System and method for dynamic frequency allocation for packet switched services

Abstract

A system, method and computer program for dynamic frequency allocation for packet switched services in which radio channels used for packet switched services may be dynamically allocated to meet quality of service (QoS) requirements utilizing a dynamic frequency and channel allocation system. The achievable throughput is estimated in the available channels. Further, the user or application is able to specify the level of service desired and the system, method and computer program will select a channel assignment to meet the desired level of service. When the channels to be assigned have been selected, the system, method and computer program will evaluate if the new channel assignment will cause excessive interference to any other ongoing connection. In such case the ongoing connection will be re-assigned to another suitable radio channel.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A system for dynamic channel allocation for packet switched services, comprising: 
 a throughput estimation module to determine when possible incoming interference with other assigned channels may occur and to derive time slot throughput estimates; an outgoing interference evaluation module to determine the effect of the channel assignment upon other channels already assigned within a cell and within nearby cells based upon a C/I ratio; and    a QoS management module to choose a shared or a dedicated channel for the connection based upon a traffic class type associated with the mobile station or the service or the application requiring the information transfer and throughput requirements of the channel assignment.    
     
     
         2 . The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the traffic class type comprises: 
 a best effort traffic class type that will cause the channel assignment to be made to a shared channel; and    a guaranteed traffic class type that will cause the channel assignment to be made to a shared channel when adequate throughput exists on the shared channel and will cause the channel assignment to be made to dedicated channel when adequate throughput does not exist on the shared channel.    
     
     
         3 . The system recited in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a frequency assignment module to assign frequencies used for the shared channels for each of a plurality of transceiver units based upon maximizing the C/I ratio for each assigned frequency within each cell.    
     
     
         4 . The system recited in  claim 3 , wherein the frequency assignment module assigned channels based upon a heuristic algorithm.  
     
     
         5 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the QoS management module will assign for each connection with a guaranteed throughput requirement a minimum number of dedicated channels needed to satisfy the connection throughput requirement if the required throughput exceeds the capabilities of any shared channels.  
     
     
         6 . The system recited in  claim 5 , wherein when the assignment of a required number of dedicated channels exceeds the capacity of the cell or the capability of the mobile station the quality of the service requirements are renegotiated for the connection.  
     
     
         7 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the throughput estimation module will produce throughput estimates for the available radio channels based on the estimated C/I and the available channel capacity to be used in the quality of service module for channel assignment of the decisions.  
     
     
         8 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the outgoing interference evaluation module will evaluate the level of interference a new channel assignment is expected to cause on the other channels that have already been assigned to connections in a serving cell and the nearby cells.  
     
     
         9 . The system recited in  claim 8 , wherein the outgoing interference evaluation module may trigger a radio channel re-assignment for the ongoing connections in the dedicated territory that are expected to be adversely affected based on a C/I criteria by the interference resulting from the new channel assignment.  
     
     
         10 . A method of dynamic channel allocation for packet switched services, comprising: 
 dividing the transceiver unit resources in a cell to shared channel resources forming a shared territory and dedicated channel resources forming a dedicated territory;    allocating frequencies for the shared territories to a plurality of cells based upon minimizing the interference between the shared territories among the plurality of cells.    transmitting the frequencies to each of the plurality of cells;    receiving a request for a channel assignment from a mobile station or a core network, wherein a channel assignment comprises two of the frequencies;    estimating the achievable throughputs in each of the possible radio channels based on the estimated C/I and the channel capacity already used by other connections;    determining a traffic class type for the channel assignment, wherein the traffic class type is either best effort or guaranteed;    assigning the shared channel providing the highest estimated throughput when the traffic class type is best effort;    assigning a dedicated channel able to provide the required throughput when the traffic class type is guaranteed and a shared channel assignment would generate inadequate throughput for the mobile station;    evaluating outgoing interference that may result from the channel assignment impacting any existing connections in the serving cell or the nearby cells based upon the estimated post-assignment C/I ratio for each existing connection; and    initiating a channel re-assignment for the existing connections for which the C/I ratio is estimated not to exceed a predetermined value.    
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 renegotiating the quality of service for the connection when the estimated throughput available in all the available shared and dedicated channel combinations that are within the capabilities of the mobile station and the cell is insufficient to satisfy the required throughput.    
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein identifying incoming interference further comprises: 
 determining whether the incoming interference is either due to an adjacent channel or a cochannel.    
     
     
         13 . The method recited in  claim 11 , wherein the renegotiating all the quality of service for the mobile station comprises offering the mobile station a lower quality of service.  
     
     
         14 . A computer program storable on a computer readable medium and executable by computer for dynamic channel allocation for packet switched services, comprising: 
 a throughput estimation code segment to determine when possible interference with other assigned channels may occur and derive a throughput estimation for all available radio channels based upon a total C/I ratio;    an outgoing interference evaluation code segment to determine the effect of the channel assignment upon other channels already assigned within a cell and within nearby cells based upon a C/I ratio; and    a QoS management code segment to monitor requests for channel assignment from the mobile station or the core network, allocate the channel assignment to either a dedicated channel or a shared channel based upon a traffic class type associated with the mobile station the throughput requirements of the channel assignment and the estimated available throughput on available shared and dedicated channels.    
     
     
         15 . The computer program recited in  claim 14 , wherein the traffic class type comprises: 
 a best effort traffic class type that will cause the channel assignment to be made to a shared channel; and    a guaranteed traffic class type that will cause the channel assignment to be made to a shared channel when adequate throughput exists on the shared channel and will cause the channel assignment to be made to dedicated channel when adequate throughput does not exist on the shared channel.    
     
     
         16 . The computer program recited in  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a frequency assignment code segment to assign channels for each of the shared territories in a plurality of cells based upon calculating a C/I ratio for each cell.    
     
     
         17 . The computer program recited in  claim 18  wherein the frequency assignment code segment assigned channels based upon a heuristic algorithm.  
     
     
         18 . The computer program recited in  claim 15 , wherein the QoS management code segment will minimize the number of assigned dedicated channels to a minimum required to provide the requested throughput when the throughput required for the channel assignment exceeds the capabilities of any shared channels.  
     
     
         19 . The computer program recited in  claim 18 , wherein when the estimated throughput available in any of the available dedicated channels supported by the mobile station and the cell is not sufficient to satisfy the requested quality of service requirements the renegotiation of the quality of service requirements for the connection is initiated.  
     
     
         20 . The computer program recited in  claim 14 , wherein the outgoing interference evaluation code segment will trigger a re-assignment of a channel when the estimated C/I ratio is insufficient to maintain the requested throughput for an existing connection.