Asymmetric measurement-based dynamic packet assignment system and method for wireless data services

• US 7,180,877 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benveniste, Mathilde
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mered; Habte
• Application Number:
  US11/209,893
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349, 370/389, 370/345, 370/247, 370/251, 370/277, 370/208, 370/203, 370/204, 370/206, 370/328, 370/343, 370/491, 370/500, 370/74, 370/98, 370/431, 370/321, 370/319, 370/329, 370/337, 370/344, 370/347, 370/280, 370/281, 370/294, 370/295, 370/330, 370/341, 375/144, 375/260, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/62, 455/450, 455/451, 455/453, 455/464, 455/561, 455/65, 455/524, 455/69, 455/455, 455/456.2, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

A method and system for assigning downlink and uplink channels to a mobile station registered with a base station, which uses an interference-sensing scheme and which provides improved reliability and performance over conventional schemes.

Claims

1. A method of assigning a downlink channel to a mobile station registered with a base station, comprising the steps of:

a) turning off pilot tones being transmitted by a plurality of active mobile stations registered with the base station, each turned off pilot tone corresponding to an assigned downlink channel;

b) paging the mobile station with a pending traffic packet from the base station;

c) performing interference sensing at the base station to identify interference-free downlink channels;

d) assigning, at the base station, a downlink traffic channel to the mobile station to receive the pending packet; and

e) transmitting the downlink channel assignment from the base station to the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein downlink channels are assigned to a plurality of mobile stations registered with the base station.

3. A system for assigning a downlink channel to a mobile station registered with a base station, comprising:

means for turning off pilot tones being transmitted by a plurality of active mobile stations registered with the base station, each turned off pilot tone corresponding to an assigned downlink channel;

means for paging the mobile station with a pending traffic packet from the base station;

means for performing interference sensing at the base station to identify interference-free downlink channels;

means for assigning, at the base station, a downlink traffic channel to the mobile station to receive the pending packet; and

means for transmitting the downlink channel assignment from the base station to the mobile station.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein downlink channels are assigned to a plurality of mobile stations registered with the base station.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of base stations and the system operates on each of the plurality of base stations.

6. A computer program product for assigning a downlink channel to a mobile station registered with a base station, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

computer program instructions, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable by a processor, for performing the steps of;

a) turning off pilot tones being transmitted by a plurality of active mobile stations registered with the base station, each turned off pilot tone corresponding to an assigned downlink channel;

b) paging the mobile station with a pending traffic packet from the base station;

c) performing interference sensing at the base station to identify interference-free downlink channels;

d) assigning, at the base station, a downlink traffic channel to the mobile station to receive the pending packet; and

e) transmitting the downlink channel assignment from the base station to the mobile station.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein downlink channels are assigned to a plurality of mobile stations registered with the base station.