Method, apparatus and computer readable medium embodying a program for resource allocation

1. A method comprising:

utilizing a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical resource blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

denoting each resource cluster with a predefined index;

allocating one or more clusters to user equipment for uplink transmission;

removing from the tree structure the clusters which overlap with the allocated one or more clusters; and

redenoting each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sizes of clusters on the branches are based on powers of at least one given integer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: signalling the allocated resources to user equipment.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

allocating a cluster to user equipment for uplink transmission;

dividing the clusters of the tree structure in frequency domain into two sections using either the beginning or the end of the allocated cluster as the dividing frequency;

removing from the tree structure the clusters which belong to the section including the allocated cluster, and

redenoting each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first cluster allocated to user equipment has an even or odd index value and the second cluster allocated to the user equipment has an odd index value.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein all clusters allocated to user equipment have either an even or odd index value.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the user equipment is allocated even or odd index values depending on a predetermined property of the user equipment.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

allocating a cluster with an index m to user equipment; and

allocating a second cluster with an index n-m, where n is the total number of clusters within a branch.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

allocating clusters having a length of a single physical resource block only from either the beginning or the end of the resource block space.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: aligning the resource allocation tree structure with the tree structure used in the allocation of a sounding reference signal.

11. A method comprising:

utilizing a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical resource blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different;

denoting each resource cluster with a predefined index;

allocating a cluster to user equipment for uplink transmission, the cluster being smaller than any subsequent cluster to be allocated;

removing from the tree structure the clusters which are smaller than the allocated cluster; and

redenoting each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

12. An apparatus comprising a controller configured to:

utilize a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical re-source blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

denote each resource cluster with a predefined index;

allocate one or more clusters to user equipment for uplink transmission;

remove from the tree structure the clusters which overlap with the allocated one or more clusters; and

redenote each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to utilize a tree structure where the sizes of clusters on the branches are based on powers of at least one given integer.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a transmitter con-figured to signal the allocated resources to user equipment.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate a cluster to user equipment for uplink transmission;

divide the clusters of the tree structure in frequency domain into two sections using either the beginning or the end of the allocated cluster as the dividing frequency;

remove from the tree structure the clusters which belong to the section including the allocated cluster, and

redenote each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate a first cluster and a second cluster to user equipment, the first cluster having an even or odd index value and the second cluster having an odd index value.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate clusters to user equipment, all clusters having either an even or odd index value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate clusters to user equipment, the clusters having even or odd index values depending on a predetermined property of the user equipment.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate a cluster with an index m to user equipment; and

allocate a second cluster with an n-m, where n is the total number of clusters within a branch.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

allocate clusters having a length of a single physical resource block only from either the beginning or the end of the resource block space.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a controller further configured to

align the resource allocation tree structure with the tree structure used in the allocation of a sounding reference signal.

22. An apparatus, comprising a controller configured to

utilize a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical re-source blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

denote each resource cluster with a predefined index;

allocate a cluster to user equipment for uplink transmission, the cluster being smaller than any subsequent cluster to be allocated

remove from the tree structure the clusters which are smaller than the allocated cluster; and

redenote each available cluster with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an uplink resource allocation; and

a transmitter configured to transmit using the allocated resource,

wherein the allocated resource comprises one or more clusters that are determined using a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical re-source blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

each resource cluster being denoted with a predefined index,

the clusters which overlap with the one or more clusters of the allocated resource are removed from the tree structure, and

each available cluster is redenoted with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an uplink resource allocation; and

a transmitter configured to transmit using the allocated resource, wherein the allocated resource comprises one or more clusters that are determined using a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical resource blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

each resource cluster being denoted with a predefined index,

the clusters which are smaller than the one or more clusters of the allocated resource are removed the tree structure, and

each available cluster is redenoted with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

25. A computer readable memory embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to perform actions directed toward resource allocation of physical resource blocks, the actions comprising:

receiving an uplink resource allocation; and

transmitting using the allocated resource,

wherein the allocated resource allocation comprises one or more clusters that are determined using a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical re-source blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

each resource cluster being denoted with a predefined index,

the clusters which overlap with the one or more clusters of the allocated resource are removed from the tree structure, and

each available cluster is redenoted with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.

26. A computer readable memory embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to perform actions directed toward resource allocation of physical resource blocks, the actions comprising:

receiving an uplink resource allocation; and

transmitting using the allocated resource,

wherein the allocated resource allocation comprises one or more clusters that are determined using a tree structure with more than one branch in the resource allocation of physical resource blocks,

each branch comprising one or more legal starting positions for resource allocation,

each starting position being associated with a cluster of physical resource blocks, the number of starting positions being different on each branch, the size of the resource clusters of each branch being different,

each resource cluster being denoted with a predefined index,

the clusters which are smaller than the one or more clusters of the allocated resource are removed from the tree structure, and

each available cluster is redenoted with a predefined index before allocating further clusters to the user equipment.