Communication method, base station and terminal apparatus

• US 6,088,345 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakoda, Kazuyuki, Suzuki, Mitsuhiro, Usui, Takashi, Yamaura, Tomoya, Iwasaki, Jun, Naruse, Tetsuya, Omori, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,626
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/321, 370/328, 370/329, 370/335, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/347, 370/348, 370/477, 370/479, 370/498, 370/342
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

In a radio communication such as a radio telephone system or the like, a transmission channel which can accommodate a change in a transmission capacity is set. While a terminal apparatus and a base station are in communication for transmitting a predetermined information using a predetermined transmission channel, a signal requesting to set another transmission channel is transmitted using a part of the predetermined transmission channel to initiate communication between the terminal apparatus and the base station through the other transmission channel.

Claims

1. A communication resource allocation method for allocating a communication resource in a second apparatus in response to a request from a first apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal generated by said first apparatus and transmitted to said second apparatus, wherein in a normal state of audio data transmission said signal has a predetermined number of information bits and in an allocation request state said signal has at least one of said predetermined number of information bits assigned as an allocation request bit,

determining that said received signal is an audio data signal in said normal state of audio data transmission,

allocating a communication resource upon determining said audio data signal is being received,

receiving a non-audio data signal while receiving said audio data signal,

determining that said received non-audio data signal includes said allocation request bit, and

reallocating the communication resource to accommodate the non-audio data signal while receiving said audio data signal upon determining a presence of said allocation request bit in said received non-audio data signal.

2. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting header information indicating an existence of said allocation request bit from said first apparatus to said second apparatus in addition to said predetermined number of information bits.

3. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, wherein communication resources which have capacity for communicating a plurality of informations are allocated first in said step of allocating said communication resource by said second apparatus, and communication resources which are not allocated at the time are allocated at a next time by said second apparatus.

4. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, wherein communication resources which have a predetermined capacity are allocated in said step of allocating said communication resource every time an allocation request is received by said second apparatus in said step of receiving.

5. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, wherein said communication is executed in a TDMA format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by an allocation of at least one time slot.

6. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, wherein said communication is executed in a multi-carrier format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by an allocation of at least one sub-carrier.

7. A communication resource allocation method according to claim 1, wherein said communication is executed in a CDMA format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by using a spread spectrum code.

8. A base station for allocating a communication resource, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a signal consisting of audio data and a plurality of information bits from a subscriber;

control means for allocating a communication resource for the audio data and for picking up at least one of said plurality of information bits as an allocation request bit while said signal consisting of audio data is being received, said allocation request bit indicating non-audio data, and for reallocating the communication resource to accommodate the non-audio data while receiving the audio data when said allocation request bit is detected; and

transmitting means for transmitting the communication resource allocation result for the audio data and the non-audio data to said subscriber, wherein said receiving means and said transmitting means communicate in a CDMA format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by at least one spread spectrum code.

9. A base station according to claim 8, wherein said control means detects an existence of said allocation request bit by detecting header information in said output signal of said receiving means.

10. A base station according to claim 8, wherein communication resources which have a capacity for communicating a plurality of informations are allocated first when allocating said communication resource by said control means, and communication resources which are not allocated at the time are allocated at a next time by said control means.

11. A base station according to claim 8, wherein communication resources which have a predetermined capacity are allocated every time when an allocation request arrives in a case of allocating said communication resource by said control means.

12. A base station according to claim 8, wherein said receiving means and said transmitting means communicate with each other in a TDMA format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by an allocation of at least one time slot.

13. A base station according to claim 8, wherein said receiving means and said transmitting means communicate with each other in a multi-carrier format, and said communication resource allocation is executed by an allocation of at least one sub-carrier.

14. A subscriber apparatus comprising:

control means for generating a communication resource allocation signal for use by a base station;

first signal generating means for generating a first signal composed of audio data;

transmitting means for transmitting an output signal from said control means to said base station, wherein in a normal state said transmitting means transmits the signal composed of audio data and having a predetermined number of information bits; and

second signal generating means for generating a second signal composed of non-audio data while said first signal generating means is generating said first signal, wherein when said second signal is generated said control means generates a signal in which at least one of said predetermined number of information bits is an allocation request bit for transmission to said base station by said transmitting means, and wherein said transmitting means transmits the second signal composed of non-audio data while transmitting the signal composed of audio data.

15. A subscriber apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means generates a header signal which indicates an existence of said allocation request bit, in a case of generating said allocation request bit.

16. A subscriber apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting means transmits a TDMA format signal.

17. A subscriber apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting means transmits a multi-carrier format signal.

18. A subscriber apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting means transmits a CDMA format signal.