step 918.
[0101] In step 916, the base station receives delay information
from the first wireless terminal, the delay information
corresponding to data waiting to be transmitted by the first
wireless terminal. Step 916 includes sub-step 920 and, in some
embodiments, sub-step 922. In sub-step 920, the base station
receives delay information from the first wireless terminal
corresponding to the first transmission queue. In sub-step 922, the
base station receives delay information from the first wireless
terminal corresponding to the second transmission queue.
[0102] In step 918, the base station receives delay information
from said at least one additional wireless terminal, the delay
information corresponding to data waiting to be transmitted by said
at least one additional wireless terminal. Step 918 includes
sub-step 924 and, in some embodiments, sub-step 926. In sub-step
924, the base station receives delay information from said at least
one additional wireless terminal corresponding to the first
additional transmission queue. In sub-step 922, the base station
receives delay information from said at least one additional
wireless terminal corresponding to the second additional
transmission queue.
[0103] Operation proceeds from steps 916 and 918 via connecting
node A 928 to step 930. In step 930, the base station schedules
wireless terminal uplink transmission to said wireless terminals.
Step 930 includes sub-steps 932 and 934. In sub-step 932, the base
station schedules wireless terminal uplink transmission to said
first wireless terminal. In sub-step 934, the base station
schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said at least
one wireless terminal.
[0104] Sub-step 932 includes sub-step 936 and, in some embodiments,
one or more of sub-steps 938, 940, 942, 944 and 946. In sub-step
936, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink
transmission to said first wireless terminal as a function of said
received delay information. In sub-step 938, the base station
schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said first
wireless terminal as a function of said received backlog
information from said first wireless terminal. In sub-step 940, the
base station schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to
said first wireless terminal as a function of a quality of service
level to which the first wireless terminal corresponds. In sub-step
942, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink
transmissions to said first wireless terminal as a function of said
received additional delay information. In sub-step 944, the base
station schedules wireless terminal uplink transmission to said
first wireless terminal as a function of said received backlog
information from said at least one additional wireless terminal. In
sub-step 946, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink
transmissions to said first wireless terminal as a function of a
quality of service level to which the at least one additional
wireless terminal corresponds. In various embodiments, the quality
of service level corresponds to the first wireless terminal may be,
and sometimes is, different than the quality of service level
corresponding to the at least one additional wireless terminal.
[0105] Sub-step 934 includes sub-step 948 and, in some embodiments,
one or more of sub-steps 950, 952, 954, 956 and 958. In sub-step
948, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink
transmissions to said at least one additional wireless terminal as
a function of said received additional delay information. In
sub-step 950, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink
transmissions to said at least one additional wireless terminal as
a function of said received backlog information from said at least
one additional wireless terminal. In sub-step 952, the base station
schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said at least
one additional wireless terminal as a function of a quality of
service level to which the at least one additional wireless
terminal corresponds. In sub-step 954, the base station schedules
wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said at least one
additional wireless terminal as a function of said received delay
information. In sub-step 956, the base station schedules wireless
terminal uplink transmissions to said at least one additional
wireless terminal as a function of said received backlog
information from said first wireless terminal. In sub-step 958, the
base station schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to
said at least one additional wireless terminal as a function of a
quality of service level to which said first wireless terminal
corresponds.
[0106] Operation proceeds from step 930 via connecting node B 960
to step 962. In step 962, the base station transmits assignment
information, e.g., uplink traffic channel segment assignment
information, to said wireless terminal. Step 962 includes sub-steps
964 and 966. In sub-step 964, the base station transmits assignment
information, e.g., uplink traffic channel segment assignment
information, to the first wireless terminal to assign an uplink
segment, e.g., an uplink traffic channel segment, corresponding to
a point in time scheduled for uplink transmission of data by said
first wireless terminal. In sub-step 966, the base station
transmits assignment information, e.g., uplink traffic channel
segment assignment information, to said at least one additional
wireless terminal to assign an uplink segment, e.g., an uplink
traffic channel segment, corresponding to a point in time scheduled
for uplink transmission of data by said at least one additional
wireless terminal. Operating proceeds from step 962 to steps 968
and 970.
[0107] In step 968, the base station receives updated delay
information from the first wireless terminal. Step 968 includes
sub-step 972 and, in some embodiments, sub-step 974. In sub-step
972, the base station receives updated delay information from the
first wireless terminal corresponding to the first transmission
queue. In sub-step 974, the base station receives updated delay
information from the first wireless terminal corresponding to the
second transmission queue, delay information corresponding to the
first queue being received during the same period of time more
frequently than delay information corresponding to the second
queue.
[0108] In step 970, the base station receives updated delay
information from said at least one additional wireless terminal.
Step 970 includes sub-step 976 and, in some embodiments, sub-step
978. In sub-step 976, the base station receives updated delay
information from said at least one additional wireless terminal
corresponding to the first additional transmission queue. In
sub-step 978, the base station receives updated delay information
from said additional wireless terminal corresponding to the second
additional transmission queue, delay information corresponding to
the first additional queue being received during the same period of
time more frequently than delay information corresponding to the
second additional queue.
[0109] In some embodiments, the first and second transmission
queues correspond to first and second traffic flows, respectively.
In some such embodiments, the first traffic flow is a voice traffic
flow and the second traffic flow is a non-voice traffic flow, e.g.,
a gaming traffic flow or other interactive traffic flow.
[0110] In some embodiments, the delay information received from the
first wireless terminal includes a maximum queuing delay, said
maximum queuing delay indicating a maximum amount of time data
waiting to be transmitted has been waiting. In some embodiments,
the delay information received from the first wireless terminal
includes a minimum delay to a transmission deadline.
[0111] FIG. 10 is a drawing 1000 of exemplary uplink dedicated
control channel (DCCH) segments in an exemplary uplink timing and
frequency structure in an exemplary orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) multiple access wireless communications system.
The uplink dedicated control channel is used to send Dedicated
Control Reports (DCR) from wireless terminals to base stations.
