Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling network access in a wireless communication system. An infrastructure device, which may reside in, or be communicatively coupled to, any of an access network, a core network, and a service network, implements a device class prioritization control function (DCP-CF) that receives a geographical location of an incident, determines one or more of a cell and an access node corresponding to the geographical location, determines one or more access class barring parameters for the cell and/or access node, determines whether to enable access class barring at the cell and/or access node and, in response to determining to enable access class barring at the cell and/or access node, provides the one or more access class barring parameters to the cell and/or access node.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for allocating resources from component carriers to a public-safety mobile radio. An embodiment takes the form of a process that is carried out by carried out by a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved Node B (eNodeB). The eNodeB makes a first determination to allocate resources to a given mobile radio. The eNodeB makes a second determination that the given mobile radio is a public-safety mobile radio. In response to making the first and second determinations, the eNodeB selects, based on one or more public-safety-communication criteria, a component carrier from among a plurality of component carriers managed by the eNodeB. The eNodeB allocates resources on the selected eNodeB component carrier to the given mobile radio.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling network access in a wireless communication system. An infrastructure device, which may reside in, or be communicatively coupled to, any of an access network, a core network, and a service network, implements a device class prioritization control function (DCP-CF) that receives a geographical location of an incident, determines one or more of a cell and an access node corresponding to the geographical location, determines one or more access class barring parameters for the cell and/or access node, determines whether to enable access class barring at the cell and/or access node and, in response to determining to enable access class barring at the cell and/or access node, provides the one or more access class barring parameters to the cell and/or access node.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for allocating resources from component carriers to a public-safety mobile radio. An embodiment takes the form of a process that is carried out by carried out by a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved Node B (eNodeB). The eNodeB makes a first determination to allocate resources to a given mobile radio. The eNodeB makes a second determination that the given mobile radio is a public-safety mobile radio. In response to making the first and second determinations, the eNodeB selects, based on one or more public-safety-communication criteria, a component carrier from among a plurality of component carriers managed by the eNodeB. The eNodeB allocates resources on the selected eNodeB component carrier to the given mobile radio.

Abstract: A communications system and method for exchanging spectrum usage information through a drop box (100) includes one or more central stations (101) that defines a region of operation. A central drop box (102) is associated with the central station (101) for providing a database of spectrum usage information. Stations (103, 105, 107) using the communications system may submit information regarding spectrum usage to the central drop box (102) that affects the region of operation (109, 115) for providing the most efficient and non-interfering uses of the frequency spectrum.

Abstract: A method of operation of a node for multi-band communication routing within a wireless communication system comprises communicating a communication session on a default route within an identified quality of service objective on a first frequency band; broadcasting, on a second frequency band, one or more route discovery messages at each of a plurality of sets of transmission variables; storing one or more alternate route table entries in a route table, wherein each of the one or more alternate route table entries are indexed by each of the plurality of sets of transmission variables that are at least within the quality of service objective; selecting a stored alternate route that is at least within the quality of service objective of the communication session on the second frequency band; and switching the communication session to operate using the transmission variables related to the selected alternate route.

Abstract: A method for transmitting a packet from a transmitting node to a destination node in a communication network can enable improved network efficiency. The method includes receiving and storing identification information concerning at least one foreign node that is directly reachable in the communication network (block 505). It is then determined, using the identification information, whether the destination node is directly reachable in the communication network (block 510). Based on whether the destination node is directly reachable in the communication network, it is then determined whether to transmit the packet to the destination node using a tunneling protocol or without using a tunneling protocol (block 515). The packet is then transmitted from the transmitting node to the destination node (block 520).

Abstract: A method of operation of a node for multi-band communication routing within a wireless communication system comprises communicating a communication session on a default route within an identified quality of service objective on a first frequency band; broadcasting, on a second frequency band, one or more route discovery messages at each of a plurality of sets of transmission variables; storing one or more alternate route table entries in a route table, wherein each of the one or more alternate route table entries are indexed by each of the plurality of sets of transmission variables that are at least within the quality of service objective; selecting a stored alternate route that is at least within the quality of service objective of the communication session on the second frequency band; and switching the communication session to operate using the transmission variables related to the selected alternate route.

Abstract: A communications system and method for exchanging spectrum usage information through a drop box (100) includes one or more central stations (101) that defines a region of operation. A central drop box (102) is associated with the central station (101) for providing a database of spectrum usage information. Stations (103, 105, 107) using the communications system may submit information regarding spectrum usage to the central drop box (102) that affects the region of operation (109, 115) for providing the most efficient and non-interfering uses of the frequency spectrum.

Abstract: A wireless communication device operable as a node in an ad hoc network (100), the device including a controller communicably coupled to a transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to determine priority of a packet received by the transceiver for forwarding to another node in the ad hoc network. The controller is also configured to establish a priority link in the ad hoc network if the priority of the packet satisfies a priority condition, and to cause the transceiver to transmit the received packet on the priority link if the priority condition is satisfied. In one application, the high priority packets are originated by a public safety official communicating in a mesh network.

