Wireless communication method and system

• US 6,112,080 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omnipoint Corp. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Peterson, Peter O., Jensen, Ryan N., Anderson, Gary B., Petch, Bryan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/774,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/427, 455/432, 455/435, 455/445, 455/456, 455/461, 455/550, 455/567, 455/450, 455/524, 370/331, 370/332, 370/335
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2618 using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2668 Arrangements for Wireless Code-Division Multiple Access [CDMA] System Synchronisation, for code acquisition H04B1/7075, for code tracking H04B1/7085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/522 Dynamic queue service slot or variable bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 : Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 : using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 : with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/362 : Aspects of the step size
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 : Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 : TPC being performed in particular situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 : during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 : Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 : using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 : between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A simple and flexible over-air protocol for use with a mobile telephone system, having hand-held telephones in a microcell or other type of cellular communication system. A method in which user stations communicate with one or more base stations to place and receive telephone calls, in which the user stations are provided a secure voice or data link and have the ability to handoff calls between base stations while such calls are in progress. Each base station has a set of "air channels" to which it transmits in sequence. The air channels supported by each base station are called that base station'"'"'s "polling loop". A user station receives general polling information on an unoccupied air channel, transmits responsive information to the base station, and awaits acknowledgment from the base station. Each base station may therefore simultaneously maintain communication with as many user stations as there are air channels in its polling loop. The ability of a user station to communicate on any unoccupied air channel makes the protocol air-channel agile, while the stability of user station and base station clocks may define air channels, gaps, and minor frames.

Claims

1. A method for communicating in a cellular communication network composed of a plurality of base stations homing on a central switching office, each of the base stations serving a plurality of mobile units, the method comprising the steps of

generating TDMA time slots in each of the base stations and the mobile units,

synchronizing the TDMA time slots generated in the base stations and the mobile units by propagating a synch signal from the office to each of the base stations and, in turn, to the corresponding mobile units,

assigning a CDMA code from a set of CDMA codes to each cell,

assigning each of the mobile units to one of the TDMA time slots,

for downlink communication from an uplink base station to a downlink mobile unit,

sending an outgoing information signal from the office to the uplink base station,

converting the outgoing information signal in the uplink base station to an outgoing CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station, and

propagating the outgoing CDMA coded signal to the downlink mobile unit in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit,

for uplink communication from a downlink mobile unit to an uplink base station,

converting an incoming information signal in the downlink mobile unit to an incoming CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station,

propagating the incoming CDMA coded signal to the uplink base station in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit, and

converting the incoming CDMA coded signal in the uplink base station to an incoming information signal for transmission to the office.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the CDMA codes correspond to Direct-Sequence, Spread-Spectrum (DS-SS) signals.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal and the outgoing CDMA coded signal each with a matched filter receiver.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal and the outgoing CDMA coded signal each with an interference-suppression receiver.

5. Circuitry for communicating in a cellular communication network composed of a plurality of base stations homing on a central switching office, each of the base stations serving a plurality of mobile units, the circuitry comprising

means for generating TDMA time slots in each of the base stations and the mobile units,

means for synchronizing the TDMA time slots generated in the base stations and the mobile units, the means for synchronizing including means for propagating a synch signal from the office to each of the base stations and, in turn, to the corresponding mobile units,

means for assigning a CDMA code from a set of CDMA codes to each cell,

means for assigning each of the mobile units to one of the TDMA time slots,

means for sending an outgoing information signal from the office to the uplink base station,

means for converting the outgoing information signal in the uplink base station to an outgoing CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station,

means for propagating the outgoing CDMA coded signal to the downlink mobile unit in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit,

means for converting an incoming information signal in the downlink mobile unit to an incoming CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station, and

means for propagating the incoming CDMA coded signal to the uplink base station in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit, and

means for converting the incoming CDMA coded signal in the uplink base station to an incoming information signal for transmission to the office.

6. The circuitry as recited in claim 5 wherein the CDMA codes correspond to Direct-Sequence, Spread-Spectrum (DS-SS) signals.

7. The circuitry as recited in claim 5 further comprising matched filter means in the downlink mobile unit for detecting the outgoing CDMA coded signal and matched filter means in the uplink base station for detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal.

8. The circuitry as recited in claim 5 further comprising interference suppression filter means in the downlink mobile unit for detecting the outgoing CDMA coded signal and interference suppression filter means in the uplink base station for detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal.

9. Circuitry for communicating in a cellular communication network composed of a plurality of base stations homing on a central switching office, each of the base stations serving a plurality of mobile units, the circuitry comprising

means for generating TDMA time slots in each of the base stations and the mobile units,

means for synchronizing the TDMA time slots generated in the base stations and the mobile units, the means for synchronizing including means for propagating a synch signal from the office to each of the base stations and, in turn, to the corresponding mobile units,

means for assigning a CDMA code from a set of CDMA codes to each cell,

means for transmitting the CDMA code assigned to each cell from each of the base stations to corresponding ones of the mobile units served by each of the base stations,

means for assigning each of the mobile units to one of the TDMA time slots, means for sending an outgoing information signal from the office to the uplink base station,

means for converting the outgoing information signal in the uplink base station to an outgoing CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station,

means for propagating the outgoing CDMA coded signal to the downlink mobile unit in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit,

means for converting an incoming information signal in the downlink mobile unit to an incoming CDMA coded signal corresponding to the CDMA code assigned to the cell containing the uplink base station,

means for propagating the incoming CDMA coded signal to the uplink base station in the TDMA time slot assigned to the downlink mobile unit, and

means for converting the incoming CDMA coded signal in the uplink base station to an incoming information signal for transmission to the office.

10. The circuitry as recited in claim 9 wherein the CDMA codes correspond to Direct-Sequence, Spread-Spectrum (DS-SS) signals.

11. The circuitry as recited in claim 9 further comprising matched filter means in the downlink mobile unit for detecting the outgoing CDMA coded signal and matched filter means in the uplink base station for detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal.

12. The circuitry as recited in claim 9 further comprising interference suppression filter means in the downlink mobile unit for detecting the outgoing CDMA coded signal and interference suppression filter means in the uplink base station for detecting the incoming CDMA coded signal.