Systems and methods for dynamic multicarrier allocation to narrowband internet of things devices
By dynamically selecting ARFCN or PRB as the non-anchored carrier, the problem of insufficient resource allocation for NB-IoT devices is solved, the throughput of NB-IoT cells and users is improved, resource utilization is optimized, and frequency space and cost are reduced.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIO PLATFORMS LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) devices suffer from insufficient single carriers in resource allocation, resulting in communication latency and low resource utilization efficiency. In particular, they are unable to meet the different application needs of multiple devices when bandwidth is limited.
A resource allocation system is provided that dynamically selects the best ARFCN or PRB as the non-anchored carrier by receiving PRB utilization data and cumulative NACK percentage reports, and schedules multiple NB-IoT devices for data transmission, thereby avoiding resource waste and communication delays and maximizing resource utilization.
It improves the throughput of NB-IoT cells and users, optimizes resource allocation, reduces frequency space and cost, and ensures communication efficiency for different application devices.
Smart Images
Figure CN116349210B_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Reserved rights
[0002] This patent document contains material subject to intellectual property rights, such as, but not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, IC layout design and / or trade dress protection, which belongs to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred to as the Holder). Because the patent document or patent disclosure is held in the Patent and Trademark Office's patent files or records, the Holder does not object to any fax reproduction of the patent document or patent disclosure, but reserves all rights. The Holder fully retains all rights to such intellectual property rights. Technical Field
[0003] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a system and method for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) devices. Background Technology
[0004] The following description of related technologies is intended to provide background information relevant to the field of this disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art related to the various features of this disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section is intended only to enhance the reader's understanding of this disclosure and not as an admission of prior art.
[0005] Generally speaking, the third-generation partnership program (3 rdThe Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) may include new radio interfaces, such as Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). As a feature of Release 13, NB-IoT can reuse various principles and building blocks of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) physical layer and higher protocol layers for rapid standardization and product development. NB-IoT can be a standalone radio interface that can be tightly coupled with LTE and therefore included in the LTE specification. NB-IoT may not be backward compatible with LTE. NB-IoT technology can be designed to extend battery life and is cost-effective. Compared to traditional Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks, NB-IoT can be designed to provide greater coverage. NB-IoT can improve uplink (UL) capacity for users in poorly covered areas through single-tone transmission. Furthermore, new physical layer signals and channels, such as synchronization signals and physical random-access channels (RACH), can be designed to meet stringent requirements for extended coverage and ultra-low device complexity. Higher protocol, signaling, and physical layer processing requirements can be greatly simplified to reduce the power consumption and complexity of user equipment (UE).
[0006] Furthermore, many LTE features, such as carrier aggregation, measurements for monitoring channel quality, dual connectivity, and Quality of Service (QoS), can be excluded because these features may not effectively provide longer battery life and may not be cost-effective. 3GPP can provide multi-carrier features in NB-IoT, which can increase the resource allocation capacity of NB-IoT cells. NB-IoT-enabled devices can always have a 180kHz anchor carrier. However, allocating another non-anchor carrier to an NB-IoT-enabled device might require another frequency space with a 180kHz bandwidth, increasing the space and cost of this approach. NB-IoT can use the effective bandwidth of 180kHz and can always have an anchor carrier with that bandwidth. Furthermore, 3GPP can facilitate the addition of non-anchor carriers to NB-IoT-enabled devices, which can be the same as providing additional carriers for data transmission. When an NB-IoT-enabled device transmits data on a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier can be used for RACH and paging procedures to serve other NB-IoT-enabled devices, thereby avoiding communication delays for other NB-IoT-enabled devices. However, due to limited bandwidth and the large number of NB-IoT-enabled devices for specific applications, a single carrier may not be sufficient and could lead to communication delays for other NB-IoT-enabled devices belonging to other applications.
[0007] Therefore, in order to achieve such features, a system and method are needed for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to devices that enable narrowband IoT.
[0008] The purpose of this disclosure
[0009] At least one embodiment of this disclosure satisfies some of the objectives listed below.
[0010] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a robust, efficient, and improved system and method for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) enabled devices.
[0011] Another objective of this disclosure is to enable operators to maximize the use of available radio resources for LTE and NB-IoT, and to increase NB-IoT cell throughput and user throughput.
[0012] Another objective of this disclosure is to select the optimal ARFCN or PRB as the non-anchored carrier for at least one time slot, based on PRB utilization data and cumulative NACK percentage reports.
[0013] Another objective of this disclosure is to allocate an ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier when an acknowledgment (ACK) is received from an LTE eNB, in order to schedule multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot.
[0014] Another objective of this disclosure is to provide additional data inputs to the Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) that can be used for optimal utilization of NB-IoT resources.
[0015] Another objective of this disclosure is to select the optimal ARFCN or PRB as the non-anchored carrier for at least one time slot, such that in cases where the non-anchored carrier is not utilized but has a higher NACK percentage for a particular NB-IoT-enabled device among the available ARFCNs or PRBs for the non-anchored carrier, the allocation of the non-anchored carrier to that particular NB-IoT-enabled device is avoided.
[0016] Another objective of this disclosure is to select the optimal ARFCN or PRB to avoid communication latency from multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices, even when different NB-IoT devices are used for different applications. Summary of the Invention
[0017] This section is provided in a simplified form to introduce certain objects and aspects of the invention, which will be further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0018] In one aspect, this disclosure provides a resource allocation system for dynamically allocating multiple carriers to Narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) enabled devices. When requesting Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization data (120) via a Long-Term Evolution evolved Node B (LTE eNB), the system receives PRB utilization data from a performance management system, the PRB utilization data corresponding to at least one time slot and at least one set of data packets. Furthermore, the system compares at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. And, if the at least one PRB utilization duration is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization duration, the system requests a cumulative Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) percentage report via the NB-IoT eNB (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN) or a PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114). Subsequently, based on the PRB utilization data, the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, the system selects at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114) for at least one time slot and at least one of a set of data packets. Furthermore, when transmitting information associated with at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs selected for at least one of the at least one time slot and a set of data packets to the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the LTE eNB (104), the system establishes a connection between multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106). Additionally, the system notifies the LTE eNB (104) that at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs is being used as the non-anchored carrier (114). Finally, when an acknowledgment (ACK) in response to the notification is received from the LTE eNB (104), the system allocates at least one of the ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier (114) to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot.
