Apparatus and method for channel acquisition in a communication system

• US 5,809,427 A
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Mark C., Dinatale, John, Perreault, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/681,770
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 455/9, 455/32.1, 455/34.1, 455/34.2, 455/53.1, 455/56, 455/62, 455/64.1, 455/65, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/517, 455/67.1, 455/513, 455/509
• US Class Current: 455/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/18 Monitoring during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

An apparatus (101, 110) and method for channel acquisition in a communication system (100) provides for selecting a channel, from a multiplicity of available channels (205), and determining whether the selected channel is the properly assigned channel for data and other information to be received by the apparatus (101, 110). The selected channel is monitored for a predetermined or adaptive energy level (210), a predetermined modulation mode (215), for a protocol signal, and for a protocol signal having an identification specifying the particular apparatus (225), such as a protocol frame containing a serial number corresponding to the apparatus. When a protocol signal having an identification specifying the particular apparatus (225) is received, the selected channel is acquired (250) for reception of data and other information. Channels are selected on the basis of searching first for those channels most likely to be assigned to the particular apparatus, such as previously assigned channels (305, 320, 325), followed by a focused search initially in the vicinity of a central channel under a particular channel plan (345, 355). The process may also be repeated utilizing a variety of channel or frequency plans (375).

Claims

1. A method for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a first channel of the plurality of channels to form a selected channel;

(b) monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

(c) when the selected channel has the energy level, monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;

(d) when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

(e) when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, acquiring the selected channel to obtain an acquired channel; and

(f) when the acquired channel has not been obtained, selecting a second channel of the plurality of channels to form the selected channel and repeating steps (b) through (e), inclusive, until the acquired channel has been obtained, wherein the step of selecting the second channel comprises, for each iteration of repeating steps (b) through (e), sequentially;

(f1) selecting the second channel from among a number of previous channels;

(f2) selecting the second channel from a central channel of a first channel plan;

(f3) selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the first channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the first channel plan;

(f4) selecting the second channel from a central channel of a second channel plan; and

(f5) selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the second channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the second channel plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f6) repeating steps (f2) through (f5), inclusive.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f7) storing in a memory an identification of a plurality of acquired channels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f8) storing in a memory an identification of a plurality of assigned channels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of previous channels, upon communication system initialization, consist of default channel values.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of previous channels, subsequent to communication system initialization, consist of at least one previously acquired channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined modulation mode is quadrature amplitude modulation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected identification is an identifier unique to a secondary station coupleable to the communication system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the protocol signal is a broadcast message having a plurality of identifications.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) further comprises:

(d) determining whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed and when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, selecting a second channel of the plurality of channels to form the selected channel and returning to step (b).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises monitoring the selected channel with configuration for forward error correction and without configuration for forward error correction.

12. An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the apparatus comprising:

a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal; and

a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to commence a channel search by selecting a first channel of the plurality of channels to form a selected channel and monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

when the selected channel has the energy level, the processor arrangement further responsive to continue the channel search by monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode, and when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, the processor arrangement further responsive to acquire the selected channel to obtain an acquired channel and terminate the channel search; and

when the acquired channel has not been obtained, the processor arrangement further responsive to select a second channel of the plurality of channels to form the selected channel and repeat the channel search until the acquired channel has been obtained, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, for each iteration of the channel search, to sequentially;

select the second channel from among a number of previous channels;

select the second channel from a central channel of a first channel plan;

select the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the first channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the first channel plan;

select the second channel from a central channel of a second channel plan; and

select the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the second channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the second channel plan.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor arrangement, the non-volatile memory storing the plurality of previous channels.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the plurality of previous channels stored in the non-volatile memory are, upon communication system initialization, default channel values.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the plurality of previous channels stored in the non-volatile memory, subsequent to communication system initialization, consist of at least one previously acquired channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to determine whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, to terminate the channel search.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to detect a predetermined modulation mode consisting of quadrature amplitude modulation.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to detect the selected identification as an identifier unique to a secondary station coupleable to the communication system.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to detect the protocol signal as a broadcast message having a plurality of identifications.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is embodied within a primary station.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor arrangement further comprises:

a first integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface;

a second integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface; and

a master controller coupled to the first integrated multiprotocol processor and to the second integrated multiprotocol processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is embodied within a secondary station.

23. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is an integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface.

24. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to monitor the selected channel for a protocol, and when the selected channel has the protocol, the processor arrangement is further responsive to monitor the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, to detect the protocol signal, with configuration for forward error configuration and without configuration for forward error correction.

26. A method for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a first channel of the plurality of channels to form a selected channel;

(b) commencing a channel search process by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

(c) when the selected channel does not have the energy level, proceeding to step (i);

(d) when the selected channel has the energy level, monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;

(e) when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, proceeding to step (i);

(f) when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

(g) when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, proceeding to step (i);

(h) when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, acquiring the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process; and

(i) when the channel search process has not been terminated in step (h), selecting a second channel to form the selected channel and returning to step (b), wherein the step of selecting the second channel comprises, for each iteration of the channel search process;

(i1) if at least one of the number of previous channels remains to be searched, selecting the second channel from among a number of previous channels;

(i2) if all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel from a central channel of a first channel plan;

(i3) if the central channel of the first channel plan has undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the first channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the first channel plan;

(i4) if all channels of the first channel plan have undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel from a central channel of a second channel plan; and

(i5) if the central channel of the second channel plan has undergone the channel search process, selecting the second channel as a next higher channel from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel in the second channel plan, alternating with selecting the second channel as a next lower channel from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel in the second channel plan.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the plurality of previous channels, upon communication system initialization, consist of default channel values.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the plurality of previous channels, subsequent to communication system initialization, consist of at least one previously acquired channel.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein step (f) further comprises:

determining whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, proceeding to step (i).

