Method of improving connection quality and system capacity, and a cellular radio system

• US 6,738,365 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1999
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ryynänen, Jari, Silventoinen, Marko, Jokinen, Harri, Posti, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/308,943
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/326, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/347, 370/442-444, 370/478, 370/498, 370/508-512, 455/436-453, 455/509, 455/103, 455/112, 455/516, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.02
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence

Abstract

A method of improving connection quality and system capacity in a cellular radio system is disclosed. Each cell in the cellular radio system has at least one base station (BS) communicating with subscriber terminals (MS) in its area. The method is characterized in that the subscriber terminal transmits in two time slots and receives in two time slots during one frame, and that the subscriber terminal employs the time slots of the frame following the frame used for transmission and reception for measuring neighboring base stations. Owing to the method and cellular radio system, methods developed for improving connection quality and system capacity in a cellular radio system, such as frequency hopping, discontinuous transmission and power control, can be used on the traffic channels of the base station BCCH carrier wave frequency.

Claims

1. A method of improving connection quality and system capacity in a cellular radio system comprising at least one base station communicating with subscriber terminals, the base station transmitting on at least one carrier wave frequency a signal being time divided into a frame consisting of a plurality of time slots and utilizing two successive frames on the same transmission direction for different purposes, the method comprising:

transmitting in two time slots and receiving in two time slots during a first frame of the two successive frames; and

measuring neighbouring base stations during a second frame of the two successive frames.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time slots used for measuring neighbouring base stations are successive.

3. A cellular radio system comprising in each cell at least one base station communicating with subscriber terminals, the base station transmitting on at least one carrier wave frequency a signal being time divided into a frame consisting of a plurality of time slots and utilizing two successive frames on the same transmission direction for different purposes, the cellular radio system comprising:

means for transmitting in two time slots and receiving in two time slots during a first frame of the two successive frames; and

means for measuring neighbouring base stations during a second frame of the two successive frames.

4. The cellular radio system according to claim 3, wherein the subscriber terminals further comprise means for employing successive time slots for measuring neighboring base stations.

5. A method of improving connection quality and system capacity in a cellular radio system comprising at least one base station communicating with subscriber terminals, the base station transmitting on at least one carrier wave frequency a signal being time divided into a frame consisting of a plurality of time slots and utilizing two successive frames on the same transmission direction for different purposes, the method comprising:

the base stations transmitting information concerning themselves to the subscriber terminals;

the subscriber terminals transmitting in two time slots and receiving in two time slots during a first frame of the two successive frames; and

measuring neighbouring base stations during a second frame of the two successive frames.