Multi-tier quality of service wireless communications networks

摘要

The present invention pertains to improved communication quality of service (QoS) in cellular communication networks (10) and the like. A customer has the option to pay different fees for different tiers of service relating to voice quality and bandwidth access (S102). Higher service tiers may guarantee that a specific vocoder or bit rate is used; they may also guarantee that communication is supported by such parameters as maximum allowed dropped calls rate, maximum allowed jitter and maximum allowed latency (Table 1). Network availability may be guaranteed as per Service Level Agreements that are the part of the contract between a subscriber and a service provider. Different tiers may be associated with customers' records (208) for billing purposes. The network (200) may also afford high end cellular phones higher voice quality by comparing a given high end phone to a look up table (FIG. 6), which indicates what level of service is associated with the given phone. A calling mobile station (312) or a receiving mobile station (302) may ask the other mobile station to change to a more robust vocoder (410) or bit rate (S508) to ensure a higher quality phone call. Furthermore, the user may also opt to change the quality level before or during a call.

主权项

1. A method of setting a QoS level in a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of base stations and a network server having a customer record database associated therewith, the method comprising:
receiving an incoming call indication by a first mobile station from a second mobile station, the first mobile station being registered with the cellular communication network; determining a first QoS level associated with the first mobile station and determining a second QoS level associated with the second mobile station; determining whether the first and second QoS levels match; when there is no match, determining whether the first and second QoS levels correlate in accordance with a predetermined threshold; when the first and second QoS levels do not correlate, identifying a higher tier QoS level and a lower tier QoS level from among the first and second mobile station service levels; and selecting at least one of a vocoder and a vocoder bit rate for use by the first and second mobile stations, the selection being determined by either the higher tier QoS level or the lower tier QoS level.