Conserving network capacity by releasing qos resources

Abstract

A broadband service is provided by allocating air interface resources in a wireless network that conforms to the 1xEV-DO standard. The air interface resources are characterized by various quality of service (QoS) parameters, such as bandwidth, packet priority and error rate. Packetized information is transmitted in data flows between a base station and cell phones. A particular QoS level is reserved for each of the data flows that support the broadband service. An operating system on a cell phone monitors one data flow as well as another data flow in the opposite direction. When the base station runs out of an air interface resource, the base station suspends the QoS reservation of a data flow. The operating system determines that the QoS reservation in one direction has been suspended and sends an unsolicited message to the base station releasing the QoS reservation in the opposite direction, thereby conserving network resources.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) receiving a first GAUP message that includes an attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse includes a ProfileType field set to NULL; and   (b) sending a second GAUP message that includes an attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest in response to receiving the first GAUP message, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest includes a ProfileType field set to NULL, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse relates to a first IP flow in a direction between an access terminal and an access network, and the attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest relates to a second IP flow in an opposite direction between the access terminal and the access network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the direction between the access terminal and the access network is from the access network to the access terminal, and wherein the opposite direction is from the access terminal to the access network. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the direction between the access terminal and the access network is from the access terminal to the access network, and wherein the opposite direction is from the access network to the access terminal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, before (a):
 (c) receiving a third GAUP message that includes an attribute ReservationOff, wherein the attribute ReservationOff relates to the first IP flow.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first IP flow is part of an RLP flow, further comprising, before (a):
 (c) receiving a third GAUP message that includes an attribute FlowNNReservation that removes a binding of a reservation of the RLP flow.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first IP flow is part of an RTCMAC flow and the second IP flow is part of an RLP flow, further comprising, before (a):
 (c) receiving a third GAUP message that includes an attribute AssociatedFlowsNN that removes a binding of the TRCMAC flow to the RLP flow.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access terminal and the access network comply with a wireless specification called 1xEV-DO. 
     
     
         8 . An access terminal, comprising:
 means for receiving a first GAUP message that includes an attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse includes a ProfileType field set to NULL; and   means for sending a second GAUP message that includes an attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest in response to receiving the first GAUP message, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest includes a ProfileType field set to NULL, wherein the attribute ReservationKKQoSResponse relates to a first IP flow in a direction between the access terminal and an access network, and the attribute ReservationKKQoSRequest relates to a second IP flow in an opposite direction between the access terminal and the access network.   
     
     
         9 . The access terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the access terminal complies with a wireless specification called 3GPP2 C.S0024. 
     
     
         10 . The access terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the direction between the access terminal and the access network is from the access network to the access terminal, and wherein the opposite direction is from the access terminal to the access network. 
     
     
         11 . The access terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the direction between the access terminal and the access network is from the access terminal to the access network, and wherein the opposite direction is from the access network to the access terminal.