METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING RESOURCES IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING MULTIPLE AIR INTERFACE TECHNOLOGIES

• US 20140064193A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Friedlander, Haim, Yacobi, Avishai A., Eval, Eilon
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A wireless communication system is provided that comprises a base station (BS) serving a subscriber unit (SU) in a Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network, an eNodeB serving the SU in a broadband data network, and a network element of the PSNB network that is in communication with the BS and that identifies the eNodeB to the BS. In response to the identification of the eNodeB, the BS informs the eNodeB, via an interface between a radio access network (RAN) of the PSNB network and a RAN of the broadband data network, of an initiation of a voice session in the PSNB network involving the SU and of PSNB network resources allocated to the session. In response to being informed of the initiation of the session and the allocated PSNB network resources, the eNodeB avoids allocation of resources to the SU that are spectrally proximate to the allocated PSNB network resources.

Claims

1. A method for managing resources in a multi-technology wireless communication system comprising a broadband data network and a Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network, the method comprising:

identifying a base station serving a subscriber unit in the PSNB network and an eNodeB serving the subscriber unit in the broadband data network;

informing the eNodeB, by the base station and via an interface between a radio access network of the PSNB network that includes the base station and a radio access network of the broadband data network that includes the eNodeB, of an initiation of a voice session in the PSNB network involving the subscriber unit and of PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session; and

in response to being informed of the initiation of the voice session and the allocated PSNB network resources, avoiding allocation of resources to the subscriber unit by the broadband data network that are spectrally proximate to the PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an eNodeB serving the subscriber unit in the broadband data network comprises retrieving, by a network element of the Public Safety Narrowband network from a network element of the broadband data network, an identifier of the eNodeB.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an eNodeB serving the subscriber unit in the broadband data network comprises:

inquiring, by a network element of the Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network of a network element of the broadband data network, for an identifier of the eNodeB;

identifying, by the network element of the broadband data network, an identifier of the eNodeB by reference to a database maintained by the broadband data network; and

conveying, by the network element of the broadband data network to the network element of the PSNB network, the identifier of the eNodeB.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein inquiring for an identifier of the eNodeB comprises conveying, to the network element of the broadband data network, an identifier associated with the base station and wherein the database comprises a mapping between identifiers associated with base stations of the Public Safety Narrowband network and identifiers associated with eNodeBs of the broadband data network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying, by the base station to the subscriber unit, an identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein conveying, by the base station to the subscriber unit, an identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network comprises retrieving the identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network from a database maintained by the Public Safety Narrowband network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the voice session has ended; and

in response to determining that the voice session has ended, lifting restraints on the allocation of resources to the subscriber unit by the broadband data network that are spectrally proximate to the PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the voice session has ended comprises informing the eNodeB, by the base station and via the interface between the radio access network of the PSNB network and the radio access network of the broadband data network, of the end of the voice session in the PSNB network.

7. The method of 6, wherein the database maintained by the Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network comprises a mapping between broadband data network subscriber unit identifiers and PSNB network subscriber unit identifiers.

10. An apparatus for managing resources in a multi-technology wireless communication system comprising a broadband data network and a Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network, the apparatus comprising:

a base station serving a subscriber unit in the PSNB network;

an eNodeB serving the subscriber unit in the broadband data network;

a network element of the PSNB network that is in communication with the base station and that identifies the eNodeB to the base station;

wherein in response to being informed of the identity of the eNodeB, the base station informs the eNodeB, via an interface between a radio access network of the PSNB network that includes the base station and a radio access network of the broadband data network that includes the eNodeB, of an initiation of a voice session in the PSNB network involving the subscriber unit and of PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session; and

wherein in response to being informed of the initiation of the voice session and the allocated PSNB network resources, the eNodeB avoids allocation of resources to the subscriber unit that are spectrally proximate to the PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the network element of the PSNB network identifies the eNodeB by retrieving, from a network element of the broadband data network, an identifier of the eNodeB.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises a network element of the broadband data network in communication with the eNodeB, wherein the network element of the PSNB network identifies the eNodeB by inquiring, of the network element of the broadband data network, for an identifier of the eNodeB, wherein the network element of the broadband data network identifies an identifier of the eNodeB by reference to a database maintained by the broadband data network, and wherein the network element of the broadband data network conveys to the network element of the PSNB network the identifier of the eNodeB.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network element of the PSNB network inquires for an identifier of the eNodeB by conveying, to the network element of the broadband data network, an identifier associated with the base station and wherein the database comprises a mapping between identifiers associated with base stations of the Public Safety Narrowband network and identifiers associated with eNodeBs of the broadband data network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station conveys, to the subscriber unit, an identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the base station conveys, to the subscriber unit, an identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network by retrieving the identifier of the subscriber unit associated with the broadband data network from a database maintained by the Public Safety Narrowband network.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station determines that the voice session has ended and, in response to determining that the voice session has ended, informs the eNodeB via the interface between the radio access network of the PSNB network and the radio access network of the broadband data network, of the end of the voice session in the PSNB network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, in response to being informed of the end of the voice session in the PSNB network, the eNodeB lifts restraints on the allocation of resources to the subscriber unit that are spectrally proximate to the PSNB network resources allocated to the voice session.

16. The apparatus of 15, wherein the database maintained by the Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network comprises a mapping between broadband data network subscriber unit identifiers and PSNB network subscriber unit identifiers.