Method and device to determine the transmission point in time of a first transfer in relation to another transfer in a radio medium

• US 6,061,343 A
• Filed: 10/16/1997
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: son .ANG.kerberg, Dag E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/951,673
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/350, 370/503, 370/507, 370/508, 455/349, 455/454
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2678 Time synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time

Abstract

The transmission points are determined in time for an asynchronous transfer of information (speech/data) in relation to a synchronous information transfer so that the asynchronous transmission does not coincide with the synchronous reception. The asynchronous and the synchronous reception take place at short distances, e.g., less than 200 m, and the terminals are arranged close to each other and can therefore disturb each other. The frequency band of one terminal is also close to the frequency band of the second terminal. In the asynchronous terminal, the relative times are stored for transmission and reception regarding the synchronous terminal. A procedure is stored in the asynchronous terminal, which, during a predetermined time interval before each synchronous transmission, detects if and when transmission occurs from the synchronous terminal and if the detected signal power exceeds a predetermined threshold value. If the levels in the previous step exceed the predetermined threshold value, the transmission from the asynchronous terminal is timed so that is does not disturb the communication of the synchronous terminal by not coinciding with the reception at the synchronous terminal.

Claims

1. A method for the asynchronous transmission in a frequency band intended for such transfer, within which rules for synchronous transfer are also applied, and taking place at a short distance from the synchronous reception, the synchronous transfer taking place periodically within certain active time intervals, comprising the steps of

a) storing information about when the reception associated with the synchronous transfer takes place relative to when transmission takes place and when transmission again occurs in accordance with a prescribed rule for the synchronous reception, thus obtaining a sequence of events for said synchronous transfer;

b) before an asynchronous transmission is initiated, monitoring the state of the synchronous reception during a time interval at least equal to the period for which the synchronous (Tr1) transfer takes place, and storing said state during said time interval;

c) detecting the transmission point in time for the synchronous transfer during said time interval during the monitoring; and

d) based on the sequence of events known according to a) and the transmission point in time detected according to c), calculating the time intervals in which no synchronous transfer takes place, the transmission time for the asynchronous transfer being determined so that this transmission time does not coincide with the time for the synchronous reception.

2. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the calculation carried out according to d) also concerns the transmission intervals for the synchronous transfer so that asynchronous transmission is inhibited during the receive intervals and the transmission intervals of the synchronous transfer.

3. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the state monitored according to b) involves the measuring of the time and the electrical field strength taken into account at the asynchronous transfer, the variations in said field strength being registered in order to determine when, according to d), no synchronous reception is taking place.

4. A method according to claim 3,

wherein the measured field strength is separated above and below a certain threshold value, which has been selected so that interference of a synchronous transmission on the asynchronous reception can be registered and the point in time when the corresponding synchronous reception occurs can thus be determined.

5. A method according to claim 4,

wherein the duration of a signal obtained from the separated field strength is compared to a known value of the duration of a transmission signal in the synchronous transfer, whereby the transmission point in time is detected by determining the start time of said signal.

6. An apparatus comprised in an asynchronous radio terminal comprising transmitter and receiver units,

a) monitoring means to monitor the electric field strength at the asynchronous terminal, whereby, if said field strength exceeds a certain value a first activation signal is generated, the duration of which is equal to the time during which the electric field strength exceeds said value;

b) registering means for registering the point in time when said first activation signal is emitted and for, from its duration, determining if the received first activation signal was caused by a synchronous transfer, and, if this is the case, registering the point in time of this transfer, thus causing a second activation signal is emitted;

c) processor means storing the characteristics of the synchronous transfer in order to calculate, based on the characteristics of the synchronous transfer, the time intervals during which transmission from the asynchronous terminal is to take place, so that said time intervals do not coincide with the synchronous reception.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said processor means is adapted to be activated by a transmission request signal from the asynchronous terminal, said transmission request together with the calculated time intervals activating the transmission from the asynchronous terminal.

8. A radio communication system comprising radio base stations, a synchronous radio terminal comprising a transmitter/receiver and an asynchronous radio terminal comprising a transmitter/receiver, said two terminals being arranged at a short distance from each other and both communicating with said radio base stations through a radio medium,

said asynchronous terminal comprising

a) memory means for storing information about when reception on the synchronous unit takes place relative to when transmission takes place and when transmission again takes place from the synchronous unit;

b) means for monitoring, before transfer is initiated from the asynchronous unit, the state of the synchronous unit during a certain time interval, to form an indication of said state;

c) detection means for detecting the point in time for the synchronous unit in dependence of the state formed in accordance with b); and

d) calculating means for calculating, based on the interval known according to a) and the point in lime detected according to c), the time intervals in which no transfer is taking place for the synchronous terminal, the transmission intervals for the asynchronous unit being determined so that said transmission intervals do not coincide with the synchronous reception.