Patent ID: 6744750
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
In a wireless telecommunications network, a method of assigning calls to one of a direct network and a base-station-mediated network comprising the following steps:receiving a request to initiate a call from a first subscriber unit to a second subscriber unit; determining whether the quality of a signal between the first and second subscriber units meets a predetermined threshold; if the quality of the signal meets the threshold, directing the first and second subscriber units to communicate directly with each other, if the quality of the signal does not meet the threshold: mediating the communication between the first and second subscriber units through a resource external to the subscriber units; determining whether the quality of a signal between a third subscriber unit and a fourth subscriber unit, currently using the resource, meets the predetermined threshold; and if the quality of the signal between the third and fourth subscriber units meets the threshold, directing the third and fourth subscriber units to communicate directly with each other, thereby releasing the resource.