Channel allocation method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for selecting a channel for wireless communications, comprising:
- storage means arranged to store data representing available communications channels, selecting means for selecting one of the available communications channels for a communication, requesting means for sending a request signal to a remote station in response to any of said available communication channels being selected for said communication such that the number of available communications channels falls below a predetermined low level of at least one;
receiving means for receiving from the remote station an allocation signal representing a number of additional communications channels, the number being a non-negative integer, and modifying means for modifying said data so as to additionally include any of said additional communications channels as ones of said available communications channels.
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Abstract
In a satellite communications network, local pools of available carriers are assigned to each ground earth station GES by a network channel management station NCMS, which stores a pool of unallocated carriers. If the number of unused carriers in a local pool falls below a predetermined level, additional carriers are allocated from a regional pool in the network channel management station NCMS. If the number of carriers in a local pool exceeds a predetermined level, the excess carriers are released to the regional pool so that they can be allocated to local pools in other ground earth stations GES.
27 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Apparatus for selecting a channel for wireless communications, comprising:
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storage means arranged to store data representing available communications channels, selecting means for selecting one of the available communications channels for a communication, requesting means for sending a request signal to a remote station in response to any of said available communication channels being selected for said communication such that the number of available communications channels falls below a predetermined low level of at least one;
receiving means for receiving from the remote station an allocation signal representing a number of additional communications channels, the number being a non-negative integer, and modifying means for modifying said data so as to additionally include any of said additional communications channels as ones of said available communications channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
sending means for sending to the remote station a channel release signal representing the one or more removed channels.
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4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the modifying means is responsive to the number of available communications channels rising above a predetermined high level.
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5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the adjusting means is operable to adjust the value of the high level.
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6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adjusting means is responsive to a level control signal from the remote station.
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7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including reporting means or sending to the remote station said data representing available communications channels.
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8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including replacing means for replacing said data with backup data representing backup available communications channels.
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9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including communication means for performing communication via the selected channel.
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10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels are satellite communications channels.
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11. A satellite including apparatus as claimed in claim 10.
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12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels are terrestrial cellular communications channels.
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13. A communications station including apparatus as claimed in claim 1.
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14. A network control station including apparatus as claimed in claim 1.
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15. A method of selecting channels for wireless communications, comprising storing data representing available channels, selecting one of the available channels for a communication, sending a request signal to a remote station in response to any of said available communication channels being selected for said communication such that the number of available communications channels falls below a predetermined low level of at least one, receiving in response thereto an allocation signal representing a number of additional communications channels, and modifying said data so as additionally to represent said additional communications channels.
Specification