Method and apparatus for carrier selection and scheduling in wireless systems
View Patent ↗Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for improved multicarrier system operation. In one method, an indication of a received signal power level at a UE (user equipment) is received ( 501 ) from the UE. A carrier is then selected ( 502 ) on which to schedule the UE. The carrier is selected from a group of carriers based on the indication of the received signal power level at the UE.
1. A method for carrier selection, the method comprising:
receiving, by a base station, from user equipment (UE) an indication of a received signal power level at the UE;
selecting, by the base station, a carrier, from a plurality of carriers, on which to schedule the UE based on the indication of the received signal power level at the UE; and
scheduling, by the base station, the UE on the carrier selected, wherein,
the plurality of carriers comprises a lower-frequency carrier and a higher-frequency carrier, and
the selecting a carrier on which to schedule the UE includes selecting the lower-frequency carrier when the indication of the received signal power level indicates that the received signal power level is below a first threshold level.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein scheduling the UE comprises:
using a single-carrier scheduler to schedule the UE on the carrier selected.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the indication of the received signal power level comprises an indication of a reference signal received power (RSRP) level at the UE.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the indication of a RSRP level at the UE comprises an event notification that indicates at least one of,
that the RSRP level at the UE has become higher than a second threshold level, and
that the RSRP level at the UE has become lower than a third threshold level.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second threshold level and the third threshold level are equal.
6. The method as recited in claim 4 ,
wherein selecting the carrier on which to schedule the UE includes,
selecting the higher-frequency carrier when the event notification indicates that the RSRP level at the UE has become higher than the second threshold level, and
selecting the lower-frequency carrier when the event notification indicates that the RSRP level at the UE has become lower than the third threshold level.
7. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium storing one or more software programs which when executed by one or more processors performs the steps of the method of claim 1 .
8. A network node of a communication system, the network node being configured to communicate with other devices in the system, wherein the network node is operative
to receive from user equipment (UE) an indication of a received signal power level at the UE;
to select a carrier, from a plurality of carriers, on which to schedule the UE based on the indication of the received signal power level at the UE; and
to schedule the UE on the carrier selected, wherein,
the plurality of carriers comprises a lower-frequency carrier and a higher-frequency carrier, and
being operative to select the carrier on which to schedule the UE includes being operative to select the lower-frequency carrier when the indication of the received signal power level indicates that the received signal power level is below a first threshold level.
9. The network node as recited in claim 8 , wherein being operative to schedule the UE comprises being operative to use a single-carrier scheduler to schedule the UE on the carrier selected.
10. The network node as recited in claim 8 , wherein the indication of the received signal power level comprises an indication of a reference signal received power (RSRP) level at the UE.
11. The network node as recited in claim 10 , wherein the indication of a RSRP level at the UE comprises an event notification that indicates at least one of,
that the RSRP level at the UE has become higher than a second threshold level, and
that the RSRP level at the UE has become lower than a third threshold level.
12. The network node as recited in claim 11 , wherein the second threshold level and the third threshold level are equal.
13. The network node as recited in claim 11 ,
wherein being operative to select the carrier on which to schedule the UE includes,
being operative to select the higher-frequency carrier when the event notification indicates that the RSRP level at the UE has become higher than the second threshold level, and
being operative to select the lower-frequency carrier when the event notification indicates that the RSRP level at the UE has become lower than the third threshold level.