Spread-spectrum changeable base station

• US 5,610,906 A
• Filed: 06/29/1994
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1994
• 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): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US08/268,186
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 370/18, 370/62, 375/200, 375/205, 375/206, 375/207, 455/53.1, 455/56.1, 455/88
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7093 Matched filter type
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A conference calling spread-spectrum communications system and method using a plurality of spread-spectrum units, any one of which may serve as the base station and where the base station may be changed from one spread-spectrum unit to another upon command. Each spread-spectrum unit includes a base subunit, a remote subunit, and a command subunit. An operator may initiate from the command subunit of a particular spread-spectrum unit, a command signal to activate the base subunit of the particular spread-spectrum unit. Upon initiating the command signal, the particular spread-spectrum unit is activated as the base station and the command signal is broadcast to the remaining plurality of spread-spectrum units. At a respective remote subunit of each of the remaining plurality of spread-spectrum units, the command signal is received and, in response to receiving the command signal, the respective remote subunit in each of the remaining plurality of spread-spectrum units is activated to operate the remaining plurality of spread-spectrums units as remote units.

Claims

1. A spread-spectrum system having a plurality of spread-spectrum units, with each spread-spectrum unit of said plurality of spread-spectrum units capable of operating as a base station and as a remote station, each spread-spectrum unit of said plurality of spread-spectrum units comprising:

a base subunit including,

means for receiving at a first frequency a plurality of spread-spectrum signals transmitted from the plurality of spread-spectrum units, respectively;

means for despreading the plurality of spread-spectrum signals as a plurality of despread-spread-spectrum signals, respectively;

means for demodulating the plurality of despread-spread-spectrum signals, to generate a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

means for combining the plurality of demodulated signals, and a local signal, as a combined signal;

means for converting the combined signal to a base-data signal;

means for spread-spectrum processing the base-data signal;

means for transmitting at a second frequency the spread-spectrum-processed-base-data signal as a base-spread-spectrum signal; and

a remote subunit, including,

means for receiving at the second frequency the base-spread-spectrum signal;

means for despreading the base-spread-spectrum signal as a despread-base-spread-spectrum signal;

means for demodulating the despread-base-spread-spectrum signal as a base-analog signal;

means for converting a remote-analog signal to a remote-data signal;

means for spread-spectrum processing the remote-data signal; and

means for transmitting at the first frequency the spread-spectrum-processed-remote-data signal as one of the plurality of spread-spectrum signals.

2. The spread-spectrum system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said despreading means within said base subunit includes:

a plurality of product devices coupled to said generating means for despreading the plurality of spread-spectrum signals as the plurality of despread-spread-spectrum signals.

3. The spread-spectrum system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said despreading means within said base subunit includes a plurality of matched filters, with each of said plurality of matched filters having an impulse response matched to a plurality of chipping sequences, with the plurality of spread-spectrum signals having a plurality of data signals spread-spectrum processed with the plurality of chipping sequences, respectively.

4. The spread-spectrum system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spread-spectrum processing means within the base subunit includes a product device.

5. The spread-spectrum system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said despreading means within the remote subunit includes a mixer for despreading the base-spread-spectrum signal as the despread-base-spread-spectrum signal.

6. The spread-spectrum system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said despreading means within the remote subunit includes a matched filter for despreading the base-spread-spectrum signal as the despread-base-spread-spectrum signal.

7. A method of using a spread-spectrum system having a plurality of spread-spectrum units, with each spread-spectrum unit of said plurality of spread-spectrum units capable of operating as a base station and as a remote station, each spread-spectrum unit of said plurality of spread-spectrum units having a base subunit, a remote subunit, and a command subunit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving in a base subunit of a first spread-spectrum unit at a first frequency a plurality of spread-spectrum signals transmitted from the plurality of spread-spectrum units, respectively;

despreading in the base subunit of the first spread-spectrum unit the plurality of spread-spectrum signals;

demodulating in the base subunit the plurality of despread-spread-spectrum signals, to generate a plurality of demodulated signals, respectively;

combining in the base subunit of the first spread-spectrum unit the plurality of demodulated signals, and a local signal, as a combined signal;

converting in the base subunit of the first spread-spectrum unit the combined signal to a base-data signal;

spread-spectrum processing in the base subunit of the first spread-spectrum unit the base-data signal;

transmitting from the base subunit of the first spread-spectrum unit at a second frequency the spread-spectrum-processed-base-data signal as a base-spread-spectrum signal;

receiving in a remote subunit of a second spread-spectrum unit at the second frequency the base-spread-spectrum signal;

despreading in the remote subunit of the second spread-spectrum unit the base-spread-spectrum signal;

demodulating in the remote subunit of the second spread-spectrum unit the despread-base-spread-spectrum signal as a base-analog signal;

converting in the remote subunit of the second spread-spectrum unit a remote-analog signal to a remote-data signal;

spread-spectrum processing in the remote subunit of the second spread-spectrum unit the remote-data signal; and

transmitting from the remote subunit of the second spread-spectrum unit at the first frequency the spread-spectrum-processed-remote-data signal as one of the plurality of spread-spectrum signals.