Service customization in a wireless communication system

• US 6,192,248 B1
• Filed: 03/24/1997
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Solondz, Max A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Application Number:
  US08/823,263
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/435, 455/436, 455/512, 455/434, 455/404, 455/521, 455/527, 455/509, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 340/826
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system for customizing service in a wireless communication system in accordance with a user profile, unique to each user of the system, is described. In this system, a base station receives a call establishment request either via an external MTSO (mobile telephone switch office) or PSTN (public telephone switch network), or internally from a call establishment request, broadcasted by a wireless terminal associated with a first subscriber within a cell of interest. Both the base station and the wireless terminal are located in a cell (i.e., the cell of interest) of the wireless communication system. The base station determines whether it has a free channel, or resource, to service the call establishment request. If the base station does not have a free channel to service the call establishment request, then a call processor determines a service priority level contained in a user profile of the first subscriber. This service priority level is communicated to the base station. The base station processes the call establishment request in accordance with the service priority level of the first subscriber and service priority levels of second subscribers that are involved in telephone calls active in the cell.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a call establishment request initiated from an originating unit;

a first memory for storing a first user profile, said first user profile uniquely associated with said originating unit, and said first user profile comprising a first priority level;

a second memory for storing a second user profile, said second user profile uniquely associated with a destination unit. and said second user profile comprising a second priority level; and

call establishment means to process said call establishment request when a predetermined resource is not available so as to establish a call between said originating unit and said destination unit according to said first priority level said second priority level and resources determined to be available.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver to receive said user profile from a database stored on a user profile storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said destination unit is capable of returning a second priority level to said apparatus, and wherein a call establishment request handler maintains at least one available resource for processing a call establishment request using said at least one available resource if said destination unit returns a second priority level equivalent to a predetermined highest priority level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said call establishment request has a second priority level, and wherein a call establishment request handler maintains at least one available resource for processing said call establishment request if said second priority level is equivalent to a predetermined highest priority level.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an allocator for allocating resources available for establishing call requests according to said priority level.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether said call establishment request has a second priority level equal to a predetermined highest priority level, wherein said allocator maintains at least one available resource for processing a call establishment request using said at least one available resource when said determining means determines that said call establishment request has a priority level equal to said predetermined highest priority level.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver to receive a call establishment request;

a database having stored therein a representation of available resources for establishing calls; and

an allocator for allocating available resources when a predetermined resource is not available to conditionally establish a call between an originating unit and a destination unit in accordance with said call establishment request based on a first priority level and a second priority level of said call establishment request stored in a first memory and a second memory respectively, said first priority level being associated with said originating unit and said second priority level being associated with said destination unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a second database having stored therein a user profile, said user profile unique to a particular user, and said user profile comprising a priority level associated with said particular user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit said user profile from said second database to a call establishment requester.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said call establishment request contains priority level information which is extracted by said allocator.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said allocator extracts priority level information from said user profile.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said allocator maintains at least one resource available for establishing a call based on a call establishment request where said call establishment request has a priority level equivalent to a predetermined highest priority level.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first memory for storing a user identification number, said user identification number uniquely associated with a user;

a transmitter to transmit a call establishment request, initiated by said user at an originating unit, having a first user profile uniquely associated with said user identification number, wherein said user profile contains a first priority level;

a second memory for storing a second user profile remote from said first memory, said second user profile uniquely associated with a destination unit, and said second user profile comprising a second priority level; and

call establishment means to process said call establishment request when a predetermined resource is not available so as to establish a call between said originating unit and said destination unit according to said first priority level, said second priority level and resources determined to be available.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

(1) assigning a unique user profile to each user of a call establishment apparatus at an originating unit, each unique user profile including a priority level;

(2) determining a priority level of an originating unit associated with said call establishment apparatus stored in a first memory and a second priority level of a destination unit associated with said call establishment apparatus stored in a second memory remote from said first memory;

(3) modifying characteristics of said call establishment apparatus in accordance with a first user profile assigned to said originating unit and a second user profile assigned to said destination unit; and

(4) establishing a call between the originating unit and the destination unit when a predetermined resource is not available based on the modified characteristics.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (1) comprises the steps of:

receiving a user profile from a database stored on a user profile storage device; and

storing said user profile in a memory contained in said call establishment apparatus.

16. A method comprising:

(1) receiving a call establishment request having a first priority level associated with an originating unit stored in a first memory and a second priority level associated with a destination unit stored in a second memory remote from said first memory;

(2) when a predetermined resource is not available, determining if there is a resource available to establish a call between said originating unit and said destination unit in accordance with said call establishment request based on said first priority level and said second priority level; and

(3) establishing a call in accordance with said call establishment request if it is determined that there is a resource available to establish said call establishment request based on said first priority level and second priority level.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step (2) comprises the step of:

assuring the availability of at least one resource to establish a call request having a priority level equivalent to a predetermined highest priority level.