System and method for providing data services using idle cell resources

In a communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, a method for transmitting data using idle channels comprising:

• assigning a priority to each remote user;
• receiving a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertaining if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searching for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then notifying the second remote user of a pending call termination, terminating the call of the second remote user, and allocating the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

In a communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, a method for transmitting data using idle channels, comprising:

• assigning a priority to each remote user, wherein the priority for each user is based upon at least one application that each user is performing;
• receiving a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertaining if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searching for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then terminating the call of the second remote user and allocating the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

In a communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, a method for transmitting data using idle channels comprising:

• assigning a priority to each remote user, wherein the priority for each user is based upon at least one application that each user is performing, wherein at least one application comprises a plurality of associated applications, each associated application having a predefined priority, and wherein the priority for each user is further based upon at least one associated application that each user is performing;
• receiving a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertaining if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searching for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then terminating the call of the second remote user and allocating the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

In a communications system having a switch, at least one remote user, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, a method for transmitting voice communications using idle channels, comprising:

• assigning a priority to each remote user, wherein an emergency priority is assigned to each remote user identified as an emergency remote user;
• receiving a request for service at the switch for an emergency remote user;
• ascertaining if any channel at the access node of the emergency remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searching for a remote user without an emergency priority among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a remote user without an emergency priority is found, then terminating the call of the remote user without an emergency priority and allocating the channel of the remote user without an emergency priority to the emergency remote user.

A communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, the system comprising:

• a memory containing a database in which a priority for each remote user is recorded;
• and
• a node controller operatively connected to the memory and adapted to control the functions of the switch, wherein the node controller
• assigns a priority to at least one remote user;
• receives a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertains if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searches for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is not found, then places the request for service for the first remote user in a queue and notifies the first remote user that the request for service has been placed in a queue.

A communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, the system comprising:

• a memory containing a database in which a priority for each remote user is recorded;
• and
• a node controller operatively connected to the memory and adapted to control the functions of the switch, wherein the node controller
• assigns a priority to each remote user;
• receives a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertains if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searches for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then notifies the second remote user of a pending call termination, terminates the call of the second remote user, and allocates the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

A communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, the system comprising:

• a memory containing a database in which a priority for each remote user is recorded;
• and
• a node controller operatively connected to the memory and adapted to control the functions of the switch, wherein the node controller
• assigns a priority to each remote user, wherein the priority for each user is assigned based upon one or more of a plurality of applications that each user is performing;
• receives a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertains if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searches for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then terminates the call of the second remote user and allocates the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

In a communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, the system comprising:

• a memory containing a database in which a priority for each remote user is recorded;
• and
• a node controller operatively connected to the memory and adapted to control the functions of the switch, wherein the node controller
• assigns a priority to each remote user, wherein the priority for each user is assigned based upon at least one application that each user is performing, wherein at least one application comprises a plurality of associated applications, each associated application having a predefined priority;
• receives a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;
• ascertains if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searches for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found, then terminates the call of the second remote user and allocates the channel of the second remote user to the first remote user.

A communications system having a switch, at least one remote user, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, the system comprising:

• a memory containing a database in which a priority for each remote user is recorded;
• and
• a node controller operatively connected to the memory and adapted to control the functions of the switch, wherein the node controller
• assigns a priority to each remote user, wherein an emergency priority is assigned to each remote user identified as an emergency remote user;
• receives a request for service at the switch for an emergency remote user;
• ascertains if any channel at the access node of the emergency remote user is idle;
• and
• if a channel is not idle, searches for a remote user without an emergency priority among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;
• if a remote user without an emergency priority is found, then terminates the call of the remote user without an emergency priority and allocates the channel of the remote user without an emergency priority to the emergency remote user.