SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS IP ADDRESS CAPACITY OPTIMIZATION

• US 20060153118A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Todd C.
• Application Number:
  US10/905,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153118A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system, method and program storage device for providing wireless connectivity to a user on a communications network including a plurality of users, each user having wireless connection capability and wired connection capability to a network server, including determining if a valid wired address is assigned to a first user; determining if a valid wireless address is assigned to the first user; responsive to the first user having both a valid wired address assigned and a valid wireless address assigned, the first user releasing one of the valid addresses for assignment to a second user. Requests from a user for first or second priority level address assignment are selectively granted by releasing and reassigning third or second priority level address assignments.

Claims

1. A method for providing wireless connectivity to a user on a communications network including a plurality of users, each said user having wireless connection capability and optionally wired connection capability, to a network server, comprising the steps of:

determining if a valid wired address is assigned to a first user;

determining if a valid wireless address is assigned to said first user;

responsive to said first user having both a valid wired address assigned and a valid wireless address assigned, releasing one of said valid addresses for assignment to a second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

responsive to said first user having only a valid wired address assigned, selectively requesting assignment of a wireless address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

a first priority address assignment characterizes an address assigned to and selectively active on a wireless connection to a user which does not have an address assigned for a wired connection,

a second priority address assignment characterizes an address requested by and selectively assigned to but not active on a wireless connection to a user which has an address assigned for an active wired connection, and

a third priority address assignment characterizes an address for an inactive wireless connection to a user which has an active wired connection and no pending request for an address for a wireless connection, and further comprising the steps of

monitoring user connections for a request from a user for one of a first and a second priority wireless connection;

responsive to receiving a request for a first priority wireless connection, releasing and assigning to said user an address previously characterized as one of a second and a third priority address assignment; and

responsive to receiving a request for a second priority wireless connection, releasing and assigning to said user an address previously characterized as a third priority address assignment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to receiving a request for a first priority wireless connection when no second priority address assignment and no third priority address assignments is available, queuing said request for assignment of an address on condition of a wireless address assignment becoming available.

5. A system for providing wireless connectivity to a user on a communications network including a plurality of users, comprising:

a network server, each said user having wireless connection capability and, optionally, wired connection capability for connection to said network server;

said network server for selectively assigning a wired address to a first user;

said network server for selectively assigning a wireless address to said first user;

said first user operable for determining if a valid wireless address is assigned to said first user;

said first user further operable responsive to said first user having both a valid wired address assigned and a valid wireless address assigned for releasing one of said valid addresses for assignment to a second user.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a data store at said server for maintaining for each said user address indicia including assigned wireless

and assigned wired addresses, said assigned addresses characterized by priority levels.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said priority levels include

a first priority level for an address assigned to and selectively active on a wireless connection to a user which does not have an address assigned for a wired connection,

a second priority level for an address requested by and selectively assigned to but not active on a wireless connection to a user which has an address assigned for an active wired connection, and

a third priority level for an address for an inactive wireless connection to a user which has an active wired connection and no pending request for an address for a wireless connection and wherein

said server is effective to monitor user connections for a request from a user for a first or second priority wireless connection,

responsive to receiving a request for a first priority wireless connection, said server is effective to release and assign to said user an address previously characterized as one of a second and a third priority address assignment;

and

responsive to receiving a request for a second priority wireless connection, said server is effective to release and assign to said user an address previously characterized as a third priority address assignment.

8. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for providing wireless connectivity to a user on a communications network including a plurality of users, each said user having wireless connection capability and wired connection capability to a network server, said method comprising the steps of:

determining if a valid wired address is assigned to a first user;

determining if a valid wireless address is assigned to said first user;

responsive to said first user having both a valid wired address assigned and a valid wireless address assigned, releasing one of said valid addresses for assignment to a second user.

9. The program storage device of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to said first user having only a valid wired address assigned, selectively requesting assignment of a wireless address.

10. The program storage device of claim 9, wherein

a first priority address assignment characterizes an address assigned to and selectively active on a wireless connection to a user which does not have an address assigned for a wired connection, a second priority address assignment characterizes an address requested by and selectively assigned to but not active on a wireless connection to a user which has an address assigned for an active wired connection, and a third priority address assignment characterizes an address for an inactive wireless connection to a user which has an active wired connection and no pending request for an address for a wireless connection;

and said method further comprises the steps of;

monitoring user connections for a request from a user for one of a first and a second priority wireless connection;

responsive to receiving a request for a first priority wireless connection, releasing and assigning to said user an address previously characterized as one of a second and a third priority address assignment; and

responsive to receiving a request for a second priority wireless connection, releasing and assigning to said user an address previously characterized as a third priority address assignment.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, said method further comprising the step of:

responsive to receiving a request for a first priority wireless connection when none of a second priority address and a third priority address assignment is available, queuing said request for assignment of an address on condition of a wireless address assignment becoming available.