[0019] In one aspect, the system instructs the LTE eNB to release at least one of the ARFCN or PRB at the end of the allocated time slot. Furthermore, the resource allocation system sends a request for a cumulative NACK percentage report to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) via the NB-IoT eNB. Additionally, the system receives the requested cumulative NACK percentage report from the MME in response to the sent request via the NB-IoT eNB.
[0020] On the other hand, the system determines at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs that is less frequently used and has a smaller error percentage. Based on the establishment of connections between the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices and the NB-IoT eNB, for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices and each of the ARFCNs, the system requests a NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs from the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the MME. Furthermore, based on the NACK percentage of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), the system uses Radio Resource Control (RRC) to reconfigure the connection, selects at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, and assigns the selected at least one to each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Thereafter, the system performs an RRC release (130) for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices. Furthermore, upon RRC release, a NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices is transmitted to the MME (110) via the NB-IoT eNB.
[0021] On another front, when requesting the NACK percentage report, if the NACK percentage report is not available in the MME, the resource allocation system allocates the non-anchored carrier via the NB-IoT eNB based on the current utilization of the available ARFCN of the non-anchored carrier.
[0022] In one aspect, for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices, the system negotiates data regarding the available ARFCNs based on the received NACK percentage report. Furthermore, for a selected time slot, the system generates a configuration for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Additionally, the system configures each ARFCN as the non-anchored carrier for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices. Subsequently, when the NACK percentage of the non-anchored carrier exceeds a predefined threshold for a specific duration during data transmission, the system reconfigures the non-anchored carrier for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
[0023] This disclosure also provides a method for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to an NB-IoT-enabled device. The method includes: receiving PRB utilization data from a performance management system when requesting PRB utilization data via an LTE eNB, the PRB utilization data corresponding to at least one of at least one time slot and at least one of a set of data packets. Furthermore, the method includes comparing at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. Additionally, the method includes: if the at least one PRB utilization duration is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization duration, requesting a cumulative NACK percentage report via the NB-IoT eNB, the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of an ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier. Thereafter, the method includes: selecting at least one ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier for at least one time slot and at least one of a set of data packets, based on the PRB utilization data, the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCN or PRB. Furthermore, the method includes establishing a connection between a plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices and the NB-IoT eNB when transmitting information associated with at least one of an ARFCN or PRB selected for the at least one time slot to the NB-IoT eNB via the LTE eNB. Additionally, the method includes sending a notification to the LTE eNB indicating that at least one of the ARFCN or PRB is being used as a non-anchored carrier. Finally, the method includes allocating at least one of the ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier (114) upon receiving an ACK from the LTE eNB in response to the notification, to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot. Attached Figure Description
[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems. In the various drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts. Elements in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but are emphasized to clearly illustrate the principles of the invention. Some drawings may use block diagrams to indicate elements and may not represent the internal circuitry of each element. Those skilled in the art will understand that the invention of such drawings includes inventions of electrical components, electronic elements, or circuits commonly used to implement such components.
[0025] Figure 1 An exemplary network architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which, or utilizing, the system of the present disclosure can be implemented to dynamically allocate multiple carriers to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) enabled devices.
[0026] Figure 2 An exemplary representation of a resource allocation system for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to NB-IoT-enabled devices is shown according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0027] Figure 3 An exemplary sequence diagram is shown illustrating the dynamic multicarrier allocation to an NB-IoT-enabled device according to an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0028] Figure 4 An exemplary method flowchart according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which depicts a method for dynamically allocating multiple carriers to an NB-IoT-enabled device.
[0029] The foregoing will become more apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention. Detailed Implementation
[0030] In the following description, various specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described below may be used independently of each other or in any combination with other features. A single feature may not solve all the problems described above, or may only solve some of the problems described above. Some of the problems described above may not be fully solved by any of the features described herein.
[0031] The following description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of this disclosure. Rather, the subsequent description of exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with enabling descriptions for implementing the exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth.
[0032] Specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary details in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[0033] Furthermore, it should be noted that individual embodiments can be described as processes depicted as flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structure diagrams, or block diagrams. Although flowcharts can describe operations as sequential processes, many operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. Moreover, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are completed, but may have other steps not included in the diagram. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.
[0034] The terms “exemplary” and / or “illustrative” are used herein to indicate examples, instances, or illustrations. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited to these examples. Furthermore, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other aspects or designs, nor does it imply exclusion of equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. Moreover, within the scope of the terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and other similar words used in the detailed description or claims, these terms are intended to have inclusion in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transitional term, without excluding any additional or other elements.
[0035] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment," "an example," or "a single instance" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be combined in any suitable manner.
[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein are also intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that, when used in this specification, the terms “comprising” and / or “including” specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.
[0037] This invention provides a robust, efficient, and improved system and method for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to NB-IoT-enabled devices. The embodiments herein allow operators to maximize the utilization of available radio resources across LTE and NB-IoT. The embodiments herein increase NB-IoT cell throughput and user throughput. Additional data inputs provided to the Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) can be used for optimal utilization of NB-IoT resources. The embodiments herein allocate at least one of an ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier such that when an ACK is received from an LTE eNB, multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices are scheduled to transmit data corresponding to the selected time slot, which does not require additional frequency space, thus minimizing frequency space and cost. For at least one time slot, an optimal ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier is selected. In cases where a non-anchored carrier is not utilized but has a higher NACK percentage for a particular NB-IoT-enabled device among the available ARFCNs or PRBs for that non-anchored carrier, the allocation of a non-anchored carrier is avoided for that particular NB-IoT-enabled device. For each NB-IoT-enabled device, an ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier is selected for use in at least one time slot. This provides sufficient bandwidth and does not cause communication delays from multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices, even when different NB-IoT devices are used for different applications.
