Overload management on backhaul links based on packet loss on RF links

1. A Radio Frequency (RF) communication system comprising:

RF communication circuitry configured to receive reverse packets from a plurality of user devices over a plurality of reverse RF links associated with the user devices and transfer forward packets to the user devices over a plurality of forward RF links associated with the user devices;

access communication circuitry operationally coupled to the RF communication circuitry and configured to transfer the reverse packets over a reverse backhaul link and receive the forward packets over a forward backhaul link;

network communication circuitry operationally coupled to a communication network and configured to transfer the forward packets over the forward backhaul link and to receive the reverse packets over the reverse backhaul link;

control circuitry is operationally coupled to the network communication circuitry and configured to inhibit the transfer of a set of the forward packets over the forward backhaul link in response to a forward overload condition on the forward backhaul link, wherein the inhibited set of the forward packets are directed to ones of the user devices having a lowest level of forward packet loss on the forward RF links; and

the control circuitry operationally coupled to the access communication circuitry and configured to inhibit the transfer of a set of the reverse packets over the reverse backhaul link in response to a reverse overload condition on the reverse backhaul link, wherein the inhibited set of the reverse packets are received from ones of the user devices having a lowest level of reverse packet loss on the reverse RF links.

2. The RF communication system of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to inhibit the transfer of the set of the reverse packets by controlling a reverse buffer in the access communication circuitry and to inhibit the transfer of the set of the forward packets by controlling a forward buffer in the network communication circuitry.

3. The RF communication system of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is operationally coupled to the RF communication circuitry and the RF communication circuitry is configured to determine the forward packet loss for each of the user devices on the forward RF links and to determine the reverse packet loss for each of the user devices on the reverse RF links.

4. The RF communication system of claim 1 wherein the network communication circuitry is configured to determine if the forward overload condition exists on the forward backhaul link.

5. The RF communication system of claim 1 wherein the access communication circuitry is configured to determine if the reverse overload condition exists on the reverse backhaul link.

6. The RF communication system of claim 1 wherein the forward backhaul link and the reverse backhaul link comprise a backhaul link between the communication network and a base station.

7. The RF communication system of claim 6 wherein the backhaul link comprises T1 links.

8. The RF communication system of claim 6 wherein the backhaul link comprises Ethernet links.

9. The RF communication system of claim 6 wherein the forward and reverse RF links comprise code division multiple access links.

10. A method for operating a Radio Frequency (RF) communication system, the method comprising:

in RF communication circuitry, receiving reverse packets from a plurality of user devices over a plurality of reverse RF links associated with the user devices and transferring forward packets to the user devices over a plurality of forward RF links;

in access communication circuitry, transferring the reverse packets over a reverse backhaul link and receiving the forward packets over a forward backhaul link;

in network communication circuitry, transferring the forward packets over the forward backhaul link and receiving the reverse packets over the reverse backhaul link;

in control circuitry, inhibiting the transfer of a set of the forward packets over the forward backhaul link in response to a forward overload condition on the forward backhaul link, wherein the inhibited set of the forward packets are directed to ones of the user devices having a lowest level of forward packet loss on the forward RF links; and

in the control circuitry, inhibiting the transfer of a set of the reverse packets over the reverse backhaul link in response to a reverse overload condition on the reverse backhaul link, wherein the inhibited set of the reverse packets are received from ones of the user devices having a lowest level of reverse packet loss on the reverse RF links.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein inhibiting the transfer of the set of the reverse packets comprises controlling a reverse buffer in the access communication circuitry and controlling a forward buffer in the network communication circuitry.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising, in the RF communication circuitry, determining the forward packet loss for each of the user devices on the forward RF links and determining the reverse packet loss for each of the user devices on the reverse RF links.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising, in the network communication circuitry, determining if the forward overload condition exists on the forward backhaul link.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising, in the access communication circuitry, determining if the reverse overload condition exists on the reverse backhaul link.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the forward backhaul link and the reverse backhaul link comprise a backhaul link between the communication network and a base station.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the backhaul link comprises T1 links.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the backhaul link comprises Ethernet links.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the forward and reverse RF links comprise code division multiple access links.