Abstract:
A wireless data network distinguishes among different users connected to the network and associates each user with a service class that offers a selected level of service. The base station in the network queries the user for its unique user identification code and accesses a database linking user identification codes with their corresponding services classes. The network then controls the service level given to that user based on the service class associated with the user identification code. The user identification code can be sent to the network via existing fields in current standards.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to wireless communication systems. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Wireless communication systems rely on data sharing arrangements to allow multiple users to share common resources. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a wireless data network  100  has a plurality of base stations  102 , each base station  102  acting as a communications hub for a particular coverage area, or sector  104 . 
   Active users  106  within a given sector  104  share common resources as they communicate with the base station  102 . Each base station  102  may employ a resource assignment algorithm to ensure that the resources are fairly distributed among the users  106 . Wireless data networks often use a timeslot-based resource sharing channel in a forward link of the system to allocate resources. More particularly, a scheduler algorithm in the base station  102  allocates timeslot resources to all access terminals in the sector  104 . For wireless users  106 , each user  106  is seen by the base station  102  as an individual access terminal. 
   Currently known systems allocate a temporary user identification code (e.g., a unicast access terminal identifier, or UATI) when a user  106  opens a communication session with the base station  102  in the network  100 . This identification code is de-allocated when the session closes and is re-allocated to a different user  106 . Thus, the base station  102  treats all users  106  in the system  100  interchangeably and is not able to offer different service levels to different users. Thus, it is currently not possible to provide user-based services (e.g., user-based QoS) that can vary from user to user. 
   There is a desire for a method that allow differentiation among users in a wireless data network. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a method that allows the network to distinguish among different users and to link a given user with a corresponding level of service. In one embodiment, a database linking permanent user identification codes of the users with their corresponding services classes is accessed by the network when a user opens a communication session. The network queries the user for its user identification code and controls the service level given to that user based on the service class associated with the user identification code. 
   The user identification code can be sent to the network via existing fields in current standards, making it possible for wireless networks to incorporate the inventive method without requiring changes to any wireless standards. By providing a way to assign a permanent user identification code to each user, it is possible for a network to distinguish among different users and provide user-based service. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a representative diagram of a wireless communication system environment; 
       FIG. 2  is a representative diagram of a wireless communication system incorporating one embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is flow diagram illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 2  is a representative diagram illustrating a wireless network  100  incorporating one embodiment of the invention. Generally, the invention incorporates a database  200  that links a user identification code  202  (e.g., an electronic serial number (ESN) or an international mobile subscriber ID (IMSI)) that is permanently associated with a given user  106  and a service class  204 . The database  200  may be located in any location accessible by the base station  102 , such as a central storage location (not shown) in the network  100  or in a controller of each base station  102 . The database information matches the user identification code of a given user  106  with the service class of that user. From this information, the system  100  can differentiate among users  106  and provide each user  106  with different levels of services depending on the characteristics defined in each service class. Although the example described below assumes that the service class  204  is a quality of service (QoS) class, the invention can be used to provide any user-based service and is not limited to QoS requirements. 
     FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the inventive method  300 . First, a communication session between the user  106  and the base station  102  is opened, and a UATI is allocated to the user (block  301 ). As is known in the art, the base station  102  detects that a random user  106  wants to initiate a communication session and assigns a UATI to the user  106 . Once the user  106  is allocated a UATI, it has a temporary identification code that lasts for the duration of the session. As long as the user  106  does not close the communication session, it will use the same UATI each time it connects to the network  100 . This is true even if the user  106  connects and disconnects from the network  100  several times within one session. 
   When a session is opened, the base station  102  can identify the user only through its allocated UATI, but the UATI is not enough for the base station  102  to determine the QoS class for the user  106  because the same user  106  may use different UATIs for different sessions. To link the user  106  to a specific QoS class, the base station  102  queries the user  106  for its user identification code  202  (block  302 ), such as the ESN. In response, the user  106  sends its user identification code  202  to the base station  102  (block  304 ). In one embodiment, the user  106  sends its user identification code  202  via optional message locations provided in existing standards (e.g., a message pair, such as Hardware ID Request/Hardware ID Response in the Data-Only Air Interface standard). 
   The base station  102  then looks up the user identification code  202  in the database  202  to find the QoS class  204  corresponding to the code  202  (block  305 ). As noted above, the database  200  links user identification codes  202  with service classes  204 . For example, in the QoS example, the database  200  may indicate that a first set of user identification codes  202  belong to a first QoS class  204 , a second set of user identification codes  202  belong to a second QoS class  204 , and so on. The values for the service parameters defined in each QoS class may vary based on, for example, data transmission rates, priority, etc. In one embodiment, the network  100  checks the database  200  only when a new session is opened by the user  106  and remembers the QoS class  204  for that user  106  when the user  106  reconnects to the network  100  later during the opened session based on the user&#39;s  106  UATI. Once a particular user  106  has been linked to a particular QoS class  204 , the network  100  will provide service to the user  106  based on the values corresponding to that user&#39;s QoS class  204  (block  306 ). 
   Information in the database  200  may be supplied by, for example, registering the user identification code  202  and the QoS class  204  of a mobile device when the mobile device is purchased by a buyer. The QoS class  204  can be selected by the buyer based on the desired level of service; because there are multiple possible QoS class  204  options, the buyer can customize the service level with the buyer&#39;s own usage patterns, desired transmission speed, budget, and other factors, allowing greater flexibility. In one embodiment, the mobile device can be rendered unusable until the user identification code  202  and QoS class  204  for that mobile device has been registered. 
   By using existing standards to transmit user identification codes  202  to the network  100 , the invention allows the network  100  to distinguish among different users  106  and, if desired, offer different levels of service for each user  106 . For example, as explained above, the invention can produce a system incorporating different QoS levels to allow service providers to offer different average packet data transmission rates as different service grades that can be billed at different rates, providing more flexible service overall. The invention therefore allows user-based systems to be offered in the system without requiring any changes to current wireless standards. 
   The invention may be incorporated in systems that connect wireline and wireless data networks together (e.g., a WiFi system). In such a system, a wireline LAN can be connected to an access terminal device that acts as a gateway device serving multiple wireline users, or gateway users. This allows the gateway users to access data in a mobile environment. Because multiple gateway users may share resources normally allocated to a single user, gateway users may have different QoS requirements than other users to maintain transmission quality. The invention gateway users to be placed in their own service class without changing the wireless standard. 
   While the particular invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. It is understood that although the present invention has been described, various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as additional embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to this description without departing from the spirit of the invention, as recited in the claims appended hereto. Consequently, this method, system and portions thereof and of the described method and system may be implemented in different locations, such as network elements, the wireless unit, the base station, a base station controller, a mobile switching center and/or radar system. Moreover, processing circuitry required to implement and use the described system may be implemented in application specific integrated circuits, software-driven processing circuitry, firmware, programmable logic devices, hardware, discrete components or arrangements of the above components as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that these and various other modifications, arrangements and methods can be made to the present invention without strictly following the exemplary applications illustrated and described herein and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.