Vertical axis 1002 plots logical uplink tone index while horizontal
axis 1004 plots the uplink index of the halfslot within a
beaconslot. In this example, an uplink tone block includes 113
logical uplink tones indexed (0, . . . 112); there are seven
successive OFDM symbol transmission time periods within a halfslot,
2 additional OFDM symbol time periods followed by 16 successive
half-slots within a superslot, and 8 successive superslots within a
beacon slot. The first 9 OFDM symbol transmission time periods
within a superslot are an access interval, and the dedicated
control channel does not use the air link resources of the access
interval.
[0112] The exemplary dedicated control channel is subdivided into
31 logical tones (uplink tone index 81 1006, uplink tone index 82
1008, . . . , uplink tone index 111 1010). Each logical uplink tone
(81, . . . , 111) in the logical uplink frequency structure
corresponds to a logical tone indexed with respect to the DCCH
channel (0, . . . , 30).
[0113] For each tone in the dedicated control channel there are 40
segments in the beaconslot corresponding to forty columns (1012,
1014, 1016, 1018, 1020, 1022, . . . , 1024). The segment structure
repeats on a beaconslot basis. For a given tone in the dedicated
control channel there are 40 segments corresponding to a beaconslot
1028; each of the eight superslots of the beaconslot includes 5
successive segments for the given tone. For example, for first
superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028, corresponding to tone 0 of the
DCCH, there are five indexed segments (segment [0][0], segment
[0][1], segment [0][2], segment [0][3], segment [0][4]). Similarly,
for first superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028, corresponding to tone
1 of the DCCH, there are five indexed segments (segment [1][0],
segment [1][1], segment [1][2], segment [1][3], segment [1][4]).
Similarly, for first superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028,
corresponding to tone 30 of the DCCH, there are five indexed
segments (segment [30][0], segment [30][1], segment [30][2],
segment [30][3], segment [30][4]).
[0114] In this example each segment, e.g., segment [0][0],
comprises one tone for 3 successive half-slots, e.g., representing
an allocated uplink air link resource of 21 OFDM tone-symbols. In
some embodiments, logical uplink tones are hopped to physical tones
in accordance with an uplink tone hopping sequence such that the
physical tone associated with a logical tone may be different for
successive half-slots, but remains constant during a given
half-slot.
[0115] Each logical tone of the dedicated control channel may be
assigned by the base station to a different wireless terminal using
the base station as its current point of attachment. For example,
logical tone (1006, 1008, . . . , 1010) may be currently assigned
to (WT A 1030, WT B 1032, . . . , WT N' 1034), respectively.
[0116] Each uplink DCCH segment is used to transmit a set of
Dedicated Control Channel Reports (DCRs). A list of exemplary DCRs
is given in table 1100 of FIG. 11. First column 1102 of table 1100
describes abbreviated names used for each exemplary report. The
name of each report ends with a number which specifies the number
of bits of the DCR. Second column 1104 of table 1100 briefly
describes each named report. In this exemplary embodiment, there
are two type of Delay information reports DELAYA4 and DELAYB4. In
addition, the flexible report, whose type is defined by report
TYPE2 can be used to carry a DELAYA4 report or a DELAYB4 report in
a corresponding BODY4 report. In addition, uplink request reports,
e.g., ULRQST1, ULRQST3 and/or ULRQST4, are, in some embodiments,
used to convey delay information.
[0117] FIG. 12 is a drawing 1299 illustrating an exemplary
reporting format information in an exemplary beaconslot for a given
DCCH tone, e.g., corresponding to a wireless terminal. In FIG. 12,
each block (1200, 1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206, 1207, 1208,
1209, 1210, 1211, 1212, 1213, 1214, 1215, 1216, 1217, 1218, 1219,
1220, 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1228, 1229, 1230,
1231, 1232, 1233, 1234, 1235, 1236, 1237, 1238, 1239) represents
one segment whose index s2 (0, . . . , 39) is shown above the block
in regular region 1240. Each block, e.g., block 1200 represents
segment 0, conveys 6 information bits; each block comprises 6 rows
corresponding to the 6 bits in the segment, where the bits are
listed from the most significant bit to the least significant bit
downwards from the top row to the bottom row as shown in
rectangular region 1234.
[0118] In this exemplary embodiment, delay information is conveyed
by means of the flexible report and/or by means of one or more of
the uplink request reports (ULRQST1, ULRQST3 and/or ULRQST4). In
other embodiments, predetermined slots are allocated in the
reporting structure, which are reserved for delay information
reports. For example, one or more of the four bit designed report
slots in the exemplary reporting structure of FIG. 12 may be
replaced with a DELAY4 report. In some embodiments some
predetermined slots are allocated to convey delay information
corresponding to a first queue and some other predetermined slots
are allocated to convey delay information corresponding to a second
queue. In some such embodiments, the allocation may be such that
the delay information corresponding to the first queue is
transmitted at a different rate, e.g., a higher rate, than the
delay information corresponding to the second queue. In some
embodiments, the first and second queues correspond to different
request groups. In some embodiments, communicated delay information
and/or communicated backlog information represents aggregated
information, e.g., corresponding to a plurality of transmission
streams.
[0119] FIG. 13 is a drawing of a table 1300 describing an exemplary
format of exemplary 4 bit delay report (DELAYA4). Column 1302 of
table 1300 lists the 16 possible information bit patterns for the
report, and column 1304 lists, for each of the possible bit
patterns, maximum delay time information for a packet in a
transmission queue which is conveyed by the report if that bit
pattern is communicated. For example, bit pattern=0011 means that
the maximum delay time is greater than 15 ms and less than or equal
to 20 ms.
[0120] FIG. 14 is a drawing of a table 1400 describing an exemplary
format of exemplary 4 bit delay report (DELAYB4). Column 1402 of
table 1400 lists the 16 possible information bit patterns for the
report, and column 1404 lists, for each of the possible bit
patterns, minimum delay to packet discard deadline information for
a packet in a transmission queue which is conveyed by the report if
that bit pattern is communicated. For example, bit pattern=0101
means that the minimum delay to transmission deadline is greater
than 25 ms and less than or equal to 30 ms.
