Accessory interface within a multiple channel radio apparatus

• US 6,775,558 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranta, Jukka, Ekman, Tapani, Rosnell, Seppo, Häkkänen, Jouko
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/438,153
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 455/4, 455/557, 455/464, 455/450, 455/436-443, 455/103, 455/73-141, 455/466, 370/319, 370/344
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/04 Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices

Abstract

For establishing a local communication connection between a terminal (102) of a cellular radio system and an accessory device (103), a radio channel is identified (301, 302) on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and a communication connection is established (303, 501) between the terminal and the accessory device on the identified radio channel. The radio channel is preferably a code channel of a CDMA system.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a local communication connection between a terminal of a cellular radio system and an accessory device, said device having at least one feature missing from said terminal, which terminal comprises a radio transceiver for communicating with a base station of a cellular radio system, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and

establishing a communication connection between the terminal and the accessory device on the identified radio channel using said radio transceiver of the terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel comprises the substeps of:

picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in the cell where the terminal is currently residing,

measuring the power received on the picked radio channel and comparing the measured power to a predetermined threshold value, and

as mutually alternative options, accepting the picked radio channel as the radio channel to be identified if the measured power is found to be lower than said predetermined threshold value, or rejecting the picked radio channel and picking another radio channel if the measured power is found to be higher than said predetermined threshold value.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the substep of picking a radio channel corresponds to picking a radio channel randomly.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel comprises the substeps of:

picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels not available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in the cell where the terminal is currently residing,

measuring the power received on the picked radio channel and comparing the measured power to a predetermined threshold value, and

as mutually alternative options, accepting the picked radio channel as the radio channel to be identified if the measured power is found to be lower than said predetermined threshold value, or rejecting the picked radio channel and picking another radio channel if the measured power is found to be higher than said predetermined threshold value.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the substep of picking a radio channel corresponds to picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in at least one other cell than the one where the terminal is currently residing.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the substep of picking a radio channel corresponds to picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels not available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in any cell of the cellular radio system.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel comprises the substeps of:

requesting the cellular radio system to send information about the availability of radio channels,

receiving a piece of information from the cellular radio system, and

on the basis of a piece of information received from the cellular radio system, identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the substep of receiving a piece of information from the cellular radio system comprises the step of receiving a list of available radio channels.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the substep of receiving a piece of information from the cellular radio system comprises the step of receiving an allocation of a single radio channel.

10. A method according to claim 1, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the terminal the need for establishing said communication connection and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the terminal.

11. A method according to claim 1, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the accessory device the need for establishing said communication connection, and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the accessory device.

12. A method according to claim 1, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the accessory device the need for establishing said communication connection,

communicating from the accessory device to the terminal the need for establishing said communication connection, and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the terminal.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying a spreading code with which there is not currently received a power level that is significantly higher than the general received noise power level.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying an unassigned time slot in the frame structure of the cell where the terminal is currently residing.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying an unassigned frequency in the cell where the terminal is currently residing.

16. A terminal for a cellular radio system, comprising:

an adjustable radio transceiver for establishing communication connections with a base station on a selectable radio channel,

means for identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and

means for establishing a local communication connection between the terminal and an accessory device on the identified radio channel, said device having at least one feature missing from said terminal;

wherein said means for establishing a local communication connection between the terminal and an accessory device comprises said adjustable radio transceiver.

17. A terminal according to claim 16, wherein the terminal is a CDMA terminal with a multichannel radio transceiver that comprises a number of parallel code channel receivers and a number of parallel code channel transmitters, whereby said means for establishing a local communication connection comprise means for allocating at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter for communication between the terminal and said accessory device.

18. A terminal according to claim 17, wherein said parallel code channel receivers and parallel code channel transmitters are all allocatable for communication between the terminal and a base station of the cellular radio system, whereby an allocation of at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter for communication between the terminal and said accessory device corresponds to a temporarily decrease in the number of parallel code channel receivers and parallel code channel transmitters that are available for communication between the terminal and a base station.

19. A terminal according to claim 17, comprising a fixed number of parallel code channel receivers and parallel code channel transmitters that are allocatable for communication between the terminal and a base station of the cellular radio system, and additionally at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter that are allocatable for communication between the terminal and said accessory device.

20. A terminal according to claim 17, comprising:

means for picking a code from a predefined set of codes available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in the cell where the terminal is currently residing, and setting the picked code as the receiving code of one of the parallel code channel receivers,

means for measuring the power received by said one of the parallel code channel receivers with the picked code and comparing the measured power to a predetermined threshold value, and

means for selecting one of the mutually alternative options of;

accepting the picked code as the receiving code of the code channel to be identified if the measured power is found to be lower than said predetermined threshold value, and setting the corresponding transmitting code as the transmitting code of one of the parallel code channel transmitters, or

rejecting the picked code and picking another code if the measured power is found to be higher than said predetermined threshold value.

