Method of transmitting user information and overhead data in a communication device having multiple transmission modes

• US 5,721,732 A
• Filed: 10/31/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Timothy J., Emeott, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US08/551,113
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 370/345, 370/348, 370/349, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/442, 370/458, 370/468, 370/470, 370/471, 370/472, 370/473, 370/474, 370/522, 370/528, 370/437, 370/523, 455/517
• US Class Current: 370/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/125 One of the channel pulses or the synchronisation pulse is also used for transmitting monitoring or supervisory signals

Abstract

A communication device (e.g., 106) having multiple transmission modes employs a method of transmitting user information (309, 310) and intermittent overhead data (307, 308). The communication device (106) selects from a first transmission technique and a second transmission technique. When the first transmission technique is selected and overhead data (307) is to be transmitted, the communication device (106) replaces a first predetermined amount of the user information (309) with the overhead data (307) to form a data unit. When the second transmission technique is selected and overhead data (308) is to be transmitted, the communication device (106) replaces a second predetermined amount of the user information (310) with the overhead data (308) to form the data unit, wherein the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount. The communication device (106) then transmits the data unit formed by either transmission technique, such that when using the second transmission technique, an increased number of bits (506) are available over time to represent the user information, while a substantially equal number of bits (508) are available over time to represent the overhead data as compared to the first transmission technique.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

providing user information and intermittent overhead data;

selecting from a first transmission technique and a second transmission technique;

when the first transmission technique has been selected;

encoding a first representation of the user information using a first encoding technique;

when the intermittent overhead data exists to be transmitted, replacing a first predetermined amount of the first representation with the intermittent overhead data to form a data unit;

when the second transmission technique has been selected;

encoding a second representation of the user information using a second encoding technique;

when the intermittent overhead data exists to be transmitted, replacing a second predetermined amount of the second representation with the intermittent overhead data to form the data unit, which second predetermined amount is less per data unit than the first predetermined amount; and

transmitting the data unit;

such that when using the second transmission technique, an increased number of bits are available over time to represent the user information as compared to the first transmission technique, while a substantially equal number of bits are available over time to represent the intermittent overhead data.

2. A method comprising the steps of:

providing voice information and, on occasion, overhead data;

selecting from a first transmission technique and a second transmission technique;

when the first transmission technique has been selected;

vocoding the voice information using a first vocoding technique to provide a plurality of first representations;

processing the plurality of first representations using an error control technique to provide first error control processed representations;

when the overhead data is to be transmitted, replacing a first predetermined amount of at least some of the first error control processed representations with the overhead data to form a plurality of data units;

when the second transmission technique has been selected;

vocoding the voice information using a second vocoding technique to provide a plurality of second representations;

processing the plurality of second representations using an error control technique to provide second error control processed representations;

when the overhead data exists to be transmitted, replacing a second predetermined amount of at least some of the second error control processed representations with the overhead data to form the plurality of data units, which second predetermined amount is less per data unit than the first predetermined amount; and

transmitting the plurality of data units;

such that when using the second transmission technique, an increased number of bits are available over time to represent the voice information as compared to the first transmission technique, while a substantially equal number of bits are available over time to represent the overhead data; and

such that a ratio of bits representing the overhead data to bits comprising the second error control processed representation is less on a per data unit basis than a ratio of bits representing the overhead data to bits comprising the first error control processed representations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting from between a first transmission technique and a second transmission technique comprises selecting between a first radio frequency transmission technique that provides for transmission of data units at a first rate of interleaving and a second radio frequency transmission technique that provides for transmission of data units at a second rate of interleaving, which second rate of interleaving is more frequent than the first rate of interleaving.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of processing the plurality of second representations using an error control technique to provide second error control processed representations includes the step of using an error control technique that is different than the error control technique that is used when processing the plurality of first representations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of replacing a first predetermined amount of at least some of the first error control processed representations with the overhead data comprises replacing at least some of the first error control processed representations with associated control procedure information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of replacing at least some of the first error control processed representations with associated control procedure information comprises the step of replacing at least some of the first error control processed representations with at least one of the group consisting of dialed digits, handoff information, and short messages.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of replacing a first predetermined amount of at least some of the first error control processed representations with the overhead data comprises the step of replacing approximately one-fourth of at least some of the first error control processed representations with the overhead data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of replacing a second predetermined amount of at least some of the second error control processed representations with the overhead data comprises the step of replacing approximately one-eighth of at least some of the second error control processed representations with the overhead data.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of processing the plurality of first representations using an error control technique to provide first error control processed representations comprises the step of processing the plurality of first representations using forward error correction.

10. A method of transmitting user information and intermittent overhead data in a multiplexed radio frequency communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of time slots on a radio frequency carrier;

selecting from a first transmission technique and a second transmission technique;

when the first transmission technique has been selected;

encoding the user information using a first encoding technique to provide a plurality of first representations;

when the intermittent overhead data exists to be transmitted, replacing a first predetermined amount of at least some of the plurality of first representations with the intermittent overhead data to form a plurality of data units;

transmitting the plurality of data units using every Nth time slot to thereby interleave the plurality of data units with other time slots on the radio frequency carrier;

when the second transmission technique has been selected;

encoding the user information using a second encoding technique to provide a plurality of second representations;

when the intermittent overhead data exists to be transmitted, replacing a second predetermined amount of at least some of the plurality of second representations with the intermittent overhead data to form the plurality of data units; and

transmitting the plurality of data units using every Mth time slot to thereby interleave the plurality of data units with other time slots on the radio frequency carrier, wherein M is less than N;

such that when using the second transmission technique, an increased number of bits are available over time to represent the user information as compared to the first transmission technique, while a substantially equal number of bits are available over time to represent the intermittent overhead data.

11. In a time division multiplexed radio communication system wherein information is conveyed via time slots of a radio frequency carrier, a method for transmitting user information and intermittent overhead data from one communication device to another communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting from a first mode of transmission and a second mode of transmission;

determining whether overhead data is to be transmitted;

when transmitting in the first mode and overhead data is to be transmitted;

transmitting the user information in a first portion of every Nth time slot;

transmitting the overhead data in a second portion of every Nth time slot;

when transmitting in the second mode and overhead data is to be transmitted;

transmitting the user information in a first portion of every Mth time slot; and

transmitting the overhead data in a second portion of every Mth time slot, M being less than N and the second portion of every Mth time slot comprising less bits than the second portion of every Nth time slot;

whereby an increased number of bits are available over time to represent the user information in the second mode as compared to the first mode, while a substantially equal number of bits are available over time in both the first mode and the second mode to represent the overhead data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether overhead data is to be transmitted comprises the step of determining whether associated control procedure information is to be transmitted.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second portion of every Nth time slot contains one-fourth of all bits contained in both the first portion and the second portion of every Nth time slot.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second portion of every Mth time slot contains approximately one-eighth of all bits contained in both the first portion and the second portion of every Mth time slot.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion of every Nth time slot is larger than the second portion of every Nth time slot and wherein the first portion of every Mth time slot is larger that the second portion of every Mth time slot.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second portion of every Nth time slot is a sub-portion of the first portion of every Nth time slot and wherein the second portion of every Mth time slot is a sub-portion of the first portion of every Mth time slot.