Utility-based multi-cell CDMA resource allocation for wireless voice and data

Resource allocation across users in two adjacent cells is studied for a wireless Direct Sequence (DS)-Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network. The approach we take is based on maximization of the total utility. That is, we assume that each user has a utility function that measures the user's satisfaction, or utility, as a function of the received Quality of Service (QoS). Our objective is to allocate resources to maximize the total utility summed over all active users subject to constraints on each resource.; We consider the forward link and model the cells as one-dimensional with uniformly distributed users throughout the cells and orthogonal signatures within each cell. Optimal resource allocation is considered for systems with voice service only, data service only, and mixed voice and data services. In each case, the particular service is associated with a different utility function. For a voice service, system resources are transmitted power and codes, and the utility function is a step function of received Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio (SINR).; For a data service, the resource is transmitted power, and the utility function is an increasing concave function of received SINR. For both voice and data services, if transmitted power is the limiting resource, then the form of the optimal allocation depends on the total power budget. When the total available power is sufficiently small, both cells use all available power. When the power budget is sufficiently large, one cell uses the available power, whereas the other cell uses only part of the available power. In general, the cells must exchange information to achieve the maximum utility.; We show that the previous exchange of information needed to maximize utility can be achieved with a pricing scheme, in which each base station announces a price for each resource, and each user responds by requesting an amount of each resource that maximizes the user's surplus (utility minus cost). We also consider setting the prices to maximize revenue. We give examples for which maximizing revenue leads to the same optimal power distribution as maximizing utility. However, in general, the prices and power allocation that maximize revenue differ from those that maximize utility.