Method and apparatus for managing overhead channel in mobile communication system

• US 6,631,121 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Sung-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye, Saba
• Application Number:
  US09/061,560
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/320, 370/329, 370/335, 370/342, 370/431, 370/441, 455/452, 455/453, 455/450
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing an overhead channel of a base station in a mobile communication system. The method begins with the step of calculating a load of the base station and determining a threshold value as a percentage of the calculated load. The system then monitors an actual load of the base station to determine if the load has reached the threshold value. If the load reaches the threshold value, an additional overhead channel assignment request message is transmitted to a channel card interface processor which assigns an additional overhead channel in response. If the load is subsequently lowered, an overhead channel assignment release request message is provided to the channel card interface processor which releases the additional overhead channel.

Claims

1. A method for managing an overhead channel of a base station in a mobile communication system, comprising the steps of:

calculating a load of said base station based upon a number of bits generated with each message and a channel data rate;

assigning a threshold value based on said calculated load;

monitoring an actual load of said base station;

if said actual load reaches said threshold value, assigning an additional overhead channel; and

if said actual load is lowered below said threshold value, releasing said overhead channel.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said assigning step further includes the step of transmitting an additional overhead channel assignment request message to a channel card interface processor; and

said releasing step further includes the step of transmitting an overhead channel assignment release request message to said channel card interface processor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said threshold value is about 80-85% of the calculated load.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said overhead channel is at least one of a paging channel and an access channel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication system is a CDMA system having a forward CDMA channel and a reverse CDMA channel, said overhead channel being a paging channel in the forward CDMA channel and said overhead channel being an access channel in the reverse CDMA channel.

6. A system for managing an overhead channel of a base station in a mobile communication system, comprising:

means for calculating a load of said base station based upon a number of bits generated in each message and a channel data rate, and a threshold value based on said calculated load;

means for monitoring an actual load of said base station;

means for comparing said actual load to said threshold value;

means for assigning an additional overhead channel when said actual load is at least equal to said threshold value; and

means for releasing said additional overhead channel when said actual load is less than said threshold value.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said calculating means assigns said threshold value in a range of about 80-85% of a said calculated load.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said overhead channel is at least one of a paging channel and an access channel.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile communication system is a CDMA system having a forward CDMA channel and a reverse CDMA channel, said overhead channel being a paging channel in the forward CDMA channel and said overhead channel being an access channel in the reverse CDMA channel.

10. An apparatus for managing an overhead channel of a base station in a mobile communication system, comprising:

a calculation processor for calculating a load of said base station based upon a number of bits generated in each message and a channel data rate, and assigning a threshold value based on said calculated load;

a storage unit for storing resources related to the additional assignment of said overhead channel on the basis of the calculated load;

a channel card interface processor, said channel card interface processor assigning an additional overhead channel in response to a received overhead channel assignment request message and releasing said overhead channel in response to a received overhead channel assignment release request message; and

an overhead channel controller operatively coupled to said channel card interface processor, said overhead channel controller transmitting said additional overhead channel assignment request message if an actual load reaches said threshold value and transmitting said overhead channel assignment release request message if the actual load is lowered below said threshold value.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said threshold value is about 80-85% of said calculated load.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said overhead channel is at least one of a paging channel and an access channel.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mobile communication system is a CDMA system having a forward CDMA channel and a reverse CDMA channel, said overhead channel being a paging channel in the forward CDMA channel and said overhead channel being an access channel in the reverse CDMA channel.