Minimal maintenance link to support sychronization

• US 8,509,268 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, G. Rodney Jr., Hoffmann, John E., Rouphael, Antoine J., Proctor, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye, Saba
• Application Number:
  US13/335,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20120093131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/335, 370/342, 370/338, 370/503, 370/441, 455/450, 455/509, 455/522
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2668 Arrangements for Wireless Code-Division Multiple Access [CDMA] System Synchronisation, for code acquisition H04B1/7075, for code tracking H04B1/7085
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver

Abstract

A method for use in a field unit operable in a wireless communication network. The method includes receiving an indication of a plurality of access identifiers from a base station. The field unit selects an access identifier from the plurality of access identifiers received from the base station. The selected access identifier is associated with a type of field unit request. The field unit transmits the selected access identifier to the base station. The field unit then receives a message from the base station. The message is based on the transmitted selected access identifier. The message contains a timing adjustment that indicates an amount to advance timing. A corresponding field unit apparatus, a base station method, and corresponding base station apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for supporting wireless communications, the method comprising:

assigning a plurality of codes to a field unit;

transmitting an indication of the plurality codes to the field unit;

receiving a first message in at least one time slot, wherein the first message includes one of the plurality of codes, and the one of the plurality of codes is associated with a type of field unit request;

analyzing the one of the plurality of codes to determine a timing adjustment to be made at the field unit to synchronize the field unit with a base station; and

transmitting a second message to the field unit that includes the timing adjustment, wherein the timing adjustment indicates an amount to advance timing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of codes comprises a plurality of symbols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing adjustment is a single bit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of codes comprise a plurality of groups of one or more codes, and each of the plurality of groups of one or more codes is associated with a type of field unit request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of codes are respectively associated with a different type of field unit request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of field unit request is a request to enter an active mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of field unit request is a request for bandwidth.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of field unit request is a request by the field unit to transmit data.

9. A base station operable in a wireless communication network, the base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit an indication of a plurality of codes to a field unit; and

a receiver configured to receive a message containing an code from a field unit to determine a timing adjustment to be made at the field unit to synchronize the field unit with the base station, wherein the received code is associated with a type of field unit request;

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a feedback message to the field unit containing the timing adjustment, wherein the timing adjustment indicates an amount to advance timing.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein a first channel supports communication from the base station to the field unit and a second channel supports communication from the field unit to the base station and wherein the first channel and the second channel comprise time slots.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the message containing the code over a plurality of symbols.

12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the plurality of codes comprise a plurality of groups of one or more codes, and each of the plurality of groups of one or more codes is associated with a type of field unit request.

13. The base station of claim 9, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of codes are respectively associated with a different type of field unit request.

14. The base station of claim 9, wherein the type of field unit request is a request to enter an active mode.

15. The base station of claim 9, wherein the type of field unit request is a request for bandwidth.

16. The base station of claim 9, wherein the type of field unit request is a request by the field unit to transmit data.

17. A field unit operable in a wireless communication network, the field unit comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an indication of a plurality of codes from a base station; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an code selected from the plurality of codes received from the base station, wherein the selected code is associated with a type of field unit request;

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the base station, a feedback message based on the transmitted code, wherein the feedback message contains a timing adjustment that indicates an amount to advance timing.

18. The field unit of claim 17, wherein a first channel supports communication from a base station to the field unit and a second channel supports communication from the field unit to the base station and the first channel and the second channel comprise time slots.

19. The field unit of claim 17, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the code over a plurality of symbols.

20. The field unit of claim 17, wherein the plurality of codes comprise a plurality of groups of one or more codes, and each of the plurality of groups of one or more codes is associated with a type of field unit request.

21. The field unit of claim 17, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of codes are respectively associated with a different type of field unit request.

22. The field unit of claim 17, wherein the type of field unit request is a request to enter an active mode.

23. The field unit of claim 17, wherein the type of field unit request is a request for bandwidth.

24. The field unit of claim 17, wherein the type of field unit request is a request by the field unit to transmit data.

25. A method for use in a field unit operable in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a plurality of codes from a base station;

selecting an code from the plurality of codes received from the base station, wherein the selected code is associated with a type of field unit request;

transmitting the selected code to the base station; and

receiving a message, from the base station, based on the transmitted selected code, wherein the message contains a timing adjustment that indicates an amount to advance timing.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

adjusting transmission timing based on the timing adjustment.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein a first channel supports communication from a base station to the field unit and a second channel supports communication from the field unit to the base station and the first channel and the second channel comprise time slots.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the selected code over a plurality of symbols.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of codes comprise a plurality of groups of one or more codes, and each of the plurality of groups of one or more codes is associated with a type of field unit request.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of codes are respectively associated with a different type of field unit request.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the type of field unit request is a request to enter an active mode.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the type of field unit request is a request for bandwidth.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the type of field unit request is a request by the field unit to transmit data.