Radio resource allocation mechanism

Abstract

A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of user equipment and a network infrastructure. Radio resource of the plurality of cells is divided into more than one radio resource groups. A network infrastructure element detects a requirement of radio resource allocation for a user equipment and determines effective interference to be generated by the required radio resource to a defined group of neighbouring cells. User equipment is allocated a radio resource from one of the radio resource groups on the basis of the determined effective interference to be generated to the defined group of neighbouring cells. Inter-cell interference decreases and the throughput of the cellular system increases, but the exchange of physical layer information is not increased.

1 . A radio resource allocation method, comprising:
 dividing radio resource of a plurality of cells into more than one radio resource groups,   detecting in a cell a requirement of radio resource allocation for a user equipment;   determining effective interference to be generated by the required radio resource to a defined group of neighbouring cells; and   allocating to a user equipment a radio resource from one of the radio resource groups on the basis of the determined effective interference to be generated to the defined group of neighbouring cells.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , where in the radio resource is a frequency band and the step of dividing comprises dividing the frequency band into more than one frequency sub-bands, each frequency sub-band comprising one or more frequency units. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , where
 the step of determining comprises:   receiving in the user equipment information indicating properties of one or more transmission paths to one or more neighbouring cells;   generating in the user equipment from the received information corresponding one or more measurement indication;   sending from the user equipment the measurement indication to a network infrastructure element responsible for allocating the radio resource; and   computing in the network infrastructure element responsible for allocating the radio resource the effective interference on the basis of the measurement indications received from the user equipment;   generating measurement indications indicating path loss to a defined group of cells; and the step of computing comprises computing the effective interference as total path loss to the defined group of cells; and   wherein the defined group of cells is the active group of the user equipment.   
     
     
         4 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising:
 utilizing in a cell a radio resource formed from a plurality of radio resource units, a radio resource unit corresponding to a separable unit in time and frequency domain, further divisioned by a channelization code, the channelization code comprising a predefined spreading code;   dividing the radio resource units of the cell into two or more radio resource groups, the channelization code of radio resource units in a radio resource group comprising a same predefined spreading code, and radio resource units in different radio resource groups comprising different predefined spreading codes;   determining said effective interference on the basis of the predefined spreading codes.   
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising:
 generating in a user equipment a measurement indication indicating a property of a transmission path between the user equipment and a transceiver in the cell;   sending from the user equipment the measurement indication to a network infrastructure element responsible for allocating the radio resource units of the cell;   allocating to the user equipment a radio resource unit from one of the radio resource groups on the basis of the measurement indication.   
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising:
 arranging radio resource groups to correspond with defined ranges of the measurement indication values;   allocating to the user equipment a radio resource unit from the radio resource group that corresponds to a range within which a measurement indication received from the user equipment falls.   
     
     
         30 . User equipment for a cellular communication system, configured to receive information indicating properties of one or more transmission paths to one or more cells;
 generate from the received information corresponding one or more measurement indication;   send the measurement indication to a network infrastructure element responsible for allocating the radio resource.   
     
     
         31 . User equipment as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the user equipment is configured to receive information indicating properties of one or more transmission paths to one or more neighbouring cells; and wherein the defined group of neighbouring cells is the active group of the user equipment. 
     
     
         32 . User equipment as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the user equipment is configured to generate one or more measurement indications indicating a property of a transmission path between the user equipment and the cell. 
     
     
         33 . A control unit for network infrastructure element controlling a defined radio resource of a cell, the control unit being configured to
 divide the radio resource of the cell into more than one radio resource groups;   detect a requirement of radio resource allocation for a user equipment;   determine effective interference to be generated by the required radio resource to a defined group of neighbouring cells; and   allocate to the user equipment a radio resource from one of the radio resource groups on the basis of the determined effective interference to be generated to the defined group of neighbouring cells.   
     
     
         34 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , where the radio resource is a frequency band and the frequency band is divided into more than one frequency sub-bands, each frequency sub-band comprising one or more frequency units. 
     
     
         35 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , where the control unit is configured to
 receive from the user equipment one or more measurement indications corresponding to properties of one or more transmission paths to one or more neighbouring cells; and   compute the effective interference on the basis of the one or more measurement indications received from the user equipment.   
     
     
         36 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 35 , where the one or more measurement indications indicate path loss to a defined group of cells; and the network infrastructure element is configured to compute the effective interference as total path loss to the defined group of cells. 
     
     
         37 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the defined group of cells is the active group of the user equipment. 
     
     
         38 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the one or more measurement indications provide channel quality indications (CQI); and the network infrastructure element is configured to compute the effective interference from the received channel quality indications. 
     
     
         39 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the control unit is configured to manage a radio resource of a cell formed from a plurality of radio resource units, a radio resource unit corresponding to a separable unit in time and frequency domain, further divisioned by a channelization code, the channelization code comprising a predefined spreading code;
 divide the radio resource units of the cell into two or more radio resource groups, the channelization code of radio resource units in a radio resource group comprising a same predefined spreading code, and radio resource units in different radio resource groups comprising different predefined spreading codes;   determine said effective interference on the basis of the predefined spreading codes.   
     
     
         40 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the control unit is configured to
 receive from a user equipment a measurement indication indicating a property of a transmission path between the user equipment and a transceiver of the cell;   allocate to the user equipment a radio resource unit from one of the radio resource groups on the basis of the measurement indication.   
     
     
         41 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the control unit is configured with radio resource groups that correspond with defined ranges of measurement indication values; and is arranged to allocate to the user equipment a radio resource unit from the radio resource group that corresponds to a range within which a measurement indication received from the user equipment falls. 
     
     
         42 . A control unit as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the control unit is implemented as an integrated circuit.