21. A terminal according to claim 16, wherein the terminal is a TDMA terminal with a radio transceiver that comprises means for enabling transmission and reception in selectable time slots, whereby said means for establishing a local communication connection comprise means for enabling transmission to the accessory device and reception from the accessory device in certain selected time slots.

22. A terminal according to claim 16, wherein the terminal is a FDMA terminal with a multifrequency radio transceiver that comprises a number of parallel frequency channel receivers and a number of parallel frequency channel transmitters, whereby said means for establishing a local communication connection comprise means for allocating at least one frequency channel receiver and at least one frequency channel transmitter for communication between the terminal and said accessory device.

23. An accessory device arranged for establishing a local communication connection between it and a terminal of a cellular radio system, comprising an adjustable radio transceiver for establishing communication connections with the terminal on a selectable radio channel, wherein said adjustable radio transceiver is arranged for establishing communication connections with the terminal on a selectable radio channel of the cellular radio system, said device having at least one feature missing from said terminal.

24. An accessory device according to claim 23, further comprising means for identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system and means for establishing a local communication connection between the accessory device and the terminal on the identified radio channel.

25. An accessory device according to claim 23, further comprising means for requesting the terminal to identify a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system and means for establishing a local communication connection between the accessory device and the terminal on the identified radio channel.

26. An accessory device according to claim 23, comprising a multichannel radio transceiver that comprises at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter.

27. A method for establishing a local communication connection between a terminal of a cellular radio system and an accessory device, comprising the steps of:

identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and

establishing a communication connection between the terminal and the accessory device on the identified radio channel,

wherein the step of identifying a radio channel comprises the substeps of;

picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels not available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in the cell where the terminal is currently residing,

measuring the power received on the picked radio channel and comparing the measured power to a predetermined threshold value, and

as mutually alternative options, accepting the picked radio channel as the radio channel to be identified if the measured power is found to be lower than said predetermined threshold value, or rejecting the picked radio channel and picking another radio channel if the measured power is found to be higher than said predetermined threshold value.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the substep of picking a radio channel corresponds to picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in at least one other cell than the one where the terminal is currently residing.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the substep of picking a radio channel corresponds to picking a radio channel from a predefined set of radio channels not available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in any cell of the cellular radio system.

30. A method according to claim 27, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the terminal the need for establishing said communication connection, and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the terminal.

31. A method according to claim 27, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the accessory device the need for establishing said communication connection and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the accessory device.

32. A method according to claim 27, comprising the substeps of:

establishing in the accessory device the need for establishing said communication connection,

communicating from the accessory device to the terminal the need for establishing said communication connection, and

identifying a radio channel through operation of the terminal.

33. A method according to claim 27, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying a spreading code with which there is not currently received a power level that is significantly higher than the general received noise power level.

34. A method according to claim 27, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying an unassigned time slot in the frame structure of the cell where the terminal is currently residing.

35. A method according to claim 28, wherein the step of identifying a radio channel corresponds to identifying an unassigned frequency in the cell where the terminal is currently residing.

36. A terminal for a cellular radio system, comprising:

an adjustable radio transceiver for establishing communication connections with a base station on a selectable radio channel,

means for identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and

means for establishing a local communication connection between the terminal and an accessory device on the identified radio channel,

wherein the terminal is a CDMA terminal with a multichannel radio transceiver that comprises a number of parallel code channel receivers and a number of parallel code channel transmitters, said means for establishing a local communication connection comprise means for allocating at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter for communication between the terminal and said accessory device, and

a fixed number of parallel code channel receivers and parallel code channel transmitters are allocatable for communication between the terminal and a base station of the cellular radio system, and additionally at least one code channel transmitter is allocatable for communication between the terminal and said accessory device.

37. A terminal for a cellular radio system, comprising:

an adjustable radio transceiver for establishing communication connections with a base station on a selectable radio channel,

means for identifying a radio channel on which there is no perceivable radio traffic in the cellular radio system, and

means for establishing a local communication connection between the terminal and an accessory device on the identified radio channel,

wherein the terminal is a CDMA terminal with a multichannel radio transceiver that comprises a number of parallel code channel receivers and a number of parallel code channel transmitters, said means for establishing a local communication connection comprise means for allocating at least one code channel receiver and at least one code channel transmitter for communication between the terminal and said accessory device, and

further comprising means for picking a code from a predefined set of codes available for radio communication between the terminal and a base station in the cell where the terminal is currently residing, and setting the picked code as the receiving code of one of the parallel code channel receivers,

means for measuring the power received by said one of the parallel code channel receivers with the picked code and comparing the measured power to a predetermined threshold value, and

means for selecting one of the mutually alternative options of;

accepting the picked code as the receiving code of the code channel to be identified if the measured power is found to be lower than said predetermined threshold value, and setting the corresponding transmitting code as the transmitting code of one of the parallel code channel transmitters, or

rejecting the picked code and picking another code if the measured power is found to be higher than said predetermined threshold value.