Method of throttling uplink traffic in a wireless communication system

Abstract

The method for throttling uplink traffic in a wireless communication system includes inserting an unassigned state flag in a downlink time slot. A state flag indicates, when assigned, which mobile station should transmit during an uplink time slot associated with the downlink time slot.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for throttling uplink traffic in a wireless communication system, comprising: 
 inserting an unassigned state flag in a downlink time slot, a state flag indicating, when assigned, which mobile station should transmit during an uplink time slot associated with the downlink time slot.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein 
 downlink and uplink communication are each divided into intervals of a predetermined number of time slots; and    the inserting step inserts an unassigned state flag in a number of the predetermined number of downlink time slots based on a severity of network overload.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the inserting step comprises: 
 receiving an overload indicator, which indicates a severity of network overload;    determining the number of the predetermined number of downlink time slots based on the overload indicator; and    loading an unassigned state flag in the determined number of the downlink time slots.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein 
 the determining step determines an assigned/unassigned sequence based on the overload indicator, each element of the assigned/unassigned sequence corresponding to one of the predetermined number of downlink time slots; and    the loading step loads an unassigned state flag in each downlink time slot in the predetermined number of downlink time slots corresponding to a unassigned element in the assigned/unassigned sequence.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 loading an assigned state flag in each downlink time slot in the predetermined number of downlink time slots corresponding to an assigned element in the assigned/unassigned sequence.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inserting step inserts the unassigned state flags based on a received overload parameter, which indicates overload at the network.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inserting step insert the unassigned state flags at a frequency based on a received overload parameter, which indicates a severity of overload in the network.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the overload parameter is periodically received.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the state flag is an uplink state flag in a General Packet Radio Services commnunication system.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the state flag is an uplink state flag in an Enhanced General Packet Radio Services communication system.