SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING USE OF UPLINK RANDOM ACCESS CHANNELS (RACHS) BASED ON MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SUBSCRIBER CLASSIFICATION

• US 20100248680A1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Averbuch, Rod A., Barnea, Michael, Agulnik, Anatoly
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling use of uplink random access channels (RACHs) based on multi-dimensional subscriber classification. These systems and methods are useful in cellular communication networks that implement, for example, a public safety cellular system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling use of particular uplink random access channels (RACHs) by wireless communication devices (WCDs) operating in a cell defined by a base station, the method comprising:

defining, at the command station, a plurality of subscriber classes, wherein each subscriber class is dynamically defined based on a plurality of subscriber class dimensions;

designating, at the command station, at least one uplink RACH for each subscriber class, wherein a WCD belonging to a particular subscriber class is permitted to use uplink RACHs designated for that particular subscriber class;

generating mapping information, at the command station, that maps each particular subscriber class to one or more of the uplink RACHs designated for use by that particular subscriber class; and

broadcasting, from the base station, the mapping information.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one WCD is associated with and belongs to more than once subscriber class.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions comprise:

a user type dimension.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions further comprise:

an application type dimension that specifies a type of application being utilized by a user of a particular WCD.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions further comprise:

an incident characteristics dimension that includes information describing at least one of;

incident type;

incident size;

incident location relative to the cell location; and

state of the incident.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the user types specified by the user type dimensioncomprise at least one of:

public safety first responder,

public safety second responder, and

public user.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions further comprise:

a user function dimension that describes a role of a user of a particular WCD at the incident, wherein the user function dimension is defined relative to the user type dimension;

a location dimension;

a presence dimension that specifies availability of a user of a particular WCD for immediate action at the incident scene; and

an application priority dimension that is used to specify the relative priority of the application type as related to present state of incident.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the user function dimension is defined with respect to one or more of the incident characteristics.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein the application types comprise one or more of:

a voice-based application;

a video-based application;

a best effort application; and

a background application.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the location dimension specifies a distance between a particular WCD and the incident location.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the location dimension that specifies a relative distance between a particular WCD and the incident location as a number of cells between the particular WCD and a cell that the incident is located within.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one uplink RACH is designated for use by a plurality of the subscriber classes, and wherein at least one subscriber class is associated with a plurality of the uplink RACHs.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one WCD is permitted to use a plurality of the uplink RACHs.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a configuration message from the base station at a particular WCD in the cell, wherein the configuration message specifies, for each subscriber class, particular subscriber class dimensions that define that particular subscriber class;

receiving the mapping information at the particular WCD in the cell; and

determining, at the particular WCD prior to attempting to use any of the uplink RACHs, one of more particular subscriber classes that the particular WCD belongs to based on current subscriber class dimensions for a particular communication session that the particular WCD plans to initiate.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining, at the particular WCD based on the mapping information, which of the particular ones of the uplink RACHs the particular WCD is permitted to use to communicate with the base station; and

transmitting request information from the particular WCD to the base station using one of the particular ones of the uplink RACHs that the particular WCD is permitted to use to communicate with the base station.

16. A wireless communication device (WCD) operable in a wireless network, comprising:

a receiver designed to receive;

a configuration message comprising information that specifies, for each of a plurality of subscriber classes, particular subscriber class dimensions that define that a particular subscriber class; and

mapping information that, for each of a plurality of subscriber classes, maps each particular subscriber class to one or more of uplink random access channels (RACHs) designated for use by that particular subscriber class; and

a processor designed to determine, prior to attempting to use any of the uplink RACHs, one of more particular subscriber classes that the particular WCD belongs to based on current subscriber class dimensions for a particular communication session that the particular WCD plans to initiate, and particular ones of the uplink RACHs the particular WCD is permitted to use to communicate with the base station based on the mapping information; and

a transmitter designed to transmit request information using one of the particular ones of the uplink RACHs that the particular WCD is permitted to use to communicate with the base station.

17. A network infrastructure device designed to generate information to control use of particular uplink random access channels (RACHs) by wireless communication devices (WCDs) operating in a cellular network, the network infrastructure device comprising:

a processor designed to;

define a plurality of subscriber classes, designate at least one of uplink RACH for each subscriber class, and generate mapping information that maps each particular subscriber class to one or more of the uplink RACHs designated for use by that particular subscriber class,

wherein each subscriber class is dynamically defined based on a plurality of subscriber class dimensions, and

wherein a WCD belonging to a particular subscriber class is permitted to use uplink RACHs designated for that particular subscriber class.

18. A network infrastructure device according to claim 17, wherein at least one WCD is associated with and belongs to more than once subscriber class, wherein at least one subscriber class is associated with a plurality of the uplink RACHs, wherein at least one uplink RACH is designated for use by a plurality of the subscriber classes, and wherein at least one WCD is permitted to use a plurality of the uplink RACHs.

19. A network infrastructure device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions comprise:

a user type dimension, wherein the user types specified by the user type dimensioncomprise at least one of;

public safety first responder, public safety second responder, and public user; and

an application type dimension that specifies a type of application being utilized by a user of a particular WCD, wherein the application types comprise one or more of;

a short message service (SMS) application, push-to-talk (PTT) application, conversational telephony application, a video streaming application, an imaging application, an emergency 911 application, and a web best effort application.

20. A network infrastructure device according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of subscriber class dimensions further comprise:

an incident characteristics dimension that includes information describing at least one of;

incident type;

incident size;

incident location; and

state of the incident;

a user function dimension that describes a role of a user of a particular WCD at the incident, wherein the user function dimension is defined relative to the user type dimension, and is defined with respect to one or more of the incident characteristics;

a location dimension that specifies a relative distance between a particular WCD and the incident location as a number of cells between the particular WCD and a cell that the incident is located within;

a presence dimension that specifies availability of a user of a particular WCD for immediate action at the incident scene; and

an application priority dimension that is used to specify the relative priority of the application type as related to present state of incident.