Receiving and transmitting reverse link signals from subscriber units

• US 9,832,664 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, Jr., James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MURPHY, RHONDA L
• Application Number:
  US14/026,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140016561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/004 Orthogonal
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0048 Walsh
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/18 Allocation of orthogonal codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

An apparatus for receiving reverse link signals from a plurality of subscriber units in a multi-path environment is described. The apparatus includes a receiver in a base station that receives a first plurality of reverse link signals and a second plurality of reverse link signals in a time interval. Each reverse link signal of the first plurality of reverse link signals is derived from at least a common pseudo noise (PN) sequence and unique orthogonal sequence and each reverse link signal of the second plurality of reverse link signals is derived from a unique pseudo noise (PN) sequence. The apparatus also includes a a processor that determines a timing offset associated with at least one reverse link signal to align a timing of the at least one reverse link signal with reverse link signals from other subscriber units.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving reverse link signals from a plurality of subscriber units, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver in a base station comprising circuitry coupled to the antenna and configured to receive a first plurality of reverse link signals and a second plurality of reverse link signals in a time interval, wherein each said reverse link signal of the first plurality of reverse link signals is derived from at least a pseudo noise (PN) sequence that is the same as a PN sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived and an orthogonal sequence that is different from an orthogonal sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived, and wherein each said reverse link signal of the second plurality of reverse link signals is derived from at least a pseudo noise (PN) sequence that is different from a PN sequence of which at least one other of the second plurality is derived; and

a processor comprising circuitry configured to determine a timing offset associated with at least one of the received reverse link signals to align a timing of the at least one of the received reverse link signals with at least one other reverse link signal;

wherein the processor further comprises circuitry coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit an absolute timing adjustment and a relative timing adjustment to a subscriber unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises circuitry configured to determine a fine timing offset and causes a fine phase adjustment of the pseudo noise (PN) sequence that is the same as the PN sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises circuitry configured to provide a gross timing offset to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a timing command.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises circuitry configured to provide a gross timing offset to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a timing report.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising power controller circuitry configured to determine a power level of the aligned reverse link signal and to provide feedback of the power level to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising power controller circuitry configured to determine a power level of the aligned reverse link signal and to provide the power level to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a power command.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising power controller circuitry configured to determine a power level of the aligned reverse link signal and to provide the power level to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a power report.

8. A method of receiving reverse link signals from a plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising:

receiving, by receiver circuitry coupled to an antenna in a base station, a first plurality of reverse link signals and a second plurality of reverse link signals in a time interval, wherein each said reverse link signal of the first plurality of reverse link signals is derived from at least a pseudo noise (PN) sequence that is the same as a PN sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived and an orthogonal sequence that is different from an orthogonal sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived, and wherein each said reverse link signal of the second plurality of reverse link signals is derived from at least a pseudo noise (PN) sequence that is different from a PN sequence of which at least one other of the second plurality is derived;

determining, by processing circuitry in the base station, a timing offset associated with at least one of the received reverse link signals to align a timing of the at least one of the received reverse link signal signals with at least one other reverse link signal; and

transmitting, by transmitter circuitry coupled to the antenna in the base station, an absolute timing adjustment and a relative timing adjustment to a subscriber unit.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising providing a gross timing offset to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a timing command.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising providing a gross timing offset to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a timing report.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining a power level of the aligned reverse link signal and providing feedback of the power level to the subscriber unit.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing the power level to send to the subscriber unit includes transmitting the power level feedback to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received in a power command.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing the power level to send to the subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units from which it was received includes transmitting the power level feedback to the subscriber unit in a power report.

14. A subscriber unit comprising:

an antenna;

at least one processor comprising circuitry coupled to the antenna and configured to receive a timing offset,

wherein the at least one processor further comprises circuitry coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit a reverse link signal of a first plurality of reverse link signals, derived from a pseudo noise sequence that is the same as a PN sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived and an orthogonal sequence that is different from an orthogonal sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived;

wherein the at least one processor further comprises circuitry configured to adjust a timing of the reverse link signal in response to the received timing offset;

wherein the pseudo noise sequence and different orthogonal sequences are used by a first plurality of other subscriber units in a same time interval for reverse link transmissions and different pseudo noise sequences are used by a second plurality of other subscriber units in the same time interval for reverse link transmissions; and

wherein the processor further comprises circuitry coupled to the antenna and configured to receive an absolute timing adjustment and a relative timing adjustment.

15. The subscriber unit of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor further comprises circuitry configured to transmit a reverse link signal derived from the pseudo noise sequence that is the same as the PN sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived and the orthogonal sequence that is different from the orthogonal sequence of which at least one other of the first plurality is derived, and also configured to transmit a reverse link signal derived from a PN sequence that is different from a PN sequence of which at least one other of a second plurality of reverse link signals is derived.