Broadcast synchronized communication system
First Claim
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1. A method for synchronizing a plurality of user stations for communicating from said plurality of user stations to a base station, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at each user station, a broadcast signal having periodic synchronization signals, transmitted from said broadcast station, with the periodic synchronization signals including a plurality of frame-start signals, with each frame-start signal followed by a plurality of timing pulses;
counting, at a respective station, from each received frame-start signal the plurality of timing pulses to a predetermined timing pulse corresponding to a respective user station; and
transmitting, from each user station, in response to counting to the predetermined timing pulse corresponding to the respective user station, user data to said base station using a spread-spectrum signaling format.
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Abstract
A communication system in accordance with the invention employs a broadcast signal for synchronization of the transmitters and receivers in the system without use of a special base transmitter for synchronizing signal transmissions. Each transmitter having a pre-assigned time slot counts from a synchronizing index which is inherent in or added to the broadcast signal to determine when to transmit. The receiver of receivers similarly count from the synchronizing index to determine when to look for specific time slice transmissions.
279 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing a plurality of user stations for communicating from said plurality of user stations to a base station, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at each user station, a broadcast signal having periodic synchronization signals, transmitted from said broadcast station, with the periodic synchronization signals including a plurality of frame-start signals, with each frame-start signal followed by a plurality of timing pulses; counting, at a respective station, from each received frame-start signal the plurality of timing pulses to a predetermined timing pulse corresponding to a respective user station; and transmitting, from each user station, in response to counting to the predetermined timing pulse corresponding to the respective user station, user data to said base station using a spread-spectrum signaling format.
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2. A spread spectrum communications system comprising:
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a central processing station including an information source and a base receiver synchronized with the communication system and operative to receive user data; a broadcast transmitter operatively connected to receive information from the central processing station for operative by transmitting a broadcast signal having the information and periodic synchronization signals, with the periodic synchronization signals including a plurality of frame-start signals, with each frame-start signal followed by a plurality of timing signals; at least one user station, with each user station including a broadcast receiver for operatively receiving the broadcast signal and a user transmitter for operatively transmitting user data; and wherein each user station, responsive to the periodic synchronization signals, determines from each received frame-start signal using the plurality of timing signals, a predetermined time from the frame-start signal corresponding to each respective user station, to periodically synchronize transmitting, each respective user transmitter of each user station with the communications system. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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15. A spread spectrum communication system having broadcast synchronized return channel comprising:
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a broadcast receiver for receiving periodic synchronization signals including a plurality of frame-start signals, with each frame-start signal followed by a plurality of timing signals contained in a preselected broadcast signal; and at least one user transmitter operatively connected to the broadcast receiver for receiving timing information derived from each frame-start signal and the plurality of timing signals from the receiver and responsive to the timing information for periodically synchronizing transmissions with at least one of the plurality of timing signals received by the broadcast receiver to maintain a common timing signal between the user transmitters. - View Dependent Claims (16, 34)
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Specification