Distributed capacity based channel assignment for communcation systems
View Patent ↗Apparatuses and methods for providing distributed capacity based channel assignment in a radio frequency base station servicing a local area. A method can include determining that an additional channel is needed, receiving reports from user equipment connected to the base station over the air interface indicating the gain in capacity due to the added channel, adding the new channel, receiving loss reports from one or more neighboring base stations indicating the loss in capacity and the interference caused to user equipments serviced by the neighboring base stations due to the use of the new channel. The method can also include comparing the gain in capacity to the loss of capacity by the worst user connected to the neighboring base stations due to the added channel and determining whether to continue to add the channel to increase capacity.
1. A method, comprising:
determining in a network device servicing a local area that an additional channel is needed;
receiving a report from a user equipment connected to the network device over an air interface indicating a gain in capacity that would occur due to the additional channel;
adding a new channel;
receiving a loss report from one or more neighboring network devices indicating a loss in capacity of, or interference caused to at least one user equipment serviced by, the one or more neighboring network devices;
comparing the gain in capacity to the loss in capacity of, or interference caused to, the at least one user equipment; and
determining whether, based on the comparison, to continue to add the new channel to increase capacity,
wherein the receiving the loss report comprises receiving a loss report indicating the loss in capacity of, or interference caused to the at least one user equipment serviced by the one or more neighboring network devices due to the use of the new channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed in at least one of an access point, a base station, a user equipment acting as a base station, or an adhoc network master node.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the report comprises receiving a recent measurement report from the user equipment.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the report comprises receiving a report regarding at least one channel other than the added channel.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the report comprises receiving a report regarding the additional channel that is determined to be needed.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating to one or more user equipment over the new channel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the gain comprises comparing the gain to the loss of capacity due to the added channel by at least one of an average user connected to the neighboring network devices, a worst user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a best user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a random user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, all user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a user equipment with lowest signal to interference plus noise ratio connected to the neighboring network devices, or user equipment with lowest throughput connected to the neighboring network devices.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the gain further comprises comparing the gain to a threshold.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuing to add the new channel when the gain is greater than the loss.
10. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to
determine in a network device servicing a local area that an additional channel is needed,
process a report received from a user equipment connected to the network device over an air interface indicating a gain in capacity that would occur due to the additional channel,
add a new channel,
process a loss report received from one or more neighboring network devices indicating a loss in capacity of, or interference caused to at least one user equipment serviced by, the one or more neighboring network devices,
compare the gain in capacity to the loss in capacity of, or interference caused to, the at least one user equipment, and
determine whether, based on the comparison, to continue to add the new channel to increase capacity,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to process the loss reports by processing loss reports indicating the loss in capacity of, or interference caused to the at least one user equipment serviced by, the one or more neighboring network devices due to the use of the new channel.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the network device comprises at least one of an access point, a base station, a user equipment acting as a base station, or an adhoc network master node.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to process the report by processing a recent measurement report from the user equipment.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to process the report by processing a report regarding at least one channel other than the added channel.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to process the report by processing a report regarding the additional channel that is determined to be needed.
15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to communicate to one or more user equipment over the new channel.
16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to compare the gain by comparing the gain to the loss of capacity due to the added channel by at least one of an average user connected to the neighboring network devices, a worst user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a best user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a random user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, all user equipment connected to the neighboring network devices, a user equipment with lowest signal to interference plus noise ratio connected to the neighboring network devices, or user equipment with lowest throughput connected to the neighboring network devices.
17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to compare the gain by comparing the gain to a threshold.
18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to continue to add the new channel when the gain is greater than the loss.