Method and Device for Managing Resources Shared by Different Operators in a Communication System

• US 20070264986A1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Murphy, Sean, Warrillow, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and device for managing resources in shared networks is based on a few basic comparisons between resources and/or thresholds. If an access request is received (202) and there are not enough resources available (204), the request is rejected (212). If there are resources available (204), there is a check to see if the resource is in a congested state (206). If not, then the connection is accepted (210). If the resource is in a congested state (206), then a test is performed (208) to determine whether or not the resources will be assigned to an operator who has already exceeded the assigned utilisation. If it has, then the connection is rejected (212), otherwise it is accepted (210). Preferred embodiments incorporating priority handling, re-negotiations and soft congestion are easily implemented. In a shared UTRAN, the functionalities for managing the radio baseband allocation for a shared Node B are preferably incorporated in the shared RNC.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. Method for managing resources in a communication system having resources shared by at least two operators, comprising the steps of:

receiving an access request for a first operator of the at least two operators;

executing a first determination whether there are sufficient amount of free resources available in the communication system;

executing a second determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use in the communication system exceeds a first threshold;

executing a third determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use for the first operator exceeds a second threshold; and

deciding on accepting the access request based on the results of the first, second and third determinations.

23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the step of executing the second determination is performed only if the first determination shows that there are sufficient free resources available in the communication system.

24. Method according to claim 22, wherein the access request is accepted if the second determination shows that the total amount of resources in use in the communication system does not exceed the first threshold.

25. Method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of size discrimination based on the capacity requested by the incoming connection dependent on the total amount of resources in use in the communication system if the second determination shows that the total amount of resources in use in the communication system does not exceed the first threshold.

26. Method according to claim 25, wherein the size discrimination comprises the steps of:

determination of a threshold class dependent on the total amount of resources in use in the communication system;

comparing an amount of resources required by the access request with a maximum accepted size associated with the determined threshold class;

accepting the access request if the amount of resources required by the access request is smaller than or equal to the maximum accepted size; and

rejecting the access request if the amount of resources required by the access request is larger than the maximum accepted size.

27. Method according to claim 23, wherein the step of executing the third determination is performed only if the second determination shows that the total amount of resources in use in the communication system exceeds the first threshold.

28. Method according to claim 27, wherein the access request is accepted if the third determination shows that the total amount of resources in use for the first operator does not exceed the second threshold.

29. Method according to claim 22, wherein the first threshold is equal to a pre-determined congestion threshold.

30. Method according to claim 22, wherein the first threshold is equal to a pre-determined congestion threshold minus the amount of resources required by the access request.

31. Method according to claim 22, wherein the second threshold is equal to a pre-determined portion of the total resources allocated to the first operator.

32. Method according to claim 22, wherein the second threshold is equal to a pre-determined portion of the total resources allocated to the first operator minus the amount of resources required by the access request.

33. Method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of storing a respective measure of the fraction of resources currently in use by each of said at least two operators, said measure for the first operator being updated upon accepting the access request or when an already established connection for the first operator is terminated.

34. Method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of updating the respective measures by means of resource utilisation information from an external source.

35. Method according to claim 22, wherein the access request is rejected if the first determination shows that there are not sufficient free resources available in the communication system or if the third determination shows that the total amount of resources in use for the first operator exceeds the second threshold.

36. Method according to claim 22, wherein a step of evaluating a priority of the access request if the first determination shows that there are not sufficient free resources available in the communication system or if the third determination shows that the total amount of resources in use for the first operator exceeds the second threshold.

37. Method according to claim 36, wherein the step of evaluating the priority comprises the steps of:

executing a fourth determination whether the sum of the free resources available in the communication system and a total amount of resources being occupied by traffic having a lower priority than the priority of the access request for the first operator is smaller than the amount of resources required for the access request for the first operator;

rejecting the access request if the fourth determination shows that the sum of the free resources available in the communication system and the total amount of resources being occupied by traffic having a lower priority than the priority of the access request for the first operator is smaller than the amount of resources required for the access request for the first operator; and

pre-empting on-going traffic sufficient to allow the access request for the first operator if the fourth determination shows that the sum of the free resources available in the communication system and the total amount of resources being occupied by traffic having a lower priority than the priority of the access request for the first operator is equal to or larger than the amount of resources required for the access request for the first operator, and accepting the access request.

38. Method according to claim 37, wherein the step of pre-empting in turn comprises the steps of:

determining which operator of the at least two operators presently being in most excess of its target resource utilisation;

selecting a connection of the operator of the at least two operators presently being in most excess of its target resource utilisation having a lower priority than the priority of the access request for the first operator;

releasing the selected connection;

determining whether the resources required for the access request is larger than the free resources available in the communication system; and

repeating the previous steps if the resources required for the access request is larger than the free resources available in the communication system.

39. Method according to claim 22, wherein the step of receiving an access request for the first operator in turn comprises the steps of:

receiving a renegotiation request for an ongoing call from the first operator;

providing a supplementary access request for the first operator having an access request size corresponding to the difference between a requested size and a present size of the ongoing call, if the requested size is larger than the present size; and

performing a change of resource utilisation for the ongoing call, if the present size is larger than the requested size.

40. Device for managing resources in a communication system, the communication system having resources shared by at least two operators, said device comprising:

means for receiving an access request for a first operator of the at least two operators;

means for executing a first determination whether there are sufficient amount of free resources available in the communication system;

means for executing a second determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use in the communication system exceeds a first threshold;

means for executing a third determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use for the first operator exceeds a second threshold; and

means for deciding on accepting the access request based on the results of the first, second and third determinations.

41. Arrangement comprising a device for managing resources in a communication system, the communication system having resources shared by at least two operators, the device comprising:

means for receiving an access request for a first operator of the at least two operators;

means for executing a first determination whether there are sufficient amount of free resources available in the communication system;

means for executing a second determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use in the communication system exceeds a first threshold;

means for executing a third determination whether a total amount of said resources shared by at least two operators in use for the first operator exceeds a second threshold; and

means for deciding on accepting the access request based on the results of the first, second and third determinations.

42. Arrangement according to claim 41, wherein the arrangement is a shared universal mobile telecommunication system terrestrial radio access network and the device is comprised in a radio network controller.

43. Arrangement according to claim 41, wherein the arrangement is the communication system.