Method of tone allocation for tone hopping sequences
First Claim
1. A method of allocating tones in a multi-tone communication system, the system including a plurality of communications devices with overlapping transmission areas, the method comprising:
- operating a first communications device to allocate each tone in a first set of P tones to one of a first set of P tone hopping sequences according to a first function, each of the first set of P tones being allocated according to said first function to a different one of the P tone hoping sequences during each of a first set of P sequential tone allocation periods;
repeating said step of operating a first communications device to allocate each tone in said first set of P tones, such that tones in the first set of P tones are allocated to said first set of P hopping sequences in a pattern that repeats after said first plurality of P tone allocation periods; and
operating the first communications device to allocate multiple ones of said hopping sequences to a communications channel used for communication with another communications device according to a third function such that the communications channel includes multiple tones at the same time, the multiple tones corresponding to different hopping sequences.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for allocating tones for communications purposes in adjoining cells of an OFDM system are described. Tones used in each cell are allocated to tone hopping sequences according to a tone to tone hopping sequence allocation function. Different cells use different tone to tone hopping sequence allocation functions to minimize the number of collisions between hopping sequences of neighboring cells. Tone hopping sequence to communications channel allocation functions are used to allocate tone hopping sequences to communications channels. Communications channels are used by wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, to transmit data. Over time, a wireless terminal uses the tones included in the tone hopping sequences corresponding to communications channels it is authorized to use. Accordingly, tones are assigned to communications devices by a multi-function, e.g., two level, mapping operation.
31 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of allocating tones in a multi-tone communication system, the system including a plurality of communications devices with overlapping transmission areas, the method comprising:
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operating a first communications device to allocate each tone in a first set of P tones to one of a first set of P tone hopping sequences according to a first function, each of the first set of P tones being allocated according to said first function to a different one of the P tone hoping sequences during each of a first set of P sequential tone allocation periods; repeating said step of operating a first communications device to allocate each tone in said first set of P tones, such that tones in the first set of P tones are allocated to said first set of P hopping sequences in a pattern that repeats after said first plurality of P tone allocation periods; and operating the first communications device to allocate multiple ones of said hopping sequences to a communications channel used for communication with another communications device according to a third function such that the communications channel includes multiple tones at the same time, the multiple tones corresponding to different hopping sequences. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communications system comprising:
a first tone hopping communications device including; i) means for allocating each tone, in a first set of P tones, once during each of a first plurality of P sequential tone allocation periods to a different one of a first plurality of P tone hopping sequences used to determine tone allocation for communications with another communications device according to a first function, each of the P tones being allocated according to said first function to a different one of the P tone hoping sequences during each of the plurality of P sequential tone allocation periods; ii) means for repeating said step operating a first communications device to allocate each tone in said first set of P tones, such that tones are allocated to hopping sequences in a pattern that repeats after saidfirst plurality of P tone allocation periods; and iii) means for allocating multiple hopping sequences to a communications channel according to a third function such that the communications channel comprises tones from different hopping functions during different tone allocation periods. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of operating a communications device in a multitone communications system, comprising:
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determining which tones correspond to a first set of tone hopping sequences using a first function which assigns a different tone to each of P different tone hopping sequences during each of P sequential tone allocation periods; determining which tone hoping sequences correspond to a communications channel during a particular tone allocation period using a second function which assigns multiple ones of said tone hopping sequences to said communications channel; and transmitting data to another communications device of the tone hopping sequences determined to correspond to said communication channel.
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Specification