US6748222B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for providing load-balanced communication
Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 2000-11-06
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Granted: 2004-06-08
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Expires: 2020-11-06
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for selecting a station, in a communication system having a plurality of stations, for communication with a device based on station load conditions is provided. A plurality of base stations determine their station load condition. Station transmit power level is adjusted for at least a part of a transmitted signal in each of the plurality of stations in accordance with the respective determined station load condition. A device receives the transmitted signal from at least one of the plurality of stations and selects a station for communication. The station selection is made by the device based at least in part on a received power level of the adjusted portion of the transmitted signal.
Inventors
- 👤 Bassam M. Hashem
- 👤 Shalini S. Periyalwar
- 👤 Anatoli Kotov
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:47
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W52/00; H04W52/04; H04W52/30; H04W52/34; H04W52/343; H04W16/00; H04W16/14; H04W24/00; H04W28/00; H04W28/02; H04W28/10; H04W48/00; H04W48/20; H04W52/18; H04W52/26; H04W52/262; H04W52/38; H04W52/40; H04W8/00; H04W8/22; H04W8/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A substantially load-balanced communication system, comprising: at least one station, each station: determining the station load condition for each of the plurality of stations; and adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of a transmitted signal in accordance with the respective determined station load condition, the station transmit power level being adjusted to substantially balance the station load conditions among the at least one station; and at least one device, each device: receiving the transmitted signal from the at least one station; and selecting a station for communication, the station selection being made by the device based at least in part on a received power level of the adjusted portion of the transmitted signal the selected station: receiving a carrier to interference power ratio from the device; scaling the received carrier to interference power ratio to take into account the adjusted station transmit power level, and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme based on the scaled received carrier to interference power ratio.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A substantially load-balanced communication system, comprising: at least one station, each station: determining the station load condition for each of the plurality of stations; and adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of a transmitted signal in accordance with the respective determined station load condition, the station transmit power level being adjusted to substantially balance the station load conditions among the at least one station; and at least one device, each device: receiving the transmitted signal from the at least one station; and selecting a station for communication, the station selection being made by the device based at least in part on a received power level of the adjusted portion of the transmitted signal the selected station: receiving a carrier to interference power ratio from the device; scaling the received carrier to interference power ratio to take into account the adjusted station transmit power level, and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme based on the scaled received carrier to interference power ratio.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is an orthogonal frequency domain multiplexed system.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
160 words
A device for communication with one or more base stations, the device comprising: a receiver, the receiver receiving a first signal from at least one of the base stations the first signal including an adjusted power level of at least one subcarrier comprised of a pilot signal, the first signal further including at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal; a central processing unit in operative communication with the receiver, the central processing unit: determining a carrier to interference power ratio for each of the received first signals, the carrier to interference ratio being based, at least in part, on a loading condition of the base station transmitting the corresponding first signal, the power level of one of the pilot signal and the data signal being adjusted based on the loading condition; and selecting a base station for data communication based on the determined carrier to interference power ratios.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
160 words
A device for communication with one or more base stations, the device comprising: a receiver, the receiver receiving a first signal from at least one of the base stations the first signal including an adjusted power level of at least one subcarrier comprised of a pilot signal, the first signal further including at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal; a central processing unit in operative communication with the receiver, the central processing unit: determining a carrier to interference power ratio for each of the received first signals, the carrier to interference ratio being based, at least in part, on a loading condition of the base station transmitting the corresponding first signal, the power level of one of the pilot signal and the data signal being adjusted based on the loading condition; and selecting a base station for data communication based on the determined carrier to interference power ratios.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The device according to claim 3 , further comprising a transmitter in operative communication with the central processing unit wherein the central processing unit causes the transmitter to transmit a second signal comprised of a request to initiate data communication with the selected base station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device according to claim 4 , wherein the second signal further includes data corresponding to the determined carrier to interference power ratio.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device according to claim 3 , wherein the carrier to interference power ratio is determined based on a measured carrier power level of the first signal and a measured interference power level of the first signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first signal is comprised of at least one pilot subchannel and at least one data subchannel, the interference power level being measured from at least one pilot subchannel and at least one data subchannel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first signal is comprised of at least one pilot subchannel and at least one data subchannel, the interference power level being measured from the at least one data subchannel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first signal is comprised of at least one pilot subchannel and at least one data subchannel, the interference power level being measured from the at least one pilot subchannel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first signal is comprised of at least one pilot subchannel and at least one data subchannel, the carrier power level being measured from the at least one pilot subchannel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device according to claim 3 , wherein the selected station is the station whose carrier to interference power ratio is the greatest.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first signal is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first signal is a wireless high speed fixed access data system signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device according to claim 13 , wherein the wireless high speed fixed access data system is one of a wireless high speed data protocol and a wireless digital subscriber line signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first signal is a wireless local area network signal.