Sharing of radio resources between mtc and non-mtc using sharing patterns

Abstract

Systems and methods for sharing radio resources on an air interface. One embodiment comprises an access network element (e.g., base station) that stores a plurality of sharing patterns each comprising a different mapping of the radio resources on a physical layer of the air interface between Machine-Type Communications (MTC) and non-MTC. The access network element identifies a resource sharing window, receives input indicating conditions in the access network, selects a sharing pattern from the plurality of sharing patterns in the pattern database for the resource sharing window based on the conditions in the access network, schedules MTC transmissions on the air interface at a beginning of the resource sharing window based on the sharing pattern, and schedules non-MTC transmissions on the air interface at the beginning of the resource sharing window based on the sharing pattern.

1 . A system comprising:
 an access network element of an access network that is configured to communicate with a plurality of devices over an air interface, wherein a multiple access modulation format is used on a physical layer of the air interface that segments the physical layer into radio resources in a time domain and in a frequency domain;   the access network element comprising:
 a scheduling mechanism; and 
 a pattern database configured to store a plurality of sharing patterns that each comprise a different mapping of the radio resources on the physical layer of the air interface between Machine-Type Communications (MTC) and non-MTC; 
 the radio resources comprise sub-frames in the time domain, and narrowbands in the frequency domain; 
 each sharing pattern allocates first sub-frames to MTC and second sub-frames to non-MTC on at least one of the narrowbands; 
 the scheduling mechanism is configured to identify a resource sharing window, to receive input indicating conditions in the access network, to select a first sharing pattern from the plurality of sharing patterns in the pattern database for the resource sharing window based on the conditions in the access network, to schedule MTC transmissions on the air interface at a beginning of the resource sharing window based on the first sharing pattern, and to schedule non-MTC transmissions on the air interface at the beginning of the resource sharing window based on the first sharing pattern. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the sharing patterns stored in the pattern database each include selection criteria for selecting among the plurality of sharing patterns for the resource sharing window. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein:
 the scheduling mechanism is configured to identify a next resource sharing window, to select a second sharing pattern from the plurality of sharing patterns in the pattern database for the next resource sharing window based on the conditions in the access network, to schedule the MTC transmissions on the air interface at a beginning of the next resource sharing window based on the second sharing pattern, and to schedule the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface at the beginning of the next resource sharing window based on the second sharing pattern. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the pattern database stores a plurality of MTC reservation patterns; 
 each of the MTC reservation patterns defines at least one MTC-On interval where MTC is allowed, and defines at least one MTC-Off interval where MTC is prohibited. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein:
 the scheduling mechanism is configured to select an MTC reservation pattern from the plurality of MTC reservation patterns, and to schedule the MTC transmissions and the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface based further on the MTC reservation pattern. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein:
 the scheduling mechanism is configured to schedule the MTC transmissions and the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface based on the first sharing pattern during the at least one MTC-On interval of the MTC reservation pattern. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 for each of the plurality of sharing patterns, less than 50% of the sub-frames are mapped to MTC. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the multiple access modulation format comprises Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM). 
 
     
     
         9 . A method of scheduling transmissions over an access network that is configured to communicate with a plurality of devices over an air interface, wherein a multiple access modulation format is used on a physical layer of the air interface that segments the physical layer into radio resources in a time domain and in a frequency domain, the method comprising:
 storing, in a pattern database, a plurality of sharing patterns that each comprise a different mapping of the radio resources on the physical layer of the air interface between Machine-Type Communications (MTC) and non-MTC;   wherein the radio resources comprise sub-frames in the time domain, and narrowbands in the frequency domain;   wherein each sharing pattern allocates first sub-frames to MTC and second sub-frames to non-MTC on at least one of the narrowbands;   identifying, at a scheduling mechanism, a resource sharing window;   receiving, at the scheduling mechanism, input indicating conditions in the access network;   selecting, at the scheduling mechanism, a first sharing pattern from the plurality of sharing patterns in the pattern database for the resource sharing window based on the conditions in the access network;   scheduling, at the scheduling mechanism, MTC transmissions on the air interface at a beginning of the resource sharing window based on the first sharing pattern; and   scheduling, at the scheduling mechanism, non-MTC transmissions on the air interface at the beginning of the resource sharing window based on the first sharing pattern.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein:
 the sharing patterns stored in the pattern database each include selection criteria for selecting among the plurality of sharing patterns for the resource sharing window. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 identifying, at the scheduling mechanism, a next resource sharing window; 
 selecting, at the scheduling mechanism, a second sharing pattern from the plurality of sharing patterns in the pattern database for the next resource sharing window based on the conditions in the access network; 
 scheduling, at the scheduling mechanism, the MTC transmissions on the air interface at a beginning of the next resource sharing window based on the second sharing pattern; and 
 scheduling, at the scheduling mechanism, the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface at the beginning of the next resource sharing window based on the second sharing pattern. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 storing, in the pattern database, a plurality of MTC reservation patterns; 
 wherein each of the MTC reservation patterns defines at least one MTC-On interval where MTC is allowed, and defines at least one MTC-Off interval where MTC is prohibited. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 selecting, at the scheduling mechanism, an MTC reservation pattern from the plurality of MTC reservation patterns; and 
 scheduling, at the scheduling mechanism, the MTC transmissions and the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface based further on the MTC reservation pattern. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein scheduling the MTC transmissions and the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface based further on the MTC reservation pattern comprises:
 scheduling the MTC transmissions and the non-MTC transmissions on the air interface based on the first sharing pattern during the at least one MTC-On interval of the MTC reservation pattern. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein:
 for each of the plurality of sharing patterns, less than 50% of the sub-frames are mapped to MTC. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein:
 the multiple access modulation format comprises Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM).