Methods and systems for mode selection based on access network capacity

• US 6,400,954 B1
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Khan, Farooq, Turina, Dalibor, Frodigh, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/079,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 435/436, 435/438, 435/443, 435/444, 435/445, 435/449, 435/450, 435/452, 435/453, 435/464, 435/466, 435/509, 435/507, 370/207, 370/223, 370/294, 370/337, 370/329, 370/332, 370/252, 370/536, 370/266, 379/221
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A radiocommunication system supports high throughput rates over an air interface. An access network interface, e.g., between a base station and base station controller, conveys information between the base station and the rest of the terrestrial system. Techniques are provided to adjust transmission rates over the air interface based on loading of the access network. Techniques are also provided to control bandwidth allocation over the access network interface and distribute call blocking/delay percentages when there is an imbalance between the capacity of the air interface and the access network interface.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information in a radiocommunication system comprising the steps of:

having an air interface and a fixed interface;

determining a first information transmission rate for a new connection to be established over said air interface;

evaluating a remaining capacity of an access network which provides for transmission of information between two fixed nodes in said radiocommunication system via said fixed interface in said radiocommunication system;

selectively reducing a second information transmission rate associated with at least one ongoing connection to provide additional access network capacity if insufficient access network capacity is available to establish said new connection;

establishing said new connection; and

transmitting said information on said new connection using said first information rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of:

evaluating characteristics of said air interface and determining said first information transmission rate based on said characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

allocating resources on said access network based, at least in part, on a service class associated with said new connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selectively reducing further comprises the step of:

adjusting at least one of a modulation scheme, a coding scheme, a spreading code, and a spreading factor associated with said ongoing connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

using asynchronous mode transfer techniques to convey information over said access network interface.

6. A method for communicating information in a radiocommunication system having an air interface and a fixed interface comprising the steps of:

determining an information rate for a new connection to be established over said air interface;

evaluating a remaining capacity of an access network over which information is transmitted between two fixed nodes in said radiocommunication system via said fixed interface in said radiocommunication system;

selectively reducing said information rate associated said new connection to provide additional access network capacity;

establishing said new connection; and

transmitting said information on said new connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of:

evaluating characteristics of said air interface and determining said information transmission rate based on said characteristics.

8. The method of claim 6, farther comprising the step of:

allocating resources on said access network based, at least in part, on a service class associated with said new connection.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of selectively reducing further comprises the step of:

adjusting at least one of a modulation scheme, a coding scheme, a spreading code, and a spreading factor associated with said new connection.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

using asynchronous mode transfer techniques to convey information over said access network interface.

11. A radiocommunication system comprising:

a base station for transmitting information to, and receiving information from, a plurality of remote units over an air interface;

a central station for transmitting information to, and receiving information from, said base station over an access network interface;

wherein a connection between said base station and a remote unit is assigned to a predetermined service class; and

wherein a bandwidth available for allocation to said connection for transmitting information associated with said connection to and from said central station over said access network interface is based upon said predetermined service class.

12. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein said central station is a base station controller (BSC).

13. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein an amount of bandwidth on said access network interface is assigned to each predetermined service class based upon blocking percentage.

14. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein an amount of bandwidth on said access network interface is assigned to each predetermined service class based upon delay.

15. The radiocommunication system of claim 13, wherein one of said predetermined service classes is associated with speech traffic and said assigned amount of bandwidth for said one of said predetermined speech classes is sufficient to ensure a substantially zero blocking percentage.

16. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein said predetermined service classes include real time communication and packet data.

17. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, further comprising:

a buffer for holding data packets which cannot currently be transmitted over said access network interface since priority bandwidth is provided to speech traffic.

18. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein said access network interface uses asynchronous transfer mode data communication.

19. The radiocommunication system of claim 11, wherein at least three predetermined service classes are defined, a first service class having a first portion of said allocatable bandwidth dedicated thereto, a second service class having a second portion of said allocatable bandwidth shared between said second service class and said first service class and a third service class sharing a third portion of said allocatable bandwidth with said first and second service classes.