Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that allow a communications stream to be quickly opened between two terminals. According to one aspect of the present invention, the invention includes registering the base station and the user terminal with each other by exchanging identification information and configuration information, sending a request to open a communications stream message from the user terminal to the base station, receiving a channel assignment message from the base station in response to the request message, the channel assignment message including an identification of an assigned communications channel for the communications stream, and sending data from the user terminal and receiving data from the base station over the assigned communications channel.

Abstract: A system and related methods to facilitate the delivery of enhanced data services in a mobile wireless communications environment is generally described. According to one aspect of the invention, a data networking protocol is introduced generally comprising control commands and attribute-value pairs. The one or more control commands including one or more control commands selectively employed to establish, manage and tear-down a communication session by and between elements of a data network. The one or more attribute-value pair(s) (AVP), selectively employed by a network element to define one or more parameters of an accompanying control command, the AVPs including one or more mobility management AVPs to facilitate exchange of mobility information between at least a subset of the network elements of the data network participating in a point-to-point component of the communication session.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention can be used to select a training sequence used by a base station and a user terminal for communications. In one embodiment, selecting the training sequence to use includes first selecting a training sequence from a set of training sequences. Then, a shift indicator is received, the shift indicator indicating a number of symbols the training sequence is to be shifted. A shifted training sequence is generated by shifting the selected training sequence by the number indicated by the received shift indicator, and the shifted training sequence is used for communication with a first transceiver on a communications channel. In another embodiment, a shift indicator indicating a number of symbols a training sequence is to be shifted is first selected, and then used to generate a shifted training sequence by shifting the training sequence by the number of symbols indicated by the selected shift indicator.

Abstract: Spatial and temporal characteristics of received radio signals in a multiple user radio system can be estimated based on signals received from the users. In one embodiment, the invention includes collecting measurements of radio frequency signals received at different elements of an antenna system over time, the received signals corresponding at least in part to transmissions received from a system user, collecting representations of the transmissions of the system user, and comparing the representations to the collected measurements to form a spatial characterization of the radio channel traversed by transmissions of the system user in which the elements of the spatial characterization represent forming a beam in the direction of the system user and directing nulls to interferers.

Abstract: The certificate issued by a certificate authority used in authenticating a user terminal can be scrambled prior to being set to an access point. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a user terminal having a memory in which a user terminal certificate is stored. The user terminal also has a processor coupled to the memory to scramble the user terminal certificate using a shared secret to be known only by the user terminal and an access point of the wireless access network, and a transmitter coupled to the processor to send a message to the access point, the message including the scrambled user terminal certificate.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a downlink signal from a communication station to one or more subscriber units to achieve a desired radiation level over a desired sector (e.g., everywhere), the communication station including an array of antenna elements and one or more signal processors programmed (in the case of programmable signal processors) to weight the downlink signal according to one of a sequence of complex valued weight vectors. The method includes sequentially repeating transmitting the downlink signal, each repetition with a different weight vector from the sequence until all weight vectors in the sequence have been transmitted with. The sequence is designed for achieving the desired radiation level during at least one of the repetitions. In this way, every user in the desired region is transmitted to in the time period.

Abstract: A system and related methods for clustering multi-point communication targets is presented. According to one aspect of the invention, a method comprising measuring one or more performance characteristics associated for each of at least a subset of a plurality of targets in a wireless communication system, and selectively building one or more clusters, each cluster including one or more target(s) and sharing a wireless communication channel, based at least in part on the performance characteristics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for spatial processing in a remote terminal unit. One embodiment is a wireless remote terminal receiver in a wireless terminal unit for operation in a wireless communication system. The wireless remote terminal receiver includes an antenna array, and a receive processing unit to process signals received by the antenna array by applying a selected spatial processing mode of a plurality of spatial processing modes. The modes include one or more modes of one or more spatial processing methods. The receiver also includes a selector to select the spatial processing mode from the plurality of spatial processing modes. The selecting includes selecting the spatial processing method in the case that the set of spatial processing modes are of more than one spatial processing method.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are described to receive a signal, determine a quality of the received signal, and transmit a power control message, with a selected size, to request a modification in transmission power, the power control message being based at least in part on the quality of the received signal.

