High capacity spread spectrum channel

• US RE38,627 E1
• Filed: 09/02/1997
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schilling, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/921,883
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/130, 375/145
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/02 Channels characterised by the type of signal

Abstract

A high-capacity-spread-spectrum transmitter and receiver, for use over a communications channel. A demultiplexer demultiplexes message data into a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals. A transmitter-generic-chip-code generator generates a generic-chip-code signal and a plurality of transmitter-message-chip-code generators generate a plurality of message-chip-code signals which are “near-orthogonal” over a demultiplexed data bit. A plurality of EXCLUSIVE-OR gates, spread-spectrum processes the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with the plurality of message-chip-code signals to generate a plurality of spread-spectrum signals. A combiner combines the generic-chip-code signal and the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals. A receiver-generic-chip-code generator generates a replica of the generic-chip-code signal. A generic mixer recovers the carrier signal from the spread-spectrum-communications signal. A plurality of receiver-message-chip-code generators generate a plurality of replicas of the message-chip-code signals. A plurality of message mixers despreads the spread-spectrum-communications signal as a plurality of modulated-data signals. Tracking and acquisition circuits use the recovered carrier signal for synchronizing the replicas of the generic-chip-code signal to the recovered carrier signal. A plurality of envelope detectors demodulates the modulated-data signal as a plurality of received-demultiplexed data. A multiplexer multiplexes the plurality of received-multiplexed data as received data.

Claims

1. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum transmitter, for handling at least 17spread-spectrum signals for use with a communications channel, comprising:

demultiplexer means for demultiplexing message data into a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

generic means for generating a generic-chip-code signal;

a plurality of message means for generating a plurality of message-chip-code signals, wherein each of the plurality of message-chip-code signal is orthogonal to the other message-chip-code signals of the plurality of message-chip-code signals, and is synchronized to the generic-chip-code signal;

a plurality of spreading means coupled to said demultiplexer means and said plurality of message means, respectively, for spread-spectrum processing the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with the plurality of message-chip-code signals to generate a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, respectively;

summer means for combining the generic-chip-code signal with the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

transmitter means for transmitting the combined generic-chip-code signal and plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, on a carrier signal over said communications channel as a spread-spectrum-communications signal.

2. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum transmitter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said demultiplexer means includes a demultiplexer for demultiplexing message data into a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

said generic means includes a transmitter-generic-chip-code generator for generating the generic-chip-code signal;

each of said plurality of message means includes a transmitter-message-chip-code generator synchronized to the generic-chip-code signal, for generating the plurality of message-chip-code signal;

each of said plurality of spreading means includes an EXCLUSIVE-OR gate for spread-spectrum processing the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with the plurality of message-chip-code signals; and

said summer means includes a combiner for combining the plurality of generic-chip-code signals and the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals.

3. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver, system, for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, and for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal, comprising:

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers using a plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals, respectively, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers including message-spread-spectrum-processing means using one of the plurality of orthogonal-message-chip-code signals for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of a plurality of modulated-data signals, and demodulation means for demodulating one of the modulated-data signals as one of a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively; and

multiplexer means for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals from said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers as received-message data.

4. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver system as set forth in claim 3 further including:

generic-spread-spectrum-processing means for generating a replica of a generic-chip-code signal for recovering a carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel, from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal; and

acquisition means responsive to acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal for synchronizing said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means to the recovered carrier signal.

5. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver system as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a generic mixer for recovering the carrier signal from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal;

each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a message mixer for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of the plurality of modulated-data signals;

each of said demodulation means includes an envelope detector for detecting one of the plurality of modulated-data signals as one of the plurality of demodulated signals, respectively; and

said multiplexer means includes a multiplexer for multiplexing each of the plurality of demodulated signals as the received-message data.

6. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver system as set forth in claim 4 wherein

said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a generic mixer for recovering the carrier signal from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal;

each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a message mixer for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of the plurality of modulated-data signals;

each of said demodulation means includes a synchronous detector responsive to the recovered-carrier signal for converting one of the plurality of modulated-data signals to one of the plurality of detected signals, respectively; and

said multiplexer means includes a multiplexer for multiplexing each of the plurality of demodulated signals as the received-message data.

7. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver, system, for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, and for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal, comprising:

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, using a plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals, respectively, each of said spread-spectrum receivers including message-spread-spectrum-processing means using one of the plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals for despreading the respective spread-spectrum channel of the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as a modulated-data signal;

demodulation means for demodulating each of the a plurality of modulated-data signals as one of the a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

multiplexer means having a plurality of inputs for multiplexing a plurality of demodulated signals; and

switching means coupled between an input of said demodulation means and each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means and between an output of said demodulation means and the plurality of inputs of said multiplexer means, for switching said demodulation means between each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means and each input of the plurality of inputs of said multiplexer means, respectively.

8. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver system as set forth in claim 7 further including:

generic-spread-spectrum-processing means for generating a replica of the a generic-chip-code signal for recovering a carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel from of the received spread-spectrum-communications signal; and

acquisition means, responsive to acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, for synchronizing said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means to the recovered carrier signal.

9. The spread spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 8 wherein

said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a generic mixer for recovering the carrier signal from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal;

each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a message mixer for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of the plurality of modulated-data signals;

each of said demodulation means includes an envelope detector for detecting one of the plurality of modulated-data signals as one of the plurality of demodulated signals, respectively; and

said multiplexer means includes a multiplexer for multiplexing each of the plurality of demodulated signals as the received-message data.

10. The spread spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 8 wherein

said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a generic mixer for recovering the carrier signal from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal;

each of said message-spread-spectrum-processing means includes a message mixer for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of the plurality of modulated-data signals;

each of said demodulation means includes a synchronous detector responsive to the recovered-carrier signal for converting one of the plurality of modulated-data signals to one of the plurality of detected signals, respectively;

said multiplexer means includes a multiplexer for multiplexing each of the plurality of demodulated signals as the received-message data.

11. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum transmitter, for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, for use with a communications channel, comprising:

a demultiplexer for demultiplexing message data into a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

a plurality of transmitter message-chip-code generators for generating a plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals;

a plurality of EXCLUSIVE-OR gates coupled to said demultiplexer and to said plurality of transmitter-message-chip-code generators, respectively, wherein each of said plurality of EXCLUSIVE-OR gates spread-spectrum processes one of the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with a respective orthogonal message-chip-code signal to generate a respective one of a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, respectively ;

a combiner, coupled to said plurality of EXCLUSIVE-OR gates, for combining the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

a transmitter coupled to said combiner for transmitting the combined plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, on a carrier signal, over said communications channel as a spread-spectrum-communications signal.

12. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum transmitter as set forth in claim 911further including:

a transmitter-generic-chip-code generator for generating a generic-chip-code signal;

wherein said plurality of transmitter-message-chip-code generators is coupled to said transmitter-generic-chip-code generator, with each of the plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals synchronized to the generic-chip-code signal;

wherein said combiner, coupled to said transmitter-generic-chip-code generator, for combining the generic-chip-code signal and the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals as a combined generic-chip-code signal; and

wherein the transmitter transmits the combined generic-chip-code signal on a carrier signal over said spread-spectrum- communications channel as the a spread-spectrum-communications signal.

13. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver, for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, and for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal comprising:

a receiver-generic-chip-code generator for generating a replica of the a generic-chip-code signal;

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers including a receiver-message-chip-code generator for generating a message-chip-code signal, and a message mixer coupled to said receiver-message-chip-code generator and responsive to the message-chip-code signal for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of a plurality of modulated-data signals;

demodulation means for demodulating the plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of demodulated signals; and

a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals from said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers as received-message data.

14. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 13, further including:

a generic mixer coupled to said receiver-generic-chip-code generator and responsive to the replica of the generic-chip-code signal for recovering a carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel, from of the received spread-spectrum-communications signal; and

an acquisition circuit coupled to said generic mixer and responsive to acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, for synchronizing said receiver-generic-chip-code generator to the recovered carrier signal.

15. The spread spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 14 wherein

each of said demodulation means includes an envelope detector for detecting the plurality of modulated-data signals as the plurality demodulated signals, respectively.

16. The spread spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said demodulation means includes a synchronous detector responsive to the recovered-carrier signal for converting the plurality of modulated-data signals to the plurality of detected signals, respectively.

