Achieving quality of service (QoS) by using the reverse activity bit (RAB) in creation of neighbor lists for selected access terminals

• US 8,204,000 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Srinivas, Shilpa Kowdley, Khanka, Bhagwan, Goyal, Anoop K., Pawar, Hemanth Balaji
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US12/507,913
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/331, 455/436, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for achieving quality of service (QoS) by using the reverse activity bit (RAB) in creation of neighbor lists for selected access terminals. In an embodiment, an access node provides service to a plurality of access terminals in a first wireless coverage area. The access node maintains and broadcasts a standard neighbor list identifying neighboring wireless coverage areas, each having a respective RAB. The access node generates a QoS neighbor list, consisting of one or more coverage areas from the standard neighbor list having a RAB that is cleared. The access node transmits the QoS neighbor list to a subset of the access terminals. Each access terminal in the subset uses the QoS neighbor list in place of the standard neighbor list, while the other access terminals use the standard neighbor list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

an access node providing service to a plurality of access terminals in a first wireless coverage area, the plurality of access terminals comprising (i) a first group of one or more access terminals and (ii) a second group of one or more access terminals, wherein the first and second groups of access terminals are mutually exclusive;

the access node maintaining and broadcasting a standard neighbor list identifying a plurality of neighboring wireless coverage areas, each neighboring wireless coverage area having a respective reverse activity bit (RAB);

the access node generating a Quality of Service (QoS) neighbor list, wherein the QoS neighbor list consists of one or more wireless coverage areas from the standard neighbor list having a RAB that is cleared; and

the access node transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals, wherein each access terminal in the first group uses the QoS neighbor list in place of the standard neighbor list, wherein each access terminal in the second group uses the standard neighbor list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access node is an Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) access node, and wherein the access terminals are EV-DO access terminals, and wherein the service is compliant with at least one of Interface Specification-856 (IS-856), Release 0 and IS-856, Revision A.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless coverage area is a cell or a sector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each access terminal in the first group is subscribed to a premium level of service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the premium level of service includes a guaranteed minimum reverse-link data rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard neighbor list and the QoS neighbor list identify the at least one neighboring coverage area at least in part by pseudorandom number (PN) offset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective RAB can be set or cleared, wherein a given RAB being set for a given coverage area indicates that a reverse noise rise (RNR) for the given coverage area is greater than an RNR threshold for the given coverage area, and wherein the given RAB being cleared for the given coverage area indicates that the RNR for the given coverage area is less than the RNR threshold for the given coverage area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the QoS neighbor list consists of all of the wireless coverage areas from the standard neighbor list having a RAB that is cleared.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals comprises broadcasting the QoS neighbor list in the first wireless coverage area, the QoS neighbor list including an identification of itself as the QoS neighbor list.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals comprises sending a message comprising the QoS neighbor list to each access terminal in the first group.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the access node periodically updating the QoS neighbor list based on the respective RABs of the neighboring wireless coverage areas on the standard neighbor list.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the access node receiving at least one of a page for a given access terminal and an origination message from the given access terminal, wherein the given access terminal is idling on a given carrier in the first wireless coverage area, and responsively:

checking whether the given access terminal is in the first group;

if the given access terminal is in the first group, checking whether a RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared or set;

if the RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared, assigning to the given access terminal a traffic channel on the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area; and

if the RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is set, assigning to the given access terminal a traffic channel on (a) a different carrier in the first wireless coverage area, wherein a RAB for the different carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared or (b) a different carrier in a neighboring coverage area, wherein a RAB for the different carrier in the neighboring coverage area is cleared.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the access node detecting that a given access terminal in the first group is engaged in a communication session on a first sector-carrier, on which the RAB is set, and responsively initiating a handoff of the session to a second sector-carrier, on which the RAB is clear.

14. An access node comprising:

a communication interface comprising a wireless-communication interface;

a processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the processor for causing the access node to carry out functions including;

providing service to a plurality of access terminals in a first wireless coverage area, the plurality of access terminals comprising (i) a first group of one or more access terminals and (ii) a second group of one or more access terminals, wherein the first and second groups of access terminals are mutually exclusive;

maintaining and broadcasting a standard neighbor list identifying a plurality of neighboring wireless coverage areas, each neighboring wireless coverage area having a respective reverse activity bit (RAB);

generating a QoS neighbor list, wherein the QoS neighbor list consists of one or more wireless coverage areas from the standard neighbor list having a RAB that is cleared; and

transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals, wherein each access terminal in the first group uses the QoS neighbor list in place of the standard neighbor list, wherein each access terminal in the second group uses the standard neighbor list.

15. The access node of claim 14, wherein the access node is an EV-DO access node, and wherein the access terminals are EV-DO access terminals, wherein the service is compliant with at least one of IS-856, Release 0 and IS-856, Revision A, and wherein the first wireless coverage area is a cell or a sector.

16. The access node of claim 14, wherein each access terminal in the first group is subscribed to a premium level of service.

17. The access node of claim 16, wherein the premium level of service includes a guaranteed minimum reverse-link data rate.

18. The access node of claim 14, wherein the standard neighbor list and the QoS neighbor list identify the at least one neighboring coverage area at least in part by pseudorandom number (PN) offset.

19. The access node of claim 14, wherein each respective RAB can be set or cleared, wherein a given RAB being set for a given coverage area indicates that a reverse noise rise (RNR) for the given coverage area is greater than an RNR threshold for the given coverage area, and wherein the given RAB being cleared for the given coverage area indicates that the RNR for the given coverage area is less than the RNR threshold for the given coverage area.

20. The access node of claim 14, wherein the QoS neighbor list consists of all of the wireless coverage areas from the standard neighbor list having a RAB that is cleared.

21. The access node of claim 14, wherein the instructions for transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals comprise instructions for broadcasting the QoS neighbor list in the first wireless coverage area, the QoS neighbor list including an identification of itself as the QoS neighbor list.

22. The access node of claim 14, wherein the instructions for transmitting the QoS neighbor list to the first group of access terminals comprise instructions for sending a message comprising the QoS neighbor list to each access terminal in the first group.

23. The access node of claim 14, the data storage further comprising instructions for periodically updating the QoS neighbor list based on the respective RABs of the neighboring wireless coverage areas on the standard neighbor list.

24. The access node of claim 14, the data storage further comprising instructions for receiving at least one of a page for a given access terminal and an origination message from the given access terminal, wherein the given access terminal is idling on a given carrier in the first wireless coverage area, and responsively:

checking whether the given access terminal is in the first group;

if the given access terminal is in the first group, checking whether a RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared or set;

if the RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared, assigning to the given access terminal a traffic channel on the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area; and

if the RAB for the given carrier in the first wireless coverage area is set, assigning to the given access terminal a traffic channel on (a) a different carrier in the first wireless coverage area, wherein a RAB for the different carrier in the first wireless coverage area is cleared or (b) a different carrier in a neighboring coverage area, wherein a RAB for the different carrier in the neighboring coverage area is cleared.

25. The access node of claim 14, the data storage further comprising instructions for detecting that a given access terminal in the first group is engaged in a communication session on a first sector-carrier, on which the RAB is set, and responsively initiating a handoff of the session to a second sector-carrier, on which the RAB is clear.