Radio resource management for a high speed shared channel

Abstract

Radio resources like spreading codes and transmission power are optimally allocated to various different types of radio channels supported in the cell including a specialized channel like a high-speed shared channel. One or more measurements made at the base station are provided to the radio resource manager. Such measurements include other-channel power, high speed shared channel code usage, high speed shared channel transport format usage, average active load on the high speed shared channel, empty buffer, excess power, and similar parameters that relate to a high speed shared channel. One or more of these reported measurements may then be used to access, allocate, and/or regulate resources associated with the base station's cell.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for a mobile communications network supporting mobile radio communication using plural radio channels associated with a radio base station including first radio channels and a high speed shared radio channel, comprising: 
 the radio base station measuring one or more parameters that affect management of the high speed shared radio channel;    the radio base station reporting one or more of the measured parameters to a radio resource controller; and    the radio resource controller using the measured parameters to efficiently use radio resources associated with the high speed shared radio channel.    
     
     
         2 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the base station measures an other transmission power for signals transmitted over the first radio channels that do not include a measurement of a transmission power for signals transmitted over the high speed shared radio channel, and 
 wherein the radio resource controller uses the other transmission power measurement to regulate a power level associated with one of the first radio channels or the high speed shared radio channel.    
     
     
         3 . The method in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 the radio resource controller allocating a power to the high speed shared radio channel based on the measured transmission power so that when the allocated power is combined with the other power measured for the first radio channels, the combined power does not exceed a predetermined maximum power associated with the base station.    
     
     
         4 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the communications are code division multiple access (CDMA) based, 
 wherein the base station measures a CDMA code usage for the high speed shared radio channel during a predetermined time period, and    wherein the radio resource controller uses the CDMA code usage to regulate CDMA code allocation to one or both of the first radio channels and the high speed shared radio channel.    
     
     
         5 . The method in  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined time period includes plural transmission time intervals (TTIs), the method further comprising: 
 measuring a number of TTIs a CDMA code is used for the high speed shared radio channel during the predetermined time period or a number of TTIs a set of the CDMA codes is used for the high speed shared radio channel during the predetermined time period.    
     
     
         6 . The method in  claim 5 , wherein the CDMA code usage is reported by the base station as a histogram.  
     
     
         7 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the communications are code division multiple access (CDMA) based, 
 wherein the base station measures a transport format usage for the high speed shared radio channel during a predetermined time period, and    wherein the radio resource controller uses the transport format usage to regulate CDMA code allocation to one or both of the first radio channels and the high speed shared radio channel.    
     
     
         8 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the base station measures a number of mobile radio users currently having data to transmit over the high speed shared channel in a base station buffer at a data transmission scheduling time for the high speed shared channel and provides the number as an active load measurement for the high speed shared channel to the radio network controller, and 
 wherein the radio resource controller uses the active load measurement in controlling the base station.    
     
     
         9 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the base station measures an amount of data being buffered per high speed shared channel user, determines a number of high speed shared channel transmission time intervals (TTIs) over a measurement period when the measured amount of data does not keep its corresponding buffer loaded with data, and provides the number of TTIs to the radio network controller, and 
 wherein the radio resource controller uses the number of TTIs in performing one or more radio resource operations.    
     
     
         10 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the base station measures a first power level actually used for transmission to a mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, determines a second power level for reliable transmission to the mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, determines the difference between the first and second power levels, and provides the difference to the radio network controller, and 
 wherein the radio resource controller uses the difference in performing one or more radio resource operations.    
     
     
         11 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the first radio channels and the high speed shared channel are downlink radio channels from the mobile communications network to one or more of the mobile radios, 
 wherein the first radio channels include one or more of the following: one or more dedicated channels dedicated to a connection between the mobile communications network and one of the mobile radios, one or more common channels shared by the mobile radios, one or more control channels, and one or more broadcast channels.    
     
     
         12 . The method in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 the radio resource controller using the measured parameters to perform one or both of congestion control and admission control.    
     
     
         13 . A radio base station for use in a mobile communications network that supports radio communications with plural mobile radios, wherein first radio channels and a high speed shared radio channel are associated with the radio base station, comprising: 
 one or more detectors for measuring one or more parameters that affect management of the high speed shared radio channel, the radio base station being configured to report one or more of the measured parameters to a radio resource controller, and    a high speed shared channel controller for using information from the radio resource controller based on the measured one or more parameters to efficiently use radio resources associated with the high speed shared radio channel.    
     
     
         14 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more detectors includes an other power detector for measuring an other transmission power for signals transmitted over first radio channels that do not include a measurement of a transmission power for signals transmitted over the high speed shared radio channel.  
     
     
         15 . The radio base station in  claim 14 , wherein the high speed shared channel controller is configured to allocate a power level for the high speed shared radio channel so that when the allocated power level is combined with the other power measured for the first radio channels, the combined power level does not exceed a predetermined maximum power level associated with the base station.  
     
     
         16 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the communications are code division multiple access (CDMA) based, 
 wherein the one or more detectors includes a CDMA code usage detector for measuring CDMA code usage for the high speed shared radio channel during a predetermined time period.    
     
     
         17 . The radio base station in  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined time period includes plural transmission time intervals (TTIs), the CDMA code usage detector being configured to measure a number of TTIs a CDMA code is used for the high speed shared radio channel during the predetermined time period or a number of TTIs a set of the CDMA codes is used for the high speed shared radio channel during the predetermined time period.  
     
