Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for communication and handoff in a cellular phone system in which candidate cell units which can support communication with a mobile phone are identified. Neighbor cell units which have recently supported communication with the mobile phone are also identified. Handoff threshold values for each candidate cell are determined based on the existing communication quality and whether the candidate cell is also a neighbor cell such that the handoff threshold is higher when the candidate cell is a neighbor cell. A decision to handoff is made when the improvement offered by candidate cell is greater than the handoff threshold.

Abstract: A system and method of driect-sequence spread-spectrum TDMA (or TDD) digital communication, wherein acquisition and tracking occurs for a plurality of frames having a predetermined number of time slots. One of the predetermined number of time slots in each frame is assigned for acquisition purposes and carries acquisition and sync digital information. The remaining time slots in each frame have assigned header bytes for tracking purposes. The assigned acquisition time slot is spread with an acquisition direct-sequence spreading code. The remaining time slots are spread with a communication direct-sequence spreading code. During acquisition, the signal strength in each successive time slot for each spread frame is measured for a given number of time frames. The peak is located within the given number of time frames through a major acquistion sweep and a refinement sweep. The major acquisition sweep and refinement acquisition sweep locate the frame and time slot boundaries of the transmitted signal.

Abstract: A unique method and system is disclosed for generating digital clock timing in a receiver for use in direct-sequence spread-spectrum digital communication systems wherein spread data is delivered from a transmitter to a receiver. The present invention provides at the transmitter frames of digital communication data with each frame having a plurality of time slots and with each time slot having a plurality of digital bits. The transmitter utilizes direct-sequence spreading codes for spreading the digital bits in the time frame. The direct sequence spreading codes each have the same fixed sequence length of M chips and, furthermore, the number of chips per bit CB to spread each digital bit is constant and fully aligned with each digital bit. The ration of M:CB is an integer and the ratio of time of each time slot to the time of the M chips also equals an integer. The spread frames of digital information are despread at the receiver with receiver provided identical direct-sequence codes.