Patent ID: 8358633
Filing Date: 2013-01-22
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: an EV-DO access node providing service to access terminals on a carrier in a wireless coverage area, wherein the carrier comprises timeslots that each can be or one of active and idle, wherein the active timeslots comprise a data channel, wherein the idle timeslots do not comprise a data channel, wherein the data channel of each respective active timeslot can be used to transmit one of: (i) user-traffic information, and (ii) control-channel information at a bit rate than can bet set to one of a first value and a second value, wherein the second value is twice the first value; the access node determining a number of active timeslots on the carrier in the wireless coverage area over a first time period, wherein determining the number of active timeslots on the carrier in the wireless coverage area over the first time period consists of one of the following: (i) determining how many timeslots were used to transmit user-traffic information on the carrier in the wireless coverage area over the first time period, (ii) determining how many timeslots were used to transmit control-channel information on the carrier in the wireless coverage area over the first time period, and (iii) determining how many timeslots were used to transmit either user-traffic information or control-channel information on the carrier in the wireless coverage area over the first time period; the access node determining whether the number of active timeslots over the first time period is less than a threshold number; when the access node determines that the number of active timeslots over the first time period is less than the threshold number, the access node responsively setting the bit rate to the first value for at least a subsequent time period, wherein, over the subsequent time period, and as compared with the bit rate being set to the second value, the bit rate being set to the first value results in (i) a greater number of timeslots being used to transmit control-channel information and (ii) fewer timeslots being available to transmit user-traffic information; and when the access node determines that the number of active timeslots over the first time period is not less than the threshold number, the access node responsively setting the bit rate to the second value for at least the subsequent time period, wherein, over the subsequent time period, and as compared with the bit rate being set to the first value, the bit rate being set to the second value results in (i) fewer timeslots being used to transmit control-channel information and (ii) a greater number of timeslots being available to transmit user-traffic information.