Assignment of wireless network resources

• US 9,185,606 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Oroskar, Siddharth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/650,318
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00224 between packet switched [PS] and circuit switched [CS] network technologies, e.g. circuit switched fallback [CSFB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A RAN may be configured to receive a first call setup request relating to a first WCD, and a second call setup request relating to a second WCD. The first WCD may communicate using a first air-interface or a second air-interface, and the second WCD my communicate using the second air-interface and not the first air-interface. The RAN may determine that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for a resource of a wireless coverage area defined using the second air-interface. Based on the first WCD and the second WCD contending for the resource, the first WCD communicating using the first air-interface or the second air-interface, and the second WCD communicating using the second air-interface and not the first air-interface, the RAN may assign the resource to the second WCD.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) receiving (i) a first call setup request relating to a first wireless communication device (WCD), and (ii) a second call setup request relating to a second WCD, wherein the first WCD is configured to communicate using a first air-interface protocol and is configured to communicate using a second air-interface protocol different from the first air-interface protocol, wherein the second WCD is configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, and wherein the first WCD and the second WCD are served by the RAN;

determining that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for a resource of a wireless coverage area defined using the second air-interface protocol; and

based on (i) the first WCD and the second WCD contending for the resource, (ii) the first WCD being configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol and being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol, and (iii) the second WCD being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, assigning the resource to the second WCD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first air-interface protocol is Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and wherein the second air-interface protocol is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RAN is a CDMA RAN, and the resource comprises a CDMA code.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for the resource comprises:

determining that the CDMA code is the only CDMA code available in the wireless coverage area.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the resource to the second WCD comprises establishing a circuit switched call with the second WCD, the method further comprising:

the CDMA RAN providing, to an LTE RAN, an indication to establish, with the first WCD, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call corresponding to the first call setup request, wherein the VOIP call is established using the first air-interface protocol.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the RAN comprises:

a CDMA component configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol; and

an LTE component configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the resource is a CDMA code, and wherein assigning the resource to the WCD comprises the CDMA component assigning the CDMA code to the second WCD, the method further comprising:

the CDMA component providing, to the LTE component, an indication to establish, with the first WCD, a VOIP call corresponding to the first call setup request; and

the LTE component assigning, to the first WCD, a respective resource of a respective wireless coverage area defined using the first air-interface protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing, with the first WCD, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call using the LTE component and the first air-interface protocol; and

establishing, with the second WCD, a circuit switched call using the CDMA component and the second air-interface protocol.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a radio access network (RAN) device, cause the RAN device to perform functions comprising:

receiving (i) a first call setup request relating to a first wireless communication device (WCD), and (ii) a second call setup request relating to a second WCD, wherein the first WCD is configured to communicate using a first air-interface protocol and is configured to communicate using a second air-interface protocol different from the first air-interface protocol, wherein the second WCD is configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, and wherein the first WCD and the second WCD are served by the RAN;

determining that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for a resource of a wireless coverage area defined using the second air-interface protocol; and

based on (i) the first WCD and the second WCD contending for the resource, (ii) the first WCD being configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol and being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol, and (iii) the second WCD being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, assigning the resource to the second WCD.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first air-interface protocol is Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and wherein the second air-interface protocol is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the RAN is a CDMA RAN, and the resource comprises a CDMA code.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the function of determining that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for the resource comprises:

determining that the CDMA code is the only CDMA code available in the wireless coverage area.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the function of assigning the resource to the second WCD comprises establishing a circuit switched call with the second WCD, and wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the RAN device, further cause the RAN device to perform functions comprising:

the CDMA RAN providing, to an LTE RAN, an indication to establish, with the first WCD, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call corresponding to the first call setup request, wherein the VOIP call is established using the first air-interface protocol.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the RAN comprises:

a CDMA component configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol; and

an LTE component configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the resource is a CDMA code, and wherein assigning the resource to the WCD comprises the CDMA component assigning the CDMA code to the second WCD, and wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the RAN device, further cause the RAN device to perform functions comprising:

the CDMA component providing, to the LTE component, an indication to establish, with the first WCD, a VOIP call corresponding to the first call setup request; and

the LTE component assigning, to the first WCD, a respective resource of a respective wireless coverage area defined using the first air-interface protocol.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the RAN device, further cause the RAN device to perform functions comprising:

establishing, with the first WCD, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call using the LTE component and the first air-interface protocol; and

establishing, with the second WCD, a circuit switched call using the CDMA component and the second air-interface protocol.

17. A radio access network (RAN) device comprising:

a processor;

a data storage; and

program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, that cause the RAN device to;

receive (i) a first call setup request relating to a first wireless communication device (WCD), and (ii) a second call setup request relating to a second WCD, wherein the first WCD is configured to communicate using a first air-interface protocol and is configured to communicate using a second air-interface protocol different from the first air-interface protocol, wherein the second WCD is configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, and wherein the first WCD and the second WCD are served by the RAN,

determine that the first WCD and the second WCD are contending for a resource of a wireless coverage area defined using the second air-interface protocol, and

based on (i) the first WCD and the second WCD contending for the resource, (ii) the first WCD being configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol and being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol, and (iii) the second WCD being configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol and not the first air-interface protocol, assign the resource to the second WCD.

18. The RAN device of claim 17, further comprising:

a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) component configured to communicate using the second air-interface protocol; and

a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) component configured to communicate using the first air-interface protocol.

19. The RAN device of claim 18, wherein the resource is a CDMA code, wherein the CDMA component is configured to assign the CDMA code to the second WCD, and wherein program instructions, stored in the data storage, are further executable by the processor to cause the RAN device to:

cause the CDMA component to provide, to the LTE component, an indication to establish, with the first WCD, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call corresponding to the first call setup request; and

cause the LTE component to assign, to the first WCD, a respective resource of a respective wireless coverage area defined using the first air-interface protocol.

20. The RAN device of claim 19, wherein program instructions, stored in the data storage, are further executable by the processor to cause the RAN device to:

establish, with the first WCD, a VoIP call using the LTE component and the first air-interface protocol; and

establish, with the second WCD, a circuit switched call using the CDMA component and the second air-interface protocol.