Frequency Allocation

Abstract

Methods and systems for allocating mobiles among multiple frequency channels in a mobile communications system are disclosed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a frequency allocation process.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a frequency allocation process.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a weather based frequency allocation process.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a weather map.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an ATC and areas surrounding the ATC.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a frequency allocation process.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a cellular coverage map.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: allocating mobile devices among multiple channels of a radio frequency wireless system based on a variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile devices, the multiple channels being assigned to different portions of a frequency band.

2. A method, comprising: moving at least one mobile device from a first channel of a base station to a second channel of the base station based on a variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device, wherein:the base station comprises a radio frequency wireless system infrastructure component through which the mobile is communicating; andthe first channel is assigned to a first portion of a frequency band and the second channel is assigned to a second portion of the frequency band, the first portion being different from the second portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: the first portion of the frequency band comprises a frequency range used by the base station to communicate with mobile devices; andthe second portion of the frequency band comprises a frequency range not used by the base station to communicate with the mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises an estimate of a current transmission power of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises an estimate of an average transmission power of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises an estimated distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the estimated distance comprises an estimated distance between a location of the mobile device and a location of the base station through which the mobile is communicating.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises an estimated transmission power or estimated signal-to-noise ratio of the signal sent by the base station to the mobile.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining an estimated aggregate power of the mobile devices operating on the first channel; anddetermining a relationship between the estimated aggregate power and a threshold.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising: sorting a mobiles operating in the first channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the first channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band covered by a receiver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein moving the at least one mobile from the first channel of the base station to the second channel of the base station comprises:selecting one or more mobiles from the first channel having the highest transmission power settings; andmoving the one or more mobiles having the highest transmission power settings from the first channel to the second channel.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising moving a different mobile from the second channel of the base station to the first channel of the base station based on a variable associated with the transmission power of the different mobile.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: sorting a plurality of mobiles operating in the second channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the second channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band not covered by the receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising moving the different mobile from the second channel of the base station to the first channel of the base station comprises: selecting one or more mobiles from the second channel having the lowest transmission power settings; andmoving the one or more mobiles having the lowest transmission power settings from the second channel to the first channel.

15. A method comprising: determining an estimated aggregate power of a plurality of mobiles operating on a first channel that is assigned to a first portion of a frequency band;determining a relationship between the estimated aggregate power and a threshold;if the relationship between the estimated aggregate power and the threshold meets a condition: sorting mobiles operating on the first channel according to a variable associated with an transmission power;moving at least one mobile from the first channel to a second channel based on the variable associated with the transmission power, the second channel being assigned to a second portion of the frequency band that is different from the first portion of the frequency band;sorting mobiles operating on a second channel according to the variable associated with the transmission power; andmoving at least one mobile from the second channel to the first channel based on the variable associated with the transmission power.

16. An apparatus comprising: circuitry to:assign a first channel of a base station to a first portion of a frequency band;assign a second channel of a base station to a second portion of a frequency band, the second portion being different from the first portion; andmove at least one mobile device from the first channel of the base station to the second channel of the base station based on a variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises a variable selected from the group consisting of an estimate of a current transmission power of the mobile device, an estimate of an average transmission power of the mobile device, an estimated distance, and estimated signal-to-noise ratio of the signal sent by the base station to the mobile.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising circuitry to: sort mobiles operating in the first channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the first channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band covered by a receiver; andsort a plurality of mobiles operating in the second channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the second channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band not covered by the receiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising circuitry to: select one or more mobiles from the first channel having the highest transmission power settings;move the one or more mobiles having the highest transmission power settings from the first channel to the second channel;select one or more mobiles from the second channel having the lowest transmission power settings; andmove the one or more mobiles having the lowest transmission power settings from the second channel to the first channel.

20. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions causing a machine to: assign a first channel of a base station to a first portion of a frequency band;assign a second channel of a base station to a second portion of a frequency band, the second portion being different from the first portion; andmove at least one mobile device from the first channel of the base station to the second channel of the base station based on a variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the variable associated with the transmission power of the mobile device comprises a variable selected from the group consisting of an estimate of a current transmission power of the mobile device, an estimate of an average transmission power of the mobile device, an estimated distance, and estimated signal-to-noise ratio of the signal sent by the base station to the mobile.

22. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions to: sort mobiles operating in the first channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the first channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band covered by a receiver; andsort a plurality of mobiles operating in the second channel according to transmission power settings for the mobiles, the second channel being assigned to a portion of the frequency band not covered by the receiver.

23. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions to: select one or more mobiles from the first channel having the highest transmission power settings;move the one or more mobiles having the highest transmission power settings from the first channel to the second channel;select one or more mobiles from the second channel having the lowest transmission power settings; andmove the one or more mobiles having the lowest transmission power settings from the second channel to the first channel.