US 5,490,087 AGranted

Radio channel access control

AssigneeMotorola, Inc.

InventorsJames P. Redden, David Terris, Michael W. Krutz

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Abstract

A cellular telecommunication system comprised of low-Earth orbiting satellites featuring allocation of communication channels among users in cells is disclosed. Each subscriber unit is programmed with an embedded class identifier. During periods when it is desirable to limit acquisition of a satellite to some restricted class or set of classes, such as periods of heavy use, the satellite broadcasts a list of inhibited class identifiers allowing only uninhibited classes access to the communication system. The method reduces thrashing by allowing access to users on a hierarchy class basis. The method uses both real time cell loading data and historical cell loading information based on previous experiences and can be programmed to limit access to emergency services in the case of natural disasters.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of controlling access of subscriber units to a communication system comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node of said plurality having at least one antenna beam associated therewith, and each of said subscriber units having an assigned class identifier stored therein for discriminating among users, said assigned class identifier being either one of a plurality of regular user class identifiers or one of a plurality of special user class identifiers, said method comprising:

a) identifying a geographic area likely to exhibit overload during a planning interval;
b) calculating a proportion of users in said geographic area having regular user class identifiers desired to be temporarily blocked from accessing said communication system;
c) forming a set of temporarily inhibited class identifiers from said plurality of regular user class identifiers to inhibit in said geographic area based on said proportion;
d) creating a parameter set which includes said set of temporarily inhibited class identifiers;
e) identifying at least one node of said plurality of nodes and an associated antenna beam expected to service said geographic area during said planning interval;
f) sending said parameter set to said at least one node;
and
g) broadcasting by said at least one node in said associated antenna beam on a broadcast channel, said parameter set wherein subscriber units containing said temporarily inhibited class identifiers are prevented from accessing said communication system, and
wherein the forming step varies said set of said inhibited class identifiers to include other regular user class identifiers of said plurality of regular user class identifiers.

6 more elements

A method of limiting access to users of a communication system which is accessible through subscriber units, each of said subscriber units having an assigned class identifier of a plurality of class identifiers embedded therein, said method comprising the steps of:

determining class identifiers of said plurality to temporarily inhibit when an available number of traffic channels is below a predetermined threshold;
receiving from said communication system at said subscriber unit a parameter set which includes said temporarily inhibited class identifiers;
determining by said subscriber unit if said assigned class identifier is one of said temporarily inhibited class identifiers;
and
displaying a message to inform a user of said subscriber unit, when said assigned class identifier is one of said temporarily inhibited class identifiers, that service is not presently available.

2 more elements

A method of operating a node in a communication system that communicates with subscriber units, said node having a plurality of antenna beams associated therewith, each antenna beam of said plurality of antenna beams having a demand for communication services associated therewith, and said antenna beams having broadcast channels, traffic channels and acquisition channels associated therewith, each of said subscriber units having an assigned class identifier stored therein, said assigned class identifier being either one of a plurality of regular user class identifiers or one of a plurality of special user class identifiers, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving from said communication system, a parameter set associated with at least one antenna beam of said plurality of antenna beams which includes a list of inhibited class identifiers for said one antenna beam;
determining if an available number of traffic channels associated with said at least one antenna beam is below a reserve threshold;
modifying said parameter set to include some of said regular user class identifiers when said available number of traffic channels in said at least one antenna beam is below said reserve threshold;
and
broadcasting said parameter set in an associated broadcast channel of said at least one antenna beam.

2 more elements

A communication system having a plurality of nodes which are accessible through subscriber units, each subscriber unit having one assigned class identifier of a plurality of class identifiers stored therein for discriminating among users, said system comprising:

an antenna coupled to one node of said plurality, said antenna producing an antenna beam;
a multi-channel transceiver coupled to said antenna, said multi-channel transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving orthogonal channel sets in said antenna beam;
a processor coupled to said multi-channel transceiver;
and
a storage medium coupled to said processor,
wherein the combination of said processor and said storage medium:
a) identify a geographic area likely to exhibit overload during a planning interval;
b) calculate a proportion of users in said geographic area to be blocked from accessing said communication system;
c) form a set of temporarily inhibited class identifiers of said plurality of class identifiers to temporarily inhibit in said geographic area based on said proportion;
d) create a parameter set which includes said set of temporarily inhibited class identifiers;
e) identify a node of said plurality of nodes and an associated antenna beam expected to service said geographic area during said planning interval;
and
f) send said parameter set to said node,
wherein said multi-channel transceiver broadcasts in said associated antenna beam on a broadcast channel, said parameter set, wherein subscriber units that have one of said temporarily inhibited class identifiers are prevented from initiating access to said communication system.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.