Method to balance channel load using extended global service redirection message in a system environment that supports multiple band classes

In a mobile communications network having a base station that generates multiple-record EGSRDMs, a mobile station (MS) comprising:

• an element to receive an overhead message being broadcasted within a broadcast range of the network within which the MS is located;
• a memory within which a band class selection utility is stored for use in selecting one or more band classes from a received EGSRDM that includes multiple band class records for multiple respective band classes;
• a processor that executes said band class selection utility, which when executed performs:
• retrieving the EGSRDM from the overhead message;
• determining whether the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM by determining when the EGSRDM satisfies preset qualifications for activating a band class selection process at the MS;
• selecting a band class from among the multiple band classes identified by the multiple band class records within the EGSRDM;
• and
• selecting an available frequency within that selected band class to assign to operation of the MS,
• wherein when the preset qualifications are satisfied, activating the band class selection process of the utility to initiate the selecting of qualified band class records, and
• wherein when the preset qualifications are not satisfied defaulting the mobile station to a conventional selection process that selects only a first record in the EGSRDM and a first available frequency from within the first record and maintaining a current frequency/channel assignment of the mobile station when no available frequency is found within the first record.

In a mobile communications network having a base station that generates multiple-record EGSRDMs, a mobile station (MS) comprising:

• an element to receive an overhead message being broadcasted within a broadcast range of the network within which the MS is located;
• a memory within which a band class selection utility is stored for use in selecting one or more band classes from a received EGSRDM that includes multiple band class records for multiple respective band classes;
• a processor that executes said hand class selection utility, which when executed performs:
• retrieving the EGSRDM from the overhead message;
• determining whether the EGSRDM is a valid Multiple-record EGSRDM:
• selecting a band class from among the multiple band classes identified by the multiple band class records within the EGSRDM;
• and
• selecting an available frequency within that selected band class to assign to operation of the MS.
• wherein when the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, said selecting of band class further comprises:
• parsing the EGSRDM to separate the band class records portion thereof;
• generating a list of qualified band class records that meet selection criteria for that mobile station, wherein said list comprises less than the full number of band class records within the EGSRDM when not all of the full number of band class records meet the selection criteria;
• activating a band class selection mechanism that selects a first band class record within the list and subsequent band class records within the list when the first and previous selected band class records fail to provide an available frequency for assignment to the mobile station.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium for utilization within a mobile station (MS) of a wireless communication network, said computer program product comprising:

• program code on said non-transitory computer readable medium, said code providing the following functions when executed by a processor:
• retrieving an EGSRDM from an overhead message;
• determining whether the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, wherein the determining process further comprises:
• determining when the EGSRDM meets preset qualifications for activating a band class selection process at the MS, wherein the preset qualifications comprise at least two of:
• (a) determining that a value of P_Rev is greater than or equal to 11;
• (b) determining that a redirect record=010;
• and (c) determining that multiple band class records exist within the received EGSRDM;
• and
• when the EGSRDM meets the preset qualifications indicating that the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, activating the band class selection process to initiate the selecting of qualified band class records in the multiple-record EGSRDM corresponding to respective band classes, said selection process comprising:
• selecting a band class from among multiple band classes identified by the selected qualified band class records within the valid multiple-record EGSRDM;
• and
• selecting an available frequency within that selected band class to assign to operation of the MS,
• wherein when the EGSRDM is not a valid multiple-record EGSRDM defaulting the mobile station to a conventional selection process that selects only a first record in the EGSRDM and a first available frequency from within the first record and maintaining a current frequency/channel assignment of the mobile station when no available frequency is found within the first record.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium for utilization within a mobile station of a wireless communication network, said computer program product comprising:

