Patent ID: 8107440
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling congestion in a radio access transport network that includes a radio network controller coupled to multiple base stations with each base station supporting one or more cells, where mobile radio terminals communicate with the radio access transport network over an air interface, the method comprising: establishing a connection between a mobile radio terminal with at least two cells associated with the radio access transport network being used to support uplink radio communication from the mobile radio terminal, one of the cells corresponding to a serving cell for the uplink radio communication and another of the cells being a non-serving cell for the uplink radio communication; monitoring congestion in the radio access transport network for a first radio uplink flow associated with the connection and supported by the serving cell; monitoring congestion in the radio access transport network for a second radio uplink flow associated with the connection and supported by the non-serving cell; determining whether the second radio uplink flow is associated with a better radio link quality than radio link quality associated with the first radio uplink flow; detecting a congestion condition in the radio access transport network for the second radio uplink flow; and in response to the detected congestion condition in the radio access transport network for the second radio uplink flow when the second radio uplink flow is associated with a better radio link quality than radio link quality associated with the first radio uplink flow, sending a message to the mobile radio terminal to reduce a rate at which the mobile radio terminal transmits data for the connection to the radio access transport network.