Dynamic resource scheduling (DRS): a multimedia QoS framework for W-CDMA

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcm.195

Multi-media support is an important feature of third generation (3G) wireless communication systems, and Quality of Service (QoS) is a crucial issue, as in any other networking environment. In this paper, the QoS issues in the wireless last-mile is investigated for 3G systems based on Wideband-Code division multiple access (W-CDMA). Supporting multiple rates in the CDMA environment introduces the power assignment problem, which is coupled with the bandwidth and error QoS parameters. Also, multi-media traffic flows should be classified and serviced in such a way to provision delay guarantees. In this paper, a new framework, namely dynamic resource scheduling (DRS), is described and extensively studied. In order to serve multi-media services with different requirements, a family of nine algorithms has been developed within the DRS framework. These algorithms can be categorized with respect to single or prioritized queuing architectures, fixed or variable rate bandwidth and power allocation, and variable spreading gain or multi-code spreading strategies. The paper presents the performance of the DRS algorithms in comparison with each other and with conventional scheduled-CDMA (S-CDMA) and proposed schemes in the W-CDMA standard. The performance for error and throughput QoS provisioning and power control dynamics are explored; advantages, disadvantages and limitations of the algorithms are discussed. The DRS framework is concluded to be a promising QoS architecture, with a simple, flexible, scalable structure that can be configured according to a given traffic scenario.