17. A high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver, for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, and for simultaneously listening to receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal comprising:

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers including a receiver-message-chip-code generator for generating a message-chip-code signal, and a message mixer coupled to said receiver-message-chip-code generator and responsive to the message-chip-code signal for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signals as a modulated-data signal;

demodulation means for demodulating the a plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

a multiplexer having a plurality of inputs for multiplexing the plurality of the demodulated signals; and

a switching circuit coupled between an input of said demodulation means and each of said message mixers and between an output of said demodulation means and the plurality of inputs of said multiplexer, for switching said demodulation means between each of said message mixers and each of said plurality of inputs of said multiplexers , respectively.

18. The spread spectrum communications system as set forth in claim 17 wherein

said demodulation means includes an envelope detector for detecting the plurality of modulated-data signals as the plurality of demodulated signals, respectively.

19. The spread spectrum communications system as set forth in claim 17 wherein

said demodulation means includes a synchronous detector responsive to the recovered-carrier signal for converting the plurality of modulated-data signals to the plurality of detected signals, respectively.

20. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 17 further including:

a receiver-generic-chip-code generator for generating a replica of the a generic-chip-code signal;

a generic mixer coupled to said generic-chip-code generator and responsive to the generic-chip-code signal for recovering a carrier signal for from a respective spread-spectrum channel from of the received spread-spectrum-communications signal; and

an acquisition circuit responsive to acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal for synchronizing said receiver-generic-chip-code generator means to the recovered carrier signal.

21. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum communications system receiver as set forth in claim 20 wherein

said demodulation means includes an envelope detector for detecting the plurality of modulated-data signals as the plurality of demodulated signals, respectively.

22. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum communications system receiver as set forth in claim 20 wherein

said demodulation means includes a synchronous detector responsive to the recovered-carrier signal for converting the plurality of modulated-data signals to the a plurality of detected signals, respectively.

23. A method for transmitting spread spectrum conference calls, and for handing at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, communications signals over a communications channel, comprising the steps of:

demultiplexing message data as a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

generating a plurality of message-chip-code signals;

spread-spectrum processing the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with the plurality of message-chip-code signals, respectively, to generate a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, wherein the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals and the plurality of message-chip-code signals are synchronized to the a generic-chip-code signal;

combining the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

transmitting the combined plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals on a carrier signal over said communications channel as a spread-spectrum-communications signal.

24. A method for simultaneously listening to receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a spread-spectrum communications signal, and for handling at least 17 spread-spectrum-processed signals, comprising the steps of:

generating, for each a spread-spectrum channel, a replica of the a message-chip-code signal synchronized to the a replica of the a generic-chip-code signal;

despreading, for each spread-spectrum channel, using the replica of the message-chip-code signal, the spread-spectrum channel of the spread-spectrum-communications signal as a modulated-data signal;

demodulating, for each spread-spectrum channel, the modulated-data signal as a demodulated signal; and

multiplexing the a plurality of demodulated signals from said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers as received-message data.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24 wherein the demodulating step includes synchronously demodulating, using the a recovered-carrier signal, the modulated-data signal as a detected signal.

26. The spread spectrum communications system method as set forth in claim 24 wherein the demodulating step includes demodulating, using an envelope detector, the modulated-data signals as a detected signal.

27. A spread-spectrum receiver for handling a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals and for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal, with the received spread-spectrum signal having a generic-chip-code signal in one of the plurality of spread-spectrum channels, comprising:

a receiver-generic-chip-code generator for generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal;

a generic mixer, coupled to said receiver-generic-chip-code generator and responsive to the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, for recovering a carrier signal from one of the received plurality of spread-spectrum channels of the received spread-spectrum-communications signal;

a plurality of receiver-message-chip-code generators, each of said plurality of receiver-message-chip-code generators coupled to said receiver-generic-chip-code generator, synchronized to the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, for generating a respective message-chip-code signal;

a plurality of message mixers, each of said plurality of message mixers coupled to a respective receiver-message-chip-code generator and responsive to a respective message-chip-code signal, for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as one of a plurality of modulated-data signals;

demodulation means, coupled to said plurality of message mixers, for demodulating the plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of demodulated signals; and

a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals as received-message data.

