Methods and devices for using silence intervals to enhance wireless communications

• US 9,143,953 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Singh, Jasinder P., Bhan, Ashish, Sigg, Jason P., Shah, Maulik K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US13/900,029
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/48 during retransmission after error or non-acknowledgment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

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.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, using a base station, initiation of a silence interval during which an access terminal refrains from communicating on a reverse-link to the base station unless communicating on the reverse-link for an emergency communication;

initiating, using the base station, a measurement during the silence interval; and

terminating, using the base station, the measurement before completion of the measurement in response to the base station detecting receipt of a communication from the access terminal during the silence interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, using the base station, a sync channel message to the access terminal via a forward-link sync channel,

wherein the sync channel message comprises timing data the access terminal can use to synchronize with the base station for detecting initiation of the silence interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the timing data comprises data the access terminal can use to synchronize with the base station for detecting termination of the silence interval.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, using the base station, an access probe acknowledgement in response to the base station detecting receipt of a communication from the access terminal during the silence interval,

wherein the communication from the access terminal during the silence interval comprises an access probe to initiate an emergency communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement comprises a spectral noise density measurement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement comprises a thermal noise measurement.

7. A method comprising:

transmitting, using an access terminal during a non-silence interval for a reverse-link air interface, a first access probe to initiate an emergency communication;

detecting, using the access terminal, the access terminal did not receive an access probe acknowledgment in response to transmitting the first access probe;

detecting, using the access terminal, initiation of a silence interval for the reverse-link air interface; and

transmitting, using the access terminal during the silence interval, a second access probe to initiate the emergency communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the access terminal did not receive the access probe acknowledgment in response to transmitting the first access probe occurs during the non-silence interval.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the access terminal did not receive from the base station the access probe acknowledgment in response to transmitting the first access probe occurs during the silence interval.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, using the access terminal, an acknowledgment message sent in response to transmitting the second access probe to initiate the emergency communication; and

transmitting, using the access terminal, communications to a base station for the initiated emergency communication.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications transmitted to the base station for the initiated emergency communication comprise voice communications.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing, using the access terminal, a telephone number within a data storage device, wherein the telephone number is associated with emergency communications, and

detecting, using the access terminal, the first access probe comprises telephone number data that matches the telephone number stored in the data storage device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the telephone number associated with emergency communications is 911.

14. The method of claim 7,

wherein the access terminal transmits the first access probe at a first power level,

wherein the access terminal transmits the second access probe at a second power level, and

wherein the second power level is greater than the first power level.

15. An access terminal comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver configured to transmit reverse-link communications to a base station via a reverse-link of an air interface and forward-link communications from the base station via a forward-link of the air interface; and

a data storage device storing computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor to (i) detect the transceiver transmitted a first access probe to the base station during a non-silence interval, detect initiation of a silence interval, and detect the transceiver has not received an access probe acknowledgment in response to the first access probe, and (ii) cause the transceiver to transmit, during the silence interval, a second access probe to the base station via the reverse-link of the air interface.

16. The access terminal of claims 15,

wherein the first access probe includes destination information for establishing an emergency voice call communication, and

wherein the data storage device comprises destination identifier data the processor compares to the destination information included within the first access probe.

17. The access terminal of claim 16, wherein the destination identifier data comprises at least one of an e-mail address and a uniform resource locator (URL).

18. The access terminal of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the e-mail address and the URL is associated with a public safety answering point, a police department, or a fire department.

19. The access terminal of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable by the processor to detect termination of the silence interval.

20. The access terminal of claim 15, wherein the forward-link of the air interface and the reverse-link of the air interface are arranged according to a 1xEvDO wireless protocol.