Cellular telephone system which increases efficiency of reserved channel usage

• US 6,360,103 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Veerasamy, Jey
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILORD, MARCEAU
• Application Number:
  US09/817,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 455/512, 455/509, 455/527, 455/520, 455/521, 455/522, 455/426, 455/524, 455/464, 455/453, 455/450, 455/422
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

A wireless communication system, such as a cellular communication system prioritizes calls to have a low, regular or high priority. The communication channels provided by a base station are divided into regular channels and reserved channels. All calls are connected on regular channels until the regular channels are all full. When the regular channels are all full, then regular priority calls are connected as low priority calls or not at all. If a regular priority call is connected as a low priority call it is connected via a reserved channel. Once all the reserved channels are full, then a high priority call is attempted to be connected by dropping a low priority call and using the reserved channel that the low priority call was using.

Claims

1. A wireless communication network device comprising:

a base station providing a plurality of regular priority channels and at least one high priority channel for wireless communications with one or more mobile communication devices, said base station providing a mobile communication device having a regular priority with a high priority channel for a call when all of said plurality of regular priority channels are in use and notifying a user of said regular priority communication device that said call is subject to being dropped if a high priority communication device requires said high priority channel, said base station dropping communication with said regular priority mobile communication device on said high priority channel and providing said high priority channel to a mobile communication device having a high priority when there are no other channels available for a call requested by said high priority communication device.

2. For use in a wireless communication network, a base station that connects calls on a plurality of communication channels, said plurality of communication channels including a plurality of non-high priority communication channels at least one high priority communication channel, said base station operable, in response to receiving a high priority call, to (i) drop a non-high priority call from a high priority communication channel and (ii) connect said high priority call on said high priority communication channel, wherein a call user of said dropped non-high priority call is informed that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel.

3. The base station as set forth in claim 2, wherein said base station is further operable, in response to receiving a non-high priority call, to determine when all of said plurality of non-high priority communication channels are in use.

4. The base station as set forth in claim 2, wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any channel, to inform a call user that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel.

5. The base station as set forth in claim 4, wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, to receive a communication that said call user accepts being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority channel.

6. The base station as set forth in claim 4, wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, to receive a communication that said call user terminates said non-high priority call.

7. The base station as set forth in claim 2 wherein said calls are one of high priority calls and non-high priority calls and wherein at least ones of said non-high priority calls are regular priority calls, said base station further operable to connect a regular priority call on said at least one high priority communication channel in response to all non-high priority communication channels being in use.

8. The base station as set forth in claim 7 wherein said base station is further operable to determine when all non-high priority communication channels are in use.

9. The base station as set forth in claim 8 wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any channel, to inform a call user that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel.

10. The base station as set forth in claim 9 wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, to receive a communication that said call user accepts being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority channel.

11. The base station as set forth in claim 10, wherein said base station is further operable, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, to receive a communication that said call user terminates said non-high priority call.

12. The base station as set forth in claim 9 wherein said base station is further operable, when providing communication for said non-high priority call on said high priority communication channel, to identify said non-high priority call as a low priority call.

13. A method of operating a wireless communication network to manage calls on a plurality of communication channels, said wireless communication network comprising at least one base station that connects call on said plurality of communication channels, said plurality of communication channels including a plurality of non-high priority communication channels and at least one high priority communication channel, said method of operation comprising the steps of:

informing a call user of a non-high priority call that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel;

dropping said non-high priority call from said high priority communications channel in response to receiving a high priority call while said non-high priority call is being provided communication on said high priority communication channel; and

connecting said high priority call on said high priority communication channel.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the step of determining, in response to receiving a high priority call, when all of said plurality of non-high priority communications channels are in use.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the step of informing, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any channel, a call user that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 further comprising the step of receiving, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, a communication that said call user either (i) accepts being provided communication on a high priority communication channel, subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel, or (ii) terminates said non-high priority call.

17. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said calls are one of high priority calls and non-high priority calls and wherein at least ones of said non-high priority calls are regular priority calls, said method of operation further comprising the step of connecting a regular priority call on said at least one high plurality communication channel in response to all non-high priority communication channels being in use.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising the step of determining when all non-high priority communication channels are in use.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the step of informing, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any channel, a call user that said non-high priority call is being provided communication on a high priority communication channel and is subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of receiving, prior to connecting said non-high priority call to any communication channel, a communication that said call user either (i) accepts being provided communication on a high priority communication channel, subject to being dropped if a high priority call requires said high priority communication channel, or (ii) terminates said non-high priority call.

21. The method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of identifying, when providing communication for said non-high priority call on said high priority communication channel, said non-high priority call as a low priority call.