Patent ID: 6069882
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
In a switched communications system having a switch, remote users, a network access node, and a limited number of channels per network access node, a method for transmitting data using idle channels comprising:a. assigning a priority to each remote user,b. receiving a request for service at the switch for a first remote user;c. ascertaining if any channel at the access node of the first remote user is idle; andd. if a channel is not idle,i. searching for a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user among the remote users that are using the channels of the access node;ii. if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is found,(a) terminating the call of the second remote user; and(b) allocating the cannel of the second remote user to the first remote user; andiii. if a second remote user with a priority lower than the first remote user is not found,(a) placing the request for service for the first remote user in a queue;(b) ordering the queue based on the priority of the remote users in the queue; and(c) when a channel becomes idle, allocating that idle channel to the remote user at the head of the queue.