Method of assigning provisional identification to a subscriber unit and group

A method of assigning a provisional unit identification (PUID) to a subscriber unit in a wireless communications system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of resource controllers, the method comprising the steps of, at a first resource controller:

• knowing a plurality of predetermined ranges of PUIDs used by the plurality of resource controllers to assign to roaming subscriber units, wherein a second resource controller assigns a PUID to a roaming subscriber unit from a first predetermined range when an operating state of the second resource controller is not experiencing a failure, and wherein the second resource controller assigns a PUID to the roaming subscriber unit from a second predetermined range when the operating state of the second resource controller is experiencing a failure;
• detecting that the roaming subscriber unit having a PUID assigned by the second resource controller has entered the region controlled by the first resource controller;
• determining which predetermined range from which the PUID of the roaming subscriber unit was allocated;
• and
• requesting the roaming subscriber unit to perform unit registration with the first resource controller unless the predetermined range from which the PUID of the roaming subscriber unit was allocated was from the first predetermined range and a current state of the first resource controller is not experiencing a failure.

A method of assigning a provisional group identification (PGID) to a subscriber group in a wireless communications system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of resource controllers, the method comprising the steps of, at a resource controller:

• knowing a plurality of pre-determined ranges of PGIDs used by the plurality of resource controllers to assign to subscriber units affiliated with a non-native subscriber group;
• assigning a first PGID to each subscriber unit affiliated with a non-native subscriber group from a first predetermined range when an operating state of the resource controller is not experiencing a failure;
• and
• assigning a second PGID to each subscriber unit affiliated with the same non-native subscriber group from a second predetermined range when the operating state of the resource controller is experiencing a failure.

A method of assigning a provisional group identification (PGID) to a subscriber group in a wireless communications system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of resource controllers, the method comprising the steps of, at a first resource controller:

• knowing a plurality of predetermined ranges of PGIDs used by the plurality of resource controllers to assign to subscriber units affiliated with a non-native subscriber group, wherein a second resource controller assigns a PGID to a non-native subscriber group from a first predetermined range when an operating state of the second resource controller is not experiencing a failure, and wherein the second resource controller assigns a PGID to the non-native subscriber group from a second predetermined range when the operating state of the second resource controller is experiencing a failure;
• detecting that the non-native subscriber group having a PGID assigned by the second resource controller has entered the region controlled by the first resource controller;
• determining which predetermined range from which the PGID of the non-native subscriber group was allocated;
• and
• requesting each subscriber unit affiliated with the non-native subscriber group to affiliate to the non-native subscriber group again unless the predetermined range, from which the PGID of the non-native subscriber group was allocated, was from the first predetermined range and a current state of the first resource controller is not experiencing a failure.