[0038] Wireless communication service providers can manage wireless access networks that include a large number of network devices. For example, wireless access networks can provide communication services for devices in Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Such devices can communicate using machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, such as machine-type communication (MTC), one M2M communication type standardized by 3GPP, and / or another. Examples of MTC devices can include utility meters, parking meters, road sensors, environmental sensors, safety sensors, traffic and / or streetlights, traffic cameras, advertising displays, vehicle telematics devices, point-of-sale terminals, vending machines, health monitoring devices, remote diagnostic devices, access control devices, manufacturing controllers, and / or other types of devices. The use of MTC devices is expected to grow exponentially, potentially leading to a large number of such devices being served by wireless access networks. It is estimated that the number of MTC devices in wireless operator networks could increase to hundreds of millions, communicating automatically with little or no human intervention.
[0039] Wireless networks based on the LTE standard defined by 3GPP, such as LTE access networks (e.g., Evolved Packet Core (EPC) networks), can use the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) air interface to communicate wirelessly with devices. The bandwidth of the E-UTRA channel in the LTE band can range from approximately 1.4 MHz to approximately 20 MHz. In many applications, the data consumption of MTC devices may be very small compared to other types of devices (e.g., mobile phones used for voice communication or streaming content). Therefore, using a large bandwidth channel such as the LTE channel to communicate wirelessly with MTC devices may be an inefficient use of radio link resources.
[0040] One technology developed for IoT applications that do not require large amounts of data is Narrowband (NB) IoT (NB-IoT). NB-IoT is a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technology that uses a 200 kHz channel with its own guard band for transmitting small amounts of data. Using NB-IoT channels can potentially achieve better signal penetration in hard-to-reach areas, such as utility meters installed where wireless signals are obstructed or attenuated. Furthermore, using NB-IoT channels may result in lower power consumption and / or cheaper component costs.
[0041] LTE radio access networks can utilize various technology types and can be used as hybrid networks. For example, LTE radio access networks can use LTE channels for high data rate communication and NB-IoT channels (also known as category CAT-M2) for low data rate communication. Furthermore, some LTE radio networks can utilize additional technologies for communication with MTC devices, such as the 1.4MHz wide enhanced MTC (eMTC) channel (also known as category CAT-M1) for MTC communication requiring medium data rates.
[0042] An LTE channel can include narrowband subcarriers that can carry data modulated using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). These subcarriers are offset from a center Direct Current (DC) subcarrier, which may be unmodulated to carry data. A specific number (e.g., 12) of subcarriers can be allocated as a PRB for a specific number of time slots. The PRB can be the smallest element of a resource allocation determined by the eNode B scheduler. For a bandwidth of 180 kHz, an LTE PRB can include 12 subcarriers with a bandwidth of 15 kHz. Therefore, an NB-IoT channel can be used within a PRB without its guard band. Thus, efficient use of an LTE channel can involve dedicating a specific PRB to a specific NB-IoT channel.
[0043] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1An exemplary network architecture is shown, in which, or utilizing, the system of this disclosure can be implemented. This system is used for dynamic multi-carrier allocation to NB-IoT-enabled devices. As shown, the exemplary architecture (100) includes a resource allocation system (102), a Long Term Evolution evolved Node B (LTE-eNB) (104), and a Narrowband Internet of Things evolved Node B (NB-IoT-eNB) (106). The resource allocation system (102) is used to facilitate dynamic multi-carrier allocation to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130-1, 130-2 to 130-N) (collectively referred to as "multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130)" and individually as "NB-IoT-enabled devices (130)").
[0044] In some implementations, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) may correspond to an embedded wireless device that uses MTC and / or any other type of M2M communication and communicates wirelessly with other devices via an M2M interface. As an example, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) may be electrically connected to a sensor device, an actuator device, a microcontroller that controls one or more sensors, a microcontroller that controls one or more actuators, a microcontroller that performs data processing, and / or any other type of MTC device. Examples of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) may include, but are not limited to, energy consumption monitoring devices (e.g., utility meters, energy meters), health monitoring devices (e.g., blood pressure monitoring devices, blood glucose monitoring devices, etc.), asset tracking devices (e.g., systems that monitor the geographic location of a group of vehicles, etc.), human / animal tracking devices (e.g., systems that monitor the geographic location of humans / animals, etc.), vehicle lock tracking devices (e.g., lock status, etc.), traffic management devices (e.g., traffic lights, traffic cameras, road sensors, streetlights, etc.), devices that control one or more functions of a vehicle (e.g., climate control systems, engine monitoring systems, etc.), devices that control electronic signs (e.g., electronic billboards, etc.), devices that control manufacturing systems (e.g., robotic arms, assembly lines, etc.), devices that control security systems (e.g., cameras, motion sensors, window sensors, etc.), devices that control power systems (e.g., smart grid monitoring devices, utility meters, fault diagnosis devices, etc.), devices that control financial transaction systems (e.g., point-of-sale terminals, vending machines, parking timers, etc.), and / or any other type of electronic device.
[0045] In other embodiments, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) may include, but is not limited to, handheld wireless communication devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, etc.), wearable computing devices (e.g., head-mounted display computers, head-mounted camera devices, wristwatch computers, etc.), global positioning system (GPS) devices, laptop computers, tablet computers or other types of portable computers, media playback devices, portable gaming systems, home appliances, home monitoring devices and / or any other type of computing device with wireless communication capabilities.
[0046] In addition, access network ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) can provide wireless devices (e.g., NB-IoT-enabled devices (130)) with access to the core network ( Figure 1Access (not shown in the diagram). The access network enables NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to provide mobile phone services and / or data services to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). The access network can establish a packet data network connection between the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) and the core network. For example, the access network can establish an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) and the core network. In some embodiments, the access network may include a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network (e.g., an EPC network) based on the LTE standard specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In other embodiments, the access network may include a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) access network based on, for example, the CDMA 2000 standard. For example, the CDMA access network may include a CDMA Enhanced High-Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network (which can provide access to the LTE access network). Furthermore, the core network may include, but is not limited to, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), an optical network, a cable television network, a satellite network, a wireless network (e.g., a CDMA network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, and / or an LTE network), an ad hoc network, a telephone network (e.g., a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a cellular network), an intranet, the Internet, or a combination of these networks. The core network may allow the delivery of Internet Protocol (IP) services to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and may connect to other external networks. The core network may include one or more server devices and / or network devices, or other types of computing or communication devices. In one exemplary embodiment, the core network may include an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network (…). Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). The IMS network may include a network for delivering IP multimedia services specified by 3GPP or other standards / protocols, and may connect to an external IP network or external circuit-switched network in the NB-IoT-enabled device (130). Figure 1 Media streaming is provided between (not shown in the image).
