Method for efficient bandwidth utilization in a wireless radio network

• US 20050099987A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Apoorv, Gustafson, Leslie G., Lester, Joseph O., Jelavic, Stanko
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

In a network comprising a plurality of channels, at least two channels are operating at different frequencies. The fixed network equipment (FNE; 124, 126) identifies a plurality of channels present at a serving site and classifies each channel into one of a plurality of bandwidth groups. All the channels in a given bandwidth group have common roaming characteristics. The FNE periodically broadcasts information relating to at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the serving site. The FNE further identifies least one channel present at an adjacent site. Each channel present at the adjacent site is also classified in one of the plurality of bandwidth groups. The FNE broadcasts information on loading for each bandwidth group present at the adjacent site.

Claims

1. In a network comprising a plurality of channels, wherein at least two channels are operating at different frequencies, a method comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of channels present at a serving site;

classifying each channel into one of a plurality of bandwidth groups, wherein all the channels in a given bandwidth group have common roaming characteristics; and

broadcasting information relating to at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the serving site.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one channel present at an adjacent site;

classifying each channel present at the adjacent site into one of the plurality of bandwidth groups; and

broadcasting information relating to at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the adjacent site.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising broadcasting information relating to at least one channel from a lowest bandwidth group for the adjacent site.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the information that is broadcasted relating to at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the adjacent site comprises at least one of loading information and channel frequency information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information that is broadcasted relating to at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the serving site comprises at least one of loading information and channel frequency information.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a registration request from a device at the serving site;

determining a desired bandwidth group for the device; and

instructing the device to move to a channel based on the step of determining.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of moving the device to a new channel within the desired bandwidth group when data is waiting to be transferred between the device and fixed network equipment.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of instructing is further based on loading of the channels in the desired bandwidth group.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the loading is based on at least one of:

current bandwidth utilization, future bandwidth reservations, a number of devices operating on the channel.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining comprises identifying a channel in which the device locked onto at the time in which the registration request was received.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the desired bandwidth group is requested in the registration request.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the device moved to a second channel at the serving site; and

determining that a re-registration request is not required for the device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of instructing the device to move to a third channel based on the desired bandwidth group.

14. The method of claim 6 comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from the device to move to a new bandwidth group at the serving site;

determining that a re-registration is not required from the device; and

instructing the device to move to a new channel within the new bandwidth group.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

registering at a serving site, wherein the serving site comprises a plurality of bandwidth groups, each bandwidth group comprising at least one channel, and wherein all the channels in a given bandwidth group have common roaming characteristics;

locking onto a current channel;

receiving broadcasted information on at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the serving site;

estimating signal quality of at least one channel in each bandwidth group present at the serving site;

moving to a new channel based on the steps of receiving and estimating; and

establishing a media access control session on the new channel.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of locking comprises locking onto a channel within a lowest bandwidth group.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of receiving an instruction to move to a different channel.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of estimating comprising sampling the current channel, and estimating the signal quality of at least one channel in each bandwidth group based on the sampling of the current channel.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of estimating comprises sampling at least one channel in each bandwidth group.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of selecting a desired bandwidth group based on a quality of service for an application.