Multi-band, multi-mode spread-spectrum communication system

• US 5,796,772 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omnipoint Corp. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Dixon, Robert C., Smith, Douglas G., Vanderpool, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US08/485,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/260, 375/374, 375/376, 375/200, 375/259, 455/33.1, 455/54.1, 455/86, 455/188.1, 455/266, 455/303-306, 455/422, 455/31.2, 455/403, 379/59, 379/60, 327/105
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/692 Hybrid techniques using combinations of two or more spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/7071 with dynamic control of receiver resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2618 using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2634 for channel frequency control
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/362 Aspects of the step size
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 : Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 : TPC being performed in particular situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 : during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A technique for spread-spectrum communication which uses more than one mode and more than one frequency band. Selectable modes include narrowband mode and spread-spectrum mode, or cellular mode and microcellular mode. Selectable frequency bands include both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands, particularly frequency bands including the 902-928 MHz, 1850-1990 MHz, and 2.4-2.4835 GHz frequency bands. Spread-spectrum communication channels are 10 MHz or less in width. The frequency band onto which spread-spectrum signals are encoded may be changed upon a change in environment or other control trigger, such as establishment or de-establishment of communication with a private access network. A multi-band transmitter comprises a single frequency synthesizer and a frequency source (e.g., a local oscillator), coupled to a selectable band pass filter. A multi-band receiver capable of monitoring one or more frequency bands comprises bank of bandpass filters and a demodulator comprising a single frequency synthesizer and a frequency source.

Claims

1. An apparatus for multi-band multi-mode communication comprising:

a transmitter having a plurality of transmission modes and a plurality of modulators;

a receiver having a plurality of demodulators;

a first and second mode selection signal coupled respectively to said transmitter and said receiver;

a first and second filter coupled respectively to said plurality of modulators and to said plurality of demodulators; and

said plurality of modulators comprising a spread spectrum modulator and a narrowband modulator, wherein said transmitter is capable of transmitting a spread spectrum signal and a narrowband signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of reception modes comprising a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of:

AMPS, GSM, IS-45, IS-95 and DECT.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of input and output frequency hands comprising a frequency band which spans from 2400 megahertz to 2483.5 megahertz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of input and output frequency bands comprising a frequency band which spans from 1850 megahertz to 1990 megahertz.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiver and transmitter are co-located in a mobile handset.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of transmission and reception modes comprise a cellular mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of transmission and reception modes comprise a microcellular mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of transmission modes comprises a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of:

AMPS, GSM, IS-45, IS-95 and DECT.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a paging unit.

10. An apparatus for muiti-band multi-mode communication comprising:

a transmitter comprising

a first tunable frequency source;

a plurality of modulators coupled to said first tunable frequency source, said plurality of modulators comprising a plurality of transmission modes;

a first mode selection signal coupled to each of said plurality of modulators;

a first filter coupled to an output of each of said plurality of modulators;

said plurality of modulators comprising a spread spectrum modulator and a narrowband modulator and said transmitter is capable of transmitting a spread spectrum signal and a narrowband signal; and

a receiver comprising

a second filter;

a second tunable frequency source;

a frequency converter coupled to said second filter and coupled to said second tunable frequency source;

a plurality of demodulators coupled to said frequency converter, said plurality of demodulators comprising a plurality of reception modes

a second mode selection signal coupled to each of said plurality of demodulators.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said plurality of demodulators comprise a spread spectrum demodulator and a narrowband demodulator.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is a mobile handset.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a mode select switch which selects one of said plurality of transmission modes.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a mode select switch which selects one of said plurality of reception modes.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said transmitter further comprises a power amplifier coupled to said plurality of modulators, said power amplifier adjustable to operate in each of said plurality of transmission modes.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first and second tunable frequency sources comprises a programmable frequency synthesizer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said programmable frequency synthesizer comprises:

a reference frequency signal source;

a programmable divide-by-N counter;

a multiplier having inputs coupled to said programmable divide-by-N counter and said reference frequency signal course; and

a voltage-controlled oscillator having an input coupled to said multiplier, said voltage-controlled oscillator having an output coupled to said programmable divide-by-N counter.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first and second tunable frequency sources are the same component shared between said transmitter and said receiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first and second filters are the same component shared between said transmitter and said receiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first filter is capable of passing a signal in each of said plurality of transmission modes.

21. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said second filter is capable of passing a signal in each of said plurality of reception modes.

22. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first and second filters comprise center filtering frequencies in a plurality of frequency bands.

23. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first and second filters comprises an adjustable bandpass filter.

24. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first filter comprises a plurality of narrowband power amplifiers in parallel, said plurality of narrowband power amplifiers coupled to a multiplexer.

25. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first and second filters comprises a plurality of bandpass filters in parallel.