Channel capacity optimization for packet services

Abstract

A radio network controller (RNC) application controls packet communications through base stations serving wireless remote stations. In the embodiments, the RNC stores each packet received for a wireless remote station in a buffer and maintains a BCN counter value representing the amount of buffered data. The RNC maintains a maximum accumulation timer (Timer acc ), and it restarts an inter-packet arrival timer (Timer int ) upon receipt of each packet for the station. The RNC initiates transmissions to the station in response to certain events, including expiration of either of the timers Timer int and Timer acc , and if the BCN counter value exceeds a threshold. However, the transmissions use either a dedicated channel cell-state or a forward access channel state, depending on which event triggered each transmission. The RNC also may instruct the remote station to return to the forward access channel state following communication in the dedicated channel cell-state.

1 . In a wireless packet communication network comprising a plurality of base stations for serving a wireless remote station, a method of packet transmission to the wireless remote station, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) upon receiving a first packet intended for the wireless remote station, placing the packet in a buffer and starting an accumulation timer;    (b) starting an inter-packet arrival timer;    (c) if an amount of data stored in the buffer exceeds a threshold value, sending a message to the wireless remote station to enter a cell-state for dedicated channel communications, and causing a base station to transmit all data from the buffer to the wireless remote station over an assigned down-link channel of the wireless packet communication network in the dedicated channel cell-state;    (d) if the amount of data stored in the buffer does not exceed the threshold value, waiting for arrival of a further packet intended for the wireless remote station;    (e) if a further packet intended for the wireless remote station arrives before expiration of the inter-packet arrival timer, placing the further packet in the buffer, re-starting the inter-packet arrival timer and returning to step (c) to continue further performance of steps of the method; and    (f) if the accumulation timer expires while there is data in the buffer, or if no further packet intended for the wireless remote station arrives before expiration of the inter-packet arrival timer, causing the base station to transmit data from the buffer to the wireless remote station over a channel for forward access communications.    
   
   
       2 - 24 . (canceled)