[0121] In some embodiments, at least some delay information
reporting formats accommodate reporting delay information
corresponding to a plurality of different queues. For example,
different delay information can be, and sometimes is, reported
corresponding to different queues or different groupings of data to
be transmitted, e.g., a first delay associated with queued voice
traffic and a second delay associated with other time sensitive
traffic.
[0122] FIG. 15 is a drawing of a table 1500 describing an exemplary
flexible report corresponding to TYPE2 and BODY4. In the flexible
report, the wireless terminal selects which type of report to
communicate in the allocated flexible report slot. In this
exemplary embodiment, the selection for the flexible report
includes the option to report delay information, e.g., using either
DELAYA4 or DELAYB4 format. The wireless terminals communicates its
selection of report type in a TYPE2 report and a corresponding
selected report in the BODY4 report of the allocated flexible
report slot. Column 1502 of table 1500 lists the 4 possible
information bit patterns for the TYPE2 report, and column 1504
lists, for each of the possible bit patterns, the report to be
carried in the BODY4 report position if that bit pattern is
communicated. For example, if bit pattern=11 is communicated in the
TYPE2 report slot, a DELAYB4 report is to be communicated in the
corresponding BODY4 slot.
[0123] In various embodiments a wireless terminal provides delay
information for uplink traffic backlog. In order to enable a base
station (BS) to provide adequate quality of service (Qos) in the
uplink, the wireless terminal (WT), in some embodiments,
periodically transmits control information to the BS. For example,
this control information includes, in some embodiments, of one or
more of the following: amount of backlog, i.e., queue length, at
the WT, power availability at the WT and information pertaining to
interference management, such as, e.g., path loss ratio or beacon
ratio reports. However, a scheduler, in addition to the information
listed above, could also beneficially use information related to
delay in order to make timely decisions when scheduling
delay-sensitive traffic. Examples of such delay-sensitive traffic
include voice, gaming and other interactive applications.
[0124] Delay information can, in some embodiments, take one of the
following two forms. (1) The maximum queuing delay across each of
the packets in the WT's queue. In the case where the WT has
multiple queues, each for a different traffic flow, the maximum
could, in some embodiments, be computed across the packets in one
or more queues. Note that each of these queues could represent
traffic with different Qos requirements. Typically, this maximum
would be calculated for packets that belong to delay-sensitive
traffic flows. (2) The minimum time remaining to scheduling
deadline or packet discard deadline across each of the packets in
the WT's queue. Once again, if the WT has multiple queues, each for
a different traffic flow, the minimum could, in some embodiments,
be calculated for packets with latency or delay constraints.
[0125] The delay information itself can be reported in several
ways. In an exemplary system, e.g., an exemplary OFDM wireless
communications system, for example, the delay information can be
transmitted using request dictionaries. An exemplary request
dictionary, in some exemplary embodiment, includes a plurality of
different bit size request reports, e.g., a 1-bit, a 3-bit and a
4-bit request report. Each of these reports is used to provide
information pertaining to the backlog across traffic flows at the
WT.
[0126] The 1-bit report, for example, can be used to simply
indicate the presence of traffic with time remaining to deadline
less than T ms. For example, T could equal 20 ms. The remaining
report types are, e.g., used to provide more detailed backlog
information, such as time remaining to deadline and total backlog,
for the traffic flows. More precisely, each of these reports could
be used to convey one or both deadline and total backlog
information. This is illustrated below using several examples.
[0127] Let D denote the minimum time remaining, in milliseconds, to
the scheduling deadline for each of the packets in the WT's queues.
Let N denote the total backlog at the WT, e.g., a MAC frame count.
Using these notations, the 3-bit and 4-bit reports are as
follows.
[0128] In one illustrative example of a request dictionary,
Dictionary A as represented by Table 1700 of FIG. 17 and Table 1800
of FIG. 18, the WT only transmits total backlog information in the
3-bit report. The 4-bit report, on the other hand is used to
transmit either delay information or total backlog information. In
this exemplary embodiment, the 3-bit report depends on two control
factors, y and z, which, in turn, depend on a previous power
report, e.g., the last reported uplink DCCH backoff report, x, and
a previous interference report, e.g., the last reported beacon
ratio report, b.sub.actual. The WT then calculates b, the "adjusted
generic beacon ratio", to be equal to
b.sub.actual--BEACON_RATIO_OFFSET. Finally, let R.sub.max be the
maximum rate option that the WT can support, and N.sub.max be the
number of MAC frames corresponding to the rate option. An example
of determining exemplary control factors is shown in Table 1600. In
Table 1600, first column 1602 lists various test conditions; second
column 1604 lists corresponding values for control factor y for
each condition; third column 1606 lists corresponding values for
control factor z corresponding for each condition. In Table 1600,
given x and b, the of y and z should be taken as those from the
first row, proceeding from top to bottom, for which the condition
in the first column is satisfied.
[0129] In the 4-bit report of the format of table 1800 of FIG. 18,
the WT transmits the time remaining to deadline information D
whenever D<T.sup.max. For example, T.sup.max=100 ms. Otherwise,
it transmits backlog information. Define .DELTA. = N - N .times.
min y , ##EQU1## where N.sup.min is determined based on the value
of N at the time of the last 3-bit report, using Table 1700 of FIG.
17.
[0130] In yet another illustrative example of a request dictionary,
Dictionary B represented by table 1900 of FIG. 19 and Table 2000 of
FIG. 20, the WT transmits delay information in the 3-bit report
using the format of table 1900 of FIG. 19. The 4-bit report with
format of table 2000 of FIG. 20, on the other hand is used to
transmit total backlog information. The control factors y and z
used for the 4-bit report are determined from DCCH backoffs and
adjusted beacon ratio report in a manner described above with
regard to Table 1600 of FIG. 16.
[0131] In yet another illustrative example of a request dictionary,
Dictionary C represented by table 2100 of FIG. 21 and table 2200 of
FIG. 22, the WT--as in Dictionary B above--transmits delay
information in the 3-bit report using the format of table 2100 of
FIG. 21. However, in the 4-bit report with the format of table 2200
of FIG. 22, the WT can transmit either the total backlog
information or the number of frames, N.sub.D, with time remaining
to deadline<=D.sup.max. D.sup.max, for example could equal 50
ms. In yet another example, D.sup.max could equal T.sup.max.