[0047] The access network may include base stations such as LTE-eNB (104) and NB-IoT eNB (106), and NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) may wirelessly communicate with the access network via LTE-eNB (104) and / or NB-IoT eNB (106). Base stations such as LTE-eNB (104) and NB-IoT eNB (106) may provide services to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130-1 to 130-N). In other words, NB-IoT-enabled devices (130-1 to 130-N) may be located within a geographical area served by base stations (e.g., LTE-eNB (104) and NB-IoT eNB (106)). Base stations may broadcast information related to available NB-IoT channels through which NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) may wirelessly communicate with the access network. NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) may communicate with base stations via selected NB-IoT channels. The base station may be part of an LTE eNodeB base station device. eNodeB base station equipment may include one or more devices (e.g., base stations) and other components and functions that allow NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to wirelessly connect to and access the network. eNodeB base station equipment may include one or more cells or be associated with one or more cells. For example, each cell may include a directional radio frequency (RF) transceiver. The eNB may perform radio channel modulation or demodulation, channel coding or decoding, and channel multiplexing or demultiplexing. System information is broadcast in each cell on the radio interface DL to provide basic information to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) as a prerequisite for network access. Other functions of the eNB include transmitting Network Attached Storage (NAS) information and non-3GPP proprietary information, and transmitting radio access capability information services for NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). eNodeB base station equipment can connect to the access network via an interface known as the S1 interface. This interface can be divided into a control plane S1-MME interface for communicating with MME equipment (110) in the access network and a Serving Gateway (SGW) and / or Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) equipment (126) for communicating via the Serving Gateway (SGW) and / or Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) equipment (126). Figure 1 The S1-U interface, referred to as S / PGW, is the data plane interface for communication with the core network.
[0048] Furthermore, the MME (110) can be a control node that handles signaling between the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) and the core network. The protocol running between the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) and the core network can be referred to as a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The main functions of the MME may include bearer management-related functions, including establishing, maintaining, and releasing bearers, and these bearer management-related functions are handled by the session management layer in the NAS protocol; and connection management-related functions, including establishing connections and security between the network and the NB-IoT-enabled device (130), and these connection management-related functions are handled by the connection or mobility management layer in the NAS protocol layer.
[0049] In addition, the architecture (100) may include a Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) (124), which may be an interface for small data transmission and control messaging between the enterprise and the core network operator. SCEF (124) can provide enterprises with application programming interfaces (APIs) for small data transmission and control messages, and SCEF (124) can use 3GPP-defined interfaces with network elements in the core network operator during the performance of its functions, such as APIs for various services (e.g., delayed or scheduled data transmission, Non-IP Data Delivery, NIDD), thereby opening up new revenue-generating capabilities. Furthermore, the architecture (100) may include a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (122), which is a database containing user-related information and subscriber-related information. The HSS (122) can also provide user authentication and access authorization. Subsequently, the architecture (100) may include an Application Server (AS) (128), which hosts IoT services and additional features. Additionally, the architecture (100) may include a Performance Management System (PMS) (108), which can collect key performance indicators (KPIs) of the Radio Access Network (RAN). Indicator (KPI) and busy or unbusy scheduling or resource utilization, as well as other features.
[0050] like Figure 1As shown, the PRB can transmit data (120) from the PMS (108) to the LTE eNB (104). The LTE eNB (104) can communicate directly or via a communication network or one or more of the aforementioned units with the MME (110), S / PGW (126), HHS (122), SCEF (124), and AS (128). NACK percentage reports (cumulative or non-cumulative) can be transmitted between the NB-IoT eNB (106) and the MME (110) or between the NB-IoT eNB (106) and the LTE eNB (104). The LTE eNB (104) and the NB-IoT eNB (106) can be controlled NB-IoT and LTE (NB-IoT-and-LTE) eNBs. The allocated non-anchored carrier (112) can be transmitted to the NB-IoT carrier (118) via a non-anchored carrier (114) or an anchored carrier (116). The entire communication can be initiated via an NB-IoT-enabled device (130).
[0051] although Figure 1 Exemplary components of the architecture (100) are shown, but in other embodiments, the architecture (100) may include more than Figure 1 The fewer components, different components, components with different arrangements, or additional functional components described herein. Alternatively or alternatively, one or more components of the architecture (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the architecture (100).
[0052] In some embodiments, the resource allocation system (102) may be a standalone device and may be communicatively coupled to an LTE-eNB (104) and an NB-IoT eNB (106). In another embodiment, the resource allocation system (102) may be associated with an LTE-eNB (104) and / or an NB-IoT eNB (106). The resource allocation system (102) may be implemented in an electronic device, a mobile device, a server, etc. The server may include, but is not limited to, a standalone server, a remote server, a cloud server, a dedicated server, etc.
[0053] In one embodiment, the resource allocation system (102) may include one or more processors coupled to a memory. The memory may store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the resource allocation system (102) to perform dynamic multicarrier allocation for a plurality of NB-IoT devices (130). (Refer to...) Figure 1 , Figure 2An exemplary representation of a resource allocation system (102) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which facilitates dynamic multicarrier allocation for a plurality of NB-IoT devices (130). In one aspect, the resource allocation system (102) may include one or more processors (202). The one or more processors (202) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuits, and / or any device that processes data based on operating instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processors (202) may be configured to retrieve and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the resource allocation system (102). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be retrieved and executed to create or share data packets via network services. The memory (204) may include any non-transitory storage device, including, for example, volatile memory such as RAM or non-volatile memory such as EPROM, flash memory, etc.
[0054] In an embodiment, the resource allocation system (102) may include interface 206. Interface 206 may include various interfaces, such as interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as I / O devices, storage devices, etc. Interface 206 may facilitate communication within the resource allocation system (102). Interface 206 may also provide communication paths for one or more components of the resource allocation system (102). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, processing engine 208 and database 210.
