System and method for reconnecting a disconnected low priority call in a mobile telecommunications network

• US 6,061,559 A
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Bo, Eriksson, Kurt-Erik, Norman, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/048,541
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/417, 455/436, 455/438, 455/442, 455/450, 455/455, 455/527, 379/266, 379/208, 370/455
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/36 for reassigning the resources associated with the released connections

Abstract

A method and system used in a mobile telecommunications network for reconnecting at least one of a plurality of low priority calls that were disconnected due to preemption by high priority call(s) are disclosed. The system includes a queue for arranging the plurality of low priority calls. The system further includes a controller coupled to the queue for determining whether a traffic channel was located within a predetermined amount of time for use by the low priority call. The traffic channel may be located within one of a plurality of neighboring cells or within a current cell. If the traffic channel was located within the predetermined amount of time, then the controller will remove the low priority call from the queue and automatically reconnect the disconnected call using the located traffic channel.

Claims

1. A preemption system used in a mobile telecommunications network for reconnecting at least one of a plurality of disconnected low priority calls that have been disconnected due to preemption by a plurality of high priority calls, said preemption system comprising:

a queue for arranging the plurality of disconnected low priority calls, each low priority call was disconnected to enable one high priority call to use a seized traffic channel previously used by one low priority call; and

a controller coupled to the queue for determining whether a traffic channel was located in a predetermined amount of time within one of a plurality of neighboring cells or within a current cell and for removing the at least one low priority call from said queue and automatically reconnecting the at least one low priority call using the located traffic channel, provided the traffic channel was located within the predetermined amount of time.

2. The preemption system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes means for removing the at least one low priority call from the queue if the traffic channel was not located within the predetermined amount of time.

3. The preemption system of claim 1, wherein said controller further includes a channel release message having a special cause code for informing each user of the plurality of low priority calls to remain on-line.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of low priority calls includes a data transmission call and voice call.

5. The preemption system of claim 1, wherein the at least one disconnected low priority call is automatically reconnected without interrupting an ongoing data transmission call.

6. The preemption system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of time for locating the traffic channel to be used by the at least one disconnected low priority call is adjustable for each disconnected low priority call.

7. A mobile telecommunications network comprising:

a location register for locating an available channel; and

a preemption system coupled to the location register for reconnecting at least one of a plurality of low priority calls that have been disconnected due to preemption by a plurality of high priority calls, said preemption system including;

a queue for arranging the plurality of disconnected low priority calls, each low priority call was disconnected to enable one high priority call to use a seized traffic channel Previously used by one low priority call; and

a controller coupled to the queue for determining whether the location register located the available channel within a predetermined amount of time, and for removing the at least one queued low priority call from the queue and automatically reconnecting the at least one low priority call using the available channel if the available channel was located by the location register within the predetermined amount of time.

8. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein said controller includes means for removing the low priority call from the queue when the location register fails to locate the available channel within the predetermined amount of time.

9. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7 wherein said controller further includes a channel release message having a special cause code for informing each user of the queued low priority call to remain on-line while the location register attempts to locate the available channel.

10. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the location register includes a mobile services switching center.

11. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the low priority call includes a data transmission call.

12. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 11, wherein the low priority call includes a High Speed Circuit Switched Data Transmission call.

13. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the low priority call includes a speech call.

14. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the available channel includes a traffic channel located within one of a plurality of neighboring cells or within a current cell.

15. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the predetermined amount of time includes a predefined parameter set at a cell level.

16. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the at least one disconnected low priority call is automatically reconnected without interrupting an ongoing data transmission call.

17. The mobile telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein the predetermined amount of time for locating the traffic channel to be used by the at least one disconnected low priority call is adjustable.

18. A method used in a mobile telecommunications network for reconnecting at least one of a plurality of low priority calls that have been disconnected due to preemption by a plurality of high priority calls, said method comprising the steps of:

queuing the plurality of disconnected low priority calls, each low priority call was disconnected to enable one high priority call to use a seized traffic channel previously used by one low priority call;

attempting to locate an available traffic channel for use by the at least one queued low priority call;

removing the at least one queued low priority call; and

automatically reconnecting the at least one low priority call when the attempt to locate the available traffic channel was successful within a predetermined amount of time.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of removing the queued low-priority call when the attempt to locate the available traffic channel was not successful within the predetermined amount of time.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of informing each user of the queued low priority call to not hang-up while attempting to located the available traffic channel.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of automatically reconnecting the low priority call includes connecting a data transmission call.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of automatically reconnecting the low priority call includes connecting a voice transmission call.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of attempting to locate an available traffic channel includes searching for the available traffic channel within a current cell or within a plurality of neighboring cells.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of setting the predetermined amount of time within a parameter at a cell level.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of automatically reconnecting the at least one low priority call includes connecting a data transmission call without interrupting the data transmission call.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined amount of time for locating the traffic channel to be used by the at least one disconnected low priority call is adjustable.

27. A method for providing a preemption service within a mobile telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a high priority call to use a traffic channel when at least one of a plurality of traffic channels is currently being used by a low priority call;

seizing one of the traffic channels being used by the low priority call;

connecting the high priority call using the seized traffic channel;

disconnecting and queuing the low priority call;

attempting to locate an available traffic channel for use by the queued low priority call;

removing the queued low priority call; and

automatically reconnecting the low priority call when the attempt to locate the available traffic channel was successful within a predetermined amount of time.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of attempting to handover the low priority call to another available traffic channel prior to disconnecting the low priority call.