Resource allocation in a radio access network

• US 7,558,588 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: To, Philip, Eyceoz, Tugay
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US11/282,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 4554351-4353, 455450-454, 455/432.3, 455/464, 455509-510, 455512-515, 455/527, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/561, 370/322, 370328-329, 370/338, 370/341, 370/348, 370/351, 370/395.2, 370/395.3, 370/395.4, 370/395.42, 370/395.43, 370/431, 370/444, 370/447, 370461-462, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229, 709/240
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

In a radio access network, techniques for enabling the network to provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the network to identify a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the premium service user prior to connection establishment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling a radio access network to provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

classifying the connection as having a low priority level;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

upgrading the connection to a high priority level if the priority level is identified as the high priority level, the high priority level being a higher priority level relative to the low priority level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

establishing a session for the access terminal on the radio access network; and

identifying the priority level based on session information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the session comprises:

establishing the session prior to connection establishment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the session comprises:

establishing the session after connection establishment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the session information comprises an activated service identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activated service identifier comprises a premium service identifier or a regular service identifier.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

identifying the priority level as one of at least two priority levels.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

identifying the priority level as the low priority level or the high priority level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

allocating a resource of the radio access network to the connection based on the priority level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is to be allocated to the connection based on the priority level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is available for allocation to the connection based on the priority level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating a first connection in order to reclaim an allocated resource of the radio access network for subsequent allocation to a second connection, the second connection having a relatively higher priority level than the first connection.

14. A computer readable storage medium that stores executable instructions for use at a radio node controller of a radio access network, the computer readable storage medium being a tangible medium, the instructions for causing one or more processors to:

provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

classifying the connection as having a low priority level;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

upgrading the connection to a high priority level if the priority level is identified as the high priority level, the high priority level being a higher priority level relative to the low priority level.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is to be allocated to the connection based on the priority level.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is available for allocation to the connection based on the priority level.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating a first connection in order to reclaim an allocated resource of the radio access network for subsequent allocation to a second connection, the second connection having a relatively higher priority level than the first connection.

19. A radio access network device in a radio access network, comprising:

memory configured to store instructions for execution; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions, the instructions for causing the one or more processors to;

provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

classifying the connection as having a low priority level;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

upgrading the connection to a high priority level if the priority level is identified as the high priority level, the high priority level being a higher priority level relative to the low priority level.

20. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein the radio access network device comprises a radio network controller.

21. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein the radio access network device comprises a radio node.

22. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is to be allocated to the connection based on the priority level.

23. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

determining whether a resource of the radio access network is available for allocation to the connection based on the priority level.

24. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.

25. The radio access network device of claim 19, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

terminating a first connection in order to reclaim an allocated resource of the radio access network for subsequent allocation to a second connection, the second connection having a relatively higher priority level than the first connection.

26. A method comprising:

enabling a radio access network to provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein enabling the radio access network to provide the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.

27. A computer readable storage medium that stores executable instructions for use at a radio node controller of a radio access network, the computer readable storage medium being a tangible medium, the instructions for causing one or more processors to:

provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.

28. A radio access network device in a radio access network, comprising:

memory configured to store instructions for execution; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions, the instructions for causing the one or more processors to;

provide a service availability guarantee to a user of a premium service without requiring the radio access network to identify, prior to connection establishment, a priority level of a connection with an access terminal associated with the user;

wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises;

establishing the connection with the access terminal;

maintaining the connection for a period of time while the priority level is identified; and

terminating the connection if the priority level cannot be identified within the period of time.