[0055] The processing engine (208) can be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (e.g., programmable instructions) to implement one or more functions of the processing engine (208). In the example described herein, this combination of hardware and programming can be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine (208) can be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware of the processing engine (208) can include processing resources (e.g., one or more processors) for executing such instructions. In this example, the machine-readable storage medium can store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, cause the processing resources to implement the processing engine (208). In this example, the resource allocation system (102) can include a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions and a processing resource executing the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium can be separate but accessible by both the resource allocation system (102) and the processing resources. In other examples, the processing engine (208) can be implemented by electronic circuitry.
[0056] The processing engine (208) may include one or more engines selected from any data acquisition engine (212), resource allocation engine (214), and other engines (216). In an embodiment, the data acquisition engine (212) of the resource allocation system (102) may request / receive physical resource block (PRB) utilization data, cumulative NACK percentage reports, NACK percentage reports from individual NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), etc. The resource allocation engine (214) may allocate at least one of an ARFCN or a PRB as a non-anchored carrier.
[0057] In one embodiment, when requesting Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization data via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNB, the resource allocation system (102) can receive PRB utilization data (120) from a PMS (108) communicatively coupled to the LTE-eNB (104), the PRB utilization data corresponding to at least one time slot and / or a set of data packets. The PRB utilization data may refer to multiple downlink PRBs allocated to a user per unit time. In another embodiment, the resource allocation system (102) may compare at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data (120) with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. Furthermore, if the at least one PRB utilization duration is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization duration, the resource allocation system (102) may request a cumulative NACK percentage report via a Narrowband Internet of Things Evolution (NB-IoT eNB) (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of an ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier. To request a cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of an ARFCN or PRB, the resource allocation system (102) may send a request for the cumulative NACK percentage report to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) (110) via the NB-IoT eNB (106). Furthermore, in response to the sent request, the resource allocation system (102) may receive the requested cumulative NACK percentage report from the MME (110) via the NB-IoT eNB (106). If the NACK percentage report is not available to the MME (110), the resource allocation system (102) may allocate a non-anchored carrier (112) via the NB-IoT eNB (106) based on the current utilization of the available ARFCNs of the non-anchored carrier.
[0058] In an embodiment, based on the PRB utilization data (120), the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, the resource allocation system (102) can select at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs associated with at least one non-anchored carrier for at least one time slot and / or a set of data packets. Cumulative NACK may refer to the receiver explicitly notifying the transmitter which packets, messages, or fragments were incorrectly received in the stream and therefore may require retransmission. To select at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, the resource allocation system (102) can determine the least one that is less utilized and has a smaller error percentage from among the ARFCNs or PRBs.
[0059] In an embodiment, when transmitting information associated with at least one of an ARFCN or PRB selected for at least one of the at least one time slot and a set of data packets to the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the LTE eNB (104), the resource allocation system (102) can establish a connection between a plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106). To establish the connection between the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106), the resource allocation system (102) can negotiate data regarding the available ARFCNs for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) based on received NACK percentage reports. Furthermore, for the selected time slot, the resource allocation system (102) can generate a configuration for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), and the resource allocation system (102) configures each ARFCN as the non-anchored carrier (114) for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Furthermore, when the NACK percentage of the non-anchored carrier exceeds a predefined threshold within a specific duration during data transmission, the resource allocation system (102) reconfigures the non-anchored carrier for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
[0060] Based on the establishment of connections between multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and NB-IoT eNBs (106), for each of the multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices and each of the ARFCNs, the resource allocation system (102) can request a NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs from the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the MME (110). Furthermore, based on the NACK percentage of each of the multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), the resource allocation system (102) can reconfigure the connection using Radio Resource Control (RRC), selecting at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs and allocating the selected at least one to each of the multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Additionally, the resource allocation system (102) can perform an RRC release for each of the multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Upon RRC release, the resource allocation system (102) may transmit a NACK percentage report to the MME (110) via the NB-IoT eNB, the NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCN or PRB of each of the plurality of NB-IoT enabled devices (130).
[0061] Furthermore, the resource allocation system (102) can notify the LTE eNB (104) that at least one of the ARFCN or PRB is being used as a non-anchored carrier. In an embodiment, when an ACK in response to the notification is received from the LTE eNB (104), the resource allocation system (102) can allocate at least one of the ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier (112) to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot. Additionally, the resource allocation system (102) can instruct the LTE eNB (104) to release each of the at least one of the ARFCN or PRB at the end of the allocated time slot.
[0062] In an embodiment, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) can communicate with the resource allocation system (102) via a set of executable instructions residing on any operating system, including but not limited to Android. TM iOS TM KaiOS TMIn embodiments, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) may include, but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, or electromechanical device, or a combination of one or more of the aforementioned devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop computers, general-purpose computers, desktop computers, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, mainframe computers, or any other computing device. The computing device may include one or more built-in or externally coupled accessories, including but not limited to visual aids such as cameras, audio aids, microphones, keyboards, and input devices for receiving input from a user (e.g., touchpads, touch-sensitive screens, electronic pens). It is understood that the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) is not limited to the aforementioned devices and may use a variety of other devices. The intelligent computing device may be one of the suitable systems for storing data and other private / sensitive information.
[0063] Figure 3 An exemplary sequence diagram of dynamic multicarrier allocation to an NB-IoT device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0064] Initially, the PMS (108) can include the PRB utilization of each cell within a predefined time period (e.g., 15 minutes) granularity. The PMS (108) can analyze the last configurable days and last configurable weeks for each cell in the same day and identify the PRB utilization of each cell for the upcoming configurable time slot.
[0065] At step 310, for the upcoming time slot, the LTE eNB (104) can request PRB utilization data (120) from the PMS (108). For example, a request can be generated for at least one PRB to initiate a multi-carrier allocation process. At step 312, the PMS (108) can transmit the PRB utilization data (120) for the upcoming time slot to the LTE eNB (104). The PMS (108) can compare at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data (120) with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. For example, for a predefined time interval granularity (configurable), the PMS (108) can include the PRB utilization rate for each of a plurality of cells. The PMS (108) can analyze the last configurable days and last configurable weeks of the same day for each of the plurality of cells and identify the PRB utilization rate for each cell for the upcoming configurable time slot. For example, the predefined time interval can be, but is not limited to, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. In this example, for each PRB utilization, multiple 180kHz frequency spaces can be utilized for use as non-anchored carriers. Furthermore, based on the PRB utilization over a predefined time interval, the PMS (108) can evaluate the number of available non-anchored carriers and the ARFCN number via the LTE eNB (104).
