Abstract: An RF Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) design having improved power supply noise immunity. More particularly, a VCO resonant circuit that provides a high circuit Q, immunity to noise, and is tunable over multiple distinct bands. The resonant circuit is implemented in conjunction with an integrated circuit oscillator that requires a tuned circuit to determine the frequency of operation. When the integrated circuit oscillator is used as a Local Oscillator (LO) within a wireless phone it is subjected to numerous sources of power supply noise. In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless phone system the power supply to portions of the RF transmit path are cycled on and off depending on the transmitted data rate. The present invention provides an oscillator with increased immunity to the noise induced on the power supply due to power supply cycling.

Abstract: A spread spectrum wireless device (100) may include a receiver (110), a searcher (128), a search controller (130) and other features. The search controller (130) selectively generates control signals to control the searcher (128), which searches for a spread-spectrum signal. In one embodiment, the architecture of the searcher (128) is dynamically configurable by the search controller (130) to selectively search multiple channels using multiple frequency bins for the signal.

Abstract: Techniques for determining the location of a device based on an initial coarse position estimate for the device, which is derived based on initial (less accurate) estimates of the position of a plurality of transmitters. In one method, the coarse position estimate for the device and revised (more accurate) position estimates for the transmitters are received. A revised position estimate for the device is initialized (e.g., to the coarse position estimate). An update vector is next computed based on the initial and revised position estimates for the device and the initial and revised position estimates for the transmitters. The revised position estimate for the device is then updated based on the update vector. The computation for the update vector and the updating of the revised position estimate for the device can be repeated a number of times to achieve a more and more accurate estimate.

Abstract: The virtual device architecture provides physical and logical device drivers for interfacing software programs executing on a microprocessor of the mobile telephone of a wireless communication system with any of a wide variety of hardware devices connectable within the mobile telephone. The logical device drivers convert commands received from the software applications to commands appropriate for use by selected hardware devices. The physical device drivers receive the converted commands from the logical device drivers and in response to the received commands directly control the selected hardware devices. In one example described herein, the logical device drivers provide translation of core commands necessary to control the selected hardware devices and extended commands for enhanced control of the hardware devices. The logical device drivers operate to convert the extended commands into core commands prior to forwarding the commands to the physical device drivers.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a mobile station in two modes, voice mode and page mode. A mobile station and a base station are provided. The mobile station is capable of operating in a first mode suitable for receiving telephone calls and in which the mobile station scans portions of a channel at a first rate. The mobile station is capable of operating in a second mode suitable for receiving pages only and in which the mobile station scans portions of the channel at a second rate. The first rate is higher than the second rate and the mobile station is capable of switching between the two modes at the option of the user thereof.

Abstract: A call origination scheme (300) for a wireless telephone lists the number of silent redials to make (302), preferred mode (analog, digital, and so on) (304), and so on. Each telephone number which can be dialed by the wireless telephone is associated (102) with a scheme, and data representative of this association (104) are stored in the telephone. When a number is entered into the telephone (106), as be depressing a sequence of keys on a keypad, the telephone determines (108) the scheme associated with that number and places the call (110) according to that scheme.

Abstract: A velocity estimate is determined from a received signal by counting the number of times a signal in one multipath crosses a predetermined threshold in a given amount of time. A signal is received and a single multipath is extracted from the received signal. Instantaneous envelope values of the extracted multipath are calculated. A plurality of the instantaneous envelope values are used to calculate a running RMS value. A level crossing threshold is determined using the running RMS value. The number of times the instantaneous envelope value crosses the level crossing threshold is counted. The number of level crossings is mapped to a velocity estimate.

Abstract: A method and circuit for digital signal processing. The disclosed method and circuit uses a variable length instruction set. A portion of the variable length instructions may be stored in adjacent locations within memory. The beginning and ending of instructions may occur across memory word boundaries. Instructions may contain variable numbers of instruction fragments that cause a particular operation to be performed. The disclosed circuit has a set of three data buses over which data may be exchanged with a register bank and three data memories. Data buses include one wide bus and two narrow buses. The wide bus is coupled to a wide data memory and the two narrow buses are coupled to two narrow data memories. Additionally, the disclosed circuit has a register bank that is accessible by at least two processing units. The disclosed circuit further includes an instruction fetch unit that receives instructions of variable length stored in an instruction memory.

