Channel allocation in a telecommunications system with asymmetric uplink and downlink traffic

A method for allocating radio channels in a time division multiple access time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a number of regions, wherein each region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference, wherein the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields together are divided into a total of three regions, and wherein a first region coincides only with the downlink traffic channel field, a second region coincides only with the uplink traffic channel field, and a third region coincides with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field;
• determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units;
• and
• selecting the first region and assigning a downlink radio channel in the first region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a high level of susceptibility to intercell interference, wherein the expected level of intercell interference associated with the first region is lower than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the third region.

A method for allocating radio channels in a time division multiple access time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a number of regions, wherein each region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference, wherein the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields together are divided into a total of three regions, and wherein a first region coincides only with the downlink traffic channel field, a second region coincides only with the uplink traffic channel field, and a third region coincides with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field;
• determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units;
• and
• selecting the second region and assigning a uplink radio channel in the second region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a high level of susceptibility to intercell interference, wherein the expected level of intercell interference associated with the second region is lower than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the third region.

In a synchronous cellular radio telecommunications network that employs a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel allocation scheme, a method for allocating downlink and uplink channels associated with a TDMA time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing the downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a total of at least three regions, wherein the at least three regions include:
• a first region exclusively coinciding with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field,
• a second region exclusively coinciding with a portion of the uplink traffic channel field,
• a third region coinciding with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field, wherein the third region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference that is greater than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the first or the second region;
• determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units operating in a cell comprises the steps of:
• measuring susceptibility to intercell interference during an uplink period;
• and
• measuring susceptibility to intercell interference during a downlink period;
• and
• assigning an uplink or downlink channel in the third region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a low level of susceptibility to intercell interference as measured during the uplink period and a relatively low level of susceptibility to intercell interference as measured during the downlink period.

An apparatus for allocating radio channels in a time division multiple access time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said apparatus comprising:

• means for dividing the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a number of regions, wherein each region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference, wherein the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields together are divided into a total of three regions, and wherein a first region coincides only with the downlink traffic channel field, a second region coincides only with the uplink traffic channel field, and a third region coincides with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field;
• means for determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units;
• and
• means for selecting the third region and for assigning a radio channel in the third region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a low level of susceptibility to intercell interference, wherein the expected level of intercell interference associated with the third region is greater than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the first and the second regions.

An apparatus for allocating radio channels in a time division multiple access time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said apparatus comprising:

• means for dividing the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a number of regions, wherein each region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference, wherein the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields together are divided into a total of three regions, and wherein a first region coincides only with the downlink traffic channel field, a second region coincides only with the uplink traffic channel field, and a third region coincides with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field;
• means for determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units;
• and
• means for selecting the first region and for assigning a downlink radio channel in the first region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a high level of susceptibility to intercell interference, wherein the expected level of intercell interference associated with the first region is lower than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the third region.

An apparatus for allocating radio channels in a time division multiple access time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said apparatus comprising:

• means for dividing the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a number of regions, wherein each region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference, wherein the asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields together are divided into a total of three regions, and wherein a first region coincides only with the downlink traffic channel field, a second region coincides only with the uplink traffic channel field, and a third region coincides with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field;
• means for determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units;
• and
• means for selecting the second region and for assigning a uplink radio channel in the second region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a high level of susceptibility to intercell interference, wherein the expected level of intercell interference associated with the second region is lower than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the third region.

In a synchronous cellular radio telecommunications network that employs a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel allocation scheme, an apparatus for allocating downlink and uplink channels associated with a TDMA time frame which contains asymmetric downlink and uplink traffic channel fields, said apparatus comprising:

• means for dividing the downlink and uplink traffic channel fields into a total of at least three regions, wherein the at least three regions include:
• a first region exclusively coinciding with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field,
• a second region exclusively coinciding with a portion of the uplink traffic channel field,
• a third region coinciding with a portion of the downlink traffic channel field and a portion of the uplink traffic channel field, wherein the third region has associated with it an expected level of intercell interference that is greater than the expected level of intercell interference associated with the first or the second region;
• means for determining a level of susceptibility to intercell interference for each of a plurality of mobile units operating in a cell including:
• means for measuring susceptibility to intercell interference during an uplink period;
• and
• means for measuring susceptibility to intercell interference during a downlink period;
• and
• means for assigning an uplink or downlink channel in the third region to the one mobile unit, if it is determined that the one mobile unit has a low level of susceptibility to intercell interference as measured during the uplink period and a relatively low level of susceptibility to intercell interference as measured during the downlink period.