Apparatus and method for template-based scheduling processes using regularity measure lower bounds

摘要

An advantageous scheduling template slot ordering for use in establishing a scheduling order of events such as transmitting communication signals in a communication network is determined by assigning at least two initial slot positions to a particular signal class and then determining a regularity measure based on a lower bound for the regularity measure of such assignments and the remaining unassigned slot positions. This lower bound for the regularity measure of the unassigned slots is advantageously based on a hypothetical assignment of fractions of the slot positions to different signal classes instead of limiting the assignment of a slot to a single signal class. This fractional slot assignment produces a regularity measure that is better than or equal to a corresponding regularity measure based on assigning a whole slot to a particular signal class. The lower bound of the regularity measure is then compared with a threshold regularity measure, such as from a known reference scheduling template. If the threshold regularity measure is lower than the determined lower bound, then it is known that the reference template would provide a more desirable regularity of events than any template having the assigned slot positions to that particular signal class. As a consequence, other slot assignments can be compared to the reference template to rapidly identify scheduling templates with enhanced regularity characteristics.