Method and system for management of data transmission in timeslots
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorsMaulik K. Shah, Jasinder P. Singh, Deveshkumar Rai, Sachin R. Vargantwar
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Abstract
A method and system is disclosed for managing transmission of data in upcoming timeslots on an air interface. A radio access network detects that in the upcoming timeslots, less than a threshold portion of currently-contending devices are scheduled to receive transmissions, and the radio access network responsively de-schedules a number of the devices and schedules in their place a greater number of other devices, where the newly scheduled devices have higher forward link data rates than the de-scheduled devices.
Claims19
A method for a radio access network (RAN) to manage transmission of data in an upcoming series of timeslots on a forward link air interface from the RAN, wherein the RAN currently has data to transmit to a first number, C, of devices, and wherein the RAN has currently allocated the timeslots for use to carry data to just a second number, N, of those C devices (wherein N<C), thereby defining for the timeslots a total of N scheduled devices and a total of C−N unscheduled devices, the method comprising:
- the RAN determining that N is less than a defined threshold portion of C;
- responsive to the determining, (i) the RAN de-scheduling, from the timeslots, a third number, R, of the N scheduled devices, and (ii) newly scheduling, in the timeslots that were allocated to carry data to the R devices, transmissions to the >R of the C−N unscheduled devices in place of the de-scheduled R devices;
- and
- the RAN transmitting in the timeslots to at least the >R newly scheduled devices.
A radio access network (RAN) arranged to manage transmission of data in an upcoming series of timeslots on a forward link air interface from the RAN, the RAN comprising:
- an antenna arrangement for radiating to define a wireless coverage area having the forward link air interface for carrying transmissions from the RAN;
- a data buffer for holding data that is to be transmitted by the RAN to devices served by the RAN in the wireless coverage area;
- and
- scheduling logic executable by the RAN to schedule data transmission in the upcoming series of timeslots, wherein the scheduling logic causes the RAN to carry out functions comprising:
- (a) determining that the data buffer currently holds data to transmit to a first number, C, of devices, (b) determining that the RAN has currently scheduled the timeslots for use to carry data to just a second number, N, of those C devices (wherein N<C), thereby defining for the timeslots a total of N scheduled devices and C−N unscheduled devices, (c) determining that N is less than a defined portion of C, and (d) responsive to determining that N is less than the defined portion of C, carrying out a scheduling-adjustment process,
- wherein the scheduling-adjustment process comprises (i) de-scheduling, from the timeslots, a third number, R, of the N scheduled devices, and (ii) newly scheduling, in the timeslots that were scheduled to carry data to the R devices, transmissions to >R of the C−N unscheduled devices in place of the de-scheduled R devices, and wherein, after carrying out the scheduling-adjustment process, the RAN transmits in the timeslots to at least the >R newly scheduled devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.