• program code on said non-transitory computer readable medium, said code providing the following functions when executed by a processor:
• retrieving an EGSRDM from an overhead message;
• determining whether the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, wherein the determining process further comprises:
• determining when the EGSRDM meets preset qualifications for activating a band class selection process at the MS, wherein the preset qualifications comprise at least two of:
• (a) determining that a value of P_Rev is greater than or equal to 11;
• (b) determining that a redirect record=010;
• and (c) determining that multiple band class records exist within the received EGSRDM;
• and
• when the EGSRDM meets the preset qualifications indicating that the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, activating the band class selection process to initiate the selecting of qualified band class records in the multiple-record EGSRDM corresponding to respective band classes, said selection process comprising:
• selecting a band class from among multiple band classes identified by the selected qualified band class records within the val id multiple-record EGSRDM;
• and
• selecting an available frequency within that selected band class to assign to operation of the MS;
• when any one of the preset qualifications is not satisfied:
• defaulting the mobile station to a conventional selection process that selects only a first record in the EGSRDM and a first available frequency from within the first record;
• and
• maintaining a current frequency/channel assignment of the mobile station when no available frequency is found within the first record;
• and
• when each of the preset qualifications is satisfied, said code for selecting of band class further comprises code for:
• parsing the EGSRDM to separate the band class records portion thereof;
• generating a list of qualified band class records that meet selection criteria for that mobile station, wherein said list comprises less than the full number of band class records within the EGSRDM when not all of the full number of band class records meet the selection criteria, wherein said code for generating a list of qualified band class records further comprises code for including within the list each set of frequencies associated with each of the qualified band class records;
• activating a band class selection mechanism that selects a first band class record within the list and subsequent band class records within the list when the first and previous selected band class records fail to provide an available frequency for assignment to the mobile station;
• and
• when a last band class record within the list has been selected and there is no available frequency located therein, defaulting the mobile station selection to a system determination substate.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium for utilization within a mobile station (MS) of a wireless communication network, said computer program product comprising:

• program code on said non-transitory computer readable medium, sad code providing the following functions when executed by a processor:
• retrieving an EGSRDM from an overhead message;
• determining whether the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, wherein the determining process further comprises:
• determining when the EGSRDM meets preset qualifications for activating a band class selection process at the MS, wherein the preset qualifications comprise at least two of:
• (a) determining that a value of P_Rev is greater than or equal to 11;
• (b) determining that a redirect record=010;
• and (c) determining that multiple band class records exist within the received EGSR DM;
• and
• when the EGSRDM meets the preset qualifications indicating that the EGSRDM is a valid multiple-record EGSRDM, activating the band class selection process to initiate the selecting of qualified band class records in the multiple-record EGSRDM corresponding to respective band classes, said selection process comprising:
• selecting a band class from among multiple band classes identified by the selected qualified band class records within the valid multiple-record EGSRDM;
• and
• selecting an available frequency within that selected band class to assign to operation of the MS;
• wherein the code for selecting of an available frequency within the currently selected band class record comprises code for:
• hashing to a frequency within the currently selected band class record;
• assigning the frequency hashed to when the frequency is an available frequency;
• and when the hashing does not yield an available frequency, initiating a current redirection criteria for selecting the available frequency, wherein the next available frequency is selected via a sequential check of frequencies within the current band class record.

A method to reduce over-the-air signaling associated with channel load balancing in a wireless communication network, said method comprising:

• selecting particular frequencies from among multiple utilized frequencies to associate with band classes supported within the network, said particular frequencies corresponding to frequencies having greater available bandwidth than others of the multiple utilized frequencies;
• generating an extended global service redirection message (EGSRDM);
• inserting within the EGSRDM multiple band class records corresponding to the band classes along with their associated particular frequencies;
• inserting band class selection data into multiple band class records within the EGSRDM that enables a mobile station receiving the EGSRDM to automatically determine which of the multiple band classes and frequencies are to be utilized by the particular type of mobile station;
• and
• broadcasting the EGSRDM to mobile stations within the broadcast range via an overhead message;
• wherein said mobile stations are designed with band class selection mechanisms that select particular band class records from among the multiple band class records inserted within the broadcast EGSRDM, such that the selected particular band class records enable the mobile stations to select a frequency that has greater available bandwidth and provide indirect load balancing to the network.

A base station comprising:

• a memory containing code to generate a service redirection message;
• and
• a processor to execute the code to:
• allocate plural band class records for inclusion within the service redirection message based on analysis of network load conditions;
• provide within each band class record of the plural band class records particular frequencies that have relatively more available bandwidth among all frequencies supported by corresponding band classes identified by the plural band class records, each band class being associated with at least one frequency and at least one revision indicator;
• insert the plural band class records into the service redirection message;
• and
• broadcast the service redirection message to mobile stations to enable at least one of the mobile stations to select from among the plural band classes identified by the service redirection message.