Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

Remy Pintenet

David Grandblaise

Jean-Christophe Dunat

Roberta Fracchia

Jean Christophe Dunat

A wireless communication unit () for a radio communication system comprises a device token controller () which receives at least a first geographical radio resource token allocated to the wireless communication unit () by a radio resource token controller () of a network of the radio communication system. The first geographical radio resource token provides a first radio resource right allocation to the wireless communication unit () for a first geographical area. A radio resource manager () then determines a radio resource usage parameter in response to the first radio resource right allocation. Specifically, the radio resource manager () may only determine the radio resource usage parameter in response to the first radio resource right allocation if the location estimate is within the first geographical area. The radio communication system may be a heterogeneous communication system. The invention may allow effective overall centralized radio resource management while allowing distributed radio resource management procedures and techniques to be used.

Radio resource management

An apparatus for resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks () each having a nominal resource allocation of a shared air interface resource and a resource exchange allowance is provided. The apparatus () comprises a sharing instigation processor () which initiates a temporary resource allocation of a first air interface resource from a nominal resource allocation of a first network (). A network interface () receives offer messages from a plurality of networks (). Each offer message comprises a resource exchange offer value for at least part of the first air interface resource. A selection processor () selects a second network () for example by selecting the highest offer value for a given resource. An allocation message generator () transmits a resource allocation message to the second network () indicating a temporary allocation of at least part of the first air interface resource. The resource exchange allowance of the second network () is then reduced by a value corresponding to the resource exchange offer value from the second network ().

Apparatus and method for resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks

A method of resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks each having a nominal resource allocation of a shared air interface resource and a resource exchange allowance is provided. A temporary resource allocation of a first air interface resource from a nominal resource allocation of a first network is initiated. Subsequently, a plurality of offer rounds are executed with each offer round comprising determining offer values for the first air interface resource. A second network is then selected in response to the determined offer values and subsequently a resource allocation message is transmitted to the second network. The resource allocation message indicates a temporary allocation of at least part of the first air interface resource from the first network to the second network. Consequently, the resource exchange allowance of the second network is reduced accordingly. Each offer round comprises receiving new offer values from the first plurality of networks.

Resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks

A cellular communication system comprises a set of base stations () which transmit downlink resource exchange discovery messages to remote terminals in resource allocations of a Media Access Control, MAC, frame structure. The discovery messages may indicate that a base station has resource available for reallocation to another base station or that a base station is seeking resource to be allocated from another base station. A remote terminal () comprises a receiver () which receives a first message of the downlink resource exchange discovery messages from at least a first base station (). A discovery message transmit processor () generates a second message, which is an uplink resource exchange message comprising resource exchange data determined from the first message, and transmits this to a second base station (). The second base station () then initiates a temporary air interface resource reallocation with the first base station in response to receiving the second message.

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Le Mesnil Le Roi, France

Remy Pintenet