Dynamic reduction of telephone call congestion

Details Dynamic reduction of telephone call congestion Dynamic reduction of telephone call congestion

1998-11-05

2001-11-27

Vo, Nguyen T. (Department: 2682)

Telecommunications

Radiotelephone system

Zoned or cellular telephone system

C455S522000, C455S070000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06324403

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates the dynamic reduction of telephone call congestion, and more particularly, to the dynamic reduction of telephone call congestion in a mobile telephone system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a mobile telephone communication system, such as the global system for mobiles (GSM) telephone communication system, “call setup” occurs over common control channels. As illustrated in the mobile telephone communication system
10
of
FIG. 1
, a mobile telephone unit
12
is located in one of cell clusters
14
,
16
, and
18
, each of which includes cells A-G. The mobile telephone unit
12
measures the power level of a number of base stations
20
,
22
, and
24
in the general vicinity, and reports the power level measurements to a base station controller
26
via the respective base stations
20
,
22
,
24
. The base station controller
26
then sets up or assigns a call requested by the mobile terminal unit
12
on the strongest base station
20
,
22
,
24
. The base station controller
26
makes the decision for the mobile terminal unit
12
and sends an order to the strongest serving base station
20
,
22
,
24
(as reported by the mobile terminal unit
12
) to set up the desired call.
Congestion occurs when too many mobile terminal units are trying to set up calls on a particular cell, (in this case, cell A in cell cluster
16
) which requires additional channel capacity above its existing configuration.
The cluster of cells
16
provides service to the mobile terminal units
12
within their coverage area. In some cases, mobile users may gather with much higher density around one cell in a cluster
16
, causing a much higher blocking probability for that cell, than is present in the neighboring cells.
In a particular example, cell A of cell cluster
16
includes an area in which an event, such as a sporting event, is taking place and cell A experiencing congestion levels in excess of a threshold, for example 10% of the calls are not being assigned, whereas the congestion of all other cells B-G in cluster
16
is much less than 10%, for example less than 1%. This congestion prevents some of the mobile telephone units within cell A of cluster
16
from having their calls assigned. As a result, many subscribers are unable to complete their desired calls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves this problem by providing a method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and propagated signal which adjusts the value representing the power level for the strongest base station, when the congestion of the strongest server is above a threshold level. Once the level of the strongest server is adjusted, the order of the base stations is then rearranged, and another cell becomes the strongest serving cell at the location where the mobile terminal unit is located, thereby effectively reducing the set up radius of the strongest base station. This reduction impacts the number of subscribers to be served by that cell, and hence, results in a congestion reduction in that cell.


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