Abstract: The time reference of a user terminal that is derived from an unauthenticated access point can be certified by a trusted entity according to the present invention. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a user terminal obtaining a time reference from an access point of a wireless access network. The user terminal then receives a digital certificate having a validity period from the access point, the certificate being issued by a certificate authority. In one embodiment, the user terminal requests certification of the time reference by a trusted entity, and receives the certification. Then the user terminal can validate the digital certificate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that corrects for differences in reception between a user-specific signal and a common signal. In one embodiment, the invention includes receiving a common pilot signal transmitted on a wide beam at a remote terminal, receiving a user-specific signal transmitted on a directed narrow beam at the remote terminal, demodulating the user-specific signal using the common pilot signal for channel estimation, estimating a phase error in the demodulated user-specific signal using known symbols in the user-specific signal, and correcting for the phase error in the demodulated user-specific signal using the phase error estimates.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are described to receive a signal, determine a quality of the received signal, and transmit a power control message, with a selected size, the power control message being based at least in part on the quality of the received signal. The power control message requests a modification in transmission power or indicates the deviation of the signal quality from a reference signal quality.

Abstract: A data stream is transmitted between a base station and user terminal. A first resource that is available to transmit a page is selected at the base station and the page transmitted from the base station via the first resource. The page is received at the user terminal via the first resource and a second resource that is available to transmit a page response is selected at the user terminal. A page response is transmitted from the user terminal via the second resource in response to the page. A data stream is then transmitted between the base station and user terminal via a third resource. In one embodiment, the first, second and third resources utilize the same sequence of radio frequency resources that follow a hopping sequence among a set of available radio frequency resources. In one embodiment, at least two of the first, second and third resources utilize the same sequence of radio frequency resources. In yet another embodiment, the resources utilize different sequences of radio frequency resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that allows a training and traffic signal to be compensated for phase errors without modifying a receiver. In one embodiment, the invention encompasses an external error correction circuit having a signal input to receive training and traffic channel signals from a receive chain, a signal processing circuit to compute phase corrections to at least one of the training and traffic channel signals, and a signal generator to supply a compensation signal to effect the computed correction.

Abstract: A system and related methods for beamforming in a multi-point communication environment is presented. According to one aspect of the invention, a method comprising identifying one or more target(s) for which a communication signal is intended, identifying one or more other target(s) which may benefit from receipt of the communication signal, and developing a multi-lobe beampattern to transmit the communication signal to the intended target(s) and the identified one or more other target(s).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that allows beamforming to be used on a user-specific signal together with a sector-wide pilot signal in a communication system, such as a CDMA system. In one embodiment, the invention includes transmitting a pilot signal with a wide beamwidth to a remote terminal from a first array, transmitting a first traffic signal with a narrow beamwidth directed to the remote terminal from the first array, and transmitting a second diversity traffic signal with a second narrow beamwidth directed to the remote terminal from a second array. In some examples, the invention may also include transmitting a second pilot signal from the second antenna array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that allows a single spatially directed broadcast burst to serve users throughout a base station sector. In one embodiment, the invention includes sending a first segment of a broadcast channel burst using a first set of unchanging spatial parameters from an array of antenna elements, and sending a second segment of the broadcast channel burst using a second set of different unchanging spatial parameters from the array of antenna elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that allows a receiver to tune to a broadcast burst through phase and amplitude discontinuities. In one embodiment, the invention includes sending a first segment of a broadcast channel burst using a first set of signal parameters from an array of antenna elements of a broadcast channel radio, sending a second segment of the broadcast channel burst after sending the first segment, the second segment being sent using a second set of signal parameters from the broadcast channel radio array, and sending a third segment of the broadcast channel burst after sending the second segment, the third segment being sent using the first set of signal parameters from the broadcast channel radio array.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention comprises transmitting a broadcast burst in a broadcast channel from a base station of a radio communications system. The invention further comprises receiving a request burst from a user terminal, and transmitting a message burst from the base station to the user terminal from which the request was received. The message burst includes a description of the channels available on the radio communications system for receiving messages from user terminals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the spectral efficiency of communications systems by employing portions of the spectrum, which portions might otherwise be reserved as all or part of guard bands and not utilized (i.e., effectively wasted), for communicating at reduced power levels between devices that are determined to experience relatively high performance (e.g., relatively little path loss, etc.). In a communication system having a first predefined maximum system transmission power level for in-band transmissions, a method is provided for determining that communication performance between a first communication device and a second communication device exceeds a performance threshold. Based on the determination, a first band-edge channel for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device (i.e., transmission from the first device to the second device and/or visa versa) is assigned.