Systems, methods and devices to enable management of wireless network resources

• US 8,599,701 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Horn, Gavin, Song, Osok
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohebbi, Kouroush
• Application Number:
  US12/761,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, methods and devices for selectively adjusting a quality of service QoS of communication between a wireless access point and a UE based on both a value indicative of system resources and closed subscriber group (CSG) subscription data, such that a member has priority access to system resources over a non-member. The systems, methods and devices described herein allow an access point operating in a hybrid mode to discriminate between CSG members and non-members, without having to terminate communication links in order to provide CSG members with particular QoS levels. In some embodiments, non-members can maintain or establish new communication links with lower QoS levels in order to utilize unused and available capacity, thereby increasing the utilization of system resources available through femto nodes operating in a hybrid mode.

Claims

1. A method of managing communication at a wireless access point, comprising:

receiving a request from a first access terminal for access to system resources provided from the wireless access point;

determining whether the first access terminal is a member of a group or a non-member;

determining a level of service from one of a plurality of levels of service for the first access terminal based on whether the first access terminal is a member or a non-member, wherein the respective levels of service for members and non-members are different;

determining whether at least one access terminal has an established link to the wireless access point and is a non-member having a respective quality of service (QoS) that can be decreased to accommodate providing access to the first access terminal; and

selectively adjusting a QoS of communication between the wireless access point and at least one second access terminal comprising the at least one access terminal based on both at least one value indicative of system resources and whether at least one of the first and at least one second access terminals is a member of a group, wherein a member has priority access to system resources over a non-member.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message indicating whether the first access terminal is a member or non-member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message is received from an element in the core-network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of service includes allocating a smaller portion of system resources to the first access terminal than a disparate portion of system resources allocated to one or more other access terminals included in the group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the at least one value indicative of system resources provided from the wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the QoS is not adjusted if both the first and at least one second access terminals are members and accommodating the request would disrupt the QoS of communication between the wireless access point and the at least one second access terminal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the QoS is not adjusted if the at least one second access terminal is a member and the first access terminal is a non-member.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one value indicative of system resources comprises data indicating one of:

available capacity, utilized capacity, and total capacity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the available capacity includes determining whether an access terminal without an established link to the wireless access point can be provided with access to system resources without disrupting the QoS provided to access terminals with established links to the wireless access point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the first access terminal is a group member; and

denying the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and providing access would disrupt the QoS provided to group members with established links to the wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the first access terminal access to system resources so long as providing access would not disrupt the QoS provided to any access terminals with established links to the wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and there is at least one non-member access terminal having a respective QoS that can be decreased to accommodate the first access terminal.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the first access terminal access to system resources by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link, and decreasing the QoS for a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the first access terminal is a group member; and

providing the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one non-member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and the non-member and decreasing the QoS for the non-member.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one other member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by decreasing the QoS for the other member.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the first access terminal can be provided with access to system resources by adjusting the QoS of communication with non-members; and

providing the first access terminal access to system resources by decreasing the QoS of at least one non-member.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein some of the access terminals belong to a plurality of different groups, wherein each of the groups has different priority access rights to the system resources as compared to at least one other group.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the QoS is defined by at least one of acceptable bit-error-rate, acceptable symbol-error-rate, acceptable packet-error-rate, data transmission rate, symbol transmission rate, packet transmission rate, guaranteed bit rate, acceptable signal-to-noise, allocation and retention priority.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first access terminal requests a communication link with guaranteed bit rate (GBR) service, wherein differentiation between the respective levels of service provided to members and non-members is implemented with access control by applying allocation and retention priority (ARP).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first access terminal requests a communication link with non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) service, wherein differentiation between the respective levels of service provided to members and non-members is implemented by handling packets of the members with higher priority, resulting in higher throughput and lower delay for members as compared to non-members.

21. A wireless access point comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request from a first access terminal for access to system resources provided from the wireless access point;

a transmitter configured to provide a forward channel between the wireless access point and one or more access terminals, wherein the forward channel comprises at least a portion of the system resources;

a controller configured to execute code; and

non-transitory computer readable memory storing code that when executed by the controller is configured to (i) determine whether the first access terminal is a member of a group or a non-member, (ii) determine a level of service from one of a plurality of levels of service for the first access terminal based on whether the first access terminal is a member or a non-member, wherein the respective levels of service for members and non-members is different, (iii) determine whether at least one access terminal has an established link to the wireless access point and is a non-member having a respective quality of service (QoS) that can be decreased to accommodate providing access to the first access terminal, and (iv) selectively adjust a QoS of communication between the wireless access point and at least one second access terminal comprising the at least one access terminal based on both at least one value indicative of system resources and whether at least one of the first and at least one second access terminals is a member of a group, wherein a member has priority access to system resources over a non-member.

