Method and apparatus for providing fair access in a group communication system

• US 6,295,284 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Maggenti, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/220,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/341, 370/342, 370/441, 370/442, 370/335, 370/443, 370/444, 370/461, 370/462, 370/347, 370/411, 370/351, 370/352, 709/220, 709/234, 709/313, 709/105, 709/106, 710/120, 710/240, 340/825.51, 340/825.03, 340/825.01, 340/825.52, 375/130, 375/134, 375/135
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing fair access in a group communication system. Permission to transmit is based on a variable-level priority scheme. The variable priority level of each member in the system is based upon the number of event occurrences that have occurred in the past. In a first embodiment, the number of event occurrences is defined as the number of times that a member has been denied permission to transmit. The more denials that a member accumulates, the higher an corresponding priority level becomes. In a second embodiment, the priority level is based on the amount of time which has elapsed from when a net member was last granted the transmission privilege. The greater the time differential between when a member has last been granted the transmission privilege and a present access request, the greater the variable priority level becomes.

Claims

1. A method for providing fair access to members of a push-to-talk communication system, comprising the steps of:

assigning a variable priority code to each of said members of said push-to-talk communication system;

adjusting at least one of said variable priority codes in response to at least one predefined event, the predefined event chosen from the group consisting of a number of time periods which have elapsed since the last time a member requesting said transmission privilege was granted said transmission privilege, and the number of times a member has requested said transmission privilege and has been denied said transmission privilege; and

granting a transmission privilege to one of said members based upon said variable priority codes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting at least one of said variable priority codes comprises the steps of:

generating a transmission denial to a first member; and

increasing a first variable priority code corresponding to said first member by a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of increasing said first variable priority code comprises the step of adding a predetermined value to said first variable priority code.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

assigning a fixed priority code to each of said members of said group communication system;

wherein said predetermined value is equal to a first fixed priority code corresponding to said first member.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of increasing said first variable priority code comprises the step of multiplying said first variable priority code by a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

assigning a fixed priority code to each of said members of said group communication system;

wherein said predetermined value is equal to a first fixed priority code corresponding to said first member.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of decreasing said first variable priority code if a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time that said transmission denial was generated.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of generating said transmission denial comprises the steps of:

receiving an access request from said first member;

determining that a second member currently holds said transmission privilege, said second member having a corresponding second variable priority code greater than said first priority code; and

increasing a denial count corresponding to said first member.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of notifying said first member that said access request has been denied.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of generating said transmission denial comprises the steps of:

receiving at least a first access request from said first member and a second access request from a second member at substantially the same time;

comparing said first variable priority code to a second variable priority code corresponding to said second member;

determining that said first variable priority code is lower than said second variable priority code; and

increasing a denial count corresponding to said first member.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of notifying said first member that said first access request has been denied.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of granting said transmission privilege comprises the steps of:

configuring a traffic controller to connect a transmission from a first member who has been granted said transmission privilege to at least one other member of said broadcast system; and

sending a confirmation message to said first member.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of adjusting a first variable priority code corresponding to said first member to a default value.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of decreasing a first variable priority code corresponding to said first member by a predetermined value.

15. Apparatus for providing fair access to members of a push-to-talk communication system, comprising:

a memory for storing a number of event occurrences corresponding to each of said members of said push-to-talk communication system, said event occurrences chosen from the group consisting of the number of time periods which have elapsed since a last time a member requesting said transmission privilege was granted said transmission privilege, and the number of times a member has requested said transmission privilege and has been denied said transmission privilege;

a processor for receiving a first access request from a first member, for retrieving a first number of event occurrences from said memory corresponding to said first member, for retrieving a second number of event occurrences from said memory corresponding to a second member, for comparing said first number of event occurrences to said second number of event occurrences, and for granting a transmission privilege to one of said first and second members based upon said comparison.

16. Apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a timer for providing a grant time at which a transmission privilege has been granted;

said memory further for storing said grant time corresponding to at least one of said members who has been granted said transmission privilege.

17. Apparatus of claim 15 wherein said number of event occurrences is defined as the number of times a corresponding member has requested and been denied said transmission privilege.

18. Apparatus of claim 15 wherein said number of event occurrences is defined as the number of time periods which have elapsed since a corresponding member has been granted said transmission privilege.

19. Apparatus of claim 18 wherein one of said time periods is equal to one second.

20. A method for providing fair access to a group communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first access request from a first member of said group communication system and a second access request from a second member of said group communication system;

retrieving a first number of event occurrences corresponding to said first member and retrieving a second number of event occurrences corresponding to said second member;

comparing said first number of event occurrences to said second number of event occurrences; and

awarding a transmission privilege to a single member based on said comparison.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said second access request occurs at substantially the same time as said first access request.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said second access request occurs after said first member currently holds said transmission privilege.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said number of event occurrences is defined as the number of times a corresponding member has requested and been denied said transmission privilege.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said number of event occurrences is defined as the number of time periods which have elapsed since a corresponding member has been granted said transmission privilege.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein one of said time periods is equal to one second.