[0132] The examples above illustrate that several request
dictionaries can be constructed where request reports, e.g., the
3-bit and/or 4-bit request reports, contain one or more of the
following: (1) delay information, (2) total backlog information,
(3) backlog information for some of the traffic flows, (4) total
backlog with time remaining to deadline less than some value
N.sub.D, and (5) a refinement of the request information carried in
a previous report, e.g., the previous 3-bit request report, 4-bit
request report or the previous request report.
[0133] In an exemplary wireless communications system, e.g., an
exemplary OFDM system, in addition to or in place of providing
delay information to the BS using request reports, e.g., request
reports as part of request dictionaries, as illustrated above, the
WT could transmit delay information using separate delay
information reports. In some such embodiments, a flexible report,
e.g., a flexible dedicated control channel (DCCH) report, could be
used. With the flexible report, the wireless terminal selects the
type of report to send in the reporting opportunity allowed to the
flexible report. For example, an exemplary 4-bit flexible report
could, contain one or more of the following: (1) delay information,
(2) total backlog with time remaining to deadline less than some
value N.sub.D, and (3) a refinement of the request information
carried in a previous report, e.g., the previous 3-bit or 4-bit
UL-RQST report or the previous UL-RQST report.
[0134] Note that the bit sizes for the request reports in the
examples above, e.g., 1 bit, 3 bit, 4 bit, are exemplary, and in
other embodiments, different bit size request reports may be used.
FIGS. 12 and 13 provide two examples of exemplary delay information
report formats. FIG. 15 describes a flexible report format that may
be used to convey delay information during some times and is used
to carry other information during other times.
[0135] Another exemplary embodiment shall be described which uses
three different bit size request reports for uplink traffic,
ULRQST1, ULRQST3 and ULRQST4, and which supports the communication
of delay information.
[0136] The WT uses an ULRQST1, ULRQST3 or ULRQST4 to report the
status of the MAC frame queues at the WT transmitter.
[0137] The WT transmitter maintains MAC frame queues, which buffers
the MAC frames to be transmitted over the link. The MAC frames are
converted from the LLC frames, which are constructed from packets
of upper layer protocols. Any packet shall belong to one of 16
streams. If the packet belongs to one stream, then all the MAC
frames of that packet also belong to that stream.
[0138] The WT reports the number of MAC frames in the 16 streams
that the WT may intend to transmit. In the ARQ protocol, those MAC
frames shall be those marked as "new" or "to be retransmitted". The
WT should maintain two vectors of sixteen elements N[0:15] and
D[0:15], and shall maintain three scalars N.sub.T, N.sub.D, and
D.sub.min: for k=0:15, N[k] represents the number of MAC frames
that the WT intends to transmit in stream k, while D[k] represents
the minimum time remaining to transmission deadline for the packets
that the WT intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore, [0139]
D.sub.min=min.sub.[k=0:15]D[k], [0140] N.sub.T=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . .
. +N[15], and [0141] N.sub.D=number of MAC frames with time
remaining to transmission deadline.ltoreq.T.sub.M.
[0142] For example, T.sub.M=20 ms. The WT should report information
about N.sub.T, N.sub.D, and D.sub.min to the base station sector so
that the base station sector can utilize the information in an
uplink (UL) scheduling algorithm to determine the assignment of
uplink traffic channel (UL.TCH) segments.
[0143] The WT uses an ULRQST1 to report N.sub.D according to Table
2300 of FIG. 23.
[0144] Let D denote the minimum time remaining, in milliseconds, to
the scheduling deadline for all packets in the WT's queues. Let N
denote the total backlog at the WT. Using these notations, the
3-bit and 4-bit reports are as follows.
[0145] The WT uses ULRQST3 or ULRQST4 to report one or more of
N.sub.T, N.sub.D, or D.sub.min according to a request dictionary. A
request dictionary is identified by a request dictionary (RD)
reference number. At a given time, the WT uses only one request
dictionary. When the WT just enters the ACTIVE state, the WT uses
the default request dictionary. To change the request dictionary,
the WT and the base station sector uses an upper layer
configuration protocol. When the WT migrates from the ON state to
the HOLD state, the WT keeps the last request dictionary used in
the ON state so that when the WT migrates from the HOLD state on
the ON state later, the WT continues use the same request
dictionary until the request dictionary is explicitly changed.
However, if the WT leaves the ACTIVE state, then the memory of the
last request dictionary used shall be cleared.
[0146] The request dictionaries show that any given instance of a
ULRQST3 or ULRQST4 report may not completely contain the actual
values of N.sub.T, N.sub.D, or D.sub.min. A report is in effect a
quantized version of the actual values of N.sub.T, N.sub.D, or
D.sub.min. A general guideline is that the WT should send a report
to minimize the discrepancy between the reported and actual values
of N.sub.T, N.sub.D, or D.sub.min. However, the WT has the
flexibility of determining a report to benefit the WT the most. For
example, when the WT is using request dictionary 0, the WT may use
ULRQST4 to report N.sub.T in some cases and N.sub.D in others.
Furthermore, in instances where the WT reports N.sub.T, it may not
automatically imply that N.sub.D=0.
[0147] To determine ULRQST3 or ULRQST4, the WT first calculates the
following two parameters, y and z, e.g., in accordance with table
1600 of FIG. 16 and then uses one of the following dictionaries.
Denote by x the value (in dB) of the most recent ULTXBKF5 report,
and by b.sub.0 the value (in dB) of the most recent generic DLBNR4
report. An exemplary range for x is 6.5 dB to 40 dB. An exemplary
range for b.sub.0 is -3 dB to 26 dB. The WT further determines an
adjusted generic DLBNR4 report value b as follows:
b=b.sub.0--ulTCHrateFlashAssignmentOffset, where minus is defined
in the dB sense. Given x and b, the WT determines y and z as those
from the first row in table 1600 of FIG. 16 for which the condition
in the first column is satisfied. For example, if x=17 and b=1,
then z=min(3, N.sub.max) and y=1. Denote R.sub.max the highest rate
option that the WT can support, and N.sub.max the number of MAC
frames that can transmitted in that rate option.
[0148] Table 2400 of FIG. 24 and Table 2500 of FIG. 25 define an
exemplary request dictionary with the RD reference number equal to
0.
[0149] Table 2600 of FIG. 26 and Table 2700 of FIG. 27 define an
exemplary request dictionary with the RD reference number equal to
1.
[0150] Define .DELTA. = N T - N T .times. min y * g , ##EQU2##
where N.sub.T.sup.min and g are variables determined by the most
recent ULRQST4 as per Table 2600 of FIG. 26.
[0151] FIG. 28 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 2800,
e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
Exemplary wireless terminal 2800 may be any of the exemplary
wireless terminals (110, 112, 114, 116) of system 100 of FIG.
1.
[0152] Wireless terminal 2800 includes a receiver module 2802, a
transmitter module 2804, a processor 2806, user I/O devices 2808,
and a memory 2810 coupled together via a bus 2812 over which the
various elements interchange data and information. Memory 2810
includes routines 2814 and data/information 2816. The processor
2806, e.g., a CPU, executes the routines 2814 and uses the
data/information 2816 in memory 2810 to control the operation of
the wireless terminal 2800 and implement methods.
[0153] Receiver module 2802, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to
receive antenna 2803 via which the wireless terminal 2800 receives
downlink signals. Downlink signals include assignment signals
including assignments of uplink communications resources, e.g.,
assignment of uplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module
2804, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna
2805, via which the wireless terminal 2800 transmits uplink signals
to a base station. Uplink signals include, e.g., control
information reports including backlog reports such as, e.g., uplink
request reports (ULRQST1, ULRQST3, ULRQST4), power reports,
interference reports, etc. Uplink signals also include uplink
traffic channel segment signals conveying packets of information
from transmission queues. Transmitter module 2804 transmits at
least some delay information determined by transmission delay
determination module 2818, e.g., communicated as part of an uplink
request report and/or transmitted as part of a standalone delay
report. In some embodiments, the same antenna is used for receiver
and transmitter.
[0154] User I/O devices 2808, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard,
mouse, switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allows a user of
wireless terminal 2800 to input data/information and to access
output data/information. User I/O devices 2808 also allow a user of
wireless terminal 2800 to control at lest some functions of the
wireless terminal 2800.
[0155] Routines 2814 include a transmission delay determination
module 2818, a queue management module 2820, a transmission control
module 2822, and a report generation module 2824. Transmission
delay determination module 2818 determines delay information
corresponding to data to be transmitted, e.g., delay information
including a minimum delay to transmission deadline and/or a maximum
queuing delay. Transmission delay determination module 2818
includes a stream delay determination module 2828 and a delay
parameter determination module 2830. Stream delay determination
module 2828 determines individual delay information (stream 1 delay
information 2848, . . . , stream N delay information 2850)
corresponding to one or more transmission streams being maintained
by wireless terminal 2800. Delay parameter determination module
2830 determines a delay parameter value 2852 as a function of the
individual delay determinations (stream 1 delay info 2848, . . .
stream N delay info 2850) of stream delay determination module
2828, e.g., a value to be encoded in an uplink request report to
communicate delay information.
[0156] Queue management module 2820 manages the one or more
transmission queues, e.g., transmission queues for uplink traffic
corresponding to different transmission streams. Operations of
queue management module 2820 include maintaining transmission
queues and transmission queue frame count information. Queue
management module 2820 controls the dropping of data, e.g., a
packet, from a transmission queue if data corresponding to the
packet is not transmitted from the transmission queue by a
transmission deadline, e.g., associated with the packet. Queue
management module 2820 includes a backlog information determination
module 2821, a frame count aggregation module 2832 and a condition
based frame count aggregation module 2834. Backlog information
determination module 2821 determines information indicating an
amount of data waiting to be transmitted, e.g., stream 1 frame
count information 2844, . . . , stream N frame count 2846. Frame
count aggregation module 2832 computes an aggregated frame count
parameter 2854, e.g., the sum of the frame counts of streams
(stream 1 frame count 2844, . . . , stream N frame count 2846).
Condition based frame count aggregation module 2834 computes an
aggregated frame count parameter 2856, e.g., the sum of the frames
which satisfy a condition e.g., the sums of frames with time
remaining to a predetermined transmission deadline or the number of
frames having been waiting for transmission for a length of time
exceeding a predetermined value.
[0157] Report generation module 2824 generates control information
reports such as uplink reports communicating frame count
information and/or delay information. Report generation module 2824
includes coding module 2826. Coding module 326 performs coding
operations including jointly coding backlog information, e.g.,
frame counts of data to be transmitted, and delay information.
[0158] Transmission control module 2822 controls the transmitter
module 2804 to transmit control information reports including
reports communicating delay information, e.g., minimum delay to
transmission deadline information and/or maximum queuing delay
information. p Data/information 2816 includes one or more
transmission queues corresponding to transmission streams (stream 1
transmission queue 2836, . . . , stream N transmission queue 2838),
queue statistics 2830, information identifying packet(s) to be
dropped 2832, report input information 2836, generated report
information 2838, channel structure information 2840 and control
reports' format information 2842.
[0159] The transmission queues (2836, . . . , 2838) include data,
e.g., audio data, image data, text data, file data, etc, to be
transmitted by the wireless terminal. Stream 1 transmission queue
2836 includes, e.g., MAC frames of data waiting to be transmitted
which have been mapped to transmission stream 1. Stream N
transmission queue 2838 includes, e.g., MAC frames of data waiting
to be transmitted which have been mapped to transmission stream N.
Queue statistics 2830 include frame counts corresponding to backlog
for each of the transmission streams (stream 1 frame count 2844, .