22. The wireless access point of claim 21, wherein the receiver is further configured to enable reverse channel communication between the wireless access point and one or more access terminals, and wherein the reverse channel comprises at least a portion of the system resources.

23. The wireless access point of claim 21, wherein group membership data is provided to the wireless access point from a mobility management entity within a wireless network.

24. The wireless access point of claim 21, wherein determining the level of service includes allocating a smaller portion of system resources to the first access terminal than a disparate portion of system resources allocated to one or more other access terminals included in the group.

25. The wireless access point of claim 21, wherein non-transitory computer readable memory further storing code that when executed by the controller is configured to:

determine the at least one value indicative of system resources provided from the wireless access point.

26. The wireless access point of claim 25, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to determine whether an access terminal without an established link to the wireless access point can be provided with access to system resources without disrupting the QoS provided to access terminals with established links to the wireless access point.

27. The wireless access point of claim 25, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to:

determine whether the first access terminal is a group member; and

deny the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and providing access would disrupt the QoS provided to group members with established links to the wireless access point.

28. The wireless access point of claim 27, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources so long as providing access would not disrupt the QoS provided to any access terminals with established links to the wireless access point.

29. The wireless access point of claim 27, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to:

provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and there is at least one non-member access terminal having a respective QoS that can be decreased to accommodate the first access terminal.

30. The wireless access point of claim 27, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link, and decreasing the QoS for a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link.

31. The wireless access point of claim 26, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one non-member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and the non-member and decreasing the QoS for the non-member.

32. The wireless access point of claim 31, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one other member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by decreasing the QoS for the other member.

33. The wireless access point of claim 31, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory further comprises code that when executed by the controller is configured to:

determine whether the first access terminal can be provided with access to system resources by adjusting the QoS of communication with non-members; and

provide the first access terminal access to system resources by decreasing the QoS of at least one non-member.

34. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium having machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to:

determine whether a first access terminal is a member of a group or a non-member;

determine a level of service from one of a plurality of levels of service for the first access terminal based on whether the first access terminal is a member or a non-member, wherein the respective levels of service for members and non-members is different;

determine whether at least one access terminal has an established link to the wireless access point and is a non-member having a respective quality of service (QoS) that can be decreased to accommodate providing access to the first access terminal; and

selectively adjust a QoS of communication between the wireless access point and at least one second access terminal comprising the at least one access terminal based on both at least one value indicative of system resources and whether at least one of the first and at least one second access terminals is a member of a group, wherein a member has priority access to system resources over a non-member.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to receive a request from a first access terminal for access to system resources provided from an access point.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to determine whether an access terminal without an established link to the wireless access point can be provided with access to system resources without disrupting the QoS provided to access terminals with established links to the wireless access point.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to deny the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and providing access would disrupt the QoS provided to group members with established links to the wireless access point.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources so long as providing access would not disrupt the QoS provided to any access terminals with established links.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to:

provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a non-member and there is at least one non-member access terminal having a respective QoS that can be decreased to accommodate the first access terminal.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link, and decreasing the QoS for a non-member with a previously established lower-priority link.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one non-member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by one of terminating communication between the wireless access point and the non-member and decreasing the QoS for the non-member.

42. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to provide the first access terminal access to system resources if the first access terminal is a member and there is at least one other member, with a previously established link to the wireless access point, by decreasing the QoS for the other member.

43. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising machine executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device are configured to:

determine whether the first access terminal can be provided with access to system resources by adjusting the QoS of communication with non-members; and

provide the first access terminal access to system resources by decreasing the QoS of at least one non-member.

44. A wireless access point comprising:

means for receiving a request from a first access terminal for access to system resources provided from the wireless access point;

means for determining at least one value indicative of system resources provided from the wireless access point;

means for determining a level of service from one of a plurality of levels of service to the first access terminal based on whether the first access terminal is a member or a non-member, wherein the respective levels of service for members and non-members is different;

means for determining whether at least one access terminal has an established link to the wireless access point and is a non-member having a respective quality of service (QoS) that can be decreased to accommodate providing access to the first access terminal; and

means for selectively adjust a QoS of communication between the wireless access point and at least one second access terminal based on both the at least one value indicative of system resources and whether at least one of the first and at least one second access terminals is a member of a group, wherein a member has priority access to system resources over a non-member.

45. The wireless access point of claim 44, further comprising means for providing a forward channel between the wireless access point and one or more access terminals, wherein the forward channel comprises at least a portion of the system resources.

46. The wireless access point of claim 44, wherein the means for receiving is further configured to enable reverse channel communication between the wireless access point and one or more access terminals, and wherein the reverse channel comprises at least a portion of the system resources.