Management of preemptable communications resources

• US 8,761,792 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/057,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/405, 455/408, 455/450, 455/455, 455/454
• US Class Current: 455/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

In a communications spectrum shared by public safety users and commercial users, in the event of an emergency condition, commercial users are preempted and corresponding resources are reallocated to authorized public safety users. When the emergency condition subsides, the reallocated resources are again made available for commercial use. In an example configuration, resources and associated attributes including preemptability status are maintained in a Base Station Controller (BSC), Radio Network Controller (RNC), and/or Radio Resource Control (RRC) of a communications network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for a communications resource;

determining a type of a source of the request, the type of the source comprising one of a commercial user or a public safety user;

analyzing a database of communications resources based on the type of the source, wherein;

when the type of the source comprises a commercial user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a commercial user; and

when the type of the source comprises a public safety user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a public safety user, the communications resources comprising;

shared communications resources that are designated as being shared by public safety users and commercial user; and

communications resources that are not shared, wherein the database concurrently comprises;

a predetermined indication of preemptability status for each communications resource therein;

a first indication that at least one shared communications resource of the database of communications resources is assigned to a commercial user and is preemptable; and

a second indication that at least one shared communications resource of the database of communications resources is assigned to a public safety user and is not preemptable; and

allocating a communications resource from the database of resources in accordance with the analyzing.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for a communications resource comprises at least one of:

a request to initiate a call session;

a request to initiate a data session;

a request for non-preemptability status of a resource;

a request to change preemptability status of a resource;

or

a request for additional bandwidth.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a processor.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising updating a preemptability status of an allocated communications resource.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the database is in at least one of a base station controller of a communications network, a radio network controller of a communications network, or a radio resource control of a communications network.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the allocated communications resource is a preemptable resource and is allocated in response to an occurrence of an event, the method further comprising:

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is not preemptable during the event; and

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is preemptable when the event subsides.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of the allocated communications resource to at least one of a mobile switching center of a communications network or a packet data service support node of a communications network.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving an indication of a request for a communications resource; and

determining a type of a source of the request, the type of the source comprising one of a commercial user or a public safety user;

analyzing a database of communications resources based on the type of the source, wherein;

when the type of the source comprises a commercial user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a commercial user; and

when the type of the source comprises a public safety user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a public safety user,

the communications resources comprising;

shared communications resources that are designated as being shared by public safety users and commercial user; and

communications resources that are not shared, the database concurrently comprising;

a predetermined indication of preemptability status for each communications resource therein;

a first indication that at least one shared communications resource of the database of communications resources is assigned to a commercial user and is preemptable; and

a second indication that at least one shared communications resource of the database of communications resources is assigned to a public safety user and is not preemptable; and

allocating a communications resource from the database of resources in accordance with the analyzing.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the request for a communications resource comprises at least one of:

a request to initiate a call session;

a request to initiate a data session;

a request for non-preemptability status of a resource;

a request to change preemptability status of a resource;

or

a request for additional bandwidth.

10. The system in accordance with claim 8, the operations further comprising updating a preemptability status of an allocated communications resource.

11. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the database is maintained in at least one of a base station controller of a communications network, a radio network controller of a communications network, or a radio resource control of a communications network.

12. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the allocated communications resource is a preemptable resource and is allocated in response to an occurrence of an event, the operations further comprising:

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is not preemptable during the event; and

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is preemptable when the event subsides.

13. The system in accordance with claim 8, the operations further comprising providing the indication of an allocation of a preemptable communications resource to at least one of a mobile switching center of a communications network or a packet data service support node of a communications network.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium not being a transient signal, the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing a processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for a communications resource;

determining a type of a source of the request, the type of the source comprising one of a commercial user or a public safety user;

analyzing a database of communications resources based on the type of the source, wherein;

when the type of the source comprises a commercial user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a commercial user; and

when the type of the source comprises a public safety user, analyzing the database for resources associated with a public safety user, the communications resources comprising;

shared communications resources that are designated as being shared by public safety users and commercial user; and

communications resources that are not shared, wherein the database concurrently comprises;

a predetermined indication of preemptability status for each communications resource therein;

a first indication of preemptability status for each communications resource therein;

an indication that at least one shared communications of the database of communications resources resource is assigned to a commercial user and is preemptable; and

a second indication that at least one shared communications resource of the database of communications resources is assigned to a public safety user and is not preemptable; and

allocating a communications resource from the database of resources in accordance with the analyzing.

15. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 14, wherein the request for a communications resource comprises at least one of:

a request to initiate a call session;

a request to initiate a data session;

a request for non-preemptability status of a resource;

a request to change preemptability status of a resource;

or

a request for additional bandwidth.

16. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 14, the operations further comprising updating a preemptability status of an allocated communications resource.

17. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 14, wherein the allocated communications resource is a preemptable resource and is allocated in response to an occurrence of an event, the operations further comprising:

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is not preemptable during the event; and

updating the database to indicate that the allocated resource is preemptable when the event subsides.

18. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 14, the operations further comprising providing an indication of the allocated communications resource to at least one of a mobile switching center of a communications network or a packet data service support node of a communications network.