Methods and devices for assigning a wireless communication device to a wireless coverage area based on early termination gain
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorsAnil Singh, Samuel Odedina, Abhishek Lall, Cheryl M. Nichols
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for assigning a wireless communication device (WCD) to a wireless coverage are a based on early termination gain (ETG) are presented. In particular, a RAN may receive a request, from a WCD, for an assignment to one of a plurality of wireless coverage areas. In response to receiving the request, the RAN may select a wireless coverage area of the plurality that has a highest ETG, and assign the WCD to the selected wireless coverage area. Prior to selecting this wireless coverage area, the RAN may optionally remove one or more wireless coverage areas with high utilization from consideration.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a radio access network (RAN) device, a connection request message that specifies a first wireless coverage area and a second wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN device allocates time division multiplexed (TDM) slots on a first forward link of the first wireless coverage area;
- determining a first early termination gain (ETG) associated with the first wireless coverage area and a second ETG associated with the second wireless coverage area, wherein the first ETG is based on a first ratio of (i) TDM slots allocated for a first set of packets transmitted on the first forward link to (ii) TDM slots used for the first set of packets transmitted on the first forward link;
- and
- responsive to the connection request message, selecting one of the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area based on the determined ETGs, and assigning a wireless communication device (WCD) to the selected wireless coverage area.
A radio access network (RAN) device comprising:
- at least one processor;
- data storage;
- and
- program instructions, stored in the data storage, that upon execution by the at least one processor cause the RAN device to perform operations including:
- receiving a connection request message that specifies a first wireless coverage area and a second wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN device allocates time division multiplexed (TDM) slots on a first forward link of the first wireless coverage area;
- determining a first early termination gain (ETG) associated with the first wireless coverage area and a second ETG associated with the second wireless coverage area, wherein the first ETG is based on a first ratio of (i) TDM slots allocated for a first set of packets transmitted on the first forward link to (ii) TDM slots used for the first set of packets transmitted on the first forward link;
- and
- responsive to the connection request message, selecting one of the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area based on the determined ETGs, and assigning a wireless communication device (WCD) to the selected wireless coverage area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.