Systems and methods for scheduling transmissions from an access node

1. A method for scheduling transmissions from an access node in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data packets at a first packet buffer in a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer of the access node and starting a discard packet timer, wherein the discard packet timer is set at a first value;

transmitting the plurality of data packets to at least one wireless device;

receiving an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) from the at least one wireless device at a second packet buffer in the RLC layer of the access node;

retransmitting at least one data packet of the plurality in response to the ARQ at the RLC layer, the MAC layer, or both;

determining a number of data packets in the first and second packet buffers when the discard packet timer expires and a queuing delay associated with a scheduler;

comparing the number of data packets with a count threshold;

comparing the queuing delay to a delay threshold;

modifying an initial target block error rate (BLER) at the RLC layer when the number of data packets in the first and second packet buffers exceeds the count threshold and the queuing delay exceeds the delay threshold; and

transmitting the data packets from the access node using the modified initial target BLER.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a value of the discard packet timer is based on a Quality of Service (QoS) and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) of an application running on a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the queuing delay is based on a buffer delay associated with at least one data packet received at the first or second packet buffer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the queuing delay is further based on a number of discarded data packets.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data packets in the first and second packet buffers when the discard packet timer expires are periodically counted by a discard packet counter to determine the number of discarded data packets.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the initial target BLER based on an ARQ re-transmission NACK rate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ARQ comprises a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ).

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring BLER separately on both uplink and downlink at the access node.

9. A system for scheduling transmissions from an access node in a wireless communication network, the system comprising:

a processing node configured to:

receive a plurality of data packets at a first packet buffer in a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer of the access node and start a discard packet timer;

transmit the plurality of data packets to at least one wireless device;

receive an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) from the at least one wireless device at a second packet buffer in the RLC layer of the access node;

retransmit at least one data packet of the plurality in response to the ARQ at the RLC layer, the MAC layer, or both;

determine a number of data packets in the first and second packet buffers when the discard packet timer expires and an associated queuing delay associated with a scheduler;

compare the number of data packets with a count threshold;

compare the queuing delay to a delay threshold;

modify an initial target block error rate (BLER) at the RLC layer when the number of data packets in the first and second packet buffers exceeds the count threshold and the queuing delay exceeds the delay threshold; and

transmit the data packets from the access node using the modified initial target BLER.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a value of the discard packet timer is based on a Quality of Service (QoS) and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) of an application running on a wireless device.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the queuing delay is based on a buffer delay associated with at least one data packet received at the first or second buffer.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the queuing delay is further based on a number of discarded data packets.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the data packets in the first and second packet buffers when the discard packet timer expires are periodically counted by a discard packet counter to determine the number of discarded data packets.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing node is further configured to determine the initial target BLER based on an ARQ re-transmission NACK rate.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the ARQ comprises a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ).

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing node is further configured to measure BLER separately on both uplink and downlink at the access node.

17. A method for implementing delay-based link quality control, the method comprising:

determining that an aggregated queuing delay at a first packet buffer and a second packet buffer in a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer of an access node is greater than a target delay threshold of the first and second buffers, wherein the first packet buffer is configured to receive a plurality of data packets on downlink to at least one wireless device and the second packet buffer is configured to receive an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) on uplink from the at least one wireless device;

starting a discard packet timer on receipt of a plurality of data packets at the first and second packet buffers of the access node;

comparing a number of queued data packets to a set loading level of the first and second packet buffers, and, when the number of queued data packets exceeds the set loading level, adjusting a value for the discard packet timer associated with the first and second packet buffers; and

comparing the aggregated queuing delay to a target block error rate (BLER), and, when the number of queued data packets in the first and second packet buffers exceeds the set loading level of the first and second packet buffers, and the aggregated queuing delay exceeds the target queuing delay threshold, modifying the target BLER.