Methods and Devices for Allocating Resource Blocks in an LTE Network

1. A method for allocating resource blocks in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the method comprising: determining a maximum number of user equipments (UEs) in the LTE network that are permitted to transmit in a time period using a given resource block, according to an upper limit on the overall transmission power in the LTE network for the given resource block; selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs such that a sum of the transmit power levels for the given resource block does not exceed a maximum aggregate transmit power; and allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network, wherein determining the maximum number of UEs comprises determining the maximum aggregate transmit power for the given resource block based on a power mask that is independent of the given resource block.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UEs transmitting using the given resource block in the time period are associated with multiple base stations.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the time period, each resource block is allocated to a maximum of one UE per cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each UE that is permitted to transmit is associated with one or more resource blocks in the time period.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: allocating, during the time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a geographic region within the network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs comprises selecting transmit power levels of the UEs that follow a Gaussian distribution.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource blocks in the LTE network each includes twelve subcarriers in a frequency domain across at least one time slot, and wherein the time period is a time slot of fixed duration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in the time period using the given resource block comprises determining different maximum numbers of UEs that are permitted to transmit using different resource blocks during the time period, and wherein allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network comprises allocating the different resource blocks in the time period to a different maximum number of UEs.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the allocating the given resource block further comprises: selecting the given resource block used by a UE in a cell based on the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the UE.

10. A UE that is configured to use the resource blocks that are allocated by the method of claim 1 .

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the time period is a first time period, and wherein the geographic region is a first geographic region, the method further comprising: allocating, during a second time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a second geographic region within the network, wherein the second geographic region is different from the first geographic region.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a deterministic maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a randomly distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the allocating the given resource block further comprises: estimating total transmit power of the UEs allocated to the given resource block; and providing feedback, based on the estimate of total transmit power of the UEs to base stations in the LTE network, to adjust the number of UEs allocated to the given resource block.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting an average value of a Poisson distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the estimating and providing feedback are performed by a controller.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the controller comprises a network power controller associated with all base stations in the LTE network.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the controller comprises a central power controller associated with base stations in a geographic region within the LTE network.

19. A method for allocating resource blocks in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the method comprising: determining a maximum number of user equipments (UEs) in the LTE network that are permitted to transmit in a time period using a given resource block, according to an upper limit on the overall transmission power in the LTE network for the given resource block; selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs such that a sum of the transmit power levels for the given resource block does not exceed a maximum aggregate transmit power; and allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network, wherein determining the maximum number of UEs for the given resource block comprises determining the maximum aggregate transmit power for the given resource block based on a power mask that is dependent on the given resource block.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs comprises selecting transmit power levels of the UEs that follow a Gaussian distribution.

21. A UE that is configured to use the resource blocks that are allocated by the method of claim 19 .

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising: allocating, during the time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a geographic region within the network.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a deterministic maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a randomly distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the time period is a first time period, and wherein the geographic region is a first geographic region, the method further comprising: allocating, during a second time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a second geographic region within the network, wherein the second geographic region is different from the first geographic region.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting an average value of a Poisson distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

27. A controller for allocating resource blocks across a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, wherein the controller is in communication with base stations in the LTE network, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising: determining a maximum number of user equipments (UEs) in the LTE network that are permitted to transmit in a time period using a given resource block, according to an upper limit on the overall transmission power in the LTE network for the given resource block; selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs such that a sum of the transmit power levels for the given resource block does not exceed a maximum aggregate transmit power; and allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network, wherein determining the maximum number of UEs comprises determining the maximum aggregate transmit power for the given resource block based on a power mask that is independent of the given resource block.

28. The controller of claim 27 , wherein the UEs transmitting using the given resource block in the time period are associated with multiple base stations.

29. The controller of claim 27 , wherein in the time period, each resource block is allocated to a maximum of one UE per cell.

30. The controller of claim 27 , wherein each UE that is permitted to transmit is associated with one or more resource blocks in the time period.

31. The controller of claim 27 , configured to perform operations further comprising: allocating, during the time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a geographic region within the network.

32. The controller of claim 27 , wherein selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs comprises selecting transmit power levels of the UEs that follow a Gaussian distribution.

33. The controller of claim 27 , wherein the resource blocks in the LTE network each includes twelve subcarriers in a frequency domain across at least one time slot, and wherein the time period is a time slot of fixed duration.

34. The controller of claim 27 , wherein the allocating the given resource block further comprises: selecting the given resource block used by a UE in a cell based on the channel quality indicator (CQI) of the UE.

35. The controller of claim 27 in combination with the base stations.

36. A base station that is configured to communicate with the controller of claim 27 .

37. A UE that is configured to communicate with the controller of claim 27 .

38. The controller of claim 31 , wherein the time period is a first time period, and wherein the geographic region is a first geographic region, the controller configured to perform operations further comprising: allocating, during a second time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a second geographic region within the network, wherein the second geographic region is different from the first geographic region.

39. The controller of claim 32 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a deterministic maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

40. The controller of claim 32 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a randomly distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

41. The controller of claim 34 , wherein the allocating the given resource block further comprises: estimating total transmit power of the UEs allocated to the given resource block; and providing feedback, based on the estimate of total transmit power of the UEs to base stations in the LTE network, to adjust the number of UEs allocated to the given resource block.

42. The controller of claim 40 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting an average value of a Poisson distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

43. The controller of claim 40 , wherein determining the maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in the time period using the given resource block comprises determining different maximum numbers of UEs that are permitted to transmit using different resource blocks during the time period, and wherein allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network comprises allocating the different resource blocks in the time period to a different maximum number of UEs.

44. The controller of claim 41 , wherein the controller comprises a network power controller associated with all base stations in the LTE network.

45. The controller of claim 41 , wherein the controller comprises a central power controller associated with base stations in a geographic region within the LTE network.

46. A controller for allocating resource blocks across a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, wherein the controller is in communication with base stations in the LTE network, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising: determining a maximum number of user equipments (UEs) in the LTE network that are permitted to transmit in a time period using a given resource block, according to an upper limit on the overall transmission power in the LTE network for the given resource block; selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs such that a sum of the transmit power levels for the given resource block does not exceed a maximum aggregate transmit power; and allocating the given resource block in the time period to up to the maximum number of UEs based on each UE's geographic location within the network, wherein the determining the maximum number of UEs for the given resource block comprises determining the maximum aggregate transmit power for the given resource block based on a power mask that is dependent on the given resource block.

47. The controller of claim 46 , wherein selecting a transmit power level for each of the up to the maximum number of UEs comprises selecting transmit power levels of the UEs that follow a Gaussian distribution.

48. A UE that is configured to communicate with the controller of claim 46 .

49. The controller of claim 46 , configured to perform operations further comprising: allocating, during the time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a geographic region within the network.

50. The controller of claim 47 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a deterministic maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

51. The controller of claim 47 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting a randomly distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.

52. The controller of claim 49 , wherein the time period is a first time period, and wherein the geographic region is a first geographic region, the controller configured to perform operations further comprising: allocating, during a second time period, the given resource block to up to the maximum number of UEs each having the geographic location in a second geographic region within the network, wherein the second geographic region is different from the first geographic region.

53. The controller of claim 51 , wherein determining a maximum number of UEs that are permitted to transmit in a time period using the given resource block comprises selecting an average value of a Poisson distributed maximum number of UEs to be scheduled over the LTE network.