Radio communications device and method

• US 5,943,333 A
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Whinnett, Nicholas William, Robinson, William Neil, Van Den Heuvel, Anthony P, Gibbs, Jonathan Alastair
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US08/624,578
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 370/313, 370/314, 370/328, 370/338, 370/341, 370/345, 370/430, 370/455, 379/59, 379/60, 379/61, 342/36, 342/37, 455/425, 455/435, 455/450, 455/552, 455/557, 455/12.1, 455/33.1
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection

Abstract

A radio communications device is arranged to communicate time divided signals (60 and 70) over first (40) and second (50) time discontinuous systems having first and second frame structures respectively. Switching device (120) switches between communicating signals (60) over the first system (40) during time periods of the first frame structure and communicating signals (70) over the second system (50) during time periods of the second frame structure. Hence over a given period of time the device simultaneously communicates time divided signals over the first (40) and second (50) systems.

Claims

1. A method of handoff from a first time discontinuous system to a second time discontinuous system by a radio communications device comprising the steps of,

establishing a call with a remote user via the first time discontinuous system;

establishing communication with the second time discontinuous system while continuing the call via the first time discontinuous system during a handoff period;

invoking a contention scheme to determine which of the first and second time discontinuous systems is in communication with the remote user during the handoff period; and

handing off from the first to the second time discontinuous system whilst maintaining the call to the remote user via the second time discontinuous system, wherein the contention scheme manages the communications activities of the device during the handoff period such that contention between the communication of the first and the second time discontinuous systems is substantially resolved and the call is maintained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contention scheme is based on known characteristics of the time discontinuous systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if only the first time discontinuous system has signal coding and interleaving, the contention scheme is arranged to suspend communicating signals over the first system in favor of the second system when a contention occurs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the first and the second time discontinuous systems are similar, the contention scheme is arranged to alternately suspend communicating signals from each of the first and the second systems.