Patent ID: 8160034
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: an access node providing service to access terminals on a carrier in a wireless coverage area, wherein the carrier comprises timeslots that can be active or 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 (i) to transmit user-traffic information or (ii) to transmit control-channel information at a bit rate that can be set to a first value or a second value, wherein the second value is greater than 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; the access node determining whether the number of active timeslots over the first time period is less than a first threshold; if the access node determines that the number of active timeslots over the first time period is less than the first threshold, 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 if the access node determines that the number of active timeslots over the first time period is not less than the first threshold, the access node responsively setting the bit rate to the second value for at least the subsequent time period if at least one of the following conditions is true: (a) that a control-channel occupancy of the control channel exceeds a second threshold, (b) that an amount of data in a traffic buffer exceeds a third threshold, and (c) that both: 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.