System and method for efficient media resource allocation

• US 20060063550A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Martin, David, Vu, Trinh
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/327 Power control of multicast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A system and method for allocating service provider network resources for supporting dispatch multi-party calls is disclosed. In an embodiment of a method of the present invention, the method includes receiving a requirement at the service provider network for supporting a dispatch multi-party call having a projected number of participants. An amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants is determined. A portion of the amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call is dedicated to the dispatch multi-party call in the service provider network. In an embodiment of a system of the present invention, the system includes a media server having resources for supporting a dispatch multi-party call having a projected number of participants in a service provider network. A resource manager is coupled to the media server and determines an amount of media server resources required to support the projected number of participants and dedicates a portion of the amount of media resources required to support the projected number of participants in the media server.

Claims

1. A method of allocating service provider network resources for supporting dispatch multi-party calls, comprising the acts of:

receiving a requirement at the service provider network for supporting a dispatch multi-party call having a projected number of participants;

determining an amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants; and

dedicating a portion of the amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call to the dispatch multi-party call in the service provider network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of dedicating a portion of the amount of network resources includes the act of determining a reduced amount of network resources required to support a reduced number of projected participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the act of determining a reduced amount of network resources includes the act of applying a network load factor to the amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the reduced number of projected participants is determined by applying a participant factor to the projected number of participants.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the act of evaluating whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is sufficient to support the dispatch multi-party call after commencement of the call.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the act of evaluating includes the act of determining an actual number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources based on the actual number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources includes the act of increasing the dedicated portion.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources includes the act of decreasing the dedicated portion.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the act of evaluating whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is an efficient allocation of network resources for supporting the dispatch multi-party call after commencement of the call.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the act of evaluating includes the act of determining an actual load on the service provider network.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources based on the act of evaluating.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources includes the act of increasing the dedicated portion.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the act of adjusting the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources includes the act of decreasing the dedicated portion.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a group call.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a public dispatch chatroom.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a private dispatch chatroom.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is an ad-hoc dispatch chatroom.

19. A system for allocating service provider network resources for supporting dispatch multi-party calls, comprising:

a media server having resources for supporting a dispatch multi-party call in a service provider network having a projected number of participants; and

a resource manager coupled to the media server;

wherein the resource manager determines an amount of media server resources required to support the projected number of participants and dedicates a portion of the amount of media resources required to support the projected number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call in the media server.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the resources include a processor and a memory.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the resource manager dedicates the portion of the amount of network resources by determining a reduced amount of network resources required to support a reduced number of projected participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the resource manager determines the reduced amount of network resources by applying a network load factor to the amount of network resources required to support the projected number of participants.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the resource manager determines the reduced number of projected participants by applying a participant factor to the projected number of participants.

24. The system of claim 19 further wherein the resource manager evaluates whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is sufficient to support the dispatch multi-party call after commencement of the call.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the resource manager evaluates whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is sufficient to support the dispatch multi-party call by determining an actual number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the resource manager adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources based on the actual number of participants in the dispatch multi-party call.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the resource manager adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources by increasing the dedicated portion.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the resource manager adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources by decreasing the dedicated portion.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein the resource manager evaluates whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is an efficient allocation of network resources for supporting the dispatch multi-party call after commencement of the call.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the resource manager evaluates whether the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources is an efficient allocation of network resources by determining an actual load on the service provider network.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the resource manager adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources based on the actual load on the service provider network.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the resource manger adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources by increasing the dedicated portion.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the resource manager adjusts the dedicated portion of the amount of network resources by decreasing the dedicated portion.

34. The system of claim 19 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a group call.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a public dispatch chatroom.

36. The system of claim 19 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is a private dispatch chatroom.

37. The system of claim 19 wherein the dispatch multi-party call is an ad-hoc dispatch chatroom.