Methods and devices for using silence intervals to enhance wireless communications
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- a base station detecting initiation of a silence interval for a reverse-link air interface, wherein one or more access terminals are synchronized with the base station to detect initiation of the silence interval, and wherein each of the one or more access terminals refrain from transmitting communications on the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval unless transmitting an access probe to initiate an emergency communication;
during the silence interval, the base station initiating a measurement; and
during the silence interval, the base station monitoring the reverse-link air interface to determine whether any of the one or more access terminals transmitted the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval,wherein if the base station determines that at least one of the one or more access terminals transmitted the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval, then the base station terminating the measurement before completion of the measurement, andwherein if the base station determines that the one or more access terminals did not transmit the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval, then the base station completing the measurement during the silence interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices for transmission of communications during a silence interval are described. A base station (BS) provides timing data to an access terminal (AT) and AT uses timing data to synchronize with BS to carry our silence and non-silence intervals for an RF air interface. AT attempts to initiate communications by transmitting an access probe (AP) to BS during a non-silence interval. Other ATs may transmit communications to BS during non-silence interval. If BS acknowledges AP during non-silence interval, AT does not transmit during a subsequent silence interval. If AP was for an emergency communication and BS does not acknowledge AP sent during non-silence interval, AT transmits another AP during the subsequent silence interval to initiate emergency communication. If AP was not for emergency communication, AT does not transmit AP during the subsequent silence interval. The other ATs do not transmit communications to BS during the subsequent silence interval.
19 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a base station detecting initiation of a silence interval for a reverse-link air interface, wherein one or more access terminals are synchronized with the base station to detect initiation of the silence interval, and wherein each of the one or more access terminals refrain from transmitting communications on the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval unless transmitting an access probe to initiate an emergency communication; during the silence interval, the base station initiating a measurement; and during the silence interval, the base station monitoring the reverse-link air interface to determine whether any of the one or more access terminals transmitted the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval, wherein if the base station determines that at least one of the one or more access terminals transmitted the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval, then the base station terminating the measurement before completion of the measurement, and wherein if the base station determines that the one or more access terminals did not transmit the access probe via the reverse-link air interface during the silence interval, then the base station completing the measurement during the silence interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method comprising:
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an access terminal detecting initiation of a non-silence interval for a reverse-link air interface; during the non-silence interval, the access terminal transmitting to a base station via the reverse-link air interface a first access probe to initiate an emergency communication; the access terminal detecting that the access terminal did not receive from the base station an access probe acknowledgment in response to transmitting the first access probe; the access terminal detecting initiation of a silence interval for the reverse-link air interface; and during the silence interval, the access terminal transmitting to the base station via the reverse-link air interface a second access probe to initiate the emergency communication. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A base station that is operable in a wireless communication network, the base station comprising:
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a transceiver that is operable to transmit communications to one or more access terminals via a forward-link air interface and receive communications from the one or more access terminals via a reverse-link air interface; a processor; and a data storage device that contains computer-readable program instructions, wherein the program instructions includes program instructions that are executable by the processor to (i) detect initiation of a silence interval for the reverse-link air interface, (ii) initiate a measurement during the silence interval, (iii) monitor communications received via the transceiver during the silence interval so as to determine whether the transceiver received an access probe from at least one of the one or more access terminals during the silence interval, and (iv) terminate the measurement if the processor determines that the transceiver received the access probe during the silence interval. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An access terminal comprising:
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a processor; a data storage device that contains computer-readable program instructions that are executable by the processor; and a transceiver that is operable to transmit access probes and other reverse-link communications to a base station via a reverse-link of an air interface and receive access probe acknowledgments and other forward-link communications from the base station via a forward-link of the air interface, wherein the computer-readable program instructions comprise program instructions that are executable to cause the processor to (i) detect that the transceiver transmitted a first access probe to the base station during a non-silence interval, (ii) detect initiation and termination of a silence interval, and (iii) make a determination of whether the transceiver has received from the base station an access probe acknowledgment in response to the first access probe, wherein if the processor makes a determination that the transceiver has received the access probe acknowledgment in response to the first access probe, then during the silence interval, the transceiver does not transmit a second access probe or any other reverse-link communications via the reverse-link of the air interface, and wherein if the processor makes a determination that the transceiver has not received the access probe acknowledgment in response to the first access probe, then during the silence interval, the transceiver transmits the second access probe to the base station via the reverse-link of the air interface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification