Spread spectrum communication network signal processor

• US 5,682,403 A
• Filed: 05/04/1995
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Wavelink Communications International, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gerst, Gregory James, Tu, Jerome C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): GHAYOUR, MOHAMMAD H
• Application Number:
  US08/434,554
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 455/33.1, 455/54.1, 455/49.1, 379/58
• US Class Current: 375/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2618 using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A base station communicates with a plurality of mobile stations over a cellular network. In one embodiment, the base station includes a receiver configured to receive inbound information from the mobile station and a transmitter configured to transmit outbound information to the mobile station. The base station further has a central processor that includes a signal processor array. The signal processor architecture is designed to increase the throughput and task-based allocation of processing resources. The signal processing array has both series and parallel signal processing elements. A plurality of signal processor elements are disposed in series to form a signal processing string. A plurality of signal processing strings are disposed in parallel. Each of the signal processor strings includes at least two signal processor elements that are each dedicated to performing a specific task. As a result, the parallel processor strings simultaneously process information corresponding to predetermined criteria, such as TDMA time slots, while the series processors sequentially process that information by an efficient task-based pipeline processing. A preferred protocol is Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM).

Claims

1. A base station for communicating with a first mobile station and a second mobile station, and wherein inbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, and outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said base station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive inbound information from the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

demultiplexer coupled to said receiver and configured to route said inbound information associated with the first time slot to a first output and said inbound information associated with the second time slot to a second output;

a first signal processor coupled to said first output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a second signal processor coupled to said first signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a third signal processor coupled to said second output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a fourth signal processor coupled to said third signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a central processor coupled to said second signal processor and said fourth signal processor and configured to process said inbound information and to communicate said inbound information with a public switched telephone network, said central processor further configured to communicate outbound information with the public switched telephone network and to process said outbound information; and

wherein;

said second signal processor is configured to encode said outbound information associated with said first time slot; and

said fourth signal processor is configured to encode said outbound information associated with said second time slot; and

said base station further comprises;

a multiplexer coupled to said second signal processor and said fourth signal processor and configured to route said outbound information associated with the first time slot to a multiplexer output and to route said outbound information associated with the second time slot to said multiplexer output; and

a transmitter coupled to mid multiplexer output and configured to transmit said outbound information to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.

2. A base station for communicating with a first mobile station and a second mobile station, and wherein inbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, and outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said base station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive inbound information from the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

demultiplexer coupled to said receiver and configured to route said inbound information associated with the first time slot to a first output and said inbound information associated with the second time slot to a second output;

a first signal processor coupled to said first output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a second signal processor coupled to said first signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a third signal processor coupled to said second output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a fourth signal processor coupled to said third signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a central processor coupled to said second signal processor and said fourth signal processor and configured to process said inbound information and to communicate said inbound information with a public switched telephone network, said central processor further configured to communicate outbound information with the public switched telephone network and to process said outbound information; and

wherein;

said second signal processor is configured to encode said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

said first signal processor is configured to encrypt said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

said fourth signal processor is configured to encode said outbound information associated with said second time slot; and

said third signal processor is configured to encrypt said outbound information associated with said first time slot; and

said base station further comprises;

a multiplexer coupled to said first signal processor and said third signal processor and configured to route said outbound information associated with the first time slot to a multiplexer output and to route said outbound information associated with the second time slot to said multiplexer output; and

a transmitter coupled to said multiplexer output and configured to transmit said outbound information to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.

3. A base station for communicating over a cellular network with a first mobile station and a second mobile station, and wherein inbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, and outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said base station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive inbound information from the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

demultiplexer coupled to said receiver and configured to route said inbound information associated with the first time slot to a first output and said inbound information associated with the second time slot to a second output;

a first signal processor coupled to said first output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a second signal processor coupled to said first signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the first time slot;

a third signal processor coupled to said second output and configured to equalize said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a fourth signal processor coupled to said third signal processor and configured to decode said inbound information associated with the second time slot;

a central processor coupled to said second signal processor and said fourth signal processor and configured to process said inbound information and to communicate said inbound information with a public switched telephone network, said central processor further configured to communicate outbound information with the public switched telephone network and to process said outbound information;

a fifth signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

a sixth signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said second time slot;

a multiplexer coupled to said fifth signal processor and said sixth signal processor and configured to route said outbound information associated with the first time slot to a multiplexer output and to route said outbound information associated with the second time slot to said multiplexer output; and

a transmitter coupled to said multiplexer output and configured to transmit said outbound information to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.

4. A base station for communicating over a cellular network with a first mobile station and a second mobile station, and wherein outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said base station comprising:

a central processor coupled to a public switched telephone network and configured to communicate outbound information with the public switched telephone network and to process said outbound information;

a first signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

a second signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said second time slot;

a multiplexer coupled to said first signal processor and said second sisal processor and configured to route said outbound information associated with said first time slot to a multiplexer output and to route said outbound information associated with said second time slot to said multiplexer output; and

a transmitter coupled to said multiplexer output and configured to transmit said outbound information to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.

5. A base station for communicating over a cellular network with a first mobile station and a second mobile station, and wherein outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said base station comprising:

a central processor coupled to a public switched telephone network and configured to communicate outbound information with the public switched telephone network and to process said outbound information;

a first signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

a second signal processor coupled to said first signal processor and configured to encrypt said outbound information associated with said first time slot;

a third signal processor coupled to said central processor and configured to encode said outbound information associated with said second time slot;

a fourth signal processor coupled to said first signal processor and configured to encrypt said outbound information associated with said second time slot;

a multiplexer coupled to said second signal processor and said fourth signal processor and configured to route said outbound information associated with the first time slot to a multiplexer output and to route said outbound information associated with the second time slot to said multiplexer output; and

a transmitter coupled to said multiplexer output and configured to transmit said outbound information to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.

6. A base station for communicating over a cellular network with a plurality of mobile stations, comprising:

a central processor;

a plurality of transceivers coupled to said central processor and configured to receive inbound information from the mobile stations and to transmit outbound information to the mobile stations; and

wherein each of said transceivers includes a demultiplexer coupled to a receiver and to an array of signal processors having at least two parallel processing paths for equalizing and decoding the inbound signal and for encoding the outbound signal, said demultiplexer configured to route said inbound information to said array, and a multiplexer coupled to said array and to a transmitter, said multiplexer configured to route said outbound information to said transmitter.

7. A method of processing inbound information transmitted from a first mobile station and a second mobile station and received at a base station having a transceiver, a demultiplexer, a first signal processor, a second signal processor, a third signal processor, a fourth signal processor, a central processor and a multiplexer, and processing outbound information from a public switched telephone network via the base station, destined for the first mobile station and the second mobile station, wherein the inbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, and the outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving the inbound information in the transceiver;

dividing the inbound information into the inbound information associated with the first time slot and the inbound information associated with the second time slot in the demultiplexer and delivering the inbound information associated with the first time slot to the first signal processor and the inbound information associated with the second time slot to the third signal processor;

equalizing the inbound information associated with the first time slot in the first signal processor;

decoding the inbound information associated with the first time slot in the second signal processor;

equalizing the inbound information associated with the second time slot in the third signal processor;

decoding the inbound information associated with the second time slot in the fourth signal processor;

processing the inbound information in the central processor in preparation for presenting the inbound information to a public telephone switched network;

receiving the outbound information in the central processor and delivering outbound information associated with the first time slot to the second signal processor and outbound information associated with the second time slot to the fourth signal processor;

encoding the outbound information associated with the first time slot in the second signal processor;

encoding the outbound information associated with the second time slot in the fourth signal processor;

combining the outbound information associated with the first time slot and the outbound information associated with the second time slot in the multiplexer and delivering the outbound information to the transmitter; and

transmitting the outbound information in the transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the outbound information associated with the first time slot in the first signal processor; and

encrypting the outbound information associated with the second time slot in the third signal processor.

9. A method of processing outbound information from a public switched telephone network in a base station having a transceiver, a first signal processor, a second signal processor, a central processor, and a multiplexer, the outbound information destined for a first mobile station and a second mobile station, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving the outbound information in the central processor, where the outbound information includes a first time slot associated with the first mobile station and a second time slot associated with the second mobile station and delivering outbound information associated with the first time slot to the first signal processor and outbound information associated with the second time slot to the second signal processor;

encoding the outbound information associated with the first time slot in the first signal processor;

encoding the outbound information associated with the second time slot in the second signal processor; and

transmitting the outbound information in the transceiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the base station further has a third signal processor and a fourth signal processor, said method further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the outbound information associated with the first time slot in the third signal processor;

encrypting the outbound information associated with the second time slot in the fourth signal processor.