Method and apparatus for TDMA wireless communication employing collector arrays for range extension

• US 5,805,576 A
• Filed: 04/19/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cellular Telecom, Ltd. (Health Care Products Ltd.)
• Inventors: Howard, David Amundson, Worley, William Spencer III, Vastano, John Andrew, Coates, Karen Evelyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/634,141
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 370/319, 370/321, 370/329, 370/337, 370/347, 370/350, 370/503, 370/507, 455/54.1, 455/33.1, 455/56.1, 455/51.1, 455/422, 455/524, 375/354, 375/356, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

TDMA communication system having forward channel communications and corresponding reverse channel communications between mobile users and a zone manager in an arbitrarily large broadcaster zone established by a broadcaster. The users are located within the broadcaster zone and the collectors are distributed in proximity to the broadcaster zone. The zone manager operates to control the selection of users to form user groups and for selecting collectors to form collector groups such that the difference between the propagation times from broadcaster to user to collector among users active with the same collector does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at the collector are isolated from each other. Users are selected such that each of the users in the user group are located at a distance from each of said other users in the user group not greater than a distance UR_max. Collectors are selected such that each of the collectors in a collector group is located at a distance from each of the other collectors in the collector group not greater than a distance C_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at the collectors are isolated.

Claims

1. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channel signals that collectively constitute composite signals,

a plurality of collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zone at spaced-apart locations, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said composite signals, including said user reverse channel signals, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including,

control means for selecting two or more of said plurality of users to form a user group and for selecting two or more of said plurality of collector means to form a collector group,

broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said plurality of collector reverse channel signals from said two or more of said plurality of collector means in said collector group.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that user reverse channel signals at each of said collector means are isolated.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that the differences between the sum for each user of the user forward channel signals'"'"' propagation time from broadcaster to user and the corresponding user reverse channel signals'"'"' propagation time from user to collector means for pairs of users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said pairs of users.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that each of said users in said user group is located at a distance from each of said other users in said user group not greater than a distance UR_max where UR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

5. The communication system of claim 4 having guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance UR_max is approximately equal to one half the guard period distance D_G.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /4.

7. The communication system of claim 3 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that each of said collector means in said collector group is located at a distance from each other of said collector means in said collector group not greater than a distance CR_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

8. The communication system of claim 7 having guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance CR_max is approximately equal to the guard period distance D_G.

9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein said collectors in said collector groups are located within a circle of radius D_G /2.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said aggregator means combines the user reverse channel signals for each of said users from a plurality of said collector means to form a combined signal where the combined signal for each of said users is isolated from the combined signal for each of the other users irrespective of whether or not the user reverse channel signals received at ones of said collector means are isolated.

11. The communication system of claim 1 having long guard periods, T_LG, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the long guard periods establish long guard period distances, D_LG, wherein unsynchronized ones of said users are synchronized in said broadcaster zone when said unsynchronized ones of said users are within a distance D_LG of any collector means irrespective of the distances of said unsynchronized ones of said users from said broadcaster means.

12. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels each of said user reverse channels occupying a different user reverse channel bandwidth,

one or more collector means each located at a collector location in proximity to said broadcaster zone, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said user reverse channels from ones of said plurality of users, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channels from said ones of said plurality of users as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including,

control means for selecting as a user group two or more of said plurality of users that are located within a distance of at least one of said collector means such that a synchronization error for each of said two or more of said plurality of users is less than a predetermined value,

broadcaster means having a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting to said two or more of said plurality of users within said user group said plurality of forward channel signals using broadcaster signals to form a plurality of broadcaster forward channels in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals from said collector means.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said communications are according to a TDMA protocol having frames formed of a plurality of time slots, each time slot specified as including an information period and a guard period, said guard period provided as a buffer zone that can be occupied by an information period without said information period colliding with an information period of adjacent time slots.

14. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

15. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that the difference between the sum for each user of the user forward channel signals'"'"' propagation time from broadcaster to user and the corresponding user reverse channel signals'"'"' propagation time from user to collector means for two users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said two users.

16. The communication system of claim 15 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that each of said users in said user group is located at a distance from each of other of said users in said user group not greater than a distance UR_max where UR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

17. The communication system of claim 16 having guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance UR_max is approximately equal to one half the guard period distance D_G.

18. The communication system of claim 16 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /4.

19. The communication system of claim 15 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that each of said collector means in said collector group is located at a distance from each other of said collector means in said collector group not greater than a distance CR_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

20. The communication system of claim 19 having guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance CR_max is approximately equal to the guard period distance D_G.

21. The communication system of claim 20 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /2.

22. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said aggregator means combines the user reverse channel signals for each of said users from a plurality of said collector means to form a combined signal where the combined signal for each of said users is isolated from the combined signal for each of other of said users even where the user reverse channel signals received at ones of said collector means are not isolated.

