Method and system for multiple carrier resource allocation in LTE-advanced networks

A method for scheduling user rate allocation of a network where the network bandwidth of multiple cellular carriers is available for scheduling the user data rate allocation, the method comprising:

• aggregating, by a server, network bandwidth for each of multiple cellular carriers into a single network for purposes of scheduling user data rate allocation of the single network;
• ordering, by the server, the multiple cellular carriers within the single network such that there is a primary carrier and one or more secondary carriers;
• receiving, by the server, first user bids for primary carrier resource allocation from multiple users for the bandwidth of the primary carrier including proposed primary carrier user data rate allocations, wherein the proposed primary carrier user data rate allocations assume a total user utility function for each of the multiple users which represents a sum of multiple application utility functions including at least one elastic application utility function and one inelastic application utility function;
• applying, by the server, a first iterative process to determine an optimal primary carrier user data rate allocation for each of the multiple users;
• receiving, by the server, second user bids for secondary carrier resource allocation from multiple users for the bandwidth of the secondary carrier including proposed secondary carrier user data rate allocations, wherein the proposed secondary carrier user data rate allocations assume a total user utility function for each of the multiple users which represents a sum of multiple application utility functions including at least one elastic application utility function and one inelastic application utility function;
• applying, by the server, a second iterative process to determine an optimal secondary carrier user data rate allocation for each of the multiple users;
• and
• adjusting the total user utility function for each of the multiple users in accordance with one or both of the optimal primary carrier user rate allocation and the optimal secondary user data rate allocation;
• and
• allocating, by the server, user data rates to each of the multiple users in accordance with the adjusted total user utility function.