Apparatus, and associated method, for allocating channels in a radio communication system responsive to mobile station movement

• US 7,096,019 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Shu-Shaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US10/160,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 455/441, 455/552, 455/434, 455/444, 455/437, 455/436, 455/69, 455/226.1, 455/136, 455/440, 455/456, 455/524, 455/525, 455/447, 455/62, 455/63, 455/442, 370/337, 370/468
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for allocating channels within a cell of a cellular communication system. Allocations are made by an allocator based upon determinations made by a determiner of the likelihood of movement of the mobile station. Determinations made by the determiner are made responsive to analyses of indicia of prior movement behavior of the mobile station stored at a home location register associated with the mobile station. Channel reuse is effectuated if the mobile station is determined to be stationary or moving at a speed less than a selected threshold. Otherwise, uniquely-assigned channels are allocated to the mobile station.

Claims

1. Apparatus for selectably assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and a mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided by the first network station into a first zone and at least a second zone, comprising:

a position and movement determiner adapted to receive indicia associated with positioning and movement of the mobile station, the position and movement determiner configured to determine a position of the mobile station and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

a channel allocator adapted to receive an indication of a determination made by the position and movement determiner, the channel allocator configured to assign the channel for the communications between the first network station and the mobile station, channel assignation made by the channel allocator responsive, at least in part, to the position and the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile stations,

wherein the position and movement determiner further determines whether the statistical indication of the speed at which the mobile station is moving is greater than a selected threshold, the channel assignation made by the channel allocator being responsive, in part, to the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station comprises assignation made responsive to determinations made by the position and movement determiner of whether the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is greater than the selected threshold, and wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is made for the at least one of the first zone and the second zone, the channel assignation being made pursuant to a channel reuse scheme when the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is determined to be less than the selected threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is for a uniquely-assigned channel, throughout all zones of the cell, when the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is determined to be greater than the selected threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio communication system operates pursuant to a code-division, multi-access (CDMA) scheme and wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator comprises a code assignation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an indicia database coupled to the position and movement determiner, the indicia database for maintaining a positioning and movement history of the mobile station and wherein the indicia to which the position and movement determiner is adapted to receive is originated at the indicia database.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the statistical indication of the speed at which the mobile station is moving is determined responsive to the movement history of the mobile station.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the radio communication system comprises a cellular communication system having a location register associated with the mobile station, and wherein the indicia database is embodied at the location register.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station determined by the position and movement determiner comprises a probability that the mobile station is moving at a selected speed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first zone and the at least the second zone into which the cell is divided comprises a plurality of zones, a zone of the plurality at which the mobile station is positioned forming an active zone, zones positioned within a selected proximity to the active zone forming proximate zones, and the zones positioned beyond the selected proximity forming nonproximity zones and wherein the position determined by the position and movement determiner comprises an indication of the active zone at which the mobile station is positioned.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is selectably further responsive to which ones of the plurality of zones from the active and proximate zones, respectively, and which zones from nonproximate zones.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the channel assignation made by the channel assignor is made pursuant to a channel reuse scheme when the mobile station is determined to be moving at a speed less than a selected threshold, the channel assigned pursuant to the channel assignation selected pursuant to the channel reuse schedule from channels assigned for use at the nonproximate zones.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each zone of the plurality of zones is defined by a transmit/receive antenna, downlink transmission made at each transmit antenna, generated in synchronization, uplink transmission detected pursuant to a macro diversity scheme, and wherein determination made by the position and movement determiner are made responsive to macro diversity detections made at the transmit/receive antenna of the uplink transmissions.

12. A method for assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided into a first zone and at least a second zone, comprising:

determining positioning of, and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

selectably assigning the channel for the communications between the mobile station and the first network station responsive, at lest in part, to the position and statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station,

wherein the operation of determining comprises determining whether the statistical indication of the speed indicates the mobile station to be moving at greater than a selected threshold, and wherein the channel selectably assigned during the operation of assigning is assigned pursuant to a channel reuse scheme when the mobile station is determined, during the operation of determining, to be moving at less than the selected threshold.

13. Apparatus for selectably assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and a mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided by the first network station into a first zone and at least a second zone, comprising:

a position and movement determiner adapted to receive indicia associated with positioning and movement of the mobile station, the position and movement determiner configured to determine a position of the mobile station and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

a channel allocator adapted to receive an indication of a determination made by the position and movement determiner, the channel allocator configured to assign the channel for the communications between the first network station and the mobile station, channel assignation made by the channel allocator responsive, at least in part, to the position and the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station,

wherein the position and movement determiner further determines whether the statistical indication of the speed at which the mobile station is moving is greater than a selected threshold, the channel assignation made by the channel allocator being responsive, in part, to the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station comprises assignation made responsive to determinations made by the position and movement determiner of whether the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is greater than the selected threshold, and wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is for a uniquely-assigned channel, throughout all zones of the cell, when the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is determined to be greater than the selected threshold.