[0066] At step 314, the LTE eNB (104) may request a cumulative NACK percentage report for the ARFCN or PRB from the NB-IoT eNB (106). At step 316, the NB-IoT eNB (106) further transmits the request for the cumulative NACK percentage report to the MME (110). At step (318), the MME (110) may transmit the requested cumulative NACK percentage report as a response to the NB-IoT eNB (106). Based on the NACK percentage reports shared by the NB-IoT eNB (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report for a specific ARFCN or PRB can be obtained at the MME (110). At step 320, the NB-IoT eNB (106) may transmit the cumulative NACK percentage report to the LTE eNB (104).
[0067] At step 322, based on the PRB utilization data (120) and the NACK percentage report, the best possible ARFCN or PRB can be determined for NB-IoT. A predefined value for at least one of the ARFCN or PRB is based on the best possible ARFCN or PRB. For example, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can obtain a cumulative NACK percentage report from the MME (110), which may include a cumulative report of all available non-anchored carriers for all available NB-IoT-enabled devices (130). Therefore, the LTE eNB (104) can provide availability for either the best possible ARFCN or at least one PRB and share that availability with the NB-IoT eNB (106). For example, if the LTE eNB (104) can allocate only 3 PRBs or ARFCNs considering PRB utilization, then the LTE eNB (104) can make the best-performing ARFCN or PRB available as a non-anchored carrier, as shown in Table 1 below:
[0068]
[0069] Table 1
[0070] As shown in Table 1 above, an ARFCN can also be, and is referred to as, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) ARFCN (i.e., EARFCN).
[0071] Furthermore, the best possible EARFCN or PRB can be obtained at the NB-IoT eNB (106). For example, whenever any NB-IoT-enabled device (130) with multi-carrier support initiates UL or DL data transmission, before configuring a specific EARFCN as a non-anchored carrier for the NB-IoT-enabled device (130), the NB-IoT eNB (106) can first negotiate the available EARFCN data based on the NACK percentage report of the available EARFCN of the NB-IoT-enabled device (130), as follows:
[0072] As shown in Table 2:
[0073]
[0074]
[0075] Table 2
[0076] For example, in the absence of a cumulative NACK percentage report from the MME (110), the NB-IoT eNB (106) can allocate non-anchored carriers based on the current utilization of available ARFCNs for non-anchored carriers. For instance, if three ARFCNs or PRBs are available for non-anchored carriers, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can allocate less utilized PRBs as non-anchored carriers according to fair scheduling. The generated cumulative NACK percentage report can be similar to that shown in Table 2. For a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130), only the previous NACK percentage report for non-anchored carriers can be assigned to that specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130), which can be provided to the NB-IoT eNB (106) by the MME (110).
[0077] At step 324, information associated with the best possible ARFCN or PRB for the upcoming time slot can be transmitted from the LTE eNB (104) to the NB-IoT eNB (106). The NB-IoT eNB (106) can generate a configuration for a predefined duration for at least one corresponding NB-IoT-enabled device (130) from at least one co-located LTE eNB (104). At step 326, the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) with multi-carrier support can initiate uplink (UL) data transmission or downlink (DL) data transmission. For example, when powering on the corresponding at least one NB-IoT-enabled device (130), a connection of either UL data or DL data can be initiated for a predefined duration by connecting at least one NB-IoT-enabled device (130) to at least one corresponding NB-IoT network of the NB-IoT eNB (106).
[0078] Therefore, at step 328, a request for a NACK percentage report of the PRB for the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) is transmitted from the NB-IoT eNB (106) to the MME (110). At step 330, the NB-IoT eNB (106) receives a response from the MME (110) corresponding to the NACK percentage of the NB-IoT-enabled device (130). For the corresponding NB-IoT-enabled device (130), the NB-IoT eNB (106) can analyze one or more NACK percentage reports of the allocated PRB. Based on the analysis results of one or more NACK percentage reports, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can select the best available PRB for the corresponding NB-IoT-enabled device (130) to allocate the PRB as a non-anchored carrier. For example, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can configure the best non-anchored carrier to the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) based on the NACK percentage report. For example, referring to Table 2 above, if carriers C1, C2, C3, and C4 are available for non-anchor allocation in a specific time slot, and the NACK percentage reports received for a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130) show C1 NACK percentages of 8% (DL) and 9% (UL), C3 NACK percentages of 4% (DL) and 5% (UL), and the C2 and C4 reports for the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) are unknown, then the NB-IoT eNB (106) can allocate less utilized ARFCNs or PRBs as non-anchor carriers. Furthermore, if reports of all available ARFCNs or PRBs are available for a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130), then the NB-IoT eNB (106) can determine the non-anchor carrier based on the ARFCN or PRB with the smallest error percentage. Furthermore, a NACK percentage threshold can be selected to avoid allocating a non-anchored carrier to a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130) when the non-anchored carrier is not utilized but has a higher NACK percentage among available ARFCNs or PRBs for that specific NB-IoT-enabled device. Additionally, if the NACK percentage for the allocated non-anchored carrier exceeds a threshold during a period of ongoing data transmission / session, NACK percentage thresholds for UL and DL can be set to reconfigure the non-anchored carrier for a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130). Therefore, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can select a potential ARFCN or PRB for a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130) to be used as a non-anchored carrier.