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for selecting a station, in a communication system having a plurality of stations, for communication with a device, based on a station load condition of the respective stations, comprising: determining the station load condition for each of the plurality of stations; adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of a transmitted signal in each of the plurality of stations in accordance with the respective determined station load condition, the part of the transmitted signal for which transmit power is adjusted being at least one subcarrier of the transmitted signal comprised of a pilot signal and at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal; receiving the transmitted signal from at least one of the plurality of stations; and selecting a station for communication, the station selection being made by the device based at least in part on a received power level of the adjusted portion of the transmitted signal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for selecting a station, in a communication system having a plurality of stations, for communication with a device, based on a station load condition of the respective stations, comprising: determining the station load condition for each of the plurality of stations; adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of a transmitted signal in each of the plurality of stations in accordance with the respective determined station load condition, the part of the transmitted signal for which transmit power is adjusted being at least one subcarrier of the transmitted signal comprised of a pilot signal and at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal; receiving the transmitted signal from at least one of the plurality of stations; and selecting a station for communication, the station selection being made by the device based at least in part on a received power level of the adjusted portion of the transmitted signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method according to claim 16 , further including: receiving a reported C/I ratio from the device; and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme for subsequent data communication, the signal coding and modulation scheme being determined at least in part from the reported C/I ratio, the pilot signal transmit power level and the transmit power level of the data signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 16 , further including: receiving a reported C/I ratio from the device; and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme for subsequent data communication, the signal coding and modulation scheme being determined at least in part from the reported C/I ratio and the adjusted station transmit power level.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method according to claim 16 , further including measuring the power level of the received pilot signal and a power level of signal interference and determining a pilot signal power level to signal interference power level ratio, wherein the selected station is the station whose received pilot signal to signal interference level ratio is the greatest level.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 16 , further including determining the load condition, the load condition being based on at least one of: a processor usage of the station; and an aggregate communication rate from all devices engaged in communication with the station.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 16 , wherein the selected station is the station having the greatest received transmitted signal power level.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 16 , wherein the transmitted signal is a wireless high speed fixed access data system signal.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 22 , wherein the wireless high speed fixed access data system signal is one of a wireless high speed data protocol and a wireless digital subscriber line signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 16 , wherein the transmitted signal is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 16 , wherein the transmitted signal is a wireless local area network signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
119 words
A base station for communication with a device, the base station comprising: a transmitter transmitting a first signal to the device; a central processing unit, the central processing unit controlling the transmitter by: determining a base station load condition; and adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of the first signal for transmission to the device, the station transmit power being adjusted in accordance with the determined station load condition, the part of the transmitted signal for which transmit power is adjusted being at least one subcarrier of the transmitted signal comprised of a pilot signal and at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
119 words
A base station for communication with a device, the base station comprising: a transmitter transmitting a first signal to the device; a central processing unit, the central processing unit controlling the transmitter by: determining a base station load condition; and adjusting station transmit power level for at least a part of the first signal for transmission to the device, the station transmit power being adjusted in accordance with the determined station load condition, the part of the transmitted signal for which transmit power is adjusted being at least one subcarrier of the transmitted signal comprised of a pilot signal and at least one other subcarrier being a data signal transmitted at a power level different than the pilot signal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
68 words
The base station, according to claim 26 , wherein the central processing unit further controls the transmitter by: receiving a reported C/I ratio from the device; and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme for the first signal, the signal coding and modulation scheme being determined at least in part from the reported C/I ratio, the pilot signal transmit power level and the data signal transmit power level.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
62 words
The base station, according to claim 26 , wherein the central processing unit further controls the transmitter by: receiving a reported C/I ratio from the device; and determining a signal coding and modulation scheme for the first signal, the signal coding and modulation scheme being determined at least in part from the reported C/I ratio and the adjusted station transmit power level.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
The base station according to claim 26 wherein the load condition is based on at least one of: a processor usage of the base station; and an aggregate communication from all devices engaged in communication with the base station.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
55 words
The base station according to claim 26 , further including a receiver receiving a second signal from the wireless device, the second signal including a request to initiate data communication with the station, wherein the central processing unit processes the request to initiate data communication with the device by determining a coding and modulation scheme.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
65 words
The base station according to claim 30 , wherein the second signal includes a carrier to interference power ratio and wherein the coding and modulation scheme is determined by: scaling the received carrier to interference power ratio to take into account the adjusted station transmit power level, and determining the signal coding and modulation scheme based on the scaled received carrier to interference power ratio.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The base station, according to claim 26 , wherein the first signal is a wireless high speed fixed access data system signal.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
The base station, according to claim 32 , wherein the wireless high speed fixed access data system signal is one of a wireless high speed data protocol and a wireless digital subscriber line signal.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
The base station, according to claim 26 , wherein the first signal is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
19 words
The base station, according to claim 26 , wherein the first signal is a wireless local area network signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-06-08 | 2007-12-08 | 2008-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-06-08 | 2011-12-08 | 2012-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-06-08 | 2015-12-08 | 2016-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |