Patent US5870676A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5870676A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for monitoring killer channels in a cellular system
Assignee: The AT&T MVPD Group LLC
•
Filing: 1996-02-16
•
Granted: 1999-02-09
•
Expires: 2016-02-16
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus for monitoring problematic transmission channels in a cellular telephone system are disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, the channel monitoring method or apparatus keeps track of a defined number of calls M. After channel selection, the channel monitoring process determines whether the channel assignment was successful. The number of calls M defines the window in which the process tracks channel failures. The disclosed monitoring process can be used in either an analog embodiment or a time division multiple access (TDMA) digital embodiment having multiple channels for each frequency, such as TDMA-3. After every frequency selection, whether call assignment is successful or unsuccessful, channel information is monitored. If the monitored channel information exceeds placement thresholds, the selected frequency is placed into an alarm subpool. Preferably, the channel monitoring process has at least one alarm subpool. If the selected channel has been previously placed into an alarm subpool during a window of calls M and the channel information satisfies rejection thresholds, the selected frequency is rejected. A rejected frequency is subsequently unavailable for future calls until the operator intervenes. If the selected frequency is already in an alarm subpool and there have been no call failures of the type which originally caused the selected frequency to be placed into an alarm subpool during the last M calls; the frequency is removed from the alarm subpool.
Inventors
- 👤 Bhanu Durvasula
- 👤 Srikanth Yaragudipati
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 19:50
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W24/00; H04B; H04B17/00; H04B17/10; H04B17/15; H04B17/18; H04B17/30; H04B17/382
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of monitoring channels in a cellular communications system comprising the following steps: receiving at a base station of the cellular communications system a request from a subscriber unit for assignment of one of a plurality of available transmission channels for use by said subscriber unit in establishing a communications link involving said subscriber unit; assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channels to said subscriber unit in response to said request; and determining a failure rate for said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels wherein said step of determining said failure rate includes the step of determining whether or not said assigning step resulted in said communications link actually being established for said subscriber unit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of monitoring channels in a cellular communications system comprising the following steps: receiving at a base station of the cellular communications system a request from a subscriber unit for assignment of one of a plurality of available transmission channels for use by said subscriber unit in establishing a communications link involving said subscriber unit; assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channels to said subscriber unit in response to said request; and determining a failure rate for said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels wherein said step of determining said failure rate includes the step of determining whether or not said assigning step resulted in said communications link actually being established for said subscriber unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining said failure rate for said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels is performed after each channel is assigned.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channels is performed according to configurable criteria.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channels is performed based on signal quality strength.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether or not said assigning step resulted in said communications link actually being established for said subscriber unit further includes identifying channel failure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining said failure rate further includes identifying channels which are problematic.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 5, wherein the step of identifying channel failure occurs after each frequency is selected for assignment.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the identified problematic channels cause a cleared call to fail.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a failure rate further includes identifying channels which cause a call assignment to fail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a failure rate further includes identifying problematic channels by configurable criteria.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of prioritizing channels within alarm subpools.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a failure rate further comprises placing identified problem channels into at least one of the alarm subpools if the failure rate satisfies placement criteria.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a failure rate further comprises removing channels from an alarm subpool if the failure rate satisfies removal criteria.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 13, wherein the removed channels are placed into assignment subpools based on signal quality levels.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a failure rate further includes the step of rejecting frequencies placed into an alarm subpool if the failure rate satisfies rejection criteria.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the channels satisfying the rejection criteria are not assignable.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the channels satisfying the rejection criteria are not assignable unless a stable state is reached.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of prioritizing channels within the alarm subpools according to signal quality.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of minimizing the assignment of problem channels to calls.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining a failure rate further comprises monitoring channel assignments and tabulating a number of successful channel assignments and a number of unsuccessful channel assignments.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring of said channel assignments comprises the use of an audio tone sent between a subscriber unit and a base station.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring of said channel assignments comprises the use of data sent between a subscriber unit and a base station.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of monitoring channels in a cellular communications system comprising the following steps; receiving at a base station of the cellular communications system a request from a subscriber unit for assignment of one of a plurality of available transmission channels for use by said subscriber unit in establishing a communications link involving said subscriber unit; assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channel to said subscriber unit in response to said request; determining a failure rate for said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels wherein said failure rate is determined independently of whether there is any activity on said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of monitoring channels in a cellular communications system comprising the following steps; receiving at a base station of the cellular communications system a request from a subscriber unit for assignment of one of a plurality of available transmission channels for use by said subscriber unit in establishing a communications link involving said subscriber unit; assigning a selected one of said plurality of transmission channel to said subscriber unit in response to said request; determining a failure rate for said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels wherein said failure rate is determined independently of whether there is any activity on said selected one of said plurality of transmission channels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5418839A
Cited
US5287544A
Cited
US5280630A
Cited
US5203012A
Cited
US5347056A
Cited
US5666654A
Cited
US5561847A
Cited
US5603082A
Cited
US5478868A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |