Resource allocation in a radio access network

• US 7,920,541 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• 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:
  US12/479,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-330, 370332-333, 370/335, 370/338, 370341-342, 3703952-39521, 370/395.3, 370/395.4, 37039542-39543, 370/395.52, 370/455, 370229-232, 370/237, 370/253, 370/344, 370/346, 370348-349, 370/432, 370443-444, 455/406, 455410-411, 455/414.3, 455/415, 455418-420, 455423-425, 455/432.3, 455/434, 455/435.3, 4554521-4522, 455/450, 455/453, 455/509, 455512-514, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/561, 455/67.11, 455/422.1, 455463-464, 709/207, 709/219, 709225-229, 709/240, 375/E7.168, 714/1, 710 16- 19
• US Class Current: 370/348
• 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 performed by a radio node of radio access network, the method comprising:

reserving, by the radio node, a number of connections for premium connections;

providing a service availability guarantee for a premium service, wherein providing comprises;

determining that a sum of (i) a number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) a number of active new connections on the radio access network exceeds the number of connections reserved for premium connections; and

decreasing the number of active new connections at least partly based on (i) the number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) the number of connections reserved for premium connections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

establishing a session for an access terminal in the radio access network; and

identifying a priority level of a connection associated with the access terminal 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 providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

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

8. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

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

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

establishing a connection with an access terminal in the radio access network; and

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

11. The method of claim 10, 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.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the service availability guarantee further comprises:

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

13. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the service availability guarantee comprises:

terminating a first connection in the radio access network 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 non-transitory machine-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices at a radio node of a radio access network, the instructions for causing the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

reserving a number of connections for premium connections;

providing a service availability guarantee for a premium service, with providing comprising;

determining that a sum of (i) a number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) a number of active new connections on the radio access network exceeds the number of connections reserved for premium connections; and

decreasing the number of active new connections at least partly based on (i) the number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) the number of connections reserved for premium connections.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

establishing a connection with an access terminal in the radio access network; and

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

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

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

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

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

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

terminating a first connection 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 node of a radio access network, the radio node comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

a memory for storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising;

reserving a number of connections for premium connections;

providing a service availability guarantee for a premium service, with providing comprising;

determining that a sum of (i) a number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) a number of active new connections on the radio access network exceeds the number of connections reserved for premium connections; and

decreasing the number of active new connections at least partly based on (i) the number of active premium connections on the radio access network, and (ii) the number of connections reserved for premium connections.

20. The radio node of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processing devices to perform functions comprising:

establishing a connection with an access terminal in the radio access network; and

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