     
         18 . The radio base station in  claim 16 , wherein the base station is configured to send the CDMA code usage as a histogram to a radio network controller.  
     
     
         19 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more detectors includes a transport format usage detector for measuring transport format usage for the high speed shared radio channel during a predetermined time period.  
     
     
         20 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more detectors includes an active load monitor for measuring a number of mobile radio users currently having data to transmit over the high speed shared channel in a base station buffer at a data transmission scheduling time for the high speed shared channel.  
     
     
         21 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more detectors includes a buffer monitor for measuring an amount of data being buffered per high speed shared channel user and determining a number of high speed shared channel transmission time intervals (TTIs) over a measurement period when the measured amount of buffered data reaches zero or is below a threshold.  
     
     
         22 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more detectors includes an excess power monitor for measuring a first power level actually used for transmission to a mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, determining a second power level required for reliable transmission to the mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, and determining the difference between the first and second power levels.  
     
     
         23 . The radio base station in  claim 13 , wherein the first channels and the high speed shared channel are downlink radio channels from the mobile communications network to one or more of the mobile radios, 
 wherein the first radio channels include one or more of the following: one or more dedicated channels dedicated to a connection between the mobile communications network and one of the mobile radios, one or more common channels shared by the mobile radios, one or more control channels, and one or more broadcast channels.    
     
     
         24 . A radio base station mobile communications network that supports radio communications with plural mobile radios, comprising: 
 a detector for measuring a transmission power for signals transmitted over plural first radio channels that does not include a measurement of a transmission power for signals transmitted over a second radio channel, and    a power controller for receiving a power level for transmitting signals over the second radio channel determined based on the measured transmission power and for transmitting over the second radio channel at the determined power.    
     
     
         25 . The radio base station in  claim 24 , wherein the first and second channels are downlink radio channels from the mobile communications network to one or more of the mobile radios, 
 wherein the first radio channels include: one or more dedicated channels dedicated to a connection between the mobile communications network and one of the mobile radios, one or more common channels shared by the mobile radios, one or more control channels, one or more broadcast channels, and    wherein the second channel is a high speed downlink shared channel.    
     
     
         26 . The radio base station in  claim 24 , wherein the power allocated to the second radio channel combined with the power measured for the first radio channels does not exceed a predetermined maximum power associated with the base station.  
     
     
         27 . Apparatus for use in a code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile communications network including one or more radio base stations that support radio communications with plural mobile radios, comprising: 
 a detector for measuring a CDMA code usage for the second radio channel during a predetermined time period;    a controller for determining whether CDMA codes currently allocated to the second radio channel are being efficiently used based on the measured CDMA code usage and for changing a current CDMA code allocation for the second radio channel if the CDMA codes currently allocated to the second radio channel are not being efficiently used.    
     
     
         28 . The apparatus in  claim 27 , wherein the predetermined time period includes plural transmission time intervals (TTIs), the further configured to measure a number of TTIs a CDMA code is used for the second radio channel during the predetermined time period or a number of TTIs a set of the CDMA codes is used for the second radio channel during the predetermined time period.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus in  claim 28 , wherein the CDMA code usage is reported as a histogram.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus in  claim 28 , wherein the detector is in a radio base station and the controller is in a radio network controller coupled to the radio base station.  
     
     
         31 . Apparatus for use in a code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile communications network including one or more radio base stations that support radio communications with plural mobile radios, comprising: 
 a detector for measuring a transport format usage for the second radio channel during a predetermined time period;    a controller for determining whether a transport format currently allocated to the second radio channel is inefficient based on the measured transport format usage and for changing a current transport format for the second radio channel if the current transport format for the second radio channel is inefficient.    
     
     
         32 . A radio base station for use in a mobile communications network that supports radio communications with plural mobile radios, wherein first radio channels and a high speed shared radio channel are associated with the radio base station, comprising: 
 an active load monitor for measuring a number of mobile radio users currently having data to transmit over the high speed shared channel in a base station buffer at a data transmission scheduling time for the high speed shared channel, and    a controller for providing the measured number to a radio resource controller for use in managing a load on the high speed shared channel.    
     
     
         33 . The radio base station in  claim 32 , wherein the active load monitor is configured to average the measured number over a predetermined time interval.  
     
     
         34 . A radio base station for use in a mobile communications network that supports radio communications with plural mobile radios, wherein first radio channels and a high speed shared radio channel are associated with the radio base station, comprising: 
 a buffer monitor for measuring an amount of data being buffered per high speed shared channel user and determining a number of high speed shared channel transmission time intervals (TTIs) over a measurement period when the measured amount of buffered data reaches zero or is below a threshold, and    a controller for providing the measured number to a radio resource controller for use in configuring the high speed shared channel.    
     
     
         35 . A radio base station for use in a mobile communications network that supports radio communications with plural mobile radios, wherein first radio channels and a high speed shared radio channel are associated with the radio base station, comprising: 
 an excess power monitor for measuring a first power level actually used for transmission to a mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, determining a second power level required for reliable transmission to the mobile radio user over the high speed shared channel, and determining the difference between the first and second power levels, and    a controller for providing the difference to a radio resource controller for use in allocating resources associated with the high speed shared channel.