Method, apparatus, and system for receiving data on a first frequency band and observing a second frequency band

• US 20040090947A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilborn, Thomas B., John, Johnny K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

A method of signal reception according to one embodiment of the invention includes receiving a set of data values over a first frequency band during a first time slot, and receiving another set of data values over the first frequency band during a second time slot which is after the first time slot. Between the first and second time slots, the method includes sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples. Based on the samples, a received signal quality value is calculated.

Claims

1. A method of signal reception, said method comprising:

during a first time slot, receiving a first burst of data over a first frequency band;

during a second time slot after the first time slot, receiving a second burst of data over the first frequency band;

between the first and second time slots, sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples; and

based on the samples, calculating a received signal quality value,

wherein the first burst of data is a burst of a data transmission, and wherein the second burst of data is a burst of the data transmission that is consecutive to the first burst.

2. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, said method further comprising transmitting the received signal quality value.

3. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, wherein said calculating includes correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a code sequence.

4. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, wherein the signal received over the second frequency band has a code period, and wherein a duration of said sampling is not greater than twenty-five percent of the code period.

5. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, said method further comprising comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

6. The method of signal reception according to claim 5, said method further comprising, based on a result of said comparing, receiving a third burst of data over a third frequency band.

7. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, wherein the first burst of data is a burst of a paging block, and wherein the second burst of data is a burst of the paging block that is consecutive to the first burst.

8. The method of signal reception according to claim 7, wherein said receiving a first burst of data includes receiving the first burst of data using a radio-frequency (RF) receiving circuit, and

wherein said receiving a second burst of data includes receiving the second burst of data using the RF receiving circuit, and

wherein said method further comprises powering down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit between said receiving a first burst of data and said receiving a second burst of data.

9. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, wherein the first burst of data is a burst of a communications session, and wherein the second burst of data is a burst of the communications session that is consecutive to the first burst.

10. The method of signal reception according to claim 9, wherein the communications session is a telephone call.

11. The method of signal reception according to claim 9, said method further comprising, based on a result of said comparing, receiving a third burst of data over a third frequency band,

wherein the third burst of data is a burst of the communications session.

12. A data storage medium having machine-readable code stored thereon, the machine-readable code comprising instructions executable by an array of logic elements, the instructions defining a method of signal reception, said method comprising:

during a first time slot, receiving a first burst of data over a first frequency band;

during a second time slot after the first time slot, receiving a second burst of data over the first frequency band;

between the first and second time slots, sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples; and

based on the samples, calculating a received signal quality value.

13. The data storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said calculating includes correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a code sequence.

14. The data storage medium according to claim 12, said method further comprising comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

15. The data storage medium according to claim 14, said method further comprising, based on a result of said comparing, receiving a third burst of data over a third frequency band.

16. The data storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first and second bursts of data include consecutive bursts of a paging block.

17. The data storage medium according to claim 16, wherein said receiving a first burst of data includes receiving the first burst of data using a radio-frequency (RF) receiving circuit, and

wherein said receiving a second burst of data includes receiving the second burst of data using the RF receiving circuit, and

wherein said method further comprises powering down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit between said receiving a first burst of data and said receiving a second burst of data.

18. The data storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first and second bursts of data include consecutive bursts of a telephone call.

19. An apparatus for data reception, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, in sequence, (1) a first portion of a data transmission over a first frequency band, (2) a signal over a second frequency band, and (3) a second portion of the data transmission over the first frequency band;

means for sampling the signal received over the second frequency band;

means for storing the samples; and

means for calculating a received signal quality value based on the samples.

20. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 19, wherein said means for calculating includes means for correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a code sequence.

21. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 19, said apparatus further comprising means for comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

22. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 21, wherein said means for receiving is further configured, based on an output of said means for comparing, to receive a third portion of the data transmission over a third frequency band.

23. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 19, wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive bursts of a paging block.

24. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 23, wherein said means for receiving includes a radio-frequency (RF) receiving circuit, and

wherein said apparatus is configured to power down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit between reception of the first portion of the data transmission and reception of the second portion of the data transmission.

25. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 19, wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive bursts of a telephone call.

26. An apparatus for data reception, said apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) receiving circuit configured and arranged to receive radio-frequency signals;

a controller configured and arranged to control the radio-frequency receiving circuit to receive, in sequence, (1) a first portion of a data transmission over a first frequency band, (2) a signal over a second frequency band, and (3) a second portion of the data transmission over the first frequency band;

a sampler configured and arranged to sample the signal received over the second frequency band;

a storage unit configured and arranged to store the samples; and

a calculator configured and arranged to calculate a received signal quality value based on the samples.

27. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 26, wherein said calculator is configured to correlate at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a code sequence.

28. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 26, said apparatus further comprising a comparator configured to compare the received signal quality value to a threshold.

29. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to control the RF receiving circuit, based on an output of said comparator, to receive a third portion of the data transmission over a third frequency band.

30. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 26, wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive bursts of a paging block.

31. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 30, wherein said apparatus is configured to power down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit between reception of the first portion of the data transmission and reception of the second portion of the data transmission.

32. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 26, wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive bursts of a telephone call.