14. Apparatus for selectably assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and a mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided by the first network station into a first zone and at least a second zone, comprising:

a position and movement determiner adapted to receive indicia associated with positioning and movement of the mobile station, the position and movement determiner configured to determine a position of the mobile station and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving;

a channel allocator adapted to receive an indication of a determination made by the position and movement determiner, the channel allocator configured to assign the channel for the communications between the first network station and the mobile station, channel assignation made by the channel allocator responsive, at least in part, to the position and the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station;

an indicia database coupled to the position and movement determiner, the indicia database maintaining a positioning and movement history of the mobile station,

wherein the indicia to which the position and movement determiner is adapted to receive is originated at the indicia database, and wherein the statistical indication of the speed at which the mobile station is moving is determined responsive to the movement history of the mobile station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the position and movement determiner further determines whether the statistical indication of the speed at which the mobile station is moving is greater than a selected threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is responsive, in part, to the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station comprises assignation made responsive to determinations made by the position and movement determiner of whether the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station is greater than the selected threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the radio communication system comprises a cellular communication system having a location register associated with the mobile station, and wherein the indicia database is embodied at the location register.

18. Apparatus for selectably assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and a mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided by the first network station into a first zone and at least a second zone, comprising:

a position and movement determiner adapted to receive indicia associated with positioning and movement of the mobile station, the position and movement determiner configured to determine a position of the mobile station and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

a channel allocator adapted to receive an indication of a determination made by the position and movement determiner, the channel allocator configured to assign the channel for the communications between the first network station and the mobile station, channel assignation made by the channel allocator responsive, at least in part, to the position and the statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station,

wherein the first zone and the at least the second zone into which the cell is divided comprises a plurality of zones, a zone of the plurality at which the mobile station is positioned forming an active zone, zones positioned within a selected proximity to the active zone forming proximate zones, and the zones positioned beyond the selected proximity forming nonproximity zones and wherein the position determined by the position and movement determiner comprises an indication of the active zone at which the mobile station is positioned.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the channel assignation made by the channel allocator is selectably further responsive to which ones of the plurality of zones from the active and proximate zones, respectively, and which zones from nonproximate zones.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel assignation made by the channel assignor is made pursuant to a channel reuse scheme when the mobile station is determined to be moving at a speed less than a selected threshold, the channel assigned pursuant to the channel assignation selected pursuant to the channel reuse schedule from channels assigned for use at the nonproximate zones.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each zone of the plurality of zones is defined by a transmit/receive antenna, downlink transmission made at each transmit antenna, generated in synchronization, uplink transmission detected pursuant to a macro diversity scheme, and wherein determination made by the position and movement determiner are made responsive to macro diversity detections made at the transmit/receive antenna of the uplink transmissions.

22. A method for assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided into a first zone and at least a second zone, the method comprising the operations of:

determining positioning of, and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

selectably assigning the channel for the communications between the mobile station and the first network station responsive, at lest in part, to the position and statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station,

wherein the operation of determining comprises determining whether the statistical indication of the speed indicates the mobile station to be moving at greater than a selected threshold, wherein the channel selectably assigned during the operation of assigning comprises a uniquely-assigned channel throughout the cell when the mobile station is determined, during the operation of determining, to be greater than the selected threshold.

23. A method for assigning a channel for communications between a first network station and mobile station positioned within a cell defined by the first network station, the cell divided into a first zone and at least a second zone, the method comprising the operations of:

determining positioning of, and a statistical indication of a speed, if any, at which the mobile station is moving; and

selectably assigning the channel for the communications between the mobile station and the first network station responsive, at lest in part, to the position and statistical indication of the speed of the mobile station,

wherein the operation of determining comprises determining whether the statistical indication of the speed indicates the mobile station to be moving at greater than a selected threshold, and wherein determinations made during the operation of determining are made responsive to values maintained at a positioning and movement history database.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the operation of determining further comprises determining whether the statistical indication of the speed indicates the mobile station to be moving at greater than a selected threshold.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the channel selectably assigned during the operation of assigning comprises a uniquely-assigned channel throughout the cell when the mobile station is determined, during the operation of determining, to be greater than the selected threshold.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising the preliminary operation of maintaining a positioning and movement history database and wherein determinations made during the operation of determining are made responsive to values maintained at the database.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein values maintained at the positioning and movement history database are provided thereto at selected intervals by the mobile station.