Channel allocation and release for packet data services

Abstract

A telecommunications system ( ) comprises a control node ( ) and a base station node ( ). The control node ( ) maintains a first list ( ) of idle radio channels which is consulted in order to obtain channels for a first type of telecommunications service. A second list ( ) of idle radio channels is maintained for a specialized telecommunications service, the idle radio channels of the second list being radio channels which are unallocated with respect to the specialized telecommunications service but yet activated (e.g., having an established transmission path and synchronization). The second list of idle radio channels is initially consulted in order to obtain channels for the specialized telecommunications service. If no channels are available for the specialized telecommunications service on the second list, idle channels from the first list are adapted and utilized for the specialized telecommunications service. The specialized telecommunications service preferably involves packet data transfer (e.g., GPRS). As one aspect of the invention, any potential capacity problem is addressed by providing timers for channels on the second list. There is one timer corresponding to each channel on the second list, which timer is started when there is no more traffic ongoing on that channel. The channel remains activated with respect to the specialized telecommunications service, which makes fast specialized service access possible for all such users in that cell. As long as the timer has not expired, the channel on the second list is available for specialized service traffic without any new activation. However, when the timer expires, the channel is released and put on the first list, where it is once again available for all traffic. The timer values can be dynamically, e.g., depending on processor load or traffic load at a cell.