Abstract: A method for transmitting a packet from a transmitting node to a destination node in a communication network can enable improved network efficiency. The method includes receiving and storing identification information concerning at least one foreign node that is directly reachable in the communication network (block 505). It is then determined, using the identification information, whether the destination node is directly reachable in the communication network (block 510). Based on whether the destination node is directly reachable in the communication network, it is then determined whether to transmit the packet to the destination node using a tunneling protocol or without using a tunneling protocol (block 515). The packet is then transmitted from the transmitting node to the destination node (block 520).

Abstract: In a wireless ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes (102), when a method of the present invention determines that a source node and a destination node belong to a common virtual local area network (VLAN), information is routed to the destination node using only nodes that belong to the common VLAN. If a path is not available to route the information between the source node and the destination node using only nodes that belong to the common VLAN, a default VLAN is used to route the information at least partially through the ad hoc network. If, however, the method of the present invention determines that the source node belongs to a first VLAN and the destination node belongs to a second VLAN, the source node or an intermediate node registers with the second VLAN and continues routing the information using nodes that belong to the second VLAN.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an access point (111) receives a multicast packet intended for a particular multicast group. Upon receipt, the access point only rebroadcast the multicast packet over a wireless segment if it determines that there is at least one wireless subscriber unit (131) belonging to the particular multicast group and associated with the access point that did not originate the multicast packet. Optionally, if the multicast packet signals an automatic rebroadcast of the multicast packet over the wireless segment, the access point automatically rebroadcasts the multicast packet without determining whether there is at least one wireless subscriber unit belonging to the particular multicast group and associated with the access point that did not originate the multicast packet.

Abstract: Call control methods are disclosed for a multi-zone, packet-based communication system using zone controller/RPEs incorporating a reservation proxy function. Participating zone controller/RPEs (124–130) receive and join a multicast group address to be used for a call, and exchange RSVP signaling messages across one or more inter-zone, packet network links (148, 150, 152, 154) to reserve communication resources for the call on behalf of participating devices in various zones. In the preferred embodiment, the zone controllers use IGMPv3 messages to specify other participating zone controllers as valid senders, thereby receiving desired control information for the duration of the call without being encumbered by undesired payload information.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for limiting the scope of flooding of dense mode IP multicast calls. A multicast scope value (e.g., TTL scope or hop limit) is determined for each call based on the locations of participating devices for the call at one or more destination sites, zones or zone clusters. The multicast scope value is adjusted based on user location, as wireless users may roam from site to site or zone to zone (or zone cluster). When a user sources packets for a call, the packets include the multicast scope value. The packets are transported, according to dense mode routing protocols, across various router interfaces of a packet network. The router interfaces are assigned various thresholds based on their location in the network. Packets are not flooded across router interface(s) having thresholds that exceed the packet's multicast scope value.

Abstract: The device (100) includes a processor (132) coupled to a memory (134) containing a program adapted to control the processor (132) to manage communications between data communications systems.

Abstract: Call control methods are disclosed for a multi-zone, packet-based communication system using zone controller/RPEs incorporating a reservation proxy function. Participating zone controller/RPEs (124-130) receive and join a multicast group address to be used for a call, and exchange RSVP signaling messages across one or more inter-zone, packet network links (148, 150, 152, 154) to reserve communication resources for the call on behalf of participating devices in various zones. In the preferred embodiment, the zone controllers use IGMPv3 messages to specify other participating zone controllers as valid senders, thereby receiving desired control information for the duration of the call without being encumbered by undesired payload information.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for limiting the scope of flooding of dense mode IP multicast calls. A multicast scope value (e.g., TTL scope or hop limit) is determined for each call based on the locations of participating devices for the call at one or more destination sites, zones or zone clusters. The multicast scope value is adjusted based on user location, as wireless users may roam from site to site or zone to zone (or zone cluster). When a user sources packets for a call, the packets include the multicast scope value. The packets are transported, according to dense mode routing protocols, across various router interfaces of a packet network. The router interfaces are assigned various thresholds based on their location in the network. Packets are not flooded across router interface(s) having thresholds that exceed the packet's multicast scope value.

Abstract: Network access delays are minimized by using affiliation messages to pre-establish communications in a wireless communication network (100). A controller (102), upon receiving an affiliation message from a first site (104), establishes connections between the first site and a second site (105), the connections being uniquely associated with a talkgroup/site affiliation indicated by the affiliation message. Additional sites can be added by modifying the connection to include the additional sites. Using a multicast SVC as the connection between the first and second site eliminates the need for a multicast server and its associated delays.

Abstract: A wireless communication system 200 comprises a connectionless packet network 201 coupled to a plurality of sites 203-208 that are in wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber units 210-217 logically arranged into a plurality of talk groups having corresponding talk group identifications. In one embodiment, each site maintains mappings 220-225 of at least one multicast address to at least one talk group identification. In another embodiment, individual subscriber units maintain such mappings 320. When a subscriber unit affiliates with a given site and talk group (501, 601), the site identifies a multicast address corresponding to the talk group. Based on the multicast address, the site can participate in traffic targeted for the multicast address and, consequently, for the talk group. In this manner, mobility Processing is decentralized, system calability is improved and call setup delays are minimized.