[0079] At step 332, the NB-IoT eNB (106) generates a notification and transmits the notification to the LTE eNB (104). The notification indicates the use of an ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier. At step 334, the NB-IoT eNB (106) receives an acknowledgment of the generated notification (transmitted by the LTE eNB (104)). For example, upon receiving a notification indicating the use of an ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier, the LTE eNB (104) may transmit an ACK or NACK message back to the NB-IoT eNB (106). If an ACK is received, the NB-IoT eNB (106) may utilize these ARFCNs or PRBs as non-anchored carriers to schedule NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) for UL or DL data transmission in predefined time slots. The LTE eNB (104) may utilize these PRBs to schedule any data to LTE-enabled devices during predefined time slots. Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). For example, a predefined time slot might be 15 minutes, which could be a configurable duration. If a NACK is received, the NB-IoT eNB (106) may not be able to utilize these PRBs as non-anchored carriers to schedule to NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
[0080] At step 336, based on the NACK percentage of the NB-IoT-enabled device (130), a PRB can be selected and assigned to the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration. At step 338, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can transmit each RRC release of a specific NB-IoT-enabled device (130), and the NACK percentage report of each ARFCN or PRB of each NB-IoT-enabled device to the MME (110). The NB-IoT eNB (106) can allocate a non-anchored carrier to enable the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) to complete data transmission. In this example, a fixed number of ARFCNs may always exist in a particular LTE band, and these fixed number of ARFCNs can be allocated to non-anchored carriers.
[0081] At step 340, the allocated PRB time slot ends. At step 342, after the allocated PRB time slot ends, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can transmit a release indication to the LTE eNB (104). For example, for each data transmission / session on each RRC release, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can transmit a NACK percentage report for each non-anchored carrier of each NB-IoT-enabled device (130) to the MME (110). For each non-anchored ARFCN in the configurable number, the MME (110) can collect data on the NACK percentage of each NB-IoT-enabled device (130). The NB-IoT eNB (106) transmits the release indication to the LTE eNB (104), allowing the LTE eNB (104) to utilize these ARFCNs to schedule data to LTE-enabled devices. Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). If the same EARFCN is notified in the next predefined time interval, the NB-IoT eNB (106) may not notify the LTE eNB (104) of the release indication of that EARFCN. Therefore, if the EARFCN is being used at the end of the time slot, the release indication of that EARFCN can be sent as long as the non-anchored carrier is released for the NB-IoT-enabled device (130) that is using the EARFCN. The LTE eNB (104) may not schedule data on the PRB or EARFCN until the NB-IoT eNB (106) notifies the LTE eNB (104) of the release indication.
[0082] Furthermore, if a PRB is allocated, the NB-IoT eNB (106) can transmit a PRB release notification to the LTE eNB (104) for each PRB upon completion of a predefined time interval. For example, when the LTE eNB (104) provides the best available ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier, the resource availability at the NB-IoT eNB (106) can be provided to the SCEF (124) (e.g., Figure 1 As shown). SCEF(124) can use the availability of resources provided at the NB-IoT eNB(106) to provide information to the Service Capability Server (SCS). Figure 3 (not shown in the image) or application server (AS) (128) Figure 1 (As shown in the figure) provides a set of strategies that can indicate the optimal time to perform data transmission for more than a certain threshold period, as well as the amount of data transmission and the number of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) for data transmission.
[0083] Figure 4An exemplary method flowchart according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which depicts a method (400) for dynamic multicarrier allocation to an NB-IoT-enabled device (130).
[0084] like Figure 4 As shown, the method (400) includes one or more blocks illustrating a method for dynamically allocating multiple carriers to an NB-IoT-enabled device (130). The method (400) can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions. Typically, computer-executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions that perform functions or implement abstract data types.
[0085] The order in which the methods (400) are described should not be construed as limiting, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method (400). Furthermore, individual blocks may be removed from the method without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Moreover, the method (400) can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.
[0086] At block (402), the method (400) may include: when requesting PRB utilization data (120) via an LTE eNB, a processor (202) receives the PRB utilization data from a PMS (108), the PRB utilization data corresponding to at least one time slot and at least one set of data packets. The method (400) may include: the processor (202) comparing at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. At block (406), the method (400) may include: if the at least one PRB utilization duration is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization duration, the processor (202) requests a cumulative NACK percentage report via an NB-IoT eNB (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) or a PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier.
[0087] At block (408), method (400) may include: based on the PRB utilization data, the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, for at least one time slot and at least one of a set of data packets, processor (202) selects at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs associated with at least one non-anchored carrier. At block (410), method (400) may include: when transmitting information associated with at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs selected for the at least one time slot to the NB-IoT eNB via the LTE eNB, processor (202) establishes a connection between a plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices and the NB-IoT eNB.
[0088] At block (412), method (400) may include: a resource processor (202) notifying an LTE eNB of using at least one of an ARFCN or a PRB as a non-anchored carrier. At block (414), method (400) may include: upon receiving an ACK in response to the notification from the LTE eNB, the processor (202) allocating at least one of the ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier (114) to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices to perform data transmission corresponding to a selected time slot.
[0089] Various embodiments of this disclosure enable operators to maximize the utilization of available radio resources for LTE and NB-IoT. Embodiments of this disclosure increase NB-IoT cell throughput and user throughput. Additional data input provided to the SCEF can be used for optimal utilization of NB-IoT resources. Embodiments of this disclosure allocate at least one of an ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier, enabling multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices to be scheduled for data transmission corresponding to a selected time slot upon receiving an ACK from the LTE eNB. This minimizes frequency space and cost by eliminating the need for additional frequency space. Selecting the optimal ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier for at least one time slot avoids allocating a non-anchored carrier to a particular NB-IoT-enabled device even if the non-anchored carrier is not utilized but has a higher NACK percentage among the available ARFCNs or PRBs on the non-anchored carrier. For each NB-IoT-enabled device, an ARFCN or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier is selected for at least one time slot. This provides sufficient bandwidth and does not cause communication delays from multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices, even when different NB-IoT devices are used for different applications.
[0090] While this disclosure places considerable emphasis on preferred embodiments, it should be understood that many embodiments can be derived from the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention, and many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments. These and other variations in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art inspired by this disclosure, and it is thus clearly understood that the foregoing descriptive content to be implemented is merely illustrative and not restrictive.