28. The spread-spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 27, further including:

an acquisition circuit coupled to said generic mixer and responsive to recovering the carrier signal, for synchronizing said receiver-generic-chip-code generator to the recovered carrier signal.

29. A spread spectrum communications system for handling a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals and for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a received spread-spectrum-communications signal, comprising:

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers including

a receiver-message-chip-code generator for generating a message-chip-code signal; and

a message mixer, coupled to said receiver-message-chip-code generator, responsive to the message-chip-code signal, despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as a modulated-data signal;

demodulation means, having an input and an output, for demodulating a plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

30. The spread spectrum communications system as set forth in claim 29 further including:

a receiver-generic-chip-code generator for generating a replica of a generic-chip-code signal;

a generic mixer, coupled to said generic-chip-code generator and responsive to the generic-chip-code signal, for recovering a carrier signal for a respective spread-spectrum channel from the received spread-spectrum-communications signal; and

an acquisition circuit, responsive to acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, for synchronizing said receiver-generic-chip-code generator to the recovered carrier signal.

31. A spread-spectrum communications system for use over a communications channel comprising:

a spread-spectrum transmitter including,

demultiplexer means for demultiplexing message data as a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

generic means for generating a generic-chip-code signal;

a plurality of message means, coupled to said generic means, for generating, synchronized to the generic-chip-code signal, a plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals;

a plurality of spreading means, synchronized to the generic chip-code-code signal, each of said plurality of spreading means for spread-spectrum processing a respective one of the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals and a respective one of the plurality of orthogonal message-chip-code signals, to generate a spread-spectrum-processed signal;

summer means for combining a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals and the generic-chip-code signal as a combined plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

transmitter means for transmitting the combined plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals on a carrier signal over said communications channel as a spread-spectrum-communications signal;

a spread-spectrum receiver including,

generic-spread-spectrum-processing means for generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal and for recovering the carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel of the spread-spectrum-communications signal;

acquisition and tracking means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, and for synchronizing said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means to the recovered carrier signal;

a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers having

message-spread-spectrum-processing means for despreading, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as a plurality of modulated-data signals;

detection means, coupled to said message-spread-spectrum-processing means, for detecting the plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of detected signals; and

bit-synchronization means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for synchronously integrating and dumping, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, the plurality of detected signals as a plurality of demodulated signals; and

multiplexer means, coupled to said plurality of spread-spectrum receivers, for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals as received-message data.

32. A spread-spectrum receiver for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a spread-spectrum communications signal, with the received plurality of spread-spectrum channels having a generic-chip-code signal in one of the plurality of spread-spectrum channels, comprising:

generic-spread-spectrum-processing means for generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal and for recovering a carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel of the spread-spectrum-communications signal;

acquisition and tracking means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, and for synchronizing said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means to the recovered carrier signal;

a plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for despreading, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as a plurality of modulated-data signals;

a plurality of detection means, coupled to said plurality of message-spread-spectrum-processing means, for detecting the plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of detected signals;

bit-synchronization means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for synchronously integrating and dumping, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, the plurality of detected signals as a plurality of demodulated signals; and

multiplexer means, coupled to said plurality of detection means, for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals as received-message data.

33. The high-capacity-spread-spectrum receiver as set forth in claim 32 wherein said bit synchronization means includes:

a bit synchronizer, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum processing means;

a low-pass filter, coupled to said bit synchronizer; and

34. A spread-spectrum receiver for simultaneously receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a spread-spectrum communications signal, with the received plurality of spread-spectrum channels having a generic-chip-code signal embedded in one of the plurality of spread-spectrum channels, comprising:

generic-spread-spectrum-processing means for generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal and for recovering a carrier signal from a spread-spectrum channel of the spread-spectrum-communications signal;

acquisition and tracking means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means, for acquiring and tracking the recovered carrier signal, and for synchronizing said generic-spread-spectrum-processing means to the recovered carrier signal;

a plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, coupled to said generic-spread-spectrum processing means, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal, for despreading the received spread-spectrum-communications signal as a plurality of modulated-data signals;

demodulation means, coupled to said plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, for demodulating the plurality of modulated-data signals as a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

multiplexer means, coupled to said demodulation means and having a plurality of inputs, for multiplexing the plurality of demodulated signals as received-message data; and

switching means, coupled between an input of said demodulation means and a respective output of each of said plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, and coupled between an output of said demodulation means and the plurality of inputs of said multiplexer means, for switching said demodulation means between the respective output of each of said plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means and each of the plurality of inputs of said multiplexer means.

