Cellular mobile radio system utilizing predetermined channel lists

• US 5,519,884 A
• Filed: 11/02/1993
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Duque-Anton, Jesus-Manuel, Kunz, Dietmar W., Ruber, Bernhard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/146,766
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/34.1, 455/34.2, 455/54.1, 455/56.1, 455/62, 455/67.3, 379/58-59, 379/61-63
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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

Abstract

In a cellular mobile radio network a limited number of available channels must be allocated among the various cells, and the efficiency of such allocation is highly variable with changing traffic conditions in the network. To solve this problem the invention determines all possible radio situations which may arise in the network, including the radio positions of a mobile station and occupancy of the various channels. The individual components of each possible radio situation are then compared with predetermined thresholds so as to reduce the multiplicity of such situations to a relatively small number of classified radio situations each of which has its own channel list allocated thereto. When a channel is requested for a mobile station, the relevant classified radio situation is determined and channel assignment is made from the channel list applicable to that classified situation.

Claims

1. A method of channel allocation for use in a cellular mobile radio system comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of mobile stations, the base stations being in respective regional cells, a limited a number of radio channels being provided for communication between the base station and mobile stations in each cell, each channel being concurrently re-usable by base stations of non-adjoining cells;

said method consisting of performance periodically of the following steps by the base station of a cell;

(i) for each of a plurality of possible radio communication situations between the base station and a mobile station in said cell, detection of values of at least one space-dependent parameter and at least one time-dependent parameter which affect the quality and availability of radio communication between the base station and the mobile station;

(ii) classification of the detected values of each of said parameters in accordance with whether a predetermined threshold applicable to the relevant parameter is or is not exceeded, and combining the classified parameter values to form a series of classified possible radio communication situations between the base station and the mobile station;

(iii) assignment to each of said classified radio communication situations of a respective list of channels to create a plurality of previously stored available channel lists, which, in the relevant situation, are capable of providing communication between the base station and the mobile station; and

(iv) in response to a request for allocation of a channel, the base station detects the existing radio communication situation, determines the applicable classified radio communication situation, and allocates a channel from the plurality of previously stored available channel lists, wherein the channel list applicable to the so determined classified radio communication situation is utilized.

2. A method is claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (iv) the allocation of a channel from the applicable channel list is performed in accordance with channel priorities established by dynamic channel allocation based on previous requests for channel allocations.

3. A method is claimed in claim 1, wherein the detected parameters of a radio communication situation include radio communication parameters of base stations in cells adjoining the cell in which the mobile station is located.

4. A method is claimed in claim 1, wherein the detected parameters of a radio communication situation include radio communication parameters of all channels in said system.

5. A method is claimed in claim 1, wherein the base station evaluates the communication quality of an allocated channel during communication with a mobile station over said channel.

6. A control unit for use in a base station of a cellular mobile radio system which comprises a plurality of base stations and a plurality of mobile stations, the base stations being in respective regional cells, a limited number of radio channels being provided communication between the base station of each cell and mobile stations therein, each channel being concurrently re-usable by base stations of non-interfering cells;

said control unit comprising;

a first memory for storing data representing interference vectors corresponding to logic values of relative interference which will occur from adjoining base stations for various possible channel assignments of the adjoining base stations;

a second memory for storing data representing measured signal strengths of channels between base stations of adjoining cells and a mobile station at various different locations (L) in the cell of the base station in which the control unit is situated, and data representing classifications (L'"'"') of said locations at which there is substantially no interference from the adjoining base stations; and

a central processor for combining the data stored in said first and second memories to derive data representing a series of classified possible radio situations, and assigning to each classified radio situation a list of channels from which a channel can be selected for assignment when an existing radio situation matches the relevant classified radio situation.