System and method for reducing dropped calls in a wireless communications network

• US 6,690,938 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chin, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/306,230
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/453, 455/436, 455/442, 455/443, 455/445, 455/455, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system and method for managing wireless communications system resources. The system includes a first mechanism that determines currently available wireless communications system traffic resources and provides a signal in response thereto. A second mechanism de-allocates wireless communications system supplemental resources and reallocates the supplemental resources as traffic resources in response to the signal. In a specific embodiment, the currently available wireless communications system traffic resources include currently available traffic channels, and the supplemental resources include supplemental channels. The first mechanism includes a mechanism that compares a number of in-use traffic channels with a number of total traffic channels and provides the signal when the difference between the number of total traffic channels and the number of in-use traffic channels is less than a predetermined threshold. The first mechanism further includes a mechanism that monitors when a call handoff request and/or a call origination request is blocked at a base station transceiver subsystem call resource manager and provides the signal when the call is blocked. The second mechanism includes a mechanism for sending a message to a selector bank subsystem radio link manager, receiving a response from the selector bank subsystem radio link manager and de-allocating the supplemental resources.

Claims

1. A system for reducing dropped calls in a wireless communications network comprising:

means for determining currently available wireless communications system traffic resources;

means for estimating that a time required for a request for release of supplemental resources to be sent, a response to be sent back, for supplemental resources to be de-allocated and reallocated as traffic channels will not cause a dropped call;

means for transmitting said request for release of supplemental resources in response to determining currently available wireless communications system traffic resources; and

means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources and providing said supplemental resources for use as traffic resources in response to said request for release of supplement resources.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said currently available wireless communications system traffic resources include currently available traffic channels.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless communications system supplemental resources include supplemental channels.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining includes means for comparing a number of used traffic channels with a number of total traffic channels and providing said request when the difference between said number of total traffic channels and said number of used traffic channels is less than a threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining includes means for monitoring when a call handoff request and/or a call origination request is blocked at a base station transceiver subsystem call resource manager and providing said request when said call is blocked.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for selectively de-allocating includes means for sending a message to a selector bank subsystem radio link manager, receiving a first response from said selector bank subsystem radio link manager, requesting a de-allocation of said supplemental resources, and upon completion of de-allocation in response to said de-allocation request, reallocating said supplemental resources as traffic resources by controlling corresponding traffic channel elements.

7. The system of claim 6 further including means for estimating said time required by said means for sending said request, receiving said response, de-allocating said supplemental resources, and reallocating said supplemental resources, and disabling said means for sending said request if said time is larger than a predetermined time.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for selectively de-allocating includes software running on a base station transceiver subsystem.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources and providing said supplemental resources for use as traffic resources as a function of the currently in-use supplemental resources and the estimated time.

10. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining currently in-use supplemental resources.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein said means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources further comprises:

means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system fundamental resources and providing said fundamental resources for use as traffic resources.

12. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining currently in-use supplemental resources, wherein said means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources and providing said supplemental resources for use as traffic resources further comprises;

means for selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources and providing said supplemental resources for use as traffic resources as a function of the currently in-use supplemental resources.

13. A system for managing traffic resources and supplementary resources in a wireless communications system comprising:

means for maintaining a predetermined threshold for traffic resources;

means for determining if currently available traffic resources are below said threshold and providing a request for release of supplemental resources in response thereto;

means for estimating that a time required for said request for release of supplemental resources to be sent, a response to be sent back, for supplemental resources to be de-allocated and reallocated as traffic channels will not cause a dropped call; and

means for de-allocating in-use supplementary resources and reallocating said supplementary resources as traffic resources so that said traffic resources are above said threshold in response to said request.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for de-allocating includes means for initiating a request from a call resource manager in a base station transceiver subsystem to a selector bank subsystem within a base station controller governing said wireless communications system to reassign channel elements associated with supplemental channels to traffic channel elements.

15. A method for reducing dropped calls in a wireless communications network comprising the steps of:

determining currently available wireless communications system traffic resources and providing a request for release of supplemental resources in response thereto;

estimating a time required for a request for release of supplemental resources to be sent, a response to be sent back, for supplemental resources to be de-allocated and reallocated as traffic channels; and

selectively de-allocating wireless communications system supplemental resources and reallocating said supplemental resources as traffic resources in response to said request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said currently available wireless communications system traffic resources include currently available traffic channels.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said wireless communications system supplemental resources include supplemental channels.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said determining includes comparing a number of used traffic channels with a number of total traffic channels and providing said request when the difference between said number of total traffic channels and said number of used traffic channels is less than a threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said determining includes monitoring when a call handoff request and/or a call origination request is blocked at a base station transceiver subsystem call resource manager and providing said signal when said call is blocked.

20. The method of claim 15, where said selectively de-allocating includes sending a message to a selector bank subsystem radio link manager, requesting a de-allocation in response to said de-allocation request, reallocating said supplemental resources as traffic resources by controlling corresponding traffic channel elements.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising disabling said sending a message if said estimated time is larger than a predetermined time.

22. A method for managing traffic resources and supplementary resources in a wireless communications system, comprising:

maintaining a threshold for traffic resources;

determining if currently available traffic resources are below said threshold and providing a signal in response thereto;

estimating a time required for a request for release of in-use supplemental resources to be sent, a response to be sent back, for in-use supplemental resources to be de-allocated and reallocated as traffic channels; and

de-allocating in-use supplementary resources and reallocating said supplementary resources as traffic resources so that said traffic resources are above said threshold in response to said signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said de-allocating includes initiating a request from a call resource manager in a base station transceiver subsystem to a selector bank subsystem within a base station controller governing said wireless communication system to reassign channel elements associated with supplemental channels to traffic channel elements.

24. A base station, comprising:

a call resource manager that receives a request for release of a supplemental channel,

receives a time estimate for a request for release of the supplemental channel to be sent, a response to be sent back, for the supplemental channel to be de-allocated and reallocated as a traffic channel; and

if the time estimate is above a predetermined value,

commands a release of the supplemental channel, receives a response indicating release of the supplemental channel, and sends a response message indicating allocation of the released supplemental channel.

25. The base station of claim 24 further comprising an overhead channel manager that manages access and registration messages.

26. A base station, comprising:

a call resource manager that receives a handoff message from a first mobile station, receives a time estimate for a request for release of supplemental channels to be sent, a response to be sent back, for the supplemental channels to be de-allocated and reallocated as traffic channels;

sends a first release m supplemental channels (m≧

1) message to a second mobile station, receives a second release m supplemental channels message from the second mobile station, sends to the second mobile station, a response message to the second release m supplemental channels message, sends a de-allocate request message requesting de-allocation of a m supplemental channels, receives a de-allocate response message for every supplemental channel indicating a supplemental channel was de-allocated, and sends a resource response message to the first mobile station indicating the m supplemental channels were de-allocated; and

a traffic channel element that allocates and releases the m supplemental channels.