Patent ID: 7599321

Claim:
A data transmission method in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising at least one base station and at least one subscriber station coupled by a plurality of wireless connections, wherein the at least one subscriber station allocates granted capacity for the plurality of wireless connections, the method comprising: determining a priority order for the plurality of wireless connections, wherein determining a priority order includes classifying a high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections; transmitting from a subscriber station at least one capacity request message requesting bandwidth for the one or more low-priority connections from among the plurality of wireless connections; receiving a capacity grant message from the base station granting capacity to the plurality of wireless connections; and allocating the granted capacity among the plurality of wireless connections based on the priority order, including: (a) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is equal to or less than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating granted capacity among the one or more low-priority connections based on their priority order and not allocating any granted capacity to the high-priority connection; and (b) if the granted capacity in the capacity grant message is greater than the aggregate bandwidth requested for the one or more low-priority connections in the at least one capacity request message, allocating the granted capacity among the high-priority connection and one or more low-priority connections based on priority order.