Abstract: Apparatus and a method for establishing a cellular mobile call. If no radio traffic (voice or data) channels are available for a calling Mobile Station (MS), then a test is made to determine the expected wait time before a channel becomes available. If the expected wait time is less than a first threshold, then the call request is queued. If a channel does not become available before a second time threshold, then the caller is notified that the call has been queued and is expected to be established in a short time. A control message is sent to the MS to trigger an indication of the queued status to the user. The indication may be one or more tones, a data display, or the playing of a pre-recorded announcement. If the expected wait time is more than the first threshold, the caller is given the opportunity to be called back when a radio channel becomes available. Advantageously, the number of failed calls because of unavailable traffic channels is reduced, and the caller's annoyance level is reduced.

Abstract: A local positioning system (LPS) uses the radio propagation parameters in a CDMA forward link or TDMA reverse link to establish a mobile station's position. The mobile station receives pilot channel signals from at least three distinct base stations and records the PN chip offset of the pilot channel signals. The LPS time difference of arrival triangulation approach requires no additional signal detection capabilities. Base stations send out pilot channel signals that arrive at a mobile station with a particular phase and at least a predetermined minimum strength. The mobile station reports back the “visible” pilot channel signals, their phases and signal strength to the LPS which uses a location non-linear system, expressed as a set of cost functions, to estimate the mobile location. The LPS can also solve the 9-1-1 mobile location problem for wireless CDMA systems by determining the position of a person in distress that has a digital cellular phone.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for establishing a cellular mobile call. If no radio traffic (voice or data) channels are available for a calling or called mobile station (MS), then a test is made to determine the expected wait time before a channel becomes available. If the expected wait time is less than a first threshold, then the call or the call request is queued. If a channel for an incoming call to an MS does not become available before a second time threshold, then the caller is notified by an announcement that the call has been queued and is expected to be established in a short time. If the caller of an incoming call to the MS does not disconnect, then the MSC waits for an available channel and establishes a connection to the MS over that available channel. For an outgoing call from an MS, a control message is sent to the MS to trigger an indication of the queued status to the user. The indication may be one or more tones, a data display, or the playing of a pre-recorded announcement.

Abstract: A noise-canceling microphone system suitable for use in small telephonic devices such as cellular “flip” telephones has one or more acoustic transmission lines embedded in the flip component through openