Techniques for reducing overhead in a communications system
First Claim
1. A method for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having a base station and a field unit communicating over forward and reverse links, and having at least first and second channels in the forward link and a channel in the reverse link, the method comprising:
- receiving TDM slot allocation control data over the first channel in the forward link;
determining whether the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit; and
if the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit, setting up at least one traffic TDM slot in at least one traffic channel according to the TDM slot allocation control data for communicating traffic data with the base station in the second channel in the forward link or the channel in the reverse link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Parallel demodulators are provided in field units. Forward and reverse channel allocation information may be broadcast to the field units in the same epoch as traffic data but on first and second channels, such as paging and traffic channels. This assures that all field units are able to receive forward and reverse channel allocation information every epoch. By having parallel demodulators in the field unit, switching between the first and second channels is avoided and channel allocation information is not lost.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having a base station and a field unit communicating over forward and reverse links, and having at least first and second channels in the forward link and a channel in the reverse link, the method comprising:
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receiving TDM slot allocation control data over the first channel in the forward link;
determining whether the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit; and
if the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit, setting up at least one traffic TDM slot in at least one traffic channel according to the TDM slot allocation control data for communicating traffic data with the base station in the second channel in the forward link or the channel in the reverse link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having a base station and a field unit communicating over forward and reverse links, and having at least first and second channels in the forward link and a channel in the reverse link, the apparatus comprising:
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a first demodulator to demodulate a first modulated signal received over the first channel in the forward link, the demodulated signal including TDM slot allocation control data; and
a logic unit coupled to the first demodulator to determine whether the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit and, if yes, the logic unit sets up at least one traffic TDM slot in at least one traffic channel according to the TDM slot allocation control data for communicating traffic data from the base station in the second channel of the forward link or the channel in the reverse link. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having a base station and a field unit communicating over forward and reverse links, and having at least first and second channels in the forward link and a channel in the reverse link, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving TDM slot allocation control data over the first channel in the forward link;
means for determining whether the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit; and
if the TDM slot allocation control data is specified for the field unit, means for setting up at least one TDM slot in at least one traffic channel according to the TDM slot allocation control data for communicating traffic data with the base station in the second channel in the forward link or the channel in the reverse link.
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15. A method for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system, comprising:
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demodulating a first modulated signal received over a first channel of a forward link, the demodulated signal including TDM slot allocation control data; and
using the TDM slot allocation control data, demodulating a second modulated signal received over a second channel of the forward link. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system, comprising:
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a first demodulator to demodulate a first modulated signal received over a first channel of a forward link, the demodulated signal including TDM slot allocation control data; and
a second demodulator to demodulate a second modulated signal received over a second channel of the forward link, the second demodulator configured to receive the second modulated signal based on the TDM slot allocation control data from the first demodulator. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for reducing overhead in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system, comprising:
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means for demodulating a first modulated signal received over a first channel of a forward link, the demodulated signal including TDM slot allocation control data; and
means for demodulating a second modulated signal received over a second channel of the forward link according to the TDM slot allocation control data.
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25. A method for communicating over forward or reverse links in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having a base station and multiple field units, the method comprising:
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transmitting TDM slot allocation control data over a first channel in the forward link in a first TDM slot from the base station to a given field unit; and
as specified by the TDM slot allocation control data, transmitting traffic data over a second channel in the forward link in a second TDM slot to the given field unit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for communicating over forward or reverse links in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having the base station and multiple field units, the apparatus comprising:
at least one transmitter to transmit (i) TDM slot allocation control data over a first channel in the forward link in a first TDM slot, from the base station to a given field unit and (ii) traffic data over a second channel in the forward link in a second TDM slot to the given field unit as specified by the TDM slot allocation control data. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for communicating over forward or reverse links in a time division multiplexed (TDM) communications system having the base station and multiple field units, the apparatus comprising:
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means for transmitting TDM slot allocation control data over a first channel in the forward link in a first TDM slot from the base station to a given field unit; and
as specified by the TDM slot allocation control data, means for transmitting traffic data over a second channel in the forward link in a second TDM slot to the given field unit.
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Specification