Resource allocation in machine-to-machine radio access systems

Abstract

A method may include receiving a communication from each of multiple machine-type communication (MTC) devices in a radio access network at a base station. The radio access network and base station may be configured to support the MTC devices and human operated devices. The method may also include determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices and allocating a first set of downlink resources in a downlink channel for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the MTC devices. The method may also include allocating a first set of uplink resources in an uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a communication from each of a plurality of machine-type communication (MTC) devices in a radio access network at a base station, the radio access network and base station configured to support the MTC devices and human operated devices;   determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices;   allocating a first set of downlink resources in a downlink channel for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the MTC devices; and   allocating a first set of uplink resources in an uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel includes contiguous multiple or whole integer sub-multiples of six resource blocks in the downlink channel or non-contiguous multiple or whole integer sub-multiples of six resource blocks in the downlink channel and the first set of uplink resources in the uplink channel includes contiguous multiple or whole integer sub-multiples of six resource blocks in the downlink channel or non-contiguous multiple or whole integer sub-multiples of six resource blocks in the uplink channel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel are allocated for only future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the MTC devices and the first set of uplink resources in the uplink channel are allocated for only future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel are not allocated for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the human operated devices and the first set of uplink resources in the uplink channel are not allocated for future assignment of uplink data communications from the human operated devices to the base station. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting an increase in uplink data traffic from the MTC devices to the base station; and   allocating semi-statically or dynamically a second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station such that future uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station are transmitted using the first and second sets of uplink resources.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices further comprises:
 grouping the MTC devices that receive downlink communications with a signal quality at or above the threshold into a first group of MTC devices;   grouping the MTC devices that receive downlink communications with a signal quality below the threshold into a second group of MTC devices; and   allocating a second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the second group of MTC devices to the base station, wherein the first set of uplink resources is allocated for future assignment of uplink data communications from the first group of MTC devices to the base station.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel is for future assignment of uplink data communications and uplink control communications from the second group of MTC devices to the base station and wherein uplink control communications from the first group of MTC devices to the base station are not assigned to the first or second set of uplink resources. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising allocating semi-statically or dynamically a second set of downlink resources in the downlink channel for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the second group of MTC devices, wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel is for future assignment of the downlink data communications from the base station to the first group of MTC devices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices includes determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices that are receiving downlink communications from the base station with a signal quality below a threshold. 
     
     
         10 . A machine-type communication (MTC) device including a computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
 synchronizing with a base station in a wireless access network based on one or more synchronization signals received from the base station, wherein the one or more synchronization signals are transmitted using radio resources within a first set of control radio resources in a downlink channel and the base station is configured to support the MTC device and a human operated device;   receiving an indication of assigned downlink resources in the downlink channel for downlink communication with the base station, wherein the assigned downlink resources are included in a first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel allocated for downlink communication from the base station to the MTC device and one or more other MTC devices; and   receiving an indication of assigned uplink resources in an uplink channel for uplink communication with the base station, wherein the assigned uplink resources are included in a first set of uplink resources in the uplink channel allocated for uplink communication from the MTC device and one or more other MTC devices to the base station.   
     
     
         11 . The MTC device of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving data and control downlink communications over the assigned downlink resources from the base station, wherein the assigned downlink resources are separate from the first set of control radio resources in the downlink channel. 
     
     
         12 . The MTC device of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting first data and control uplink communications over the assigned uplink resources from the MTC device to the base station, wherein other data and control uplink communications from human operated devices are assigned other uplink resources in the uplink channel that are separate from the first set of uplink resources. 
     
     
         13 . The MTC device of  claim 12 , wherein the assigned uplink resources are first assigned uplink resources, wherein the operations further comprise:
 after transmitting the first data and control uplink communications over the first assigned uplink resources, receiving an indication of second assigned uplink resources in the uplink channel for uplink communication with the base station, wherein the second assigned uplink resources are included in a second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel allocated for uplink communication from the MTC device and one or more other MTC devices to the base station; and   transmitting second data uplink communications over the second assigned uplink resources to the base station.   
     
     
         14 . The MTC device of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 after transmitting second data communications over the second assigned uplink resources to the base station, receiving an indication of third assigned uplink resources in the uplink channel for uplink communication with the base station, wherein the third assigned uplink resources are included in the first set of uplink resources; and   transmitting third data uplink communications over the third assigned uplink resources to the base station.   
     
     
         15 . A base station including a computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a communication from each of a plurality of machine-type communication (MTC) devices in a radio access network at the base station, the radio access network and base station configured to support the MTC devices and human operated devices;   determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices;   allocating a first set of downlink resources in a downlink channel for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the MTC devices; and   allocating a first set of uplink resources in an uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station.   
     
     
         16 . The base station of  claim 15 , wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel are not allocated for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the human operated devices and the first set of uplink resources in the uplink channel are not allocated for future assignment of uplink data communications from the human operated devices to the base station. 
     
     
         17 . The base station of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 detecting an increase in uplink data traffic from the MTC devices to the base station; and   allocating semi-statically or dynamically a second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station such that future uplink data communications from the MTC devices to the base station are transmitted using the first and second sets of uplink resources.   
     
     
         18 . The base station of  claim 15 , wherein determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices further includes operations comprising:
 determining which of the MTC devices are receiving downlink communications with a signal quality below a threshold and which of the MTC devices are receiving downlink communications with a signal quality at or above the threshold;   grouping the MTC devices that receive downlink communications with a signal quality at or above the threshold into a first group of MTC devices;   grouping the MTC devices that receive downlink communications with a signal quality below the threshold into a second group of MTC devices; and   allocating a second set of uplink resources in the uplink channel for future assignment of uplink data communications from the second group of MTC devices to the base station, wherein the first set of uplink resources is allocated for future assignment of uplink data communications from the first group of MTC devices to the base station.   
     
     
         19 . The base station of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise allocating a second set of downlink resources in the downlink channel for future assignment of downlink data communications from the base station to the second group of MTC devices, wherein the first set of downlink resources in the downlink channel is for future assignment of the downlink data communications from the base station to the first group of MTC devices. 
     
     
         20 . The base station of  claim 15 , wherein determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices further includes operations comprising determining that the communications are received from the MTC devices that are receiving downlink communications from the base station with a signal quality below a threshold.