# US 11,445,541 B2 · Methods and apparatus for managing uplink resource grants in wireless networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,541 B2 - Document ID: US11445541B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/134,123 - Filed: 2020-12-24 - Published: 2022-06-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-24 - Assignees: Charter Communications Operating, LLC - Applicants: Charter Communications Operating, LLC - Inventors: Volkan Sevindik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445541B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 52/0235: {where the received signal is a power saving command} - H04W 52/0274: {by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof} - H04W 72/1263: Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows - H04W 72/535: {based on resource usage policies} - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 84/042: {Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems} - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for managing uplink resource grants in wireless networks. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: operating a first wireless base station in a first mode of operation, the first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the wireless base station; receiving, by the first wireless base station operating in the first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; and determining in response to receiving the transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in the first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, the operating in the second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for the plurality of wireless devices connected to the wireless base station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless communications method comprising: operating a first wireless base station in a first mode of operation, said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receiving, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; determining in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein operating said first wireless base station in said second mode of operation includes communicating a message to each wireless device connected to the first wireless base station prior to ceasing managing said uplink grant schedule for said plurality of wireless devices, said message indicating that each wireless device is responsible for managing its uplink resource grant schedule. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless base station is a Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD); wherein the first wireless base station is part of a Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network; and wherein each of said wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station is a CBRS user equipment device, a CBRS Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, or a device emulating a CBRS user equipment device or a CBRS CPE device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station includes generating an uplink resource grant schedule for each individual wireless device connected to the first wireless base station. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein said operating said first wireless base station in a first mode of operation further includes communicating each of said generated uplink resource grant schedules to the individual wireless device for which the uplink grant schedule was generated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: subsequent to communicating said message indicating that each wireless device is responsible for managing its uplink resource grant schedule to each wireless device connected to the first wireless base station, reducing a transmission power level as instructed in the transmission power down command received from the resource management system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: subsequent to communicating said message indicating that each wireless device is responsible for managing its uplink resource grant schedule to each wireless device connected to the first wireless base station, receiving first uplink resource grant schedule information from a first wireless device connected to the first wireless base station, said first uplink resource grant schedule information including a first uplink resource grant that the first wireless device will be using for communicating uplink data to the first wireless base station, the first uplink resource grant identifying a first set of resource blocks that will be reserved for use by the first wireless device on a recurring basis and timing information identifying when the first set of resource blocks will recur. ### Claim 7 A wireless communications method comprising: operating a first wireless base station in a first mode of operation, said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receiving, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; determining in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein determining whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation includes determining whether the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in a downlink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station being less than an uplink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The communications method of claim 7 further comprising: determining to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in said second mode of operation when said determination is that the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in the downlink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station being less than the uplink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station. ### Claim 9 A wireless communications method comprising: operating a first wireless base station in a first mode of operation, said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receiving, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; determining in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein said determining whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation includes determining whether the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in a transmission power level for a downlink control channel used for communicating uplink resource grants to the wireless devices being less than a first threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein said first threshold value is a power transmission level value equal to or based on a maximum power transmission level of a wireless device connected to the first wireless base station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the maximum power transmission level of a wireless device is a maximum uplink channel power transmission level of a wireless device connected to the first wireless base station. ### Claim 12 A wireless communications system comprising: a first wireless base station, said first wireless base station including: a memory; and a processor, said processor controlling the first wireless base station to perform the following operations: operate in a first mode of operation, operating in said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receive, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; and determine in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein said operating in said second mode of operation includes communicating a message to each wireless device connected to the first wireless base station prior to ceasing managing said uplink grant schedule for said plurality of wireless devices, said message indicating that each wireless device is responsible for managing its uplink resource grant schedule. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The wireless communications system of claim 12, wherein the first wireless base station is a Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD); wherein the wireless communications system includes a first wireless network, said first wireless network being a Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network; and wherein each of said wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station is a CBRS user equipment device, a CBRS Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, or a device emulating a CBRS user equipment device or a CBRS CPE device. ### Claim 14 A wireless communications system comprising: a first wireless base station, said first wireless base station including: a memory; and a processor, said processor controlling the first wireless base station to perform the following operations: operate in a first mode of operation, operating in said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receive, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; and determine in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein said operation of determining whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation includes determining whether the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in a downlink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station being less than an uplink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wireless communications system of claim 14, wherein said processor further controls the first wireless base station to determine to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in said second mode of operation when said determination is that the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in the downlink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station being less than the uplink control channel coverage area of the first wireless base station. ### Claim 16 A wireless communications system comprising: a first wireless base station, said first wireless base station including: a memory; and a processor, said processor controlling the first wireless base station to perform the following operations: operate in a first mode of operation, operating in said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receive, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; determine in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein said operation of determining whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation includes determining whether the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in a transmission power level for a downlink control channel used for communicating uplink resource grants to the wireless devices being less than a first threshold value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The wireless communications system of claim 16, wherein said first threshold value is a power transmission level value equal to or based on a maximum power transmission level of a wireless device connected to the first wireless base station. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wireless communications system of claim 17, wherein the maximum power transmission level of a wireless device is a maximum uplink channel power transmission level of a wireless device connected to the first wireless base station. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a first wireless base station cause the first wireless base station to perform the steps of: operating in a first mode of operation, said first mode of operation including managing uplink resource grant schedules for a plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; receiving, by the first wireless base station operating in said first mode of operation, a transmission power down command from a resource management system; determining in response to receiving said transmission power down command, by the first wireless base station, whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, said operating in said second mode of operation including ceasing managing uplink resource grant schedules for said plurality of wireless devices connected to the first wireless base station; and wherein said determining whether to switch from operating in said first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation includes determining whether the implementation of the transmission power down command by the first wireless base station will result in a transmission power level for a downlink control channel used for communicating uplink resource grants to the wireless devices being less than a first threshold value.