Dual mode satellite/cellular terminal

• US 6,084,865 A
• Filed: 07/23/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Dent, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/899,389
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 370/464, 370/465, 370/532, 370/537, 370/538, 370/539, 370/540, 370/541, 370/543, 370/545, 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 370/328, 370/329, 370/341, 370/337, 370/347, 370/431 , 370/442, 370/321, 455/422, 455/450, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 370/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/408 the transmitter oscillator frequency being identical to the receiver local oscillator frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18532 Arrangements for managing transmission, i.e. for transporting data or a signalling message
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0059 Convolutional codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/06 TPC algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/30 using constraints in the total amount of available transmission power
• 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 method and apparatus of communicating information using Time Division Multiple Access and adaptive transmission and reception are disclosed. Signal bursts are transmitted from TDMA transmitters to a TDMA receiver wherein the transmitter codes the information and transmits coded information to the receiver using at least one of two timeslots of a plurality of timeslots in a repetitive TDMA frame period. Both of the two timeslots are received whether or not the transmitter has transmitted using one or two timeslots and the received signals are classified as intended and non-intended. Successively received signals classified as intended are then assembled into a block for decoding to reproduce the information.

Claims

1. A dual-mode satellite/cellular radio telephone system using TDMA comprising mobile stations, cellular network stations and satellite relay stations for transmitting TDMA signal bursts including the method of:

transmitting bursts in said TDMA format intended for a specific mobile station at a first repetition rate from a cellular network station alternatively at a second repetition rate being a sub-multiple of said first repetition rate from a satellite relay station;

dividing bursts transmitted at said first repetition rate into superframe groups each comprising traffic bursts, a Slow Associated Control Channel burst and an idle frame not containing a transmitted information burst; and

using said idle frame at said specific mobile station to change its TDMA burst receiver channel frequency to that of a neighboring cellular network station or to the channel frequency of a satellite relay station and analyzing a signal received on that channel frequency.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reporting from said mobile station to said network station the results of said signal analysis.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes communicating receiver channel frequency of said neighboring cellular network and said satellite relay station channel frequency from a network station to said mobile station.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said reported signal analyses are used at said network station to determine when said mobile station shall be switched to receive data from the satellite relay station instead of one of said network stations.