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the predetermined modulation mode is quadrature amplitude modulation.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the selected identification is an identifier unique to a secondary station coupleable to the communication system.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the protocol signal is a broadcast message having a plurality of identifications.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein step (f) further comprises monitoring the selected channel with configuration for forward error correction and without configuration for forward error correction.

34. A method for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

(a) commencing a channel acquisition process by selecting a first previous channel from a plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel;

(b) performing a search process on the selected channel;

(c) when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;

(d) when the search process has not acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next channel from the plurality of previous channels to form the selected channel and returning to step (b) until all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the search process;

(e) when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the search process, determining a central channel based upon a first channel plan;

(f) continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel, performing the search process on the selected channel, and when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;

(g) when the channel acquisition process has not been terminated in step (f), continuing the channel acquisition process by selecting a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, to form the selected channel, performing the search process on the selected channel, and when the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel, terminating the channel acquisition process;

(h) when the channel acquisition process has not been terminated in step (g) and until all higher channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central frequency and all lower channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central frequency have undergone the search process, continuing the channel acquisition process by returning to step (f);

(i) when all higher channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central frequency and all lower channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central frequency have undergone the search process, determining a central channel based upon a second channel plan and continuing the channel acquisition process by returning to step (e).

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the search process comprises:

(a1) commencing an iteration of the search process by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

(b1) when the selected channel does not have the energy level, terminating the iteration of the search process;

(c1) when the selected channel has the energy level, monitoring the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;

(d1) when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, terminating the iteration of the search process;

(e1) when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, monitoring the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

(f1) when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, terminating the iteration of the search process; and

(g1) when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, acquiring the selected channel to form an acquired channel.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein step (f1) further comprises:

determining whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, terminating the iteration of the search process.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein step (e1) further comprises monitoring the selected channel with configuration for forward error correction and without configuration for forward error correction.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

(j) repeating steps (a) through (i), until the search process has acquired the selected channel to form an acquired channel.

46. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processor arrangement is an integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface.

47. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, to detect the protocol signal, with configuration for forward error configuration and without configuration for forward error correction.

39. An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the apparatus comprising:

a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal; and

a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to select a first channel of a plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel and to commence a channel search by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the energy level, to terminate the channel search;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the energy level, to monitor the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, to terminate the channel search;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, to terminate the channel search;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, to acquire the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process;

the processor arrangement further responsive, when the channel search process has been terminated without acquisition of the selected channel to form the acquired channel, to select a second channel to form the selected channel and to commence another channel search until a selected channel has been acquired to form the acquired channel, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, for each iteration of the channel search, to select the second channel from among the plurality of previous channels until all channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search;

when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, the processor further responsive to determine a central channel based upon a first channel plan and, until the processor has terminated the channel search by acquiring a selected channel, to alternatingly select as the second channel a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel and to select as the second channel a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, until all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search; and

the processor arrangement further responsive, when all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search, to determine a central channel from a second channel plan.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive, sequentially, when the channel search has not been terminated previously, to continue the channel search under the first channel plan alternatingly with the second channel plan.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor arrangement, the memory storing the plurality of previous channels.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the plurality of previous channels stored in the memory are, upon communication system initialization, default channel values.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the plurality of previous channels stored in the memory, subsequent to communication system initialization, consist of at least one previously acquired channel.

44. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to determine whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, to terminate the channel search.

45. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor arrangement further comprises:

a first integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface;

a second integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface; and

a master controller coupled to the first integrated multiprotocol processor and to the second integrated multiprotocol processor.

48. An apparatus for channel acquisition in a communication system, the communication system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of channels, the plurality of channel having a plurality of previous channels, the apparatus comprising:

a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for signal reception on a channel of the plurality of channels to form a received signal;

an integrated multiprotocol processor coupled to the channel interface to process the received signal, the integrated multiprotocol processor further having a memory to store the plurality of previous channels, the integrated multiprotocol processor responsive through a set of program instructions to select a first previous channel of the plurality of previous channels to form a selected channel and to commence a channel search by monitoring the selected channel for an energy level;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the energy level, to terminate the channel search;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the energy level, to monitor the selected channel for a predetermined modulation mode;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the predetermined modulation mode, to terminate the channel search;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the predetermined modulation mode, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol, to terminate the channel search, and when the selected channel does have the protocol, to monitor the selected channel for a protocol signal having a selected identification of a plurality of identifications;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel does not have the protocol signal having the selected identification, to terminate the channel search; and

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the selected channel has the protocol signal having the selected identification, to acquire the selected channel to form an acquired channel and to terminate the channel search process;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when the channel search process has been terminated without acquisition of the selected channel to form the acquired channel, to select a second channel to form the selected channel and to continue the channel search until a selected channel has been acquired to form the acquired channel;

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, sequentially, when the channel search has not been terminated previously, to select the second channel from the plurality of previous channels until all channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search;

when all previous channels of the plurality of previous channels have undergone the channel search process, the processor further responsive to determine a central channel based upon a first channel plan and, until the processor has terminated the channel search by acquiring a selected channel, to alternatingly select as the second channel a next higher channel, from a plurality of channels higher than the central channel, to form the selected channel and to select as the second channel a next lower channel, from a plurality of channels lower than the central channel, until all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search; and

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, when all channels of the plurality of channels higher than the central channel and all channels of the plurality of channels lower than the central channel have undergone the channel search, to determining a central channel from a second channel plan and continue the channel search; and

the integrated multiprotocol processor further responsive, sequentially, when the channel search has not been terminated previously, to continue the channel search under the first channel plan alternatingly with the second channel plan.