Shared channel resource allocation

An apparatus for allocating resources in a wireless communications system having a plurality of terminals serviced via a shared communication channel, wherein each code-point for coding and modulation of communications over the shared communication channel is associated with a spectral efficiency value, and wherein the resources are defined by physical resource units comprising frequency and time resources of the shared communication channel, comprising:

• a terminal code-point module configured to identify respective code-points for the plurality of terminals serviced via the shared communication channel for a first time period;
• a resource request module configured to receive resource requests associated with requested data transmissions for the plurality of terminals for the first time period;
• a provisional allocation module configured to identify a congestion condition when aggregate demand for physical resource unit allocations for the plurality of terminals exceeds available physical resource units of the shared communication channel for the first time period based on a provisional allocation according to the respective resource requests and the respective code-points associated with the plurality of terminals;
• and
• a symbol fair sharing module configured to re-allocate a subset of the available physical resource units of the shared communication channel to a subset of terminals of the plurality of terminals in response to the congestion condition, the subset of terminals comprising at least two terminals having different code-points, wherein respective re-allocated shares of the subset of the available physical resource units for the subset of terminals are determined based on an amount of resources of the subset of the available physical resource units in relation to a number of terminals of the subset of terminals, and wherein the respective re-allocated shares are independent of the respective spectral efficiency values associated with the respective code-points for the subset of terminals.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for allocating resources in a wireless communications system having a plurality of terminals serviced via a shared communication channel, wherein each code-point for coding and modulation of communications over the shared communication channel is associated with a spectral efficiency value, and wherein the resources are defined by physical resource units comprising frequency and time resources of the shared communication channel, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor for:

• identifying respective code-points for the plurality of terminals serviced via the shared communication channel for a first time period;
• receiving resource requests associated with requested data transmissions for the plurality of terminals for the first time period;
• identifying a congestion condition when aggregate demand for physical resource unit allocations for the plurality of terminals exceeds available physical resource units of the shared communication channel for the first time period based on a provisional allocation according to the respective resource requests and the respective code-points associated with the plurality of terminals;
• and
• re-allocating a subset of the available physical resource units of the shared communication channel to a subset of terminals of the plurality of terminals in response to the congestion condition, the subset of terminals comprising at least two terminals having different code-points, wherein respective re-allocated shares of the subset of the available physical resource units for the subset of terminals are determined based on an amount of resources of the subset of the available physical resource units in relation to a number of terminals of the subset of terminals, and wherein the respective re-allocated shares are independent of the respective spectral efficiency values associated with the respective code-points for the subset of terminals.