Methods and apparatus for controlling IP applications during resource shortages

• US 7,099,681 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Neill, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/219,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 455/512, 455/414, 455/436, 455/408, 455/517, 455/509, 455/450, 455/447, 455/456, 370/328, 370/230, 709/226
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/36 for reassigning the resources associated with the released connections

Abstract

This invention describes how combined session and resource tracking in a mobile node (MN) and/or basestation in a dynamic network resource environment can be used to control reactions to resource shortages. The session that is to experience a resource shortage is detected either by the MN, or communicated to the MN where session signaling is used to modify the session according to MN and basestation policy/configuration. The basestation can alternatively modify the session itself with all the session peers, on behalf of the MN. The specific new reaction to resource shortages that is then enabled is to place the session on hold such that the resources are freed, but so that the session state is maintained in the peers. This is preferable to dropping the session, as is generally the case in dynamic environments, if the likely period of resource loss is short and the session modifications require less overhead than restarting the session when the resources return after dropping the session. In addition, before having resources removed, the basestation can provide the MN with an opportunity to upgrade the priority of its resource request compared to other users in the cell, so that a resource auction is conducted to decide which MN actually loses its resources.

Claims

1. A method of operating a basestation in a mobile communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a message requesting allocation of a communications resource;

identifying an existing communications session using the requested resource;

reallocating the requested resource from the existing communications session; and

placing the existing communications session in a session hold state by continuing to support session control signaling for the existing communications session while denying resources for a data portion of the existing communications session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a resource grant signal to a mobile node that requested allocation of said communications resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step placing the existing communications session in a session hold state includes storing a session identifier corresponding to the existing communications session in a hold queue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of placing the existing communications session in a session hold state further includes:

transmitting a session hold message to a mobile node participating in said communications session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message releasing a communications resource; and

identifying a communications session in a hold state from information included in said hold queue to allocate said released communications resource to.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of identifying a communications session in said hold queue includes:

selecting a communications session in a hold state to allocate the released resources to as a function of the stored priority level information and hold start time associated with each communications session identifier stored in said hold queue.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a signal to a mobile node associated with the identified communications session to cause said mobile node to transition said identified communications session from a hold state to an on state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying an existing communications session using the requested resource includes:

transmitting a priority upgrade option message to a communications device using the requested resource.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of identifying an existing communications session using the requested resource includes:

receiving a priority upgrade reply message from the communications device to which said priority upgrade option message was transmitted.

10. A method of operating a basestation in a mobile communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a message requesting allocation of a communications resource;

identifying an existing communications session using the requested resource;

reallocating the requested resource from the existing communications session;

placing the existing communications session in a session hold state, wherein placing the existing communications session in a session hold state includes storing a session identifier corresponding to the existing communications session in a hold queue; and

wherein said hold queue includes, for each identified session in said hold queue, a session hold start time and a session priority level indicator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said hold queue further includes information on the resources needed to transition each identified session in said queue from a hold state to a session on state.

12. A basestation in a mobile communications system, the basestation comprising:

a receiver circuit for receiving a message requesting allocation of a communications resource;

means for identifying an existing communications session using the requested resource;

means for reallocating the requested resource from the existing communications session; and

means for placing the existing communications session in a session hold state in which resources are provided to support session control signaling while denying resources for a data portion of the communications session.

13. The basestation of claim 12, further comprising:

means for transmitting a resource grant signal to a mobile node that requested allocation of said communications resource.

14. The basestation of claim 12, wherein said means for identifying an existing communications session includes:

means for transmitting a priority upgrade option message to a communications device using the requested resource.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said means for identifying an existing communications session includes:

means for processing a priority upgrade reply message received from the communications device to which said priority upgrade option message was transmitted.

16. A method of operating a basestation in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a communications resource;

identifying an existing communications session utilizing said resource;

transmitting a priority upgrade option message to a mobile device associated with said identified existing communications session;

receiving a priority upgrade option reply message from said mobile device; and

determining whether to reallocate the requested communications resource from said identified existing communications session in response to said request as a function of the received priority upgrade option reply message.

17. A method of operating a basestation in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a communications resource;

identifying an existing communications session utilizing said resource;

transmitting a priority upgrade option message to a mobile device associated with said identified existing communications session;

receiving a priority upgrade option reply message from said mobile device;

determining whether to reallocate the requested communications resource from said identified existing communications session in response to said request as a function of the received priority upgrade option reply message; and

wherein determining whether to reallocate the requested communications resource from said identified existing communications session in response to said request as a function of the received priority upgrade option reply message includes;

processing said priority upgrade option reply message to upgrade a priority level associated with the identified existing communications session when said reply message indicates that a priority upgrade option has been selected.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether to reallocate the requested communications resource from said identified existing communications session in response to said request as a function of the received priority upgrade option reply message includes:

comparing a priority level associated with said resource request to the priority level associated with said identified existing communications session.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting a message to place the identified existing communications session into a session hold state when the priority level associated with said resource request exceeds the priority level associated with said identified existing communications session.