Pre-allocating resources of a wireless network for packet-switched real-time, interactive communications

• US 8,804,625 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Akhtar, Haseeb
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US10/591,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,448 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/464, 455/509, 455450-453, 455/435.3, 370/328, 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/76 using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

To communicate in a wireless network, resources of at least one node (20A) of the wireless network are pre-allocated (44). The pre-allocated resources (44) comprise resources normally allocated in response to a call setup request. A first call setup request is received after pre-allocating the resources, and in response to the first call setup request, a packet-switched real-time, interactive communications session is established through the wireless network using the pre-allocated resources of the at least one node (20A).

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a wireless network, comprising:

pre-allocating, to a packet-switched real-time, interactive communications application, resources of at least one node of the wireless network, wherein the pre-allocated resources are call setup resources, the pre-allocated resources comprising resources normally allocated in response to a call setup request, wherein the pre-allocated resources enable avoidance of allocating the pre-allocated call setup resources during a call setup procedure in response to the call setup request, wherein the pre-allocated resources include at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements, wherein the at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements include resources relating to a link with a predetermined quality of service, wherein the pre-allocating is performed by a system having a processor, and the pre-allocating includes storing a pointer associated with a particular mobile station or a particular group of mobile stations, where the pointer indicates that the pre-allocated resources are useable by the particular mobile station or particular group of mobile stations for call setup;

receiving, from the particular mobile station or a member of the particular group of mobile stations, a first call setup request after pre-allocating the resources; and

establishing, in response to the first call setup request, a packet-switched real-time, interactive communications session through the wireless network using the pre-allocated resources of the at least one node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating resources of one of a base transceiver system and base station controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating resources of a packet data serving node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating resources of at least one of a press-to-talk server, voice-over-Internet Protocol server, and a call session control function module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources further comprises allocating the link between the at least one node and a second node in the wireless network to carry call control packets for the packet-switched real-time, interactive communications application, wherein the link comprises a dedicated channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein allocating the dedicated channel between the at least one node and the second node in the wireless network to carry packets for the packet-switched real-time, interactive communications application comprises allocating one of a T1/E1 trunk, Ethernet link, and IP route.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating binding information of a mobile station, the binding information to establish a relationship between a radio domain and a packet domain, the method further comprising:

storing the binding information in a base station controller; and

using the binding information stored in the base station controller for establishing the packet-switched real-time, interactive session in response to the first call setup request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating user-related information of the particular mobile station, the method further comprising:

storing the user-related information in the base station controller, wherein the user-related information indicates the predetermined quality of service assigned to the particular mobile station; and

using the user-related information stored in the base station controller for establishing the packet-switched real-time, interactive session in response to the first call setup request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources comprises pre-allocating binding information of the particular group of mobile stations, the method further comprising:

storing the binding information in a base station controller, wherein the binding information is to establish a relationship between a radio domain and a packet domain; and

using the binding information stored in the base station controller for establishing the packet-switched real-time, interactive session in response to the first call setup request.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an event, a management system sending a request to pre-allocate resources to the at least one node, wherein pre-allocating the resources is performed in response to the request to pre-allocate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the request to pre-allocate is performed during a provisioning process.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-allocating the resources is performed in response to initiation of a mobile station.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-allocated resources include a pre-allocated Internet Protocol (IP) route having the predetermined quality of service.

14. A system comprising:

an interface to a communications network; and

a controller having a processor and coupled to the interface to;

receive a request to pre-allocate call setup resources in the system to a packet-switched real-time, interactive application;

in response to the request, pre-allocate the call setup resources, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources include at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements of the system, the at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements of the system comprising a pre-allocated Internet Protocol (IP) route having a particular quality of service;

receive a call setup request after pre-allocating the call setup resources; and

in response to the call setup request, set up a packet-switched real-time, interactive communications session using the pre-allocated call setup resources including the pre-allocated IP route, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources enable avoidance of allocating the pre-allocated call setup resources during a call setup procedure in response to the call setup request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources further include at least one of user-related information, binding information, and mobility information, the system further comprising a storage to store the at least one of user-related information, binding information, and mobility information, the controller to set up the packet-switched real-time, interactive communications session in response to the call setup request using the at least one of the user-related information, binding information, and mobility information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources further comprise a dedicated channel between the system and another node in a wireless network.

17. The system of claim 14, comprising one of a base transceiver system, base station controller, and packet data serving node of a wireless network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the packet-switched real-time, interactive application comprises at least one of a press-to-talk application, voice-over-Internet Protocol application, text chat application, and instant messaging application.

19. An article comprising at least one non-transitory storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a system to:

receive a request to pre-allocate resources for a packet-switched real-time, interactive application, the pre-allocated resources normally allocated during a call setup procedure, wherein the pre-allocated resources enable avoidance of allocating the resources during a call setup procedure, wherein the pre-allocated resources include at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements of the system, wherein the at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements of the system include resources related to a link with a predetermined quality of service;

in response to the request, pre-allocate the resources and store information pertaining to the pre-allocated resources in a storage, wherein the pre-allocating includes storing a pointer associated with a particular mobile station or a particular group of mobile stations, where the pointer indicates that the pre-allocated resources are useable by the particular mobile station or particular group of mobile stations for call setup; and

subsequent to pre-allocating the resources, process a call setup request from the particular mobile station or member of the particular group of mobile stations using the pre-allocated resources.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the pre-allocated resources include at least one of user-related information, binding information, and mobility information, wherein the system comprises a base station controller having the storage to store the at least one of the user-related information, binding information, and mobility information.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein the link includes an Internet Protocol (IP) route having the predetermined quality of service.

22. The article of claim 19, wherein the pre-allocated resources include a pre-allocated Internet Protocol (IP) route having the predetermined quality of service.

23. A method of communicating in a wireless network, comprising:

by a controller having a processor, the controller being coupled to an interface to a communications network;

receiving a request to pre-allocate call setup resources to a packet-switched real-time, interactive application;

in response to the request, pre-allocating the call setup resources, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources include at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements, the at least one of hardware, software, and communications elements comprising a pre-allocated Internet Protocol (IP) route having a particular quality of service;

receiving a call setup request after pre-allocating the call setup resources; and

in response to the call setup request, setting up a packet-switched real-time, interactive communications session using the pre-allocated call setup resources including the pre-allocated IP route, wherein the pre-allocated call setup resources enable avoidance of allocating the pre-allocated call setup resources during a call setup procedure in response to the call setup request.