Method for controlling functions for changing radio areas of communications terminal devices

• US 5,781,862 A
• Filed: 04/12/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Silica LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Da Silva, Mauricio, Leimkoetter, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONUAKU, CHRISTOPHER O
• Application Number:
  US08/631,552
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/442, 455/443, 455/527, 455/560, 455/517, 455/445, 370/331, 370/332, 370/242, 370/328, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a method for controlling functions for a change of radio area of communications terminal devices, in a program module structure of a subscriber module of wireless communications systems, a higher priority is allocated to the program modules for processing of the radio area change process than to the program modules for processing the communications protocols and to the program modules for switching. The program modules are processed according to their priority. Through the preferential treatment of the handover process, the system resources, in particular the processing resources, are concentrated on the handover process. In the context of the total load capacity of the subscriber module of the wireless communications system, the communications connection during a handover process is thus maintained with high reliability by effecting a rapid changeover to the new communications path, whereby disturbances are also avoided by means of the rapid changeover.

Claims

1. A method for controlling functions for change of radio area of communications terminal devices in a program module structure of a subscriber module of a wireless communications system, the subscriber module being connected at a subscriber side with at least one base station for wireless connection of at least one communications terminal device, and at a switching side said subscriber module being connected with a central communications installation for creation of access to a communications network, comprising the steps of:

assigning a highest priority to program modules for controlling hardware components of the subscriber module-and to program modules for controlling physical communications connections of the subscriber module with a central switching control and with the at least one base station;

assigning a second highest priority to program modules for signaling generation of tone and call signals, to program modules for processing of a radio area change process of a communications terminal device connected tirelessly to a base station, to program modules for safeguarding communication with the communications terminal devices, and with the central communications installation;

assigning a third highest priority to program modules for processing communications protocols with the base stations and the communications terminal devices, to program modules for event recognition and event allocation of events transmitted by the communications terminal devices, and to program modules for switching;

assigning a fourth-highest priority to an arbitration program module for reading out of safeguarded and allocated events and for calling up of a program module designated by a located event;

assigning a lowest priority to program modules having management and test functions; and

processing the program modules according to said assigned priorities.

2. The method according to claim 1, including the step of assigning priorities within the program modules having said second highest priority such that:

a priority of the program modules for signaling generation of tone and call signals is higher than a priority of the program modules for processing of a radio area change process of a communications terminal device connected wirelessly to a base station (BS), and higher than a priority of the program modules for safeguarding the communication with the communications terminal devices and with the communications installation.

3. The method according to claim 1, including the step of assigning priorities within the program modules having the second-highest priority such that:

a priority of the program modules for processing of a radio area change process of the communications terminal device connected wirelessly to the base station a priority of the program modules for safeguarding communication with the communications terminal devices and with the communications installation are higher than a priority of the program modules for the signaling generation of tone and call signals.

4. A method according claim 1, including the step of assigning a gradation within the program modules having the third highest priority, such that:

a priority of the program modules for processing the communications protocols with the base stations and with the communications terminal devices and a priority of the program modules for event recognition and event allocation of the events transmitted by the communications terminal devices are higher than a priority of the program modules for switching.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein an equal portion of system resources is made available for the processing of the events and of the program modules of each communications terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein a communications terminal device that causes a system overload is detected (on a basis of system resources requested) and handled separately.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the separate handling of the communications terminal device causing the system overload compares a temporary withholding of system resources by which a relief of the load on the subscriber module is achieved.

8. A system for controlling functions for change of radio area of a communications terminal device comprising:

a subscriber module having a program module structure and connected at a subscriber end with at least one base station for wireless connection to at least one communications terminal device and at a switching end with a central communications installation for creating access to a communications network;

means for allocation of priorities to program modules of the program module structure such that

a highest priority is allocated to program modules for controlling hardware components of the subscriber module and to program modules for controlling physical communications connections of the subscriber module with a central switching control and with the at least one base station,

a second highest priority is allocated to program modules for signaling generation of tone and call signals, to program modules for processing of a radio area change process of the communications terminal device connected wirelessly to the base station, and to program modules for safeguarding communication with the communications terminal device and with the central communications installation,

a third highest priority is allocated to program modules for processing of communications protocols with the at lest one base station and with the communications terminal device, to program modules for event recognition and event allocation of events transmitted by the communications terminal device and to program modules for switching,

a fourth highest priority is allocated to an arbitration program module for reading out safeguarded and allocated events and for calling up a program module designated by a located event, and

a lowest priority is allocated to program modules having management and test functions; and

means for processing the program modules according to the allocated priorities.

9. The system according to claim 8 further including:

the means for allocation of priorities to program modules are designed so that during allocation of priorities;

a priority of the program modules for the signaling generation of tone and call signals is higher than a priority of the program modules for processing of a radio area change process of the communications terminal device connected wirelessly to the base station and of the program modules for safeguarding the communication with the communications terminal device and with the communications installation.

10. The system according to claim 8 wherein said means for processing the program modules according to the allocated priorities is designed so that an equal portion of system resources is made available for the processing of the events and program modules by a program system of each communications terminal device.

11. The system according to claim 8 further including a means for handling overload situations and which is constructed so that a communications terminal device that causes a system overload can be detected and handled separately by a program system through at least temporary and partial withholding of system resources program modules based on requested system resources.