System for providing prioritized wireless communication service to wireless communication subscribers

• US 6,282,429 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wolchik, Diane Colby, Baiyor, Robert John
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/421,719
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 455/512, 455/414, 455/412, 455/433, 455/436, 455/438, 455/456, 455/509, 455/560, 455/552, 455/452, 455/522, 455/450, 455/511, 455/507, 455/517, 455/434, 455/453, 370/328, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/512
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

The system for providing prioritized wireless communication service to wireless communication subscribers provides the capability to restrict access to wireless communications services to a selected set of subscribers, such that their access to wireless communication services is given preferential treatment. This is accomplished by provisioning the cell sites of a wireless communications system into a plurality of service priority groupings, with wireless subscribers being assigned a one of the plurality of service priorities. The wireless service provider can then differentially provide wireless communication services to the wireless subscribers, based upon the service priority assigned to a particular subscriber. The wireless subscribers who have been assigned a predetermined service priority are provided with access to wireless communication capacity in the wireless communication system via the dialing of a predetermined feature code to ensure their preferential access to wireless communication services.

Claims

1. A system for providing wireless communication service on a preferential basis to predefined ones of wireless subscribers from the wireless subscribers requesting wireless communication service in a wireless communication system which comprises a mobile switching center that controls the operation of a plurality of cell sites, comprising:

memory means for storing data indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities, each of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities defining a level of preferential access to wireless services from said mobile switching center, and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these service priorities;

means, responsive to receipt of service requests from said wireless subscribers in excess of capacity of said mobile switching center to serve said received service requests, for selecting at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities to provide preferential access to wireless communication facilities by wireless subscribers who have an assigned wireless subscriber service priority corresponding to said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities; and

means, responsive to receipt of data from a call originating one of said wireless subscribers indicative of a service request, for comparing said received data with said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for rejecting a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority fails to match one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities; and

means for serving a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority matches one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for comparing is operational in said mobile switching center, said means for serving comprises:

means, operable in said cell site, for extending a call connection from said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center through said cell site;

means for transmitting said received data and data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center; and

means, operable in said mobile switching center, for comparing said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory means, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said means for serving further comprises:

means, responsive to a match of said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory;

means, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities, for serving said call initiation service request received from said wireless subscriber.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for storing data indicative of wireless call capacity allocated for wireless subscribers in each of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for determining a wireless subscriber service priority assigned to a wireless subscriber who generates a call initiation service request;

means for determining availability of wireless call capacity reserved, as defined by data stored in said means for storing data indicative of wireless call capacity, for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority; and

means, responsive to a determined availability of said wireless call capacity reserved for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority, for serving said call initiation service request received from said wireless subscriber.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for selecting further comprises:

means for determining a service priority assigned to a wireless subscriber who generates a call handoff service request;

means for determining availability of wireless call capacity reserved, as defined by data stored in said means for storing data indicative of wireless call capacity, for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority; and

means, responsive to a determined availability of said wireless call capacity reserved for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority, for serving said call handoff service request received from said wireless subscriber.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for rejecting a call handoff service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority fails to match one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for serving a call handoff service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority matches one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for comparing comprises:

means, responsive to said wireless subscriber dialing a feature code indicative of a service request, for comparing said received feature code data with said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

11. A method of providing wireless communication service on a preferential basis to predefined ones of wireless subscribers from the wireless subscribers requesting wireless communication service in a wireless communication system which comprises a mobile switching center that controls the operation of a plurality of cell sites, comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory data indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities, each of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities defining a level of preferential access to wireless services from said mobile switching center, and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities;

selecting, in response to receipt of service requests from said wireless subscribers in excess of capacity of said mobile switching center to serve said received service requests, at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities to provide preferential access to wireless communication facilities by wireless subscribers who have an assigned wireless subscriber service priority corresponding to said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities; and

comparing, in response to receipt of data from a call originating one of said wireless subscribers indicative of a service request, said received data with said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

rejecting a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned service priority fails to match one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities; and

serving a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned service priority matches one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of comparing is executed in said mobile switching center, said step of serving comprises:

extending in said cell site a call connection from said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center through said cell site;

transmitting said received data and data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center; and

comparing in said mobile switching center said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of serving further comprises:

serving, in response to a match of said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities, said call initiation service request received from said wireless subscriber.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

storing data in a memory indicative of wireless call capacity allocated for wireless subscribers in each of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

determining a wireless subscriber service priority assigned to a wireless subscriber who generates a call initiation service request;

determining availability of wireless call capacity reserved, as defined by data stored in said memory indicative of wireless call capacity, for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority; and

serving, in response to a determined availability of said wireless call capacity reserved for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority, said call initiation service request received from said wireless subscriber.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of selecting further comprises:

determining a wireless subscriber service priority assigned to a wireless subscriber who generates a call handoff service request;

determining availability of wireless call capacity reserved, as defined by data stored in said memory indicative of wireless call capacity, for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority; and

serving, in response to a determined availability of said wireless call capacity reserved for wireless subscribers assigned said wireless subscriber service priority, said call handoff service request received from said wireless subscriber.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

rejecting a call handoff service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority fails to match one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

serving a call handoff service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority matches one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of comparing comprises:

comparing, in response to said wireless subscriber dialing a feature code indicative of a service request, said received feature code data with said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

21. A system for providing prioritized wireless communication service on a preferential basis to predefined ones of wireless subscribers from the wireless subscribers requesting wireless communication service in a wireless communication system which comprises a mobile switching center that controls the operation of a plurality of cell sites, comprising:

memory means for storing data indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities, each of said plurality Of wireless subscriber service priorities defining a level of preferential access to wireless services from said mobile switching center, and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities;

means, responsive to receipt of service requests from said wireless subscribers in excess of capacity of said mobile switching center to serve said received service requests, for selecting at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities to provide preferential access to wireless communication facilities in each of said plurality of cell sites by wireless subscribers who have an assigned wireless subscriber service priority corresponding to said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities;

means, responsive to receipt of feature code dialed data from a call originating one of said wireless subscribers at a one of said cell sites indicative of a wireless subscriber service priority, for comparing in said mobile switching center said received feature code data with said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities;

means for rejecting at said mobile switching center a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority fails to match one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities; and

means for serving at said mobile switching center a call initiation service request received from a wireless subscriber whose assigned wireless subscriber service priority matches one of said selected at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said means for comparing is operational in said mobile switching center, said means for serving comprises:

means, operable in said cell site, for extending a call connection from said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center through said cell site;

means for transmitting said received data and data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber to said mobile switching center; and

means, operable in said mobile switching center, for comparing said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory means, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said means for serving further comprises:

means, responsive to a match of said received data and said data indicative of an identity of said wireless subscriber with said data, stored in said memory means, indicative of a plurality of wireless subscriber service priorities and the identity of wireless subscribers who are assigned these wireless subscriber service priorities, for serving said call initiation service request received from said wireless subscriber.