23. The communication system of claim 12 having long guard periods, T_LG, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the long guard periods establish a long guard period distance, D_LG, wherein unsynchronized ones of said users are synchronized in said broadcaster zone when said unsynchronized ones of said users are within a distance D_LG of any collector means irrespective of the distances of said unsynchronized ones of said users from said broadcaster means.

24. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications having long guard periods, T_LG, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the long guard periods establish long guard period distances, D_LG, comprising,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving a different user forward channel and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels each of said user reverse channels occupying a different user reverse channel bandwidth in a broadcast range,

one or more collector means each located at a collector location in proximity to said broadcaster zone, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said user reverse channel signals from ones of said plurality of users, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals from said ones of said plurality of users as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including,

broadcaster means located at a broadcaster location within said broadcaster zone,

control means for selecting as a user group two or more of said plurality of users that are located any arbitrary distance from said broadcaster location and that are located within one of said long guard period distances, D_LG, of any one of said collector means,

broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals with a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said collector reverse channel signals.

25. The communication system of claim 24 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that user reverse channel signals at each of said one of said collector means are isolated.

26. The communication system of claim 24 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that the differences between the sum for each user of the user forward channel signals'"'"' propagation time from broadcaster to user and the corresponding user reverse channel signals'"'"' propagation time from user to collector means for pairs of users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said pairs of users.

27. The communication system of claim 26 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that each of said users in said user group is located at a distance from each other of said users in said user group not greater than a distance UR_max where UR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

28. The communication system of claim 27 having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the normal guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance UR_max is approximately equal to one half the guard period distance D_G.

29. The communication system of claim 28 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /4.

30. The communication system of claim 26 wherein said control means selects two or more of said plurality of collector means as a collector group such that each of said collector means in said collector group is located at a distance from each other of said collector means in said collector group not greater than a distance CR_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

31. The communication system of claim 30 having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for with a TDMA protocol where the normal guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance CR_max is approximately equal to the guard period distance D_G.

32. The communication system of claim 31 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /2.

33. The communication system of claim 26 wherein said aggregator means combines the user reverse channel signals for each of said users from a plurality of said collector means to form a combined signal where the combined signal for each of said users is isolated from the combined signal for each other of said users even where the user reverse channel signals at said collector means are not isolated.

34. A communication system for communicating between a network and one or more regions with a plurality of network forward channel communications from the network and with a plurality of corresponding network reverse channel communications to the network, said system including,

one or more region manager means, one for each of said regions for controlling communications within a corresponding region where each particular region includes a plurality of broadcaster zones,

for each broadcaster zone,

a plurality of users, each of said users including user receiver means for receiving a different user forward channel and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels each of said user reverse channels occupying a different user reverse channel bandwidth in a broadcast range,

a plurality of collector means each located at a collector location within said broadcaster zone, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said user reverse channel signals from ones of said plurality of users, each of said users forwarding a user reverse channel signal to two or more of said collector receiver means, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals from said ones of said plurality of users as collector reverse channel signals,

for each broadcaster zone, zone manager means including, broadcaster means located at a broadcaster location within said broadcaster zone, control means for selecting as a user group two or more of said plurality of

users that are located any arbitrary distance from said broadcaster location and that are located within a predetermined distance of any one or more of said collector means and for selecting two or more of said plurality of collectors means to form a collector group whereby two or more collector means in said collector group receive reverse channel signals from each of the same particular ones of said users,

broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals from said collector group, said aggregator means receiving user reverse channel signals for each of the same particular ones of said users from two or more collector means in said collector group.

35. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that user reverse channel signals at each of said collector means are isolated.

36. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that the differences between the sum for each user of the user forward channel signals'"'"' propagation time from broadcaster to user and the corresponding user reverse channel signals'"'"' propagation time from user to collector means for pairs of users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said pairs of users.

37. The communication system of claim 36 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of users such that each of said users in said user group is located at a distance from each other of said users in said user group not greater than a distance UR_max where UR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

38. The communication system of claim 37 having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the normal guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance UR_max is approximately equal to one half the guard period distance D_G.

39. The communication system of claim 38 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /4.

40. The communication system of claim 36 wherein said control means selects said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that each of said collector means in said collector group are located at a distance from each other of said collector means in said collector group not greater than a distance CR_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated.

41. The communication system of claim 40 having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for operating with a TDMA protocol where the normal guard periods establish a guard period distance, D_G, wherein said distance CR_max is approximately equal to the guard period distance D_G.

42. The communication system of claim 41 wherein said users in said user group are located within a circle of radius D_G /2.

43. The communication system of claim 36 wherein said aggregator means combines the user reverse channel signals for each of said users from a plurality of said collector means to form a combined signal where the combined signal for each of said users is isolated from the combined signal for each other of said users even where the user reverse channel signals received at ones of said collector means are not isolated.

