RESOURCE ALLOCATION MECHANISM IN PACKET RADIO NETWORK

摘要

In a packet radio system (e.g. a GPRS), a network (BSS) has two different alternatives for allocating a radio resource to a mobile station (MS). In a first allocation alternative the radio resource is allocated using an uplink counter block identifier (USF) transmitted with downlink blocks. In a second allocation alternative the radio resource is allocated in a separate signalling message. A corresponding downlink block then also has an uplink counter block identifier (USF) which can acquire only a limited number of possible values. If all identifiers (USF) are allocated to different mobile stations, allocation alternative 2 cannot be used. In the invention the network leaves at least one identifier (USF) unallocated to any mobile station. In addition, the network either (1) uses the identifier in downlink blocks corresponding to blocks reserved using the second allocation alternative; or (2) at least one uplink counter block identifier (USF) is separately determined, said identifier denoting a reserved uplink block which the mobile station cannot use for transmission without a separate authorisation.