Radio communications system with a shared broadcast channel

• US 7,430,197 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: ArrayComm LLC (Ygomi LLC)
• Inventors: Uhlik, Christopher Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye; Saba
• Application Number:
  US09/675,274
• Time in Patent Office: 2,923 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/312, 370/314, 370/316, 370320-324, 370/326, 370328-330, 370336-338, 370/341, 370/345, 370/347, 370/350, 370/442, 445/422, 445/450, 445/447, 445/464, 455/436, 455/437, 455/450, 455/524, 455/525
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0851 using training sequences or error signal minimizing error signal H04B7/0854
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

In one embodiment the present invention comprises transmitting a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first base station of a radio communications system. The first broadcast message includes a broadcast information sequence. The invention further comprises transmitting a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second base station of a radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a broadcast information sequence, receiving a message from a user terminal having a timing relationship with the predetermined frame and determining the base station to which the message is directed based on the timing relationship.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the first broadcast message;

transmitting a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit second broadcast message; and

receiving a message from a user terminal, the received message being timed relative to the first broadcast message to distinguish the received message as being directed to the first broadcasting terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of a predetermined frame from further broadcasting terminals of the radio communications system, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frame is a repeating frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific transmission times are determined based on a common timing reference received by each broadcasting terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the common timing reference is a satellite clock transmission received by a satellite receiver at each broadcasting terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences includes a code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the code to identify the broadcasting terminal comprises a base station color code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the respective broadcasting terminal.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence that includes a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the first broadcasting terminal;

receiving a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the second broadcasting terminal; and

transmitting a message from a user terminal having a timing relationship with the predetermined frame, the message being directed to a specific broadcasting terminal based on the timing relationship with the predetermined frame.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of a predetermined frame from further broadcasting terminals of the radio communications system, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined frame is a repeating frame.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the specific transmission times are determined based on a common timing reference received by each broadcasting terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the common timing reference is a satellite clock transmission received by a satellite receiver at each broadcasting terminal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal comprises a base station color code.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the respective broadcast message.

17. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence that includes a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the first broadcasting terminal;

transmitting a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the second broadcasting terminal; and

receiving a message from a user terminal, the received message being timed relative to the first broadcast message to distinguish the received message as being directed to the first broadcasting terminal.

18. The medium of claim 17, the instructions causing the machine to perform further operations comprising transmitting further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of a predetermined frame from further broadcasting terminals of the radio communications system, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the specific transmission times are determined based on a common timing reference received by each broadcasting terminal.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal.

21. The medium of claim 17, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the respective broadcast message.

22. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the first broadcast message;

receiving a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the second broadcast message; and

transmitting a message from a user terminal having a timing relationship with the predetermined frame, the message being directed to a specific broadcasting terminal based on the timing relationship with the predetermined frame.

23. The medium of claim 22, the instructions causing the machine to perform further operations comprising transmitting further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of a predetermined frame from further broadcasting terminals of the radio communications system, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences.

24. The medium of claim 22, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal.

25. The medium of claim 22, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the respective broadcasting terminal.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a first transmitter at a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system to transmit a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the first broadcast message;

a second transmitter at a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system to transmit a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the second broadcast message; and

a receiver at the first and second broadcasting terminals, respectively to receive a message from a user terminal, the received message being timed relative to the first broadcast message to distinguish the received message as being directed to the first broadcasting terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising further transmitters of further broadcasting terminal s of the radio communications system to transmit further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of the predetermined frame, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first and the second broadcasting terminals further comprise a timing reference receiver to receive a timing reference common to the first broadcasting terminal and the second broadcasting terminal.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a code to identify the respective broadcasting terminal.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the respective broadcasting terminal.

