System and method for providing priority access and channel assignment in a cellular telecommunication system

Claim 1

A system for providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said system comprising: means for determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said means for determining a priority level including: means for determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user; a first prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and a second prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature; means for determining a level of channel congestion; means for reserving a bank of channels; means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and means for selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.

Claim 2

A system for providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said system comprising: means for determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said means for determining a priority level including: means for determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user; a first prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and a second prioritization parameter associated with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature; means for determining a level of channel congestion; means for reserving a bank of channels; means for queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and means for selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.

Claim 9

A method of providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said method comprising the steps of: determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said step of determining a priority level including the steps of: determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user; associating a first prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and associating a second prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature; determining a level of channel congestion; reserving a bank of channels; queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.

Claim 10

A method of providing a mobile telephone user with priority access to a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, and assigning a channel to said user on a priority basis when there is channel congestion in said network, said method comprising the steps of: determining a priority level for said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said step of determining a priority level including the steps of: determining whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers is designated as a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) user; associating a first prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said first prioritization parameter indicating whether said user and each of said plurality of subscribers has activated a priority access and channel assignment feature; and associating a second prioritization parameter with said user and each of said plurality of subscribers, said second prioritization parameter indicating a relative priority level for said user and each of said subscribers who has activated said priority access and channel assignment feature; determining a level of channel congestion; reserving a bank of channels; queuing call requests from said user and said plurality of subscribers; and selectively assigning a reserved channel to said user, or queuing a call request from the user with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, while awaiting an available channel.

Claim 17

A method of processing a call request for a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) call from a mobile telephone user in a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, said method comprising the steps of: receiving said call request from said user; determining whether there is channel congestion in said network; assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that there is not channel congestion in said network; enabling a service provider to designate whether to utilize a reserved bank of channels or a queue technique for subscriber access and channel assignment during periods of channel congestion; reserving a bank of channels for priority users when said service provider designates to utilize a reserved bank of channels; determining whether a reserved channel is available; assigning a reserved channel to said user upon a determination that a reserved channel is available; determining, upon a determination that a reserved channel is not available, whether said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized when a reserved channel is not available; denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said queue technique is to be utilized; positioning, upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized, said user's PACA call request in priority order with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, according to each subscriber's priority level and time of arrival at said queue of each of said call requests; determining whether said user's PACA call request will fit in a queue, based on a predefined queue size; determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue, whether said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized when said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue; denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized; determining whether a reserved channel is available upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized; determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request is in said queue, whether a channel is available; determining, upon a determination that a channel is available, whether said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue; assigning, upon a determination that said user is not the highest priority subscriber in said queue, a channel to a queued subscriber with the highest priority level and earliest time of arrival within said subscriber's priority level; and assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue.

Claim 18

A method of processing a call request for a priority access and channel assignment (PACA) call from a mobile telephone user in a cellular telecommunications network having a plurality of subscribers, said method comprising the steps of: receiving said call request from said user; determining whether there is channel congestion in said network; assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that there is not channel congestion in said network; enabling a service provider to designate whether to utilize a reserved bank of channels or a queue technique for subscriber access and channel assignment during periods of channel congestion; reserving a bank of channels for priority users when said service provider designates to utilize a reserved bank of channels; determining whether a reserved channel is available; assigning a reserved channel to said user upon a determination that a reserved channel is available; determining, upon a determination that a reserved channel is not available, whether said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized when a reserved channel is not available; denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said queue technique is to be utilized; positioning, upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said queue technique is to be utilized, said user's PACA call request in priority order with call requests from said plurality of subscribers, according to each subscriber's priority level and time of arrival at said queue of each of said call requests; determining whether said user's PACA call request will fit in a queue, based on a predefined queue size; determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue, whether said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized when said user's PACA call request will not fit in said queue; denying access to said user upon a determination that said service provider has not designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized; determining whether a reserved channel is available upon a determination that said service provider has designated that said reserved bank of channels is to be utilized; determining, upon a determination that said user's PACA call request is in said queue, whether a channel is available; determining, upon a determination that a channel is available, whether said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue; assigning, upon a determination that said user is not the highest priority subscriber in said queue, a channel to a queued subscriber with the highest priority level and earliest time of arrival within said subscriber's priority level; and assigning a channel to said user upon a determination that said user is the highest priority subscriber in said queue.