Abstract: A system and method for transparently providing access to a wireless communication service to a group of subscribers who share a set of modems, where each subscriber in the group is provided with a subscriber unit and each subscriber in the group is associated with static and dynamic authentication information. According to one embodiment, the system includes a transceiver system for transmitting radio wave frequency signals to and receiving radio wave frequency signals from a base station; a set of modems, wherein each modem in the set is coupled to the transceiver system; a set of subscriber units, wherein each subscriber unit is associated with authentication information; a switch coupled to each of the modems and coupled to each of the subscriber units; a control system in communication with the switch and each of the modems; and a database for storing the authentication information, wherein the database is accessible to the control system.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for acquiring service in a border area that is serviced by two communications systems that share the same frequencies. The method of the present invention includes the steps of scanning a predetermined range of control channels in order to determine the first and second strongest control channels. A determination is then made as to whether a first system identification code (SID) associated with a signal received over the strongest control channel is acceptable. This can be accomplished, for example, by comparing the first SID to a list of acceptable SIDs. Conventionally, if the SID associated with a signal received over the strongest control channel is not acceptable, the system acquisition process will be aborted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining any offset between the timing of a communication base station and the timing of a GPS constellation using a remote synchronization station at which the timing of a base station can be measured and compared with known timing to determine an offset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile unit within a cellular system. A synchronized signal at a common phase is generated at each base station in a system. The mobile unit transmits a signal tone. Each base station compares the phase of the signal tone to the common phase of the synchronized signal to produce a phase offset. A system controller compares the difference between the phase offset of a first base station and the phase offset of a second base station and determines the difference in distance between the first base station and the mobile unit and the second base station and said mobile unit defining a hyperbolic or linear curve of locations. The system controller compares the difference between the phase offset of the first base station and the phase offset of a third base station and determines the difference in distance between the first base station and the mobile unit and the third base station and said mobile unit defining a second hyperbolic curve of locations.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing average idle current in a telecommunications system handset by decreasing the power when demodulation of the incoming signal and decoding of FOCC data stream is unnecessary is provided. The system and method supplant the need to decode all five repeated FOCC data words. The system performs various testing on each of the five data words as they are received. If the data words satisfy particular conditions, such as comprising control filler words or match one another based on the result of testing, no further processing of words occurs until the next sync is received and sleep mode is initiated. According to a further feature, the system may erase the sync/dotting sequence if and only if the prior sync word is successfully decoded. The system and method support both A and B slotting and power down components of the handset, such as RF circuitry and/or data sync timers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an improved soft handoff algorithm in a wireless communication system for third generation code division multiple access (“CDMA”) systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for locating a remote station operating in analog mode, and that may not have a sense of network time, using an inverted GPS approach. The invention also enables remote stations operating in analog mode that do not know true GPS time to determine their own location. A time stamp, reflecting the approximate time a satellite range measurement is made, is assigned to the measurement at either the remote station or elsewhere in the network. The difference between true GPS network time and the measurement time is treated as a variable “error” in measurement, the length of which is unknown. This variable error is determined and used in determining the physical location of the remote station.

Abstract: A Wireless Code Division Multiple Access method and apparatus for determining the transmitted rate of a voice/data signal from a mobile station to a Base Station. Variable rate vocoders transmit voice at one of several predetermined frame rates. The receiver determines the transmitted rate based on one of several frame parameters. One of the parameters is received frame energy. The received frame energy is measured over the length of the relevant portion of the frame. Energy is measured over the half of the frame that can only contain energy if a full rate frame is sent. If the energy measured exceeds a threshold, then full rate is indicated. Else, energy is measured over the fourth of a frame that can only contain energy if a half rate frame is sent. If the energy exceeds a threshold, then half rate is indicated. The procedure is repeated for quarter and eighth rates.

Abstract: A method and a wireless communication device (MT2) for simultaneously negotiating LCP or IPCP configuration options over both the Rm and the Um interfaces. When the MT2 device receives either an LCP or an IPCP Configure-Request packet over one of the Rm or the Um interfaces, the MT2 device parses the requested configuration options and determines whether the requested options are supported by the MT2 device. If the requested options are supported, the MT2 device saves a Configure-Request ID, included in the Configure-Request packet, and frames the Configure-Request packet in a PPP frame for transmission on the other of the Rm or the Um interfaces. If any of the requested configuration options are not supported by the MT2 device, the MT2 device creates a Configure-Reject packet, including the unsupported options, and frames the Configure-Reject packet in a PPP frame for transmission over the interface through which it received the Configure-Request packet.

Abstract: A method apparatus for orienting a map display in a mobile or portable device. An electronic compass is integrated with a hand-held portable or mobile mapping device and an electronic compass bearing is used to calculate an offset value with respect to the map default orientation. The map is thus reoriented in the display to the direction of the device. In an alternative embodiment, a GPS receiver is also integrated with the device. A heading fix is calculated from two or more GPS position fixes to determine orientation of the device. When a heading fix is unavailable, such as at initial start-up of the device, a compass heading is used in lieu of the GPS heading fix to orient the map on a display.

Abstract: A novel and improved method and apparatus for searching is described. Channel data is despread utilizing a matched filter structure. The in-phase and quadrature amplitudes of the despreading delivered to coherent accumulators to sum for a programmable duration of time. The amplitude accumulations are squared and summed to produce an energy measurement. The energy measurement is accumulated for a second programmable time to perform non-coherent accumulation. The resulting value is used to determine the likelihood of a pilot signal at that offset. Each matched filter structure comprises an N-value shift register for receiving data, a programmable bank of taps to perform despreading and optional Walsh decovering, and an adder structure to sum the resulting filter tap calculations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in a hybrid position location system. The method and apparatus combines measurements from Global Positioning System (GPS) and terrestrial transceiver stations to compute the location of a device. An algebraic solution to hybrid position location system equations is output from the method and apparatus. The method and apparatus determines the position of a device using a non-iterative method, as against the use of a conventional iterative least mean square method. The method of the present invention can be used to solve the location system equations in scenarios where a non-iterative solution is desirable. In certain scenarios, the location system equations may have two possible solutions. An iterative method would converge on one of the solutions, without any indication of the existence of the other ambiguous solution. Moreover, the iterative method may converge on the incorrect of the two ambiguous solutions.