Call priority in a mobile radiotelephone system

• US 5,570,411 A
• Filed: 07/20/1994
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sicher, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/278,252
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/57, 379/58, 379/60, 379/61, 379/62, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/34.1, 455/56.1, 455/166.1, 340/825.08
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/06 using multi-step notification by changing the notification area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Call priority is realized in a mobile radio telephone system by ascertaining that a call should be given priority, assigning channels preferentially to a priority call, assigning higher quality channels preferentially to the priority call, and through-connecting the call. Call priority may also be realized by ascertaining that a call should be given priority, assigning channels preferentially to a priority call, allowing a more exhaustive paging for paging a mobile station than would be allowed if the call were not given priority, and through-connecting the call.

Claims

1. A call request handling method in a mobile radiotelephone system wherein a plurality of mobile stations communicate with a base station through an air interface across defined channels, comprising the steps of

ascertaining whether a call is to be given priority;

assigning said channels preferentially to a call when it is ascertained that said call is to be given priority;

providing for more extensive paging of a mobile station including paging over a wider geographic extent than would be allowed if said priority call were not given priority;

through-connecting said priority call;

maintaining a paging queue; and

preempting a queued paging request in favor of a paging request of higher priority.

2. A method of providing priority call set-up handling in a cellular mobile radiotelephone system, wherein a plurality of mobile stations communicate with a base station through an air interface across defined channels, said channels being categorized in at least a first channel category with high quality and a second channel category with adequate quality, said method comprising the steps of:

ascertaining whether a call to one of said mobile stations is to be given a priority selected from a group consisting of at least a higher priority and a lower priority as determined by subscriber category information;

paging a mobile station intended for said call given one of said priorities in order to assign a voice channel of one of said at least first and second categories;

determining whether said call has been given one of said priorities;

selecting a channel of said first category if said call has been given said higher priority and selecting a channel of said second priority if the call has been given said lower priority;

queuing said call given one of said priorities according to said given priority when a channel is not available, wherein said step of queuing said call given one of said priorities further comprising the step of;

preempting a queued call with said call given one of said priorities when a queue position is not available.

3. A method of providing priority call set-up handling in a cellular mobile radiotelephone system, wherein a plurality of mobile stations communicate with a base station through an air interface across defined channels, comprising the steps of:

ascertaining whether a call to one of said mobile stations is to be given priority based on subscriber category information;

providing for a first and second category of paging parameters, one parameter in each category indicating the paging extent and another parameter in each category indicating the number of paging repetitions, the parameters of said first category indicating a greater paging extent and an equal or greater number of paging repetitions than the corresponding parameters of said second category;

paging said mobile station intended for said call given said priority in dependence on said first category of paging parameters;

assigning one of said channels to said mobile station upon a response on said paging from that mobile; and

through-connecting said priority call.

4. A method for providing priority call set-up handling in a cellular mobile radiotelephone system, wherein a plurality of mobile stations communicate with a base station through an air interface across defined channels, said channels being of at least a first channel category with high quality and a second channel category with adequate quality, comprising the steps of:

ascertaining whether a call to one of said mobile stations is to be given a priority selected from a group of priorities consisting of at least a higher priority and a lower priority as determined by subscriber category information;

providing for a first and second paging category of paging parameters indicating the paging extent and the maximum number of paging repetitions, the parameters of said first paging category indicating a greater paging extent and an equal or greater number of paging repetitions than the corresponding parameters of said second paging category;

paging said mobile station intended for said call given one of said priorities in dependence on said first paging category of paging parameters and to such an extent given by the first paging category if the call has been given one of said priority;

determining whether said call has been given said higher priority or said lower priority;

selecting a channel of said first channel category if said call has been given said higher priority and selecting a channel of said second channel priority if the call has been given said lower priority; and

through-connecting said priority call.