35. A method of transmitting a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals as a spread-spectrum communications signal over a communications channel, comprising the steps of:

demultiplexing message data as a plurality of demultiplexed-data signals;

generating a generic-chip-code signal;

generating a plurality of message-chip-code signals;

spread-spectrum processing, synchronized to the generic-chip-code signal, each of the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with a respective one of the plurality of message-chip-code signals, to generate a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals;

combining the generic-chip-code signal and the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

transmitting the combined generic-chip-code signal and the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, on a carrier signal over the communications channel, as the spread-spectrum communications signal.

36. A method of receiving a spread-spectrum communications signal on a carrier signal over a communications channel, said spread-spectrum communications signal including a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, each of said plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals spread-spectrum-processed with a generic-chip-code signal and a respective one of a plurality of message-chip-code signals, comprising the steps of:

recovering the carrier signal from the received spread-spectrum communications signal;

generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal;

generating a replica of the plurality of message-chip-code signals;

despreading, synchronized with the replica of the generic-chip-code signal and using the replica of the plurality of message-chip-code signals, the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, respectively, as a plurality of demodulated-data signals; and

multiplexing the plurality of demodulated-data signals as received-message data.

37. A method for receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum communications signals spread-spectrum processed with a generic-chip-code signal and a plurality of message-chip-code signals, respectively, at a spread-spectrum transmitter, over a spread-spectrum communications channel, comprising the steps of:

generating a replica of the generic-chip-code signal;

generating a replica of the plurality of message-chip-code signals;

despreading, using a plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, synchronized to the replica of the generic-chip-code signal and using the replica of the plurality of message-chip-code signals, the plurality of spread-spectrum communications signals as a plurality of modulated-data signals, respectively;

demodulating, using a demodulator, a first one of the plurality of modulated-data signals, from a first one of the plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, as a first demodulated-data signal;

inputting, to a first input of a multiplexer, the first demodulated-data signal;

switching an input of the demodulator to a second one of the plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means;

demodulating, using the demodulator, a second one of the plurality of modulated-data signals, from the second one of the plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, as a second demodulated-data signal;

inputting, to a second input of the multiplexer, the second demodulated-data signal;

switching the input of the demodulator to an Nth one of the plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means;

demodulating, using the demodulator, an Nth one of the plurality of modulated-data signals, from the Nth one of the plurality of message-spread-spectrum processing means, as an Nth demodulated-data signal;

inputting, to an Nth input of the multiplexer, the Nth demodulated-data signal; and

multiplexing the first demodulated-data signal, the second demodulated data signal, and the Nth demodulated-data signal as received data.

38. A transmitter for transmitting spread spectrum communications signals over a communications channel, comprising:

a demultiplexer for demultiplexing message data as a plurality of multiplexed-data signals;

a generator for generating a plurality of message-chip-code signals;

a processor for spread-spectrum processing the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals with the plurality of message-chip-code signals, respectively, to generate a plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals, wherein the plurality of demultiplexed-data signals and the plurality of message-chip-code signals are synchronized to a generic-chip-code signal;

a combiner for combining the plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals; and

means for transmitting the combined plurality of spread-spectrum-processed signals in a carrier signal over said communications channel as a spread-spectrum-communications signal.

39. A receiver for receiving a plurality of spread-spectrum channels of a spread-spectrum communications signal, comprising:

a generator for generating a replica of a message-chip-code signal for a spread-spectrum channel, the replica of a message-chip-code signal being synchronized to a replica of a generic-chip-code signal;

a despreader for despreading the spread-spectrum channel of the spread-spectrum-communications signal as a modulated-data signal using the replica of the message-chip-code signal;

a demodulator for demodulating the modulated-data signal as a demodulated signal; and

a multiplexer for multiplexing a plurality of demodulated signals as received-message data.