IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,480,067
Granted Patent B2
US 9,480,067 · App. 14/444,691 · Granted Oct 25, 2016

Techniques for allocating user equipment processing capability among multiple access nodes

Inventors: Masato Kitazoe (Tokyo, JP); Gavin Bernard Horn (La Jolla, CA); Jelena Damnjanovic (Del Mar, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W72/048H04W72/044H04W72/0446H04W72/0426H04W72/0486H04W72/08H04W84/045H04W88/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,480,067
App. No.
14/444,691
Granted
Oct 25, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to allocating user equipment (UE) processing capability among multiple access nodes. In an aspect, processing capability of a UE may be determined. When the UE is in communication with at least a first access node and a second access node, a first allocation of the UE processing capability for the first access node or a second allocation of the UE processing capability for the second access node may be determined. Resources may be assigned for the UE based at least in part on the first allocation or the second allocation. In an aspect, the first access node and the second access node may negotiate to determine the first allocation or the second allocation. In an aspect, the first allocation or the second allocation may be determined based on a previously-configured rule associated with a category of the UE.

Claims (58)

1. A method of allocating processing capability of a user equipment, comprising:

determining the processing capability of the user equipment;

determining a first allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a first access node or a second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a second access node when the user equipment is in communication with at least the first access node and the second access node, wherein a total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment; and

assigning resources for the user equipment based at least in part on the first allocation or the second allocation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first access node and the second access node are associated with different radio access technologies.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first access node and the second access node are associated with a same radio access technology.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing capability of the user equipment comprises a processing resource, and further comprising partitioning the processing resource based on at least one of the first allocation or the second allocation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first allocation of the processing capability comprises:

determining that the user equipment is in communication with the first access node and the second access node; and

negotiating with the second access node to determine the first allocation for the first access node and the second allocation for the second access node such that the total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node comprises:

receiving a second allocation request from the second access node; and

determining the first allocation based on the processing capability of the user equipment and the second allocation request such that the total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node comprises:

sending the first allocation to the second access node; and

determining the second allocation based on the processing capability of the user equipment and the first allocation such that a total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node comprises communicating the second allocation to the second access node.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node comprises receiving the first allocation from the second access node.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node comprises communicating with the second access node via the user equipment when the first access node and the second access node do not have direct communication with one another.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein negotiating with the second access node to determine the first allocation for the first access node and a second allocation for the second access node comprises determining the first allocation and the second allocation based on at least one network condition.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a quality of service (QoS) of data flow for at least one of the first access node or the second access node.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a radio condition, wherein the radio condition comprises at least one of a received signal, signal-plus-interference-to-noise ratio (SINR), or pathloss observed by at least one of the first access node or the second access node.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a load condition of at least one of the first access node or the second access node.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a capability of at least one of the first access node or the second access node, wherein the capability comprises at least one of a processing capability or a throughput capability.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a performance of a backhaul connection between the first access node and the second access node, wherein the performance of the backhaul connection comprises at least one of backhaul capacity, backhaul throughput, or backhaul delay.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one network condition is a data buffer status observed by at least one of the user equipment, the first access node, or the second access node.

18. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transmitting at least one of the first allocation or the second allocation to the user equipment.

19. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first allocation and the second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment are the same for all subframes across a frame.

20. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first allocation and the second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment are different for at least some subframes across a frame.

21. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first allocation and the second allocation are dynamic and can be renegotiated between the first access node and the second access node.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first allocation or the second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment comprises:

retrieving processing capability information of the user equipment, wherein the processing capability information of the user equipment includes total processing capability of the user equipment;

determining that the user equipment is in communication with the first access node and the second access node; and

determining the first allocation or the second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment based on a previously-configured rule.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the user equipment is associated with a category, and further comprising retrieving the previously-configured rule based on the category.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, comprising:

code for causing at least one computer to determine processing capability of a user equipment;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a first allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a first access node or a second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a second access node when the user equipment is in communication with at least the first access node and the second access node, wherein a total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment; and

code for causing the at least one computer to assign resources for the user equipment based at least in part on the first allocation or the second allocation.

25. An apparatus for allocating processing capability of a user equipment, comprising:

means for determining the processing capability of the user equipment;

means for determining a first allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a first access node or a second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a second access node when the user equipment is in communication with at least the first access node and the second access node, wherein a total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment; and

means for assigning resources for the user equipment based at least in part on the first allocation or the second allocation.

26. An apparatus for allocating processing capability of a user equipment, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor and a scheduler, coupled to the at least one memory, configured to execute the instructions to:

determine the processing capability of the user equipment;

determine a first allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a first access node or a second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment for a second access node when the user equipment is in communication with at least the first access node and the second access node, wherein a total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment; and

assign resources for the user equipment based at least in part on the first allocation or the second allocation.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor and the scheduler are further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine that the user equipment is in communication with the first access node and the second access node; and

negotiate with the second access node to determine the first allocation for the first access node and the second allocation for the second access node such that the total of the first allocation and the second allocation is less than or equal to the processing capability of the user equipment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the at least one processor and the scheduler are further configured to execute the instructions to determine the first allocation and the second allocation based on at least one network condition.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor and the scheduler are further configured to execute the instructions to:

retrieve processing capability information of the user equipment, wherein the processing capability information of the user equipment includes total processing capability of the user equipment;

determine that the user equipment is in communication with the first access node and the second access node; and

determine the first allocation or the second allocation of the processing capability of the user equipment based on a previously-configured rule.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the user equipment is associated with a category, and the at least one processor and the scheduler are further configured to execute the instructions to retrieve the previously-configured rule based on the category.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2014
From: KITAZOE, MASATO; HORN, GAVIN BERNARD; DAMNJANOVIC, JELENA
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 034090/0664 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61863540 · Aug 8, 2013
Related Publication 20150043479A1 · Feb 12, 2015