Methods and apparatus for dynamic load balancing with E-AICH

An apparatus that facilitates dynamic load balancing on uplink frequencies in a communications system, comprising:

• a load evaluator that determines, at a base station, uplink frequency load based at least in part on signaling from one or more mobile devices;
• a balancing module that ascertains a solution to a load imbalance if indicated by the load evaluator;
• and
• an AICH module that signals an indicator from the base station to at least one mobile device in response to the load imbalance, the indicator comprising (1) a command that orders the at least one mobile device to transition to a new uplink frequency;
• and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preambles.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable for:

• determining, at a base station, whether a load imbalance exists between a first frequency and a second frequency based at least in part on random access preambles transmitted by one or more mobile devices;
• and
• signaling an indicator on an acquisition indicator channel from the base station to at least a subset of the one or more mobile devices in response to determining the load imbalance, the indicator comprising (1) a command that orders a transition to a new frequency different than a frequency employed by the subset to transmit the random access preambles;
• and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preambles.

A method that facilitates dynamically resolving load imbalances in a communications system, comprising:

• sending a random access preamble from a mobile station on a first uplink frequency to a base station;
• receiving, at the mobile station from the base station, an indicator on an acquisition indicator channel, the indicator comprising (1) a command to transition to a second, different uplink frequency, and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preamble, wherein the indicator is in response to the base station determining a load imbalance between the first and second uplink frequencies based on the random access preamble;
• and
• switching to the second uplink frequency in response to the indicator.

An apparatus that facilitates dynamic load balancing, comprising:

• a random access module that transmits random access preambles from a mobile station on a first uplink frequency to a base station;
• an AICH evaluator that determines if an indicator received on an acquisition indicator channel at the mobile station from the base station, the indicator comprising (1) a command to transition frequencies;
• and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preambles, wherein the indicator is in response to the base station determining a load imbalance between the first uplink frequency and a second uplink frequency based on the random access preambles;
• and
• a frequency selector that switches uplink frequencies to the second frequency in response to the command.

An apparatus that facilitates dynamically resolving load imbalances in a communications system, comprising:

• means for sending a random access preamble from a mobile station on a first uplink frequency to a base station;
• means for receiving, at the mobile station from the base station, an indicator on an acquisition indicator channel, the indicator comprising (1) a command to transition to a second, different uplink frequency, and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preamble, wherein the indicator is in response to the base station determining a load imbalance between the first and second uplink frequencies based on the random access preamble;
• and
• means for switching to the second uplink frequency in response to the indicator.

An apparatus that facilitates dynamic load balancing in a communications system, comprising:

• means for determining, at a base station, whether a load imbalance exists between a first frequency and a second frequency based at least in part on random access preambles transmitted by one or more mobile devices;
• and
• means for signaling an indicator on an acquisition indicator channel from the base station to at least a subset of the one or more mobile devices in response to determining the load imbalance, the indicator comprising (1) a command that orders a transition to a new frequency different than a frequency employed by the subset to transmit the random access preambles;
• and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preambles.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable for:

• sending a random access preamble from a mobile station on a first uplink frequency to a base station;
• receiving, at the mobile station from the base station, an indicator on an acquisition indicator channel, the indicator comprising (1) a command to transition to a second, different uplink frequency, and (2) a negative acknowledgement to the random access preamble, wherein the indicator is in response to the base station determining a load imbalance between the first and second uplink frequencies based on the random access preamble;
• and
• switching to the second uplink frequency in response to the indicator.