Signaling for wireless communications

• US 9,307,532 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US14/691,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-465
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/165 Variable formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/06 the synchronisation signals differing from the information signals in amplitude, polarity or frequency or length
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1327 Release and resetting of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1336 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A communication system, such as a wireless CDMA system, detects markers with fewer errors by having field units transmit the markers at different power levels (e.g., 9 dB for one marker and 11 dB for another marker). The difference in power levels of the markers allows the base station to identify the request markers using alternative criteria with a low probability of error, where the alternative criteria may include comparing the markers to respective energy level thresholds, monitoring occupancy of time slots, occupancy of mutually exclusive code channels, or combinations thereof. For example, in one particular embodiment, a request marker, which is generally a high priority marker, is transmitted with higher power, which improves the probability of detection and reduces the probability of false detection of the request marker.

Claims

1. A field unit comprising:

at least one processor configured to transmit a first signal having one of a plurality of formats;

wherein at least two of the formats have a different power offset;

wherein the first signal is transmitted in response to the field unit not having an allocation of traffic data resources to maintain timing and power control and as an indication of presence within a network;

on a condition that the field unit requires an allocation of traffic data resources, the at least one processor configured to transmit the first signal with a format of the plurality of formats associated with a request;

in response to the request, the at least one processor configured to receive an allocation of traffic data resources and transmit reverse link data in response to the allocation in a time interval including at least one time slot; and

the at least one processor configured to receive power commands and adjust the transmission power level of the first signal in response to the power commands.

2. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the power offsets are in fixed dB values.

3. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the first signal with the format associated with the request is derived from at least an orthogonal code.

4. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the first signal with the format associated with the request does not have a modulated bit.

5. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is only configured to transmit the first signal on a condition that the reverse link timing is maintained with a wireless network.

6. The field unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is to transmit a request-to-go-active signal to a base station.

7. The field unit of claim 6:

wherein the request-to-go-active signal is composed of multiple signals on different logical channels including a heartbeat channel and a request channel;

wherein the request-to-go-active signal is transmitted via the first signal;

wherein the at least one processor uses the request channel to transmit the request via the first signal, wherein the request is for a traffic channel on a reverse link for transmitting data.

8. The field unit of claim 6:

wherein the field unit is to operate in one of a control-hold state corresponding to a first energy level of heart beat signals or is to operate in a request-to-go-active state corresponding to a second energy level of the heart beat signals.

9. The field unit of claim 8, wherein an operational state of the field unit as operating within the control-hold state or the request-to-go-active state is determinable from a comparison of the heart beat signals against different energy level thresholds based on the first and second energy levels of the heart beat signals.

10. The field unit of claim 8, wherein an operational state of the field unit as operating within the control-hold state or the request-to-go-active state is determinable from a determination that the heart beat signals includes the request-to-go-active signal.

11. The field unit of claim 6:

wherein the request-to-go-active signal is to be transmitted to the base station at an energy level threshold dynamically selected by the field unit and reported to the base station by the field unit over a heartbeat channel.

12. A field unit comprising:

at least one processor configured to maintain a connection with a network during packet transfer by;

in response to having data to transmit and having no assigned reverse link resources, transmitting a request for resources in a time interval including at least one slot, and

in response to not having data to transmit and having no assigned resources, to not transmit the request in the time interval;

in response to transmitting the request for resources, the at least one processor configured to receive an assignment of reverse link resources and to transmit reverse link data in response to the assignment of reverse link resources in a second time interval including at least one time slot to maintain timing and power control and as an indication of presence within a network; and

in response to received power commands, the at least one processor configured to adjust a transmission power level of the request or the reverse link data in accordance with the power commands.

13. The field unit of claim 12 wherein the request is transmitted as a signal not including a modulated bit.

14. The field unit of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit in a third time interval other than the first and second time interval, a signal having a power level offset from a transmission power level of the request.

15. The field unit of claim 12 wherein the power offset is a fixed dB value.

16. The field unit of claim 12 wherein the request is transmitted as a signal derived from an orthogonal code.

17. The field unit of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is only configured to transmit the request on a condition that the reverse link timing is maintained with a wireless network.

18. A base station comprising:

at least one processor configured to maintain connections with subscriber units transmitting packet data by receiving transmissions from the subscriber unit in time intervals when the subscriber units are not transmitting packet data, wherein the received transmissions are in a plurality of formats and at least one of the formats includes an indication that a subscriber unit desires to transmit packet data to maintain timing and power control and as an indication of presence within a network; and

the at least one processor configured to determine whether a subscriber unit is requesting to transmit data by detecting an energy level associated with the time interval.

19. The base station of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit power commands to the subscriber units to adjust power levels of the transmissions in the time intervals when the subscriber units are not transmitting packet data.

20. The base station of claim 18 wherein the received transmissions are derived from at least one orthogonal code.