. . , stream N frame count 2846). Stream frame count information
(2844, . . . , 2846) are outputs of backlog information
determination module 2821. Queue statistics 2830 also include delay
information associated with the different streams (stream 1 delay
information 2848, . . . , stream N delay information 2850). Stream
delay information (2848, . . . , 2850) are outputs of stream delay
determination module 2828. Delay parameter information 2852 is an
output of delay parameter determination module 2830, which uses the
delay information (2848, . . . , 2850) as inputs. In one
embodiment, delay parameter information 2852 is a minimum of values
in the set of (2848, . . . , 2850), e.g., a minimum delay to
transmission deadline value to be communicated. In one embodiment,
delay parameter information 2852 is a maximum of values in the set
of (2848, . . . , 2850), a maximum queue delay value to be
communicated. Aggregated frame count information 2854, e.g., a
summation of sets of frame counts (stream 1 frame count 2844, . . .
, stream N frame counts 2846) is an output of frame count
aggregation module 2832. Condition based aggregated frame count
information 2856 is an output of condition based frame count
aggregation module 2834. Typically, the frame count represented by
aggregated frame count information 2854 is less than or equal to
the frame count represented by aggregated frame count information
2854.
[0160] Information identifying a packet to be dropped 2832 is an
output of queue management module 2820 and is used to update a
transmission queue, e.g., management module 2820 updates stream 1
transmission queue 2836 based on information 2832.
[0161] Report input information 2836 includes input information
used by report generation module 2824, e.g., information including
backlog related information and/or frame count related information
to be encoded into an uplink request report. Report input
information 2836 includes, e.g., a combination one or more of delay
parameter information 2852, aggregated frame count information 2854
and condition based aggregated frame count information 2856. At
different times for the same type of report, in some embodiments,
different combinations of input information are used. Generated
report information 2838 is an output of report generation module
2824, e.g., a 3 bit bit pattern corresponding to an ULRQST3 or a 4
bit bit pattern corresponding to an ULRQST4 report using a
particular request dictionary format, e.g., format or request
dictionary with reference 0 or request dictionary with reference 1
of FIGS. 24-27.
[0162] Channel structure information 2840 includes, e.g., uplink
dedicated control channel structure information identifying
locations in a recurring structure for communicating delay
information and/or backlog information. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include
exemplary information that may be included as part of channel
control structure information. Control reports' format information
2842 include bit mapping definition information corresponding to
control information reports including delay information reports,
backlog information reports, and combination delay/backlog reports.
FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27
provide information used to describe some exemplary reporting
formats.
[0163] In one exemplary embodiment corresponding to wireless
terminal 2800, there are 16 transmission streams with corresponding
queues (2836, . . . 2838). Consider that the channel structure
information includes information of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, and that
control reports' format information includes information of FIGS.
23-27. The WT reports the number of MAC frames in the 16 streams
that the WT may intend to transmit. The WT maintains two vectors of
sixteen elements N[0:15] (info 2844, . . . , info 2846) and D[0:15]
(info 2848, . . . , 2850), and maintains three scalars N.sub.T
(info 2854), N.sub.D (info 2856), and D.sub.min (2852). For k=0:15,
N[k] represents the number of MAC frames that the WT intends to
transmit in stream k, while D[k] represents the minimum time
remaining to transmission deadline for the packets that the WT
intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore, [0164] D.sub.min
(info 2852)=min.sub.[k=0:15]D[k], [0165] N.sub.T (info
2854)=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . . . +N[15], and [0166] N.sub.D (info
2856)=number of MAC frames with time remaining to transmission
deadline.ltoreq.T.sub.M.
[0167] For example, T.sub.M=20 ms. The WT should report information
about N.sub.T, N.sub.D, and D.sub.min to the base station sector so
that the base station sector can utilize the information in an
uplink (UL) scheduling algorithm to determine the assignment of
uplink traffic channel (UL.TCH) segments.
[0168] In another exemplary embodiment of wireless terminal 2800,
maximum queuing delay information is determined and used instead of
or in addition to minimum time to transmission delay deadline
information.
[0169] FIG. 29 is a drawing of an exemplary base station 2900 in
accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary base station 2900
may be any of the exemplary base stations (102, 104) of exemplary
system 100 of FIG. 1.
[0170] Base station 2900 includes a receiver module 2904, a
transmitter module 2908, a processor 2910, an I/O interface 2912,
and a memory 2914 coupled together via a bus 2916 over which the
various elements may interchange data and information. Memory 2914
includes routines 2918 and data/information 2920. The processor
2910, e.g., a CPU, executes the routines 2918 and uses the
data/information 2920 in memory 2914 to control the operation of
the base station 2900 and implement methods.
[0171] Receiver module 2904, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to
receive antenna 2902 via which the base station 2900 receives
uplink signals from a plurality of wireless terminals. Uplink
signals include, e.g., control information reports such as delay
information reports, backlog information reports, and/or reports
including jointly coded delay and backlog information. Receiver
module 2904 receives delay information from a first wireless
terminal, the delay information corresponding to data waiting to be
transmitted by the first wireless terminal. The receiver module
2904 also receives additional delay information from at least one
additional wireless terminal corresponding to data waiting to be
transmitted by the at least one additional wireless terminal.
Receiver module 2904 also receives backlog information, e.g., frame
count information from said first wireless terminal and said
additional wireless terminal. Uplink signals also include traffic
channel segment signals from wireless terminals conveying WT
transmission queue(s) data.
[0172] Transmitter module 2908, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is
coupled to transmit antenna 2906 via which the base station
transmits downlink signals to wireless terminals. The downlink
signals include assignment signals conveying assignments of uplink
traffic channel segments for wireless terminals.
[0173] I/O interface 2912 couples the base station 2900 to other
network nodes, e.g., other base stations, routers, AAA nodes, Home
agent nodes, etc. and/or the Internet. I/O interface 2912 by
coupling base station 2900 to a backhaul network allows a wireless
terminal using a base station 2900 attachment point to participate
in a communications session with another wireless terminal using a
different base station as its point of network attachment.
[0174] Routines 2918 include a scheduling module 2922, a control
report processing module 2924, an assignment signals generation
module 2926, and a traffic channel segment processing module 2928.
