Method and system for managing radio resources in a time-slotted communication system

• US 20050041623A1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahman, Shamim Akbar, Zaki, Maged, Lu, Guang, Livet, Catherine
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and system for managing radio resources in a time-slotted wireless communication system is based on the quality of service (QoS) information of a user. A plurality of time slots of a radio resource are sorted into a plurality of different categories, such as high QoS time slots, high capacity time slots, and balanced time slots. Each category is associated with a different level of QoS. QoS information with respect to a user is obtained in response to a radio resource request received from the user. The user is associated with a particular category of time slots based on the QoS information of the user.

Claims

1. A method of managing radio resources in a time-slotted wireless communication system, the method comprising:

(a) sorting a plurality of time slots of a radio resource into a plurality of different categories, each category being associated with a different level of quality of service (QoS);

(b) obtaining QoS information with respect to a user in response to a radio resource request received from the user; and

(c) associating the user with a particular category of time slots based on the QoS information of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each time slot is further designated as either a real time slot or a non-real time slot.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the QoS information indicates the priority of the radio resource request of the user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a radio resource request for an emergency call is designated the highest level of QoS.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of subscriber classes, each class having a different level of QoS.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class has a higher priority during handover than a user in a lower subscriber class.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is guaranteed a higher data rate of service than a user designated as belonging to a lower subscriber class.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is provided with a lower delay and jitter for packet scheduling than a user designated as belonging to a lower class.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of different geographic regions, each region having a different level of QoS, whereby only a user having a proper level of priority is allowed to access a radio resource in the particular geographic region.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) increasing the number of time slots having a higher level of QoS; and

(e) decreasing the number of time slots having a lower level of QoS if congestion occurs at a time slot having a higher level of QoS.

11. A time-slotted wireless system for managing radio resources, the system comprising:

(a) means for sorting a plurality of time slots of a radio resource into a plurality of different categories, each category being associated with a different level of quality of service (QoS);

(b) means for obtaining QoS information of a user in response to radio resource request received from the user; and

(c) means for associating the user with a particular category of time slots based on the QoS information of the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each time slot is further designated as either a real time slot or a non-real time slot.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the QoS information indicates the priority of the radio resource request of the user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a radio resource request for an emergency call is designated the highest level of QoS.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of subscriber classes, each class having a different level of QoS.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class has a higher priority during handover than a user in a lower subscriber class.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is guaranteed a higher data rate of service than a user designated as belonging to a lower subscriber class.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is provided with a lower delay and jitter for packet scheduling than a user designated as belonging to a lower class.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of different geographic regions, each region having a different level of QoS, whereby only a user having a proper level of priority is allowed to access a radio resource in the particular geographic region.

20. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

(d) means for increasing the number of time slots having a higher level of QoS; and

(e) means for decreasing the number of time slots having a lower level of QoS if congestion occurs at a time slot having a higher level of QoS.

21. A radio network controller (RNC) for managing radio resources in a time-slotted wireless communication system, the RNC comprising:

(a) means for sorting a plurality of time slots of a radio resource into a plurality of different categories, each category being associated with a different level of quality of service (QoS);

(b) means for obtaining QoS information of a user in response to radio resource request received from the user; and

(c) means for associating the user with a particular category of time slots based on the QoS information of the user.

22. The RNC of claim 21 wherein each time slot is further designated as either a real time slot or a non-real time slot.

23. The RNC of claim 21 wherein the QoS information indicates the priority of the radio resource request of the user.

24. The RNC of claim 23 wherein a radio resource request for an emergency call is designated the highest level of QoS.

25. The RNC of claim 21 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of subscriber classes, each class having a different level of QoS.

26. The RNC of claim 25 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class has a higher priority during handover than a user in a lower subscriber class.

27. The RNC of claim 25 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is guaranteed a higher data rate of service than a user designated as belonging to a lower subscriber class.

28. The RNC of claim 25 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is provided with a lower delay and jitter for packet scheduling than a user designated as belonging to a lower class.

29. The RNC of claim 21 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of different geographic regions, each region having a different level of QoS, whereby only a user having a proper level of priority is allowed to access a radio resource in the particular geographic region.

30. The RNC of claim 21 further comprising:

(d) means for increasing the number of time slots having a higher level of QoS; and

(e) means for decreasing the number of time slots having a lower level of QoS if congestion occurs at a time slot having a higher level of QoS.

31. A base station for managing radio resources in a time-slotted wireless communication system, the base station comprising:

(a) means for sorting a plurality of time slots of a radio resource into a plurality of different categories, each category being associated with a different level of quality of service (QoS);

(b) means for obtaining QoS information of a user in response to radio resource request received from the user; and

(c) means for associating the user with a particular category of time slots based on the QoS information of the user.

32. The base station of claim 31 wherein each time slot is further designated as either a real time slot or a non-real time slot.

33. The base station of claim 31 wherein the QoS information indicates the priority of the radio resource request of the user.

34. The base station of claim 33 wherein a radio resource request for an emergency call is designated the highest level of QoS.

35. The base station of claim 31 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of subscriber classes, each class having a different level of QoS.

36. The base station of claim 35 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class has a higher priority during handover than a user in a lower subscriber class.

37. The base station of claim 35 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is guaranteed a higher data rate of service than a user designated as belonging to a lower subscriber class.

38. The base station of claim 35 wherein a user designated as belonging to a higher subscriber class is provided with a lower delay and jitter for packet scheduling than a user designated as belonging to a lower class.

39. The base station of claim 31 wherein the QoS information includes information regarding a particular one of a plurality of different geographic regions, each region having a different level of QoS, whereby only a user having a proper level of priority is allowed to access a radio resource in the particular geographic region.

40. The base station of claim 31 further comprising:

(d) means for increasing the number of time slots having a higher level of QoS; and

(e) means for decreasing the number of time slots having a lower level of QoS if congestion occurs at a time slot having a higher level of QoS.