Conditional assignment of connection identifiers to help avoid communication errors
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorSachin R. Vargantwar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for helping to avoid communication errors, by ensuring that when a connection identifier (such as a Walsh code or MAC Index) is being assigned to a wireless access terminal for use in a wireless coverage area having a particular coverage-area identifier (such as a particular PN offset), the same connection identifier is not currently assigned to another access terminal in another nearby coverage area that has the same coverage-area identifier.
Claims20
A method implemented by a radio access network (RAN) that radiates to define a plurality of wireless coverage areas, the method comprising:
- the RAN receiving from an access terminal (AT) a connection request specifying a wireless-coverage-area identifier;
- responsive to at least the request, (a) the RAN determining a wireless coverage area that has the specified wireless-coverage-area identifier and (b) the RAN (i) selecting a radio-link identifier that is available for use in the determined wireless coverage area, while (ii) ensuring that, in another wireless coverage area having the same wireless-coverage-area identifier, the same radio-link identifier is not currently assigned to another access terminal;
- responsive to the request, the RAN assigning the selected radio-link identifier to the AT;
- and
- the RAN using the assigned radio-link identifier to communicate data to the AT in the determined wireless coverage area.
A radio access network (RAN) comprising a plurality of base transceiver stations radiating to define a plurality of wireless coverage areas for serving access terminals, each wireless coverage area having a respective coverage-area identifier,
- the RAN being arranged to receive from an access terminal (AT) a connection request specifying a coverage-area identifier;
- the RAN being arranged to respond to at least the request by (a) determining a wireless coverage area that has the specified coverage-area identifier and (b) selecting a radio-link identifier that is available for use in the determined wireless coverage area, while ensuring that, in another wireless coverage area having the same coverage-area identifier, the same radio-link identifier is not currently assigned to another access terminal;
- the RAN further being arranged to assign the selected radio-link identifier to the AT in response to the request;
- and
- the RAN being arranged to use the assigned radio-link identifier to communicate data to the AT in the determined wireless coverage area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.