Scheduling module 2922, e.g., a scheduler, schedules uplink airlink
transmission resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments, to
said first wireless terminal as a function of received delay
information corresponding to the first wireless terminal. In some
embodiments, the scheduling of uplink transmission resources to
said first wireless terminal by the scheduling module 2922 is also
performed as a function of received additional delay information
corresponding to at least one additional wireless terminal. In some
embodiments, the scheduling of uplink transmission resources to
said first wireless terminal by the scheduling module 2922 is also
performed as a function of received backlog information from the
first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of
uplink transmission resources to said first wireless terminal by
the scheduling module 2922 is also performed as a function of
received backlog information from at least one additional wireless
terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink
transmission resources to said first wireless terminal by the
scheduling module 2922 is also performed as a function of stored
quality of service information corresponding to the first wireless
terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink
transmission resources to said first wireless terminal by the
scheduling module 2922 is also performed as a function of stored
quality of service information corresponding to at least one
additional wireless terminal.
[0175] In some embodiments, the a wireless terminal includes a
plurality transmission stream queues; however, the control
information reports communicated to the base station 2900
communicate aggregated information with regard to backlog and/or
backlog related delay, as opposed to communicating information
about individual queues. For example, base station 2900 receives
from a wireless terminal a single delay value indicative of the
worst delay across a set of set of transmission stream queues being
used by the wireless terminal. The base station also received
aggregated information regarding backlog counts across the set of
set of transmission stream queues being used by the wireless
terminal.
[0176] Control report processing module 2924 processes received
uplink control information reports, e.g., delay information
reports, backlog information reports, and/or combination reports
conveying jointly coded delay and backlog information, and recovers
the information being communicated, e.g., a maximum queuing delay,
a minimum delay to transmission deadline, and/or backlog
information such as a queue frame count or a queue delta frame
count with respect to a previous report. Control report processing
module 2924 includes a delay information recovery module 2930 which
extracts delay information from received reports and a backlog
information recovery module 2932 which extracts backlog
information, e.g., frame count information, from received
reports.
[0177] Assignment signals generation module 2926 is responsive to
scheduling module 2922 decisions and generates assignment signals
conveying uplink traffic channel segment assignments directed to
identified wireless terminals. Traffic channel segment processing
module 2928 recovers uplink traffic channel segment signals from
wireless terminals and associates the recovered information, e.g.,
packets of user data, with the scheduled wireless terminal
corresponding to the segment.
[0178] Data/information 2920 includes a plurality of sets of
wireless terminal data/information (WT 1 data/information 2934, . .
. WT N data/information 2936), channel structure information 2938
and control reports' format information 2940. WT 1 data/information
2934 includes received uplink control reports 2942, recovered delay
parameter information 2944, recovered aggregated frame count
information 2946, recovered condition based frame count information
2948, recovered uplink traffic data/information 2952, assignment
information 2950, and quality of service information 2954. In some
embodiments, at least some of the different wireless terminals
using base station 2900 have during some interval different quality
of service levels.
[0179] Received uplink control reports 2942 include various control
information reports used by the base station to characterize the
wireless terminal, e.g., delay information reports, uplink request
reports communicating backlog information, delay information and/or
a combination backlog and delay information, interference reports
such as beacon ratio reports, power reports such as wireless
terminal transmission power backoff reports, self-noise reports,
and SNR reports.
[0180] Recovered delay parameter information 2944 includes a
communicated delay value associated with the wireless terminal,
e.g., a maximum delay time waiting in a transmission queue or a
minimum time to transmission deadline, e.g., corresponding to an
aggregation of delay information from a plurality of transmission
stream queues. Recovered aggregated frame count information 2946
indicates transmission backlog information for wireless terminal 1.
Recovered condition based aggregated frame count information 2948
indicates transmission backlog information for wireless terminal 1
corresponding to a frame count with respect to a delay
consideration, e.g., a count on frames satisfying a predetermined
criteria.
[0181] Channel structure information 2938 includes, e.g., uplink
dedicated control channel structure information identifying
locations in a recurring structure for communicating delay
information and/or backlog information. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include
exemplary information that may be included as part of channel
control structure information 2938. Control reports' format
information 2940 includes bit mapping definition information
corresponding to various control channel reports such as, e.g.,
uplink request reports conveying delay information, backlog
information, and combination delay/backlog information. FIGS. 13,
14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 provide
information used to describe some exemplary reporting formats.
[0182] In one exemplary embodiment corresponding to a wireless
terminal 2800, there are 16 transmission streams with corresponding
queues (2836, . . . , 2838). Consider that the channel structure
information includes information of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, and that
control reports' format information includes information of FIGS.
23-27. The WT reports the number of MAC frames in the 16 streams
that the WT may intend to transmit. The WT maintains two vectors of
sixteen elements N[0:15] (info 2844, . . . , info 2846) and D[0:15]
(info 2848, . . . , 2850), and maintains three scalars N.sub.T
(info 2854), N.sub.D (info 2856), and D.sub.min (2852). For k=0:15,
N[k] represents the number of MAC frames that the WT intends to
transmit in stream k, while D[k] represents the minimum time
remaining to transmission deadline for the packets that the WT
intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore, [0183] D.sub.min
(info 2852)=min.sub.[k=0:15]D[k], [0184] N.sub.T (info
2854)=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . . . +N[15], and [0185] N.sub.D (info
2856)=number of MAC frames with time remaining to transmission
deadline.ltoreq.T.sub.M.
[0186] For example, T.sub.M=20 ms. The WT 2800 reports information
about N.sub.TN.sub.D, and D.sub.min to the base station sector of
base station 2900 so that the base station sector can utilize the
information in an uplink (UL) scheduling algorithm in scheduling
module 2922 to determine the assignment of uplink traffic channel
(UL.TCH) segments. Recovered delay parameter 2944 is a recovered
D.sub.min 2852; recovered aggregated frame count information 2946
is a recovered N.sub.T 2854, and recovered condition based
aggregated frame count information 2948 is a recovered N.sub.D
2856.
[0187] In another exemplary embodiment of base station 2900,
maximum queuing delay information is determined and used instead of
or in addition to minimum time to transmission delay deadline
information.
[0188] FIG. 30 comprising the combination of FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B
is a drawing of a flowchart 3000 of an exemplary method of
operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
The exemplary method starts in step 3002, where the base station is
powered on and initialized and proceeds to steps 3004 and 3006.
