Methods for determining a number of control channels in a cell

• US 6,272,352 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Cerwall, Carl Patrik, Helleberg, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/179,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 455/511, 455/509, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/453, 370/329, 370/330
• US Class Current: 455/511
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Methods of reconfiguring a cell regarding the number of signaling channels in relation to the number of traffic channels. Each signaling channel (SDCCH/8) contains a number of dedicated control channels (SDCCH), wherein a number of dedicated control channels are included in a basic configuration of control channels. If the channel utilization indicates that a basic configuration of control channels is congested for more than a certain percentage of time, a dedicated control channel is added to the basic configuration. If it is determined that the basic configuration, less one control channel, is congested less than a certain percentage of time then a control channel is removed from the basic configuration.

Claims

1. A method of reconfigurating a cell in a cellular mobile radio system in order to avoid congestion by converting a traffic channel to a dedicated control channel or vice versa, wherein each cell includes a basic number of allocated control channels and a number of traffic channels and where no dynamic reconfiguration on a short term basis is made, comprising the steps of:

a) investigating whether the total number of allocated control channels in a cell exceeds a basic number of such channels in the cell;

b) if so, adding an extra control channel to the basic number of such channels;

while if not

c) investigating whether the total number of allocated control channels exceeds a reduced number of said basic number of allocated control channels, and if so

d) removing at least one of said dedicated control channels from said basic configuration.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, in which the condition according to step a) is valid during a certain percentage of the time.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, in which the condition according to step c) is valid during a certain percentage of the time.

4. A method of reconfiguring a cell in a cellular mobile radio system in order to avoid congestion by converting a traffic channel to a dedicated control channel or vice versa, wherein each dedicated control channel includes number of allocated control channels and wherein each cell includes a basic number of allocated control channels and a number of traffic channels (TCH) and where no dynamic reconfiguration on a short term basis is made, comprising the steps of:

a) investigating whether there is congestion on allocated control channels more than a determined percentage of a certain time, and if so

b) adding an extra dedicated control channel to the basic configuration of allocated control channel while if not,

c) investigating whether the total number of allocated control channels is greater than a reduced number of the basic number of allocated control channels for a certain percentage of said time, and if so

d) removing one of said dedicated control channels from the basic configuration of allocated control channels.

5. A method of reconfiguring a cell in a cellular mobile radio system in order to avoid congestion when converting a traffic channel to a dedicated control channel or vice versa, wherein each dedicated control channel includes a number of allocated control channels and wherein each cell includes a basic number of such allocated control channels and a number of traffic channels and where a dynamic reconfiguration of the allocated control channels on a short term basis is made, comprising the steps of:

a) investigating whether the total number of allocated control channels in a cell exceeds a basic number of such allocated channels in the cell during a certain percentage of a certain time and if so;

b) adding an extra dedicated control channel to the basic number of such allocated channels;

while if not,

c) investigating whether the total number of allocated control channels exceeds a reduced number of said basic number of allocated control channels during a certain percentage of said time and if so,

d) removing one of said dedicated control channels from said basic number of allocated control channels.