Method and apparatus for bandwidth request/grant protocols in a wireless communication system

摘要

A method and apparatus for allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system is disclosed. One embodiment uses a self-correcting bandwidth request/grant protocol. The self-correcting bandwidth request/grant protocol utilizes a combination of incremental and aggregate bandwidth requests. CPEs primarily transmit incremental bandwidth requests to their associated base stations, followed by periodic transmissions of aggregate bandwidth requests. The use of periodic aggregate bandwidth requests (that express the current state of their respective connection queues) allows the bandwidth allocation method and apparatus to be “self-correcting”. Another embodiment utilizes an abridged bandwidth request/grant protocol to allocate bandwidth. The abridged bandwidth request/grant protocol system utilizes padding packets to request a reduction in bandwidth allocation to a CPE. A base station modem alerts a base station CPU when the BS modem receives a padding packet from a CPE. After alerting the BS CPU the method can reduce the associated CPE's bandwidth allocation.

主权项

1. A method of duplexing transmission in a wireless communication network where a base station communicates with wireless mobile stations, the method comprising:
enabling the base station to:
set up a frame for wireless transmission over a communication link shared between the base station and the wireless mobile stations based on communication resources allocated to uplink and downlink transmissions in the frame;establish uplink (UL) grants based on bandwidth requests received from the wireless mobile stations and on the communication resources allocated to uplink transmissions;establish downlink (DL) allocations based on the amount of DL data awaiting downlink transmission at the base station and on the communication resources allocated to downlink transmissions; andtransmit to the wireless mobile stations an allocation indication with the UL grants and DL allocations; and enabling a first wireless mobile station to:
associate data received from a plurality of data sources with a queue;transmit a first bandwidth request to the base station, and setting an initial value of a timer in association with the transmitting of the first bandwidth request;receive from the base station an UL grant in response to the first bandwidth request and transmitting an UL data block in accordance with the UL grant;upon expiration of the initial value in the timer and in the absence of the receipt of the UL grant, transmit a subsequent bandwidth request; andreceive a first DL data block in a DL allocation provided to the first wireless mobile station.