Mapping resource blocks into subchannels

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first wireless node in a wireless network, a number N of resource blocks available for transmitting data within a cell, the N resource blocks each including a number V of resource block orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including a number U of resource block subcarriers;

mapping the N resource blocks into N subchannels based on a permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on permutation parameters including the number N, a random or pseudorandom variable, and an identifier of the cell, U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the N subchannels and thereby allocating a subchannel index for each of the N subchannels; and

sending a message to a second wireless node indicating the permutation parameters N and the random or pseudorandom variable, and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the N subchannels for communication between the first wireless node and the second wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending data from the first wireless node to the second wireless node via at least one of the N subchannels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping the N resource blocks into the N subchannels includes mapping the N resource blocks into the N subchannels based on the permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on the permutation parameters including the number N, a random or pseudorandom integer, and the identifier of the cell, the U subchannel subcarriers for each of the V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the N subchannels and thereby allocating the subchannel index for each of the N subchannels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=(( k+s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m ·PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=((floor( k/L )+ s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m· PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the determining includes determining, by a base station in an IEEE 802.16 Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, the number N of resource blocks available for transmitting data within the cell, the N resource blocks each including the V resource block (OFDM) symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including the U resource block subcarriers; and

sending the message includes sending the message to a WiMAX mobile station indicating the permutation parameters and allocated subchannel index of the at least one of the subchannels for communication between the base station and the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein V=6 OFDM symbols are included in each resource block and subchannel and U=18 subcarriers are included in each OFDM symbol.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each subcarrier has a bandwidth of approximately ten kilohertz (10 kHz).

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the first wireless node, a new number NN of resource blocks available for transmitting data within the cell, the NN resource blocks each including V resource block OFDM symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including U resource block subcarriers;

mapping the NN resource blocks into NN subchannels based on the permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on the number NN, a new random or pseudorandom variable, and the identifier of the cell U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the NN subchannels; and

sending an updated message to the second wireless node indicating updated permutation parameters and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the NN subchannels for communication between the first wireless node and the second wireless node.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to:

determine a number N of resource blocks available for transmitting data within a cell, the N resource blocks each including a number V of resource block orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including a number U of resource block subcarriers;

map the N resource blocks into N subchannels based on a permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on permutation parameters including the number N, a random or pseudorandom variable, and an identifier of the cell, U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the N subchannels and thereby allocating a subchannel index for each of the N subchannels; and

generate a message for a receiving wireless node indicating the permutation parameters N and the random or pseudorandom variable and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the N subchannels for communication between the first wireless node and the second wireless node; and

a wireless transmitter coupled to the controller, the wireless transmitter being configured to wirelessly transmit the message to the receiving wireless node.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the controller is further configured to generate data for transmission from the apparatus to the receiving wireless node via at least one of the N subchannels; and

the wireless transceiver is further configured to wirelessly transmit the data from the apparatus to the receiving wireless node via at least one of the N subchannels.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=(( k+s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m· PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=((floor( k/L )+ s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m· PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus includes a base station in an IEEE 802.16 Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access (WiMAX) network.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein V=6 OFDM symbols are included in each resource block and subchannel and U=18 subcarriers are included in each OFDM symbol.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each subcarrier has a bandwidth of approximately ten kilohertz (10 kHz).

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the controller is further configured to:

determine a new number NN of resource blocks available for transmitting data within the cell, the NN resource blocks each including V resource block OFDM symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including U resource block subcarriers;

map the NN resource blocks into NN subchannels based on the permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on the number NN, a new random or pseudorandom variable, and the identifier of the cell, U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the NN subchannels; and

send an updated message to the receiving wireless node indicating updated permutation parameters and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the NN subchannels for communication between the apparatus node and the receiving wireless node; and

the wireless transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the message to the receiving wireless node.

18. A computer program product for mapping resource blocks into subchannels, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a base station which wirelessly communicates with a plurality of mobile stations to:

determine, by the base station, a number N of resource blocks available for transmitting data within a cell, the N resource blocks each including a number V of resource block orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including a number U of resource block subcarriers;

map the N resource blocks into N subchannels based on a permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on permutation parameters including the number N, a random or pseudorandom variable, and an identifier of the cell, U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the N subchannels and thereby allocating a subchannel index for each of the N subchannels; and

send a message to at least one of the plurality of mobile stations indicating the permutation parameters N and the random or pseudorandom variable and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the N subchannels for communication between the base station and the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , further configured to cause the base station to send data from the base station to the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations via at least one of the N subchannels.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=(( k+s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m· PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the permutation formula is:

subcarrier( k,s,m )=((floor( k/L )+ s+m·U )mod N )· U +( Pt [( k+m· PermBase)mod U ]+Cell_ID)mod U

where subcarrier(k,s,m) is a physical subcarrier index of an m th OFDM symbol;

s is a subchannel index ranging from 0 to N−1;

k is a tone index ranging from 0 to U−1 in subchannel s in the m th OFDM symbol;

m is an OFDM symbol index ranging from 0 to V−1 in subchannel s;

Pt is a permutation sequence of length U;

Cell_ID is the identifier of the cell; and

PermBase is the random or pseudorandom variable.

22. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein:

the determining includes determining, by the base station in an IEEE 802.16 Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, the number N of resource blocks available for transmitting data within the cell, the N resource blocks each including the V resource block (OFDM) symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including the U resource block subcarriers; and

sending the message includes sending the message to the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations including a WiMAX mobile station, the message indicating the permutation parameters and allocated subchannel index of the at least one of the subchannels for communication between the base station and the WiMAX mobile station.

23. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein V=6 OFDM symbols for included in each resource block and subchannel and U=18 subcarriers included in each OFDM symbol.

24. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein each subcarrier has a bandwidth of approximately ten kilohertz (10 kHz).

25. The computer program product of claim 18 , further configured to cause the base station to:

determine a new number NN of resource blocks available for transmitting data within the cell, the NN resource blocks each including V resource block OFDM symbols, the V resource block OFDM symbols each including U resource block subcarriers;

map the NN resource blocks into NN subchannels based on the permutation formula, the permutation formula assigning, based on the number NN, a new random or pseudorandom variable, and the identifier of the cell, U subchannel subcarriers for each of V subchannel OFDM symbols to each of the NN subchannels; and

send an updated message to the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations indicating updated permutation parameters and the allocated subchannel index of at least one of the NN subchannels for communication between the base station and the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations.