Method and apparatus for allocating communication resources to support priority communications in a communication system

In a communication system that includes infrastructure equipment and a plurality of communication units, a method for the infrastructure equipment to allocate at least some of a plurality of common communication resources to support priority private voice communications by at least some of the plurality of communication units, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving a predetermined code transmitted by a first communication unit of a group of communication units that desire to initiate a plurality of priority private voice calls;
• b) reserving a predetermined number of the plurality of common communication resources at a first base site of the infrastructure equipment to produce a plurality of reserved communication resources;
• c) allocating a reserved communication resource of the plurality of reserved communication resources to a first communication unit of the group of communication units upon initiation of a first priority private voice call of the plurality of priority private voice calls;
• d) upon termination of the first priority private voice call, continuing to reserve the reserved communication resource at the first base site for a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time sufficient for the reserved communication resource to be allocated, via a channel assignment operation, to a second communication unit upon determining that the second communication unit desires to initiate a second priority private voice call;
• and
• e) after the predetermined period of time, returning the plurality of reserved communication resources to the plurality of common communication resources, the plurality of reserved communication resources being available to the plurality of communication units.

In a communication system that includes a base site controller and a plurality of base sites, the plurality of base sites being assigned a plurality of communication resources to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, the base site controller reserving at least some of the plurality of communication resources to support priority private voice communications by at least some of the plurality of communication units, the base site controller comprising:

• a processing device, coupled to a first base site of the plurality of base sites, that automatically determines when a first communication unit of the plurality of communication units desires to initiate a priority private voice call;
• a reserved resource database, coupled to the processing device, that reserves a communication resource of the plurality of communication resources at the first base site to facilitate the priority private voice call when the communication resource is available to produce a reserved communication resource;
• a control circuit, coupled to the reserved resource database and the first base site, that directs the first base site to allocate the reserved communication unit to the first communication unit;
• and
• a timing circuit, coupled to the processing device and the reserved resource database, that determines a length of time from a termination of the priority private voice call and directs the reserved resource database to return the reserved communication resource to the plurality of communication resources when the length of time exceeds a predetermined threshold,
• the predetermined threshold sufficient for the reserved communication resource to be allocated, via a channel assignment operation, to a second communication unit upon determining that the second communication unit desires to initiate a second priority private voice call.