44. The communication system of claim 34 wherein, for a particular broadcaster zone, ones of said user transmitter means broadcast in user zones that are substantially smaller than said broadcaster zone and wherein a plurality of said collector means are located within said user zones.

45. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said broadcaster transmitter is controllable for varying the transmission power for each of said broadcaster forward channels whereby the transmission power and broadcaster range for each broadcaster forward channel is individually controllable.

46. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said user transmitter for each user is controllable for varying the transmission power of said user reverse channels whereby the user range for each user is controllable for reaching a plurality of said collector means.

47. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said collector forwarding means includes collector transmitter means for transmitting said collector reverse channel signals with transmission characteristics that isolate the collector reverse channel signals from the user reverse channel signals.

48. The communication system of claim 34 wherein particular user reverse channel signals broadcast from a particular user transmitter means are received by particular ones of said collector means and wherein said particular ones of said collector means each forwards particular collector reverse channel signals corresponding to said user reverse channel signals to said aggregator means and wherein said aggregator means includes aggregator processing means for processing said particular collector reverse channel signals from said particular ones of said collector means to form said aggregator reverse channel signals as a representation of said user reverse channel signals.

49. The communication system of claim 48 wherein said aggregator processing means is a digital signal processor for processing said particular collector reverse channel signals from said particular ones of said collector means to form said aggregator reverse channel signals as a representation of said user reverse channel signals.

50. The communication system of claim 34 wherein a particular one of said users is mobile and travels from a first location to a second location, said transmitter means for said particular one of said users broadcasting particular user reverse channel signals and wherein,

at said first location, said particular user reverse channel signals are received by a first group of particular two or more of said collector means and wherein each collector means of said first group of particular two or more of said collector means forwards to said aggregator means first particular collector reverse channel signals corresponding to said particular user reverse channel signals;

at said second location, said particular user reverse channel signals are received by a second group of particular two or more of said collector means and wherein each collector means of said second group of particular two or more of said collector means forwards to said aggregator means second particular collector reverse channel signals corresponding to said particular user reverse channel signals;

said aggregator means receives said first and second particular collector reverse channel signals and includes aggregator processing means for processing said first and second particular collector reverse channel signals to form said aggregator reverse channel signals as a representation of said user reverse channel signals.

51. The communication system of claim 50 wherein said one or more of said collector means is common to said first group and said second group.

52. The communication system of claim 50 wherein said user transmitter means for said particular one of said users broadcast in a user zone that is substantially smaller than said broadcaster zone and that moves when said particular user moves from said first location to said second location and wherein, at said first location, said first group of particular two or more of said collector means are located within said user zone and wherein, at said second location, said second group of particular two or more of said collector means are located within said user zone.

53. The communication system of claim 50 wherein said broadcaster transmitter is controllable for varying the transmission power for each of said broadcaster forward channels whereby the transmission power and broadcaster range for each broadcaster forward channel is individually controllable, wherein when said particular user is at said first location a particular broadcaster forward channel has a first power level so that said broadcaster range extends to said first location and wherein when said particular user is at said second location said particular broadcaster forward channel has a second power level so that said broadcaster range extends to said second location.

54. The communication system of claim 50 wherein said user transmitter for said particular user is controllable for varying transmission power of a particular user reverse channel for said particular user whereby the user range for said particular user is controllable and wherein, when said particular user is at said first location, said particular user reverse channel has a first power level so that said user range extends to said first group of particular two or more of said collector means and wherein, when said particular user is at said second location, said particular user reverse channel has a second power level so that said user range extends to said second group of particular two or more of said collector means.

55. The communication system of claim 50 wherein said collector transmitter means is a transmitter for transmitting said collector reverse channel signals with transmission characteristics that isolate the collector reverse channel signals from the user reverse channel signals.

56. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said zone manager means includes control means for assigning a broadcaster forward channel and a user reverse channel for a particular user under control of said region manager means.

57. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said region manager means includes means for assigning forward channels and reverse channels with a reuse pattern.

58. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said region manager means stores a fixed reuse pattern and said zone manager means includes control means for assigning a broadcaster forward channel and a user reverse channel for a particular user according to said fixed reuse pattern under control of said region manager means.

59. The communication system of claim 34 wherein said region manager means includes dynamic control means for dynamic channel allocation and wherein said zone manager means includes control means for assigning a broadcaster forward channel and a user reverse channel for a particular user according to said dynamic channel allocation under control of said region manager means.

60. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel signals and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals for operating with a TDMA protocol having long guard periods, T_LG, between time slots for synchronization transfers where the long guard periods establish long guard period distances, D_LG, and having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for normal transfers where the normal guard periods establish normal guard period distances, D_G, comprising,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving a different user forward channel and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels each of said user reverse channels occupying a different user reverse channel bandwidth and said user reverse channel signals collectively forming a composite signal,

one or more collector means each located at a collector location for receiving user reverse channels from one or more of said plurality of users, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said composite signal including said user reverse channel signals, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including,

broadcaster means located at a broadcaster location within said broadcaster zone,

control means for selecting two or more of said plurality of users to form user groups and for selecting two or more of said plurality of collectors means to form collector groups,

said control means selecting as one of said user groups two or more of said plurality of users that are located any arbitrary distance from said broadcaster location and that are located within one of said long guard said distances, D_LG, of any one of said collector means, said control means selecting two or more of said plurality of collector means to form one of said collector groups whereby two or more collector means in said collector group receive reverse channel signals from each of the same particular two or more of said plurality of users, said control means controlling transfers to said users in said one of said user groups with one of said long guard periods for synchronization transfers and with one of the normal guard periods for normal transfers,

said control means selecting said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collectors such that the differences between the sum for each user of a user forward channel signal propagation time from broadcaster to user and a corresponding user reverse channel signal propagation time from user to collector means for pairs of users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said pairs of users,

said control means selecting said two or more of said plurality of users such that each of said users in said one of said user groups is located at a distance from each of said other users in said one of said user groups not greater than a distance UR_max where UR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated and wherein said distance UR_max is approximately equal to one half of one of the guard period distances D_G,

broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals with a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals from said collector means, said aggregator means receiving user reverse channel signals for each particular user from two or more collector means in said collector group to form two or more aggregator received signals for each particular user, said aggregator means combining said two or more aggregator received signals to form a single combined signal for each particular user.

61. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel signals and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals for operating with a TDMA protocol having long guard periods, T_LG, between time slots for synchronization transfers where the long guard periods establish long guard period distances, D_LG, and having normal guard periods, T_G, between time slots for normal transfers where the normal guard periods establish normal guard period distances, D_G, comprising,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving a different user forward channel and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels each of said user reverse channels occupying a different user reverse channel bandwidth and said user reverse channel signals in said user reverse channels collectively forming a composite signal,

one or more collector means each located at a collector location for receiving user reverse channels from one or more of said plurality of users, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said composite signal including said user reverse channel signals from ones of said plurality of users, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals from said ones of said plurality of users as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including,

broadcaster means located at a broadcaster location within said broadcaster zone,

control means for selecting two or more of said plurality of users to form user groups and for selecting two or more of said plurality of collectors means to form collector groups,

said control means selecting as one of said user groups two or more of said plurality of users that are located any arbitrary distance from said broadcaster location and that are located within one of said long guard period distances, D_LG, of any one of said collector means, said control means selecting two or more of said plurality of collector means to form one of said collector groups whereby two or more collector means in said collector group receive reverse channel signals from each of the same particular two or more of said plurality of users, said control means controlling transfers to said users in said one of said user groups with one of said long guard periods for synchronization transfers and with one of said normal guard periods for normal transfers,

said control means selecting said two or more of said plurality of users and said two or more of said plurality of collectors such that the differences between the sum for each user of a user forward channel signal propagation time from broadcaster to user and a corresponding user reverse channel signal propagation time from user to collector means for pairs of users having user reverse channel signals active at the same collector means does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at said same collector means are isolated for said pairs of users,

said control means selecting said two or more of said plurality of collector means such that each of said collector means in said one of said collector groups is located at a distance from each of other of said collector means in said one of said collector groups not greater than a distance CR_max where CR_max is a value such that user reverse channel signals at said collector means are isolated and wherein said distance CR_max is approximately equal to one of said guard period distances, D_G,

broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals with a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

aggregator means for receiving said plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals from said collector means, said aggregator means receiving user reverse channel signals for each particular user from two or more collector means in said collector group to form two or more aggregator received signals for each particular user, said aggregator means combining said two or more aggregator received signals to form a single combined signal for each particular user.

62. A method of operation in a communication system where the communication system includes,

a plurality of forward channel signals and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel-signals,

a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone,

each of said users including user receiver means for receiving a different user forward channel and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a different user reverse channel,

said plurality of users providing a plurality of different user reverse channels for providing said user reverse channel signals collectively as a composite signal,

a plurality of collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zone at spaced-apart locations, each of said collector means including,

collector receiver means for receiving said composite signal, including said user reverse channel signals, and

collector forwarding means for forwarding said user reverse channel signals as collector reverse channel signals,

zone manager means including control means, broadcaster means having a broadcaster transmitter and aggregator means,

said method comprising

selecting with said control means two or more of said plurality of users to form a user group,

selecting with said control means two or more of said plurality of collectors means to form a collector group,

broadcasting, with said broadcaster transmitter, said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said user group in said broadcaster zone,

receiving in said aggregator means said plurality of corresponding reverse channel signals from said one or more collector means.