Method of responding to resource requests in a trunked communication system without call-handoff

• US 5,423,066 A
• Filed: 11/24/1992
• Issued: 06/06/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sasuta, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US07/980,884
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/34.1, 455/34.2, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/53.1, 455/62, 455/67.1, 379/59
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A radio communication system (200) having a communication site (203) provides communication services to a coverage area (201) surrounding the communication site (203). A plurality of service resources are allocated (318) among a plurality of communication units (205) located within the coverage area (201). A method of responding to a service request transmitted from a requesting communication unit includes the steps of determining (310) a nominal service duration, and estimating (312) an available site time value. A completion probability value can then be calculated (403) using these parameters. The completetion probability value is then used to determine (405-413) whether or not to allocate, to the requesting communication unit, a service resource corresponding to the requested service.

Claims

1. In a radio communication system having a communication site that covers at least a coverage area, the communication site allocating a plurality of service resources among a plurality of communication units located within the coverage area, a method of responding, at the communication site, to a service request identifying a requested service and transmitted from a requesting communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

A) determining a nominal service duration for the requested service;

B) estimating an available site time value for the requesting communication unit;

C) calculating a completion probability value using the available site time value and the nominal service duration; and

D) determining, based at least in part on the completion probability value, whether or not to allocate, to the requesting communication unit, a service resource corresponding to the requested service.

2. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 1, wherein step A) comprises the steps of:

A1) storing service duration values for each communication unit being serviced by the communication site;

A2) retrieving stored service duration values for the requesting communication unit; and

A3) using the retrieved service duration values to determine the nominal service duration.

3. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

E) receiving, from the communication unit, current location information describing where the communication unit is located when the service request is transmitted.

4. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 3, wherein step B) comprises the steps of:

B1) receiving, from the requesting communication unit, current speed and direction data;

B2) calculating a directional vector based on the received current speed and direction data; and

B3) using the current location information and the directional vector to estimate the available site time value.

5. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 3, wherein step B) comprises the steps of:

B1) receiving, from the requesting communication unit, a directional vector describing the speed and direction of the requesting communication unit when the service request is transmitted; and

B2) using the current location information and the directional vector to estimate the available site time value.

6. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 3, wherein step B) comprises the steps of:

B1) storing location information for each communication unit being serviced by the communication site;

B2) retrieving stored location information for the requesting communication unit;

B3) using the retrieved location information and the current location information to determine a probable directional vector; and

B4) using the current location information and the probable directional vector to estimate the available site time value.

7. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 1, wherein step D) comprises the step of:

D1) when the completion probability value exceeds a maximum threshold, allocating the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

8. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 1, wherein step D) comprises the step of:

D1) when the completion probability value falls below a maximum threshold, deferring allocation of the service resource to the requesting communication unit until a future time.

9. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 8, wherein step D1) comprises the step of:

D1a) delaying a time equivalent to the available site time value before determining whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

10. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

D2) when the completion probability value exceeds a maximum threshold, allocating the service resource to the requesting communication unit; and

E) when the completion probability value falls between the maximum threshold and the minimum threshold, determining an expected performance level for a subsequent transmission.

11. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 10, wherein step E) comprises the steps of:

E1) storing expected performance levels for a plurality of geographic regions located within the coverage area;

E2) determining a current geographic region in which the requesting communication unit is located; and

E3) retrieving the expected performance level corresponding to the current geographic region.

12. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

F) determining a minimum performance threshold value for the service resource corresponding to the requested service; and

G) determining, based at least in part on a comparison between the minimum performance threshold value and the expected performance level, whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

13. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

F) storing minimum performance threshold values for each of the plurality of service resources;

G) retrieving the minimum performance threshold value for the service resource corresponding to the requested service;

H) determining, based at least in part on a comparison between the retrieved threshold value and the expected performance level, whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

14. In a radio communication system having a communication site that covers at least a coverage area, the communication site allocating a plurality of service resources among a plurality of communication units located within the coverage area, a method of responding, at the communication site, to a service request identifying a requested service and transmitted from a requesting communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

A) determining a nominal service duration for the requested service;

B) estimating an available site time value for the requesting communication unit;

C) calculating a completion probability value using the available site time value and the nominal service duration;

D) when the completion probability value exceeds a maximum threshold, allocating the service resource to the requesting communication unit; and

E) when the completion probability value falls below a minimum threshold, deferring allocation of the service resource to the requesting communication unit until a future time.

15. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 14, wherein step E) comprises the step of:

E1) delaying a time equivalent to the available site time value before determining whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

16. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

F) when the completion probability value falls between the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold, determining an expected performance level for a subsequent transmission;

G) determining a minimum performance threshold value for the service resource corresponding to the requested service; and

H) determining, based at least in part on a comparison between the minimum performance threshold value and the expected performance level, whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

17. In a radio communication system having a communication site that covers at least a coverage area, the communication site allocating a plurality of service resources among a plurality of communication units located within the coverage area, a method of responding, at the communication site, to a service request identifying a requested service and transmitted from a requesting communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

A) determining a nominal service duration for the requested service;

B) estimating an available site time value for the requesting communication unit;

C) calculating a completion probability value using the available site time value and the nominal service duration;

D) when the completion probability value exceeds a maximum threshold, allocating the service resource to the requesting communication unit;

E) when the completion probability value falls below a minimum threshold, deferring allocation of the service resource to the requesting communication unit until a future time;

F) when the completion probability value falls between the maximum threshold and the minimum threshold;

F1) determining an expected performance level for a subsequent transmission;

F2) determining a minimum performance threshold value for the service resource corresponding to the requested service; and

F3) determining, based at least in part on a comparison between the minimum performance threshold value and the expected performance level, whether or not to allocate the service resource to the requesting communication unit.

18. A method of responding to the service request as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

I) receiving, from the communication unit, current location information describing where the communication unit is located when the service request is transmitted; and

wherein step F) comprises the steps of;

F1) storing expected performance levels for a plurality of geographic regions located within the coverage area;

F2) using the current location information to determine a current geographic region in which the requesting communication unit is located; and

F3) retrieving the expected performance level corresponding to the current geographic region.