31. An apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a first broadcast message in a broadcast channel at a first specific time within a first assigned slot of a predetermined frame from a first broadcasting terminal of a radio communications system, the first broadcast message including a first broadcast information sequence, the first broadcast information sequence containing no explicit channel assignment and no explicit broadcasting terminal assignment and including a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the first broadcasting terminal;

means for transmitting a second broadcast message in the broadcast channel at a second specific time within a second assigned slot of the predetermined frame from a second broadcasting terminal of the radio communications system, the second broadcast message including a second broadcast information sequence that includes a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the second broadcasting terminal; and

means for receiving a request message at the first broadcasting terminal from a user terminal, the request message being timed relative to the first broadcast message to indicate that the request message is directed to the first broadcasting terminal and not to the second broadcasting terminal, the request message containing no explicit identification of the first broadcasting terminal.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for transmitting further broadcast messages in the broadcast channel at further specific times within further assigned slots of a predetermined frame from further broadcasting terminals of the radio communications system, the further broadcast messages including further broadcast information sequences containing no explicit channel assignment and no explicit broadcasting station assignment.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, means for receiving a common timing reference and means for determining the specific transmission times based on the common timing reference.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a code to identify the broadcasting terminal.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the code to identify the broadcasting terminal comprises a base station color code.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the respective broadcast message.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the respective broadcast information sequences include a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the respective broadcasting terminal.

38. A method for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of timing sequences on a broadcast channel, each timing sequence being received from a different one of a plurality of broadcasting terminals and each timing sequence including a power sequence that is related to the power used to transmit the respective timing message;

determining network timing using the received timing sequences;

selecting one from among the plurality of broadcasting terminals using the received timing sequences;

transmitting a message to the selected broadcasting terminal, the message being timed relative to a selected one of the timing sequences to distinguish the message as being directed to the selected one of the broadcasting terminals.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the timing sequences are received with at least one frequency and wherein the method further comprises using the received timing sequences to determine a broadcasting terminal selection message frequency based on the frequency of the received timing sequences.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the message is transmitted omnidirectionally.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the timing sequences are synchronized based on a common timing reference received by each broadcasting terminal.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the common timing reference is a satellite clock transmission received in a satellite receiver at each broadcasting terminal.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving broadcasting terminal identifiers on the broadcast channel, the broadcasting terminal identifiers each being associated with a respective timing sequence and using the broadcasting terminal identifiers to distinguish broadcasts from different broadcasting terminals on the broadcast channel.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting a broadcasting terminal selection message further comprises transmitting a broadcasting terminal identifier.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein transmitting a broadcasting terminal selection message further comprises transmitting an identifier of the transmitter.

46. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of timing sequences on a broadcast channel, each timing sequence being received from a different one of a plurality of broadcasting terminals and each timing sequence including a load sequence that is related to the current traffic load at the respective broadcasting terminal;

determining network timing using the received timing sequences;

selecting one from among the plurality of broadcasting terminals using the received timing sequences;

transmitting a message to the selected broadcasting terminal, the message being timed relative to a selected one of the timing sequences to distinguish the message as being directed to the selected one of the broadcasting terminals.

47. The medium of claim 46, wherein the timing sequences are received with at least one frequency, the instructions further causing the machine to perform operations comprising using the received timing sequences to determine a broadcasting terminal selection message frequency based on the frequency of the received timing sequences.

48. The medium of claim 46, the instructions causing the machine to perform further operations comprising synchronizing the timing sequences based on a common timing reference received by each broadcasting terminal.

49. The medium of claim 46, the instructions causing the machine to perform further operations comprising receiving broadcasting terminal identifiers on the broadcast channel, the broadcasting terminal identifiers each being associated with a respective timing sequence and using the broadcasting terminal identifiers to distinguish broadcasts from different broadcasting terminal s on the broadcast channel.

50. The medium of claim 46, wherein transmitting a broadcasting terminal selection message further comprises transmitting a broadcasting terminal identifier.

51. The medium of claim 46, wherein the instructions for transmitting a broadcasting terminal selection message further comprise instructions causing the machine to perform operations comprising transmitting an identifier of the transmitter.