Prioritization of connection identifiers for an uplink scheduler in a broadband wireless access communication system

A subscriber station of a wireless communication system, wherein the subscriber station allocates capacity for connections between the subscriber station and a base station, the subscriber station comprising:

• means for determining a priority order for the plurality of wireless connections, wherein determining a priority order includes classifying a high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections;
• means for transmitting from a subscriber station at least one capacity request message requesting bandwidth for the one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections;
• means for receiving a capacity grant message from the base station granting capacity to the plurality of wireless connections;
• and
• means for allocating the granted capacity among the plurality of wireless connections based on the priority order, including:
• (a) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is equal to or less than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating granted capacity among the one or more low-priority connections based on their priority order and not allocating any granted capacity to the high-priority connection;
• and
• (b) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is greater than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating the granted capacity among the high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections based on priority order.

An article of manufacture comprising machine-readable medium including program logic embedded therein for causing a device to perform the steps of:

• determining a priority order for a plurality of wireless connections coupling at least one base station and a subscriber station in a wireless communication system, wherein the at least one subscriber station allocates granted capacity for the plurality of wireless connections, wherein determining a priority order includes classifying a high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections;
• transmitting from a subscriber station at least one capacity request message requesting bandwidth for the one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections;
• receiving a capacity grant message from the base station granting capacity to the plurality of wireless connections;
• and
• allocating the granted capacity among the plurality of wireless connections based on the priority order, including:
• (a) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is equal to or less than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating granted capacity among the one or more low-priority connections based on their priority order and not allocating any granted capacity to the high-priority connection;
• and
• (b) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is greater than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating the granted capacity among the high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections based on priority order.