Method, apparatus, and system for receiving data on a first frequency band and observing a second frequency band

• US 7,499,428 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilborn, Thomas B., John, Johnny K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US10/388,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/345, 370/337, 370/332, 370/436, 370/458, 370/468, 370/478, 455/458, 455/437, 455/440, 455/459, 455/433.2
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

A method of signal reception according to one embodiment of the invention includes receiving a set of data values over a first frequency band during a first time slot, and receiving another set of data values over the first frequency band during a second time slot which is after the first time slot. Between the first and second time slots, the method includes sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples. Based on the samples, a received signal quality value is calculated.

Claims

1. A method of signal reception, said method comprising:

during a first time slot, receiving a first burst of data over a first frequency band;

during a second time slot after the first time slot, receiving a second burst of data over the first frequency band;

between the first and second time slots, sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples;

powering down at least a portion of an Radio Frequency (RF) receiving circuit for at least a portion of an interval between the first and second time slots; and

based on the samples, calculating a received signal quality value during at least the portion of the interval between the first and second time slots during which the RF receiving circuit is powered down by correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a scrambling code,

wherein the first burst of data is a burst of a paging block, and wherein the second burst of data is a burst of the paging block that is consecutive to the first burst;

wherein the signal received over the second frequency band has a code period, and wherein a duration of said sampling is not greater than twenty-five percent of the code period.

2. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, said method further comprising transmitting the received signal quality value.

3. The method of signal reception according to claim 1, said method further comprising comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

4. A data storage medium having machine-readable code stored thereon, the machine-readable code comprising instructions executable by an array of logic elements, the instructions defining a method of signal reception, said method comprising:

during a first time slot, receiving a first burst of data over a first frequency band;

during a second time slot after the first time slot, receiving a second burst of data over the first frequency band;

wherein the first and second bursts of data include consecutive bursts of a paging block;

between the first and second time slots, sampling a signal received over a second frequency band and storing the samples;

powering down at least a portion of an Radio Frequency (RF) receiving circuit for at least a portion of an interval between the first and second time slots; and

based on the samples, calculating a received signal quality value during at least the portion of the interval by correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a scrambling code;

wherein the signal received over the second frequency band has a code period, and wherein a duration of said sampling is not greater than twenty-five percent of the code period.

5. The data storage medium according to claim 4, said method further comprising comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

6. An apparatus for data reception, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, in sequence, (1) a first portion of a data transmission over a first frequency band, (2) a signal over a second frequency band, and (3) a second portion of the data transmission over the first frequency band;

wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive burst of a paging block;

means for sampling the signal received over the second frequency band;

means for storing the samples;

means for selectively powering down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit during a portion of an interval between reception of the first portion of the data transmission and reception of the second portion of the data transmission; and

means for calculating a received signal quality value based on the samples during at least the portion of the interval by correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a scrambling code;

wherein the signal received over the second frequency band has a code period, and wherein a duration of said sampling is not greater than twenty-five percent of the code period.

7. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 6, said apparatus further comprising means for comparing the received signal quality value to a threshold.

8. An apparatus for data reception, said apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) receiving circuit configured and arranged to receive radio-frequency signals;

a controller configured and arranged to control the radio-frequency receiving circuit to receive, in sequence, (1) a first portion of a data transmission over a first frequency band, (2) a signal over a second frequency band, and (3) a second portion of the data transmission over the first frequency band, and further configured to selectively power down at least a portion of the RF receiving circuit during a portion of an interval between reception of the first portion of the data transmission and reception of the second portion of the data transmission;

wherein the first and second portions of the data transmission include consecutive bursts of a paging block;

a sampler configured and arranged to sample the signal received over the second frequency band;

a storage unit configured and arranged to store the samples; and

a calculator configured and arranged to calculate a received signal quality value based on the samples during at least the portion of the interval by correlating at least a portion of the samples with at least a portion of a scrambling code;

wherein the signal received over the second frequency band has a code period, and wherein a duration of said sampling is not greater than twenty-five percent of the code period.

9. The apparatus for data reception according to claim 8, said apparatus further comprising a comparator configured to compare the received signal quality value to a threshold.