SYSTEM FOR MINIMIZING SIGNALING OVERHEAD IN OFDMA-BASED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

A system of physical layer packet format and signaling methods is disclosed, wherein signaling overhead is minimized in applications where multiple users share air interface resources; improving efficiency in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication systems.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 depicts mapping between channel IDs and hop-ports using a channel tree structure;

FIG. 2 depicts a representative embodiment of a physical layer packet (PLP) of a multi-user packet (MUP) in a wireless system according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a representative embodiment of a traffic channel in wireless system utilizing the implementation of a New or old sign, according to the present invention; and,

FIG. 4 graphically depicts a method for transmitting a multi-user packet wherein the header and payload parts of the multi-user packet (MUP) are separately encoded, modulated and multiplexed to the frequency resource, in accordance with the present invention.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising: an access network;a plurality of access terminals, wherein the access network assigns the plurality of access terminals with a channel node, wherein the channel node comprises at least one base node; andwherein the access network assigns a short ID with at least one user, wherein the short ID assignment is dynamic.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the access network schedules at least one user and the user's payload into a physical layer packet.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the number of scheduled users is equal to or less than the number of base nodes.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the traffic data for the users of similar channel quality form the physical layer packet.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the short ID may be transferred over one or more frames.

6. A method of allocating transmission resources in a wireless communications system, comprising the steps of: providing physical layer packet format data;providing the physical layer packet format data to a communication station via a traffic channel;providing an access network;providing a plurality of access terminals;utilizing the access network to assign the plurality of access terminals a channel node;associating a user terminal with a channel node; andutilizing the access network to assign a short ID to the user, wherein the assignment is dynamic.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of utilizing the access network to assign a channel node further comprises assigning a channel node that comprises at least one base node.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of utilizing the access network to assign a short ID further comprises assigning a short ID that may be transferred over one or more frames.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of utilizing the access network to schedule at least one user, and the user's payload, into a physical layer packet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of scheduled users is equal to or less than the number of base nodes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the traffic data for the users of similar channel quality form the physical layer packet.

12. A wireless communications system, in which physical layer packet format data is communicated with an access terminal in association with a traffic channel, and in which air interface resources are shared amongst users in the communication system, the system comprising: an access network;a plurality of access terminals communicatively associated with the access network;wherein the access network is adapted to assign the plurality of access terminals a channel node; andwherein the access network is adapted to associate a short ID with at least one user.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the channel node comprises at least one base node.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the short ID may be transferred over one or more frames.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the access network is adapted to schedule a user and the user's payload into a physical layer packet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the number of scheduled users is equal to or less than the number of base nodes.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the traffic data for the users of similar channel quality form the physical layer packet.