Enhanced beacon signaling method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A base station for use in a frequency division multiplexed communications system, the base station comprising:
- a transmitter that uses a set of N tones to communicate information into a first region, where N is larger than 10;
a first control circuit, coupled to said transmitter, configured to control the transmitter to transmit over a first period of time using first signals into the first region, said first period of time being at least two seconds long; and
a second control circuit, coupled to said transmitter, configured to control the transmitter to transmit during a second period of time a second signal including a set of X tones into said first region, where X is a positive integer less than 5, and where less than 80% of a maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit into the first region during any 1 second period during said first period of time is allocated to said set of X tones and where each one of said X tones to which power is allocated is at least 20 times the per tone maximum average power allocated to tones during any one second time period in said first time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for using high power narrow signals, e.g., tones, for communicating transmitter information without putting the full transmission power available into the transmitted tone or tones are described. User data is transmitted in parallel with transmitter information in many embodiments with the user data being allocated more than 20% of the transmitter'"'"'s maximum output power in many cases. Buy using an amount of power on the tones used to communicate transmitter information while simultaneously transmitting user data with more than 20% of the available transmission power, efficient bandwidth utilization is achieved while still ensuring a high probability that that the transmitter information signals will be received and detectable using simple energy detection techniques and without the need for timing synchronization with the transmitter to be achieved for success interpretation of the transmitter information.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A base station for use in a frequency division multiplexed communications system, the base station comprising:
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a transmitter that uses a set of N tones to communicate information into a first region, where N is larger than 10; a first control circuit, coupled to said transmitter, configured to control the transmitter to transmit over a first period of time using first signals into the first region, said first period of time being at least two seconds long; and a second control circuit, coupled to said transmitter, configured to control the transmitter to transmit during a second period of time a second signal including a set of X tones into said first region, where X is a positive integer less than 5, and where less than 80% of a maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit into the first region during any 1 second period during said first period of time is allocated to said set of X tones and where each one of said X tones to which power is allocated is at least 20 times the per tone maximum average power allocated to tones during any one second time period in said first time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A base station for use in a frequency division multiplexed communications system, the base station comprising:
a processor configured to; control said base station to transmit first signals into a first region using a set of N tones to communicate information over a first period of time, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, where N is larger than 10; and control said base station to transmit, during a second period of time, a second signal including a set of X tones into said first region, where X is less than 5, and where less than 80% of a maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station to transmit signals into the first region during any 1 second period during said first period of time is allocated to said set of X tones and each one of said X tones to which power is allocated receives at least 20 times the per tone average power allocated to tones during said any one second period. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A computer program product comprising:
non-transitory machine readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a base station in a frequency division multiplexed communications system, the non-transitory machine readable medium comprising; instructions for causing said base station to transmit first signals into a first region using a set of N tones to communicate information over a first period of time, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, where N is larger than 10; and instructions for causing said base station to transmit, during a second period of time, a second signal including a set of X tones into said first region, where X is less than 5, and where less than 80% of a maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station to transmit signals into the first region during any 1 second period during said first period of time is allocated to said set of X tones and each one of said X tones to which power is allocated receives at least 20 times the per tone average power allocated to tones during said any one second period. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for use in abuse station comprising:
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a transmitter configured to transmit signals and user data; and a control circuit configured to control the transmission of a signal in a first period of time, said signal including a plurality of M signal tones, where M is larger than 10, each signal tone corresponding to a different frequency, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, said signal including a beacon signal transmitted on at least one tone and a user data signal transmitted in parallel with said beacon signal on tones which are not used to transmit said beacon signal, said user data having been transmitted by said base station transmitter with more than 20% of the maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit signals into a first region during any 1 second period of time during said first period of time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A base station transmitter comprising:
a processor configured to; control said base station transmitter to transmit a signal in a first period of time, said signal including a plurality of M signal tones, where M is larger than 10, each signal tone corresponding to a different frequency, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, said signal including a beacon signal transmitted on at least one tone and a user data signal transmitted in parallel with said beacon signal on tones which are not used to transmit said beacon signal, said user data having been transmitted by said base station transmitter with more than 20% of the maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit signals into a first region during any 1 second period of time during said first period of time. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A computer program product comprising:
non-transitory machine readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a base station transmitter, the non-transitory machine readable medium comprising; instructions for causing said base station transmitter to transmit a signal in a first period of time, said signal including a plurality of M signal tones, where M is larger than 10, each signal tone corresponding to a different frequency, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, said signal including a beacon signal transmitted on at least one tone and a user data signal transmitted in parallel with said beacon signal on tones which are not used to transmit said beacon signal, said user data having been transmitted by said base station transmitter with more than 20% of the maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit signals into a first region during any 1 second period of time during said first period of time. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for use in a base station comprising:
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means for transmitting signals and user data; and means for controlling the transmission of a signal in a first period of time, said signal including a plurality of M signal tones, where M is larger than 10, each signal tone corresponding to a different frequency, said first period of time being at least two seconds long, said signal including a beacon signal transmitted on at least one tone and a user data signal transmitted in parallel with said beacon signal on tones which are not used to transmit said beacon signal, said user data having been transmitted by said means for transmitting with more than 20% of the maximum average total base station transmission power used by said means for transmitting to transmit signals into a first region during any 1 second period of time during said first period of time. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a base station transmitter in a communication system, the method comprising:
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transmitting a signal in a first period of time, said signal including a plurality of M signal tones, where M is larger than 10, each signal tone corresponding to a different frequency, said first period of time being at least two seconds long and including multiple symbol transmission time periods, said signal including a beacon signal transmitted on at least one tone and a user data signal transmitted in parallel with said beacon signal on tones which are not used to transmit said beacon signal, said user data having been transmitted by said base station transmitter with more than 20% of the maximum average total base station transmission power used by said base station transmitter to transmit signals into a first region during any 1 second period of time during said first period of time; and wherein said base station transmitter is a sector transmitter of a multi-sector base station.
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Specification