Position-based capacity reservation in a mobile wireless system

• US 20040203779A1
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gabara, Thaddeous J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data

Abstract

A wireless communication network includes position-based capacity reservation of base stations. Using, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS), a mobile unit may periodically determine its position and communicate its position to base stations as the mobile unit moves through the network. In addition, the capacity needs of the mobile unit'"'"'s connection may be communicated expressly by the unit or deduced from the connection itself. A network management system receives the position and capacity information of the mobile unit, and then estimates a route of the mobile unit through the network. Such route may be determined either 1) explicitly, given information transmitted by the mobile unit or 2) implicitly, by tracking the direction of movement of the mobile unit through the network. Consequently, the network management system may determine the availability of capacity of base stations along the estimated route through the network. Given this information, the network management system may take one or more of the following actions. First, capacity of each base station along the route may be reserved in anticipation of the mobile unit'"'"'s arrival into the base station'"'"'s coverage area. Second, base stations may be selected for handoff along the route and the identity of these base stations communicated to the mobile unit. Third, an alternative route may be communicated to the mobile unit, and that alternative route may include base stations having relatively greater available capacity. Fourth, directions may be provided to the mobile unit to bring the mobile unit closer, in position, to a base station.

Claims

1. A method of identifying, by a mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining, by the mobile unit, its position;

(b) communicating position-related information to a network management system; and

(c) receiving identification of each base station for handoff from the network management system,

wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein, for step (a), the mobile unit determines its position via a navigational system.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein, for step (a), the navigational system is a global positioning system (GPS).

4. The invention of claim 1, further comprising the step of (d) reserving, by the network management system, capacity of each base station for handoff based on the service requirement of the mobile unit.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein, for step (d), the service requirement of the mobile unit is a bandwidth requirement of the connection.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein, for step (c), each base station for handoff corresponds to a portion of the path traversed by the mobile unit.

7. The invention of claim 6, further comprising the step of defining the path by the mobile unit.

8. The invention of claim 6, further comprising the step of defining the path by the network management system.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of communicating at least one of its route, origin, destination, and potential base stations for handoff to a network management system.

10. The invention of claim 9, further comprising the step of estimating, by the network management system, the path based on the position and the at least one of the route, the origin, the destination, and the potential base stations for handoff to a network management system.

11. A method of identifying, for a mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a network management system, position-related information from a mobile user;

(b) identifying, by the network management system, a capacity for a connection of the mobile unit;

(c) selecting one or more base stations for handoff of the connection along the path, wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit; and

(d) transmitting the identification of each selected base station to the mobile unit.

12. The invention of claim 11, further comprising the step of (e) reserving capacity of each base station for handoff of the connection.

13. The invention of claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving route information from the mobile unit.

14. The invention of claim 13, further comprising the step of generating the path based on the route information.

15. The invention of claim 13, further comprising the step of updating the path based on the route information.

16. The invention of claim 11, wherein, for step (c), the service requirement of the mobile unit is a bandwidth requirement of the connection.

17. The invention of claim 11, wherein, for step (c), each base station for handoff defines a portion of a sequence having coverage over the path traversed by the mobile unit.

18. The invention of claim 17, further comprising the step of defining the path by the mobile unit.

19. The invention of claim 17, further comprising the step of defining the path by the network management system.

20. The invention of claim 11, further comprising the step of transmitting, to the mobile unit, directions to move the mobile unit closer, in position, to a selected base station.

21. A mobile unit having an apparatus for identifying, by the mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the apparatus comprising:

a navigational module determining, by the mobile unit, its position;

a transmitter communicating position-related information to a network management system; and

a receiver obtaining identification of each base station for handoff from the network management system,

wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit.

22. Network management system for identifying, for a mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to obtain position-related information from a mobile user;

a processor configured to;

(1) identify a capacity for a connection of the mobile unit;

(2) select one or more base stations for handoff of the connection along the path, wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit; and

a transmitter configured to provide the identification of each selected base station to the mobile unit.

23. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a method of identifying, by a mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining, by the mobile unit, its position;

(b) communicating position-related information to a network management system; and

(c) receiving identification of each base station for handoff from the network management system,

wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit.

24. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a method of identifying, for a mobile unit traversing a path through a network comprising a plurality of base stations, one or more base stations for handoff, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a network management system, position-related information from a mobile user;

(b) identifying, by the network management system, a capacity for a connection of the mobile unit;

(c) selecting one or more base stations for handoff of the connection along the path, wherein the network management system selects each base station for handoff based on the position, a capacity of the base station, and a service requirement of the mobile unit; and

(d) transmitting the identification of each selected base station to the mobile unit.