Claims
1. A resource allocation system (102) for dynamically allocating multiple carriers to a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) enabled device (130), the resource allocation system comprising: Processor (202); as well as A memory (204) communicatively coupled to a processor (202), wherein the memory (204) stores processor instructions, which, when executed, cause the resource allocation system (102) to perform the following operations: When requesting Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization data (120) via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNB (104), the performance management system (PMS) (108) coupled to the LTE eNB (104) receives the PRB utilization data, which corresponds to at least one time slot or a set of data packets. Compare at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data (120) with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration; If the utilization time of the at least one PRB is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization time, a cumulative negative acknowledgment (NACK) percentage report is requested via the narrowband Internet of Things evolved base station (NB-IoT eNB) (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114). Based on the PRB utilization data (120), the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, for the at least one time slot or the set of data packets, select at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114). When transmitting information associated with at least one of the ARFCN or PRB selected for the at least one time slot or the set of data packets to the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the LTE eNB (104), a connection is established between a plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106). A notification is sent to the LTE eNB (104) indicating that at least one of the ARFCN or PRB is used as a non-anchored carrier (114); and When an ACK in response to the notification is received from the LTE eNB (104), at least one of the ARFCN or PRB is assigned as a non-anchored carrier (114) to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot.
2. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 1, wherein, The resource allocation system is also configured to instruct the LTE eNB (104) to release at least one of the ARFCN or PRB at the end of the allocated time slot.
3. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 1, wherein, In order to request a cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of ARFCN or PRB, the resource allocation system (102) is further configured to: Send a request for the cumulative NACK percentage report to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) (110) via the NB-IoT eNB (106); and The requested cumulative NACK percentage report is received from the MME (110) in response to the sent request via the NB-IoT eNB (106).
4. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 1, wherein, In order to select at least one of the ARFCN or PRB, the resource allocation system (102) is further configured to: determine at least one of the ARFCN or PRB that is less used and has a smaller error percentage.
5. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 1, wherein, Based on establishing connections between multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and NB-IoT eNBs (106), the resource allocation system (102) is also configured to perform the following operations: For each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and each of the ARFCNs, a NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs is requested from the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the MME (110); Based on the NACK percentage of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), at least one of ARFCN or PRB is selected using Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration connection, and the selected at least one is assigned to each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); Perform an RRC release for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); and Upon RRC release, a NACK percentage report is sent to the MME (110) via the NB-IoT eNB, the NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCN or PRB of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
6. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 5, wherein, When requesting the NACK percentage report, if the NACK percentage report is not available in the MME (110), the resource allocation system (102) allocates the non-anchored carrier (114) via the NB-IoT eNB (106) based on the current utilization of the available ARFCN of the non-anchored carrier (114).
7. The resource allocation system (102) according to claim 1, wherein, In order to establish a connection between the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106), the resource allocation system (102) is further configured to perform the following operations: For each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), negotiate data on the available ARFCNs regarding the received NACK percentage reports; For the selected time slot, generate a configuration for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); Each ARFCN is configured as the non-anchored carrier (114) for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); as well as When the NACK percentage of the non-anchored carrier (114) exceeds a predefined threshold within a specific duration during data transmission, the non-anchored carrier (114) is reconfigured for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
8. A method for dynamically allocating multiple carriers to a device that enables Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), the method comprising: When a Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization data (120) is requested via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNB (104), a processor (202) receives the PRB utilization data from a performance management system (PMS) (108) of the LTE eNB (104) which is communicatively coupled to the PRB (108), the PRB utilization data corresponding to at least one time slot or a set of data packets. The processor (202) compares at least one PRB utilization duration in the received PRB utilization data (120) with a predefined threshold PRB utilization duration. If the utilization time of the at least one PRB is less than the predefined threshold PRB utilization time, the processor (202) requests a cumulative negative acknowledgment (NACK) percentage report via the narrowband Internet of Things evolved base station (NB-IoT eNB) (106), the cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) or PRB associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114). Based on the PRB utilization data (120), the cumulative NACK percentage report, and a predefined value for at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs, for the at least one time slot or the set of data packets, the processor (202) selects at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs associated with at least one non-anchored carrier (114). When transmitting information associated with at least one of the ARFCN or PRB selected for the at least one time slot or the set of data packets to the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the LTE eNB (104), the processor (202) establishes a connection between a plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106). The processor (202) sends a notification to the LTE eNB (104) indicating that at least one of ARFCN or PRB is used as a non-anchored carrier (114); and When the processor (202) receives an ACK in response to the notification from the LTE eNB (104), it allocates at least one of the ARFCN or PRB as a non-anchored carrier (114) to schedule the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) to perform data transmission corresponding to the selected time slot.
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: The processor (202) instructs the LTE eNB (104) to release at least one of the ARFCN or PRB at the end of the allocated time slot.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The request for a cumulative NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of ARFCN or PRB also includes: The processor (202) sends a request for a cumulative NACK percentage report to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) (110) via the NB-IoT eNB (106); and The processor (202) receives the requested cumulative NACK percentage report from the MME (110) in response to the sent request via the NB-IoT eNB (106).
11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Selecting at least one of the ARFCN or PRB further includes: the processor (202) determining at least one of the ARFCN or PRB that is less frequently used and has a smaller error percentage.
12. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Based on establishing connections between multiple NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and NB-IoTeNBs (106), the method further includes: For each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and each of the ARFCNs, the processor (202) requests a NACK percentage report from the NB-IoT eNB (106) via the MME (110) corresponding to at least one of the ARFCNs or PRBs; Based on the NACK percentage of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), the processor (202) uses Radio Resource Control (RRC) to reconfigure the connection to select at least one of ARFCN or PRB and assigns the selected at least one to each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); The processor (202) performs an RRC release for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); and Upon RRC release, the processor (202) sends a NACK percentage report to the MME (110) via the NB-IoT eNB, the NACK percentage report corresponding to at least one of the ARFCN or PRB of each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, When requesting the NACK percentage report, if the NACK percentage report is not available in the MME (110), the processor (202) allocates the non-anchored carrier (114) via the NB-IoT eNB (106) based on the current utilization of the available ARFCN of the non-anchored carrier (114).
14. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Establishing a connection between the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130) and the NB-IoT eNB (106) further includes: For each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130), the processor (202) negotiates data on the available ARFCNs with respect to the received NACK percentage report; For the selected time slot, the processor (202) generates a configuration for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); The processor (202) configures each ARFCN as the non-anchored carrier (114) for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130); and When the NACK percentage of the non-anchored carrier (114) exceeds a predefined threshold within a specific duration during data transmission, the processor (202) reconfigures the non-anchored carrier (114) for each of the plurality of NB-IoT-enabled devices (130).