Operation proceeds to step 3006 for each of one or more additional
wireless terminals. For example, a plurality of wireless terminals
may be in an On-state with respect to a base station and be
transmitting control reports to the base station using dedicated
control channel resources, at least some of said control reports
communicating delay information related to uplink transmission
backlog.
[0189] In step 3004, the base station receives transmission backlog
information from a first wireless terminal, the transmission
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted to said base station from said first wireless terminal.
Step 3004 includes one or more of sub-steps 3008 and 3010. In
sub-step 3008, the base station receives transmission backlog from
the first wireless terminal indicative of an aggregated backlog of
transmission stream queues, e.g., a total frame count of uplink
traffic backlog. In sub-step 3010, the base station receives
transmission backlog from the first wireless terminal indicative of
a conditional aggregated backlog of transmission stream queues,
e.g. a count of frames having an associated minimum delay to
transmission deadline less than or equal to a predetermined value.
Operation proceeds from step 3004 to step 3016.
[0190] In step 3006, the base station receives transmission backlog
information from an additional wireless terminal, the transmission
backlog information indicating an amount of data waiting to be
transmitted to said base station from said additional wireless
terminal. Step 3006 includes one or more of sub-steps 3012 and
3014. In sub-step 3012, the base station receives transmission
backlog from the additional wireless terminal indicative of an
aggregated backlog of transmission stream queues, e.g., at total
frame count of uplink traffic backlog. In sub-step 3014, the base
station receives transmission backlog from the first wireless
terminal indicative of a conditional aggregated backlog of
transmission stream queues, e.g., a count of frames having an
associated minimum delay of transmission deadline less than or
equal to a predetermined value. Operation proceeds from step 3006
to step 3018.
[0191] In step 3016, the base station receives delay information
from the first wireless terminal, the delay information
corresponding to data waiting to be transmitted by the first
wireless terminal. For example, the first wireless terminal may
determine for each of one or more transmission streams, a minimum
time to transmission deadline, and communicate a delay value which
is the minimum of the set of individual determined minimum time to
transmission deadline value. As another example, the first wireless
terminal may determine for each of one or more transmission
streams, a maximum queue delay time, and communicate a delay value
which is the maximum of the set of individual determined maximum
delay values. In various embodiments, the communicated delay value
is a quantized representation.
[0192] In step 3018, the base station receives delay information
from the additional wireless terminal, the delay information
corresponding to data waiting to be transmitted by the first
wireless terminal. Operation proceeds from steps 3016 and 3018 via
connecting node A 3020 to step 3022.
[0193] In step 3022, the base station schedules wireless terminal
uplink transmission resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel
segments, to wireless terminals as a function of said received
transmission backlog information and received delay information
from said first wireless terminal and said one more additional
wireless terminals. In various embodiments, the base station also
uses quality of service level information corresponding to said
first wireless terminal and said at least one additional wireless
terminal in performing scheduling decisions. Then, in step 3024,
the base station transmits assignment information, e.g., uplink
traffic channel assignment information to said wireless terminals.
Operation proceeds from step 3024 to step 3026.
[0194] In step 3026, the base station receives uplink traffic
signals from at least one wireless terminal which has received an
assignment identifying that the wireless terminal was allocated
uplink traffic channel resources. Operation proceeds from step 3026
to step 3028.
[0195] In step 3028, the base station receives updated delay
information from the first wireless terminal. Then, in step 3030,
the base station schedules wireless terminal uplink transmission
resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments, to wireless
terminals as a function of said received updated delay
information.
[0196] In one exemplary embodiment, the base station, e.g., base
station 2900, is receiving uplink request reports from said first
wireless terminal and said additional wireless terminal which are
using request dictionary with reference number=0 corresponding to
table 2300 of FIG. 23, table 2400 of FIG. 24 and table 2500 of FIG.
25, and the aggregated backlog information is represented by
N.sub.T, the conditional aggregated backlog information is
represented by N.sub.D, and the delay information is represented by
D.sub.min. Thus, in some embodiments, the base station maintains
sets of information (N.sub.T, N.sub.D, and D.sub.min) corresponding
to the wireless terminals which are competing for uplink traffic
channel resources, and the scheduler 2922 uses that information in
making scheduling decisions.
[0197] In some embodiments, units other than frame counts are
utilized for tracking backlog information, e.g., counts of packets,
counts of bits, etc.
[0198] While described in the context of an OFDM system, the
methods and apparatus of various embodiments, are applicable to a
wide range of communications systems including many non-OFDM and/or
non-cellular systems.
[0199] In various embodiments nodes described herein are
implemented using one or more modules to perform the steps
corresponding to one or more methods, for example, signal
processing, delay determination, frame count determinations,
aggregation of information, queue management, report generation,
encoding, report communication. In some embodiments various
features are implemented using modules. Such modules may be
implemented using software, hardware or a combination of software
and hardware. Many of the above described methods or method steps
can be implemented using machine executable instructions, such as
software, included in a machine readable medium such as a memory
device, e.g., RAM, floppy disk, etc. to control a machine, e.g.,
general purpose computer with or without additional hardware, to
implement all or portions of the above described methods, e.g., in
one or more nodes. Accordingly, among other things, various
embodiments are directed to a machine-readable medium including
machine executable instructions for causing a machine, e.g.,
processor and associated hardware, to perform one or more of the
steps of the above described method(s).
[0200] Numerous additional variations on the methods and apparatus
described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art in
view of the above descriptions. Such variations are to be
considered within scope. The methods and apparatus of various
embodiments may be, and in various embodiments are, used with CDMA,
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and/or various
other types of communications techniques which may be used to
provide wireless communications links between access nodes and
mobile nodes. In some embodiments the access nodes are implemented
as base stations which establish communications links with mobile
nodes using OFDM and/or CDMA. In various embodiments the mobile
nodes are implemented as notebook computers, personal data
assistants (PDAs), or other portable devices including
receiver/transmitter circuits and logic and/or routines, for
implementing the methods of various embodiments.
* * * * *