Method for admitting new connections based on usage priorities in a multiple access system for communications networks

• US 6,226,277 B1
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Provenance Asset Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Chuah, Mooi Choo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Application Number:
  US09/083,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/230-234, 370/322, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/338, 370/347, 370/348, 370/442, 370/443, 370/445, 370/444, 370/915, 370/461, 370/462, 370/401 , 370/351, 370/352, 370/384, 370/441, 370/341, 370/321, 374/208, 374/219, 340/825.5, 340/825.03, 340/825.01, 340/825.51, 340/825.52, 455/453, 455/452, 455/450, 455/464, 455/509, 455/510, 455/516, 455/517, 455/527, 455/524
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/286 Time to live
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 : based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 : of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

In a method for controlling admission of remote hosts to a base station in a wireless communications network based on usage priority, there are at least two user priority classes and the base station admits a threshold number of remote hosts of the lower priority class and a maximum total number of remote hosts. When a base station receives a connection request from a new user of the higher priority class, if the current total number of admitted users is less than the maximum allowable, the new user of class is admitted, otherwise, the base station checks to see if any lower priority class users are currently admitted and allow disconnection. If so, the base station disconnect the lower priority user and admits the new user. In one embodiment, the base station disconnects the “least recently used” admitted lower priority user that allows disconnection. If it is appropriate to disconnect lower priority users after they are admitted, then lower priority users are admitted as long as the total number of associated users is less than the maximum allowable admitted users. If it is inappropriate to disconnect lower priority users after they are admitted, then lower priority users are admitted only if the number of admitted users is less than the maximum number of total admitted users and the number of lower priority admitted users is less than the maximum allowable admitted number. This approach can be extended to multiple priority classes. In an alternate embodiment, lower priority class users are admitted if the total number of currently associated users of all classes is less than a second threshold, normally lower than the threshold for higher priority users, rather than being based partially (as a second threshold) on the number of currently associated users of that lower priority class.

Claims

1. A method for controlling admissions of remote hosts to a communications network based on usage priority, said network having a base station and supporting connection to plural classes of remote hosts, said classes of remote hosts including at least a first priority class and a second priority class, said network supporting admission of a maximum total number of said remote hosts, and a maximum number of second priority ones of said remote hosts, the method comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted one of said remote hosts belonging to said first priority class;

admitting said unadmitted remote host from said first priority class if the total number of admitted remote hosts is less than said maximum total number of admitted remote hosts; and

if the number of admitted remote hosts equals said maximum total number of admitted remote hosts, the number of admitted second priority class remote hosts is at least one, and at least one of said admitted second priority class remote hosts allows disconnection, disconnecting one of said second priority class remote hosts allowing disconnection in order to admit said unadmitted remote host from said first priority class.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of disconnecting a second priority remote host, disconnects a least recently used remote host of said second priority class.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted remote host, said unadmitted remote host belonging to said second priority class; and

admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when the number of admitted remote hosts is less than said maximum total number of admitted remote hosts and said unadmitted second priority remote host indicates that premature disconnection is allowed.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when:

the number of admitted remote hosts is less than said maximum total number of admitted remote hosts;

the number of admitted second priority class remote hosts is less than said maximum number of second priority remote hosts; and

said unadmitted second priority class remote host indicates that premature disconnection is inappropriate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted remote host, said unadmitted remote host belonging to said second priority class; and

admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when;

the number of admitted remote hosts is less than said maximum total number of admitted remote hosts;

the number of admitted second priority class remote hosts is less than said maximum number of second priority remote hosts; and

said unadmitted second priority class remote host indicates that premature disconnection is inappropriate.

6. A method for controlling admission of remote hosts to a communications network based on usage priority, said network having a base station and supporting connection to plural classes of remote hosts, said classes of remote hosts including at least a first priority class and a second priority lass, said network supporting admission of a first maximum total number of admitted ones of said remote hosts, said first maximum total number of admitted ones of said remote hosts being a threshold value applied during admission of said first priority remote hosts, the method comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted one of said remote hosts belonging to said first priority class;

admitting said unadmitted remote host from said first priority class if the total number of admitted ones of said remote hosts is less than said first maximum total number of admitted remote hosts; and

if the number of admitted first priority class remote hosts equals said first maximum total number of admitted remote hosts, the number of admitted second priority class remote hosts is at least one, and at least one of said admitted second priority class remote hosts allows disconnection, disconnecting one of said second priority class remote hosts allowing disconnection in order to admit said unadmitted remote host from said first priority class.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of disconnecting a second priority remote host, disconnects a least recently used remote host of said second priority class.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted remote host, said unadmitted remote host belonging to said second priority class; and

admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when the number of admitted remote hosts is less than said first maximum total number of admitted remote hosts and said unadmitted second priority remote host indicates that premature disconnection is allowed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said network supports admission of a second maximum total number of admitted ones of said remote hosts, said second maximum total number of admitted remote hosts being less than said first maximum total number of said remote hosts and being a threshold value applied during admission of said second priority remote hosts, further comprising the step of admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when:

the total number of admitted remote hosts is less than said second maximum total number of admitted remote hosts; and

said unadmitted second priority class remote host indicates that premature disconnection is inappropriate.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said network supports admission of a second maximum total number of admitted ones of said remote hosts, said second maximum total number of admitted remote hosts said second maximum total number of admitted remote hosts being less than said first maximum total number of said remote hosts and being a threshold value applied during admission of said second priority remote hosts, further comprising the steps, in combination, of:

receiving at said base station a connection request from an unadmitted remote host, said unadmitted remote host belonging to said second priority class; and

admitting said unadmitted second priority class remote host when;

the number of admitted remote hosts is less than said second maximum number of admitted remote hosts; and

said unadmitted second priority class remote host indicates that premature disconnection is inappropriate.