Multi-full rate channel assignment for a cellular telephone system

• US 6,295,453 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lachance, Matthieu, Desgagne, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/167,752
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452, 455/453, 455/436, 455/450, 455/34.2, 455/448, 370/433, 370/468, 370/342, 370/347
• US Class Current: 455/448
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Cellular telephone systems may have to handle high rate data calls that utilize multiple full rate channels within a frequency. It is important to increase the availability of the system for these high rate data calls while maintaining the quality of the radio links within the cellular radio network. A first sort is performed to find full rate channels that meet a requested call service type below the operator allowed cost threshold related to the radio conditions. Using the previously sorted FR channels, a second sort is performed to find the multi-full rate channel combinations that meet a requested call service rate. The call is then assigned to the found channel combination with the lowest cost. Otherwise, the system reduces the requested service rate of the call and attempts to place the call into a multi-full rate channel combination channel again. If the call has reached the minimum acceptable service rate, the system reduces an existing high rate call, and attempts to place the call into a multi-full rate channel combination. Additional functionality allows the system to perform intra-cell or intra-frequency hand-offs.

Claims

1. A method for use in a cellular telephone system for assigning a multi-full rate channel combination of traffic channels to a request for a call, comprising the steps of:

performing a full rate channel sort to identify available full rate channels that meet a certain service type for the call below an operator allowed cost threshold related to radio conditions;

performing a multi-full rate channel sort on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify multi-full rate channel combinations that meet a certain service rate for the call; and

assigning the call to one of the identified multi-full rate channel combinations by;

determining whether at least one multi-full rate channel combination meets the requested service rate by;

determining that no multi-full rate channel combinations as identified by the multi-full rate channel sort meet the requested service rate;

determining that the requested service rate for the call has not reached the minimum acceptable service rate level;

degrading the requested service rate of the call to a next available lower service rate level;

performing the multi-full rate channel sort process again on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify multi-full rate channel combinations that meet the degraded service rate; and

assigning the call to one of the multi-full rate channel combinations identified by the multi-full rate channel sort.

2. A method for use in a cellular telephone system for assigning a multi-full rate channel combination of traffic channels to a request for a call, comprising the steps of:

performing a full rate channel sort to identify available full rate channels that meet a certain service type for the call below an operator allowed cost threshold related to radio conditions;

performing a multi-full rate channel sort on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify multi-full rate channel combinations that meet a certain service rate for the call; and

assigning the call to one of the identified multi-full rate channel combinations by;

determining whether at least one multi-full rate channel combination meets the requested service rate by;

determining that the requested service rate for the call has reached the minimum acceptable level;

determining that an existing high service rate call can be degraded;

degrading an existing high service rate call to a lower available service rate level to free up one or more full rate channels; and

assigning the call to a multi-full rate channel combination including the freed up one or more full rate channels.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the step of determining that an existing high service rate can be degraded further comprises the steps of:

determining that no high service rate calls can be degraded; and

dropping the call request.

4. The method as in claim 2 wherein determining that an existing high service rate call can be degraded further comprises:

determining whether any existing high rate calls meet the service type of the requested call; and

determining whether the frequency containing the existing call has a cost below an operator allowed cost threshold.

5. The method as in claim 2 wherein degrading further comprises the steps of:

determining whether an intra-cell hand-off can be performed to provide adequate full rate availability; and

increasing the call service rate to the maximum full rate availability.

6. The method as in claim 2 wherein the existing high service rate call is an existing call having a lower cost than all existing high service rate calls.

7. A method for use in a cellular telephone system for assigning a multi-full rate channel combination of traffic channels to a request for a call, comprising the steps of:

performing a fill rate channel sort to identify available full rate channels that meet a certain service type for the call below an operator allowed cost threshold related to radio conditions;

performing a multi-full rate channel sort on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify multi-full rate channel combinations that meet a certain service rate for the call; and

assigning the call to one of the identified multi-full rate channel combinations by;

determining whether an intra-cell or intra-frequency hand-off can be performed to provide adequate full rate channel availability for assigning the call;

performing the intra-cell or intra-frequency hand-off; and

assigning the call to a multi-full rate channel combination including full rate channels made available by the intra-cell or intra-frequency hand-off.

8. A method for use in a cellular telephone system for assigning a traffic channel to a request for a call comprising the steps of:

performing a full rate channel sort to identify available full rate channels that meet a certain service type for the call below an operator allowed cost threshold related to radio conditions;

performing a multi-full rate channel sort on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify multi-full rate channel combinations that meet a certain service rate for the call;

determining that the certain service rate for the call cannot be accommodated with existing available multi-full rate channel combinations;

degrading the certain service rate of the call to a next available service rate level;

performing a multi-full rate channel sort on the identified full rate channels found in the full rate channel sort to identify new multi-full rate channel combinations that meet the degraded service rate for the call; and

assigning the call to one of the identified new multi-full rate channel combinations.

9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising the step of determining that no intra-cell or intra-frequency hand-off can be performed to provide adequate full rate availability.

10. The method as in claim 8 wherein the certain service rate further comprises a parameter that defines a requested service rate.

11. The method as in claim 8 wherein the certain service rate further comprises a parameter that defines a minimum acceptable service rate.

12. The method as in claim 8 wherein the allowed cost threshold is a parameter controlled by the operator.

13. The method as in claim 10 wherein the step of assigning comprises the steps of:

determining whether at least one multi-full rate channel combination meets the requested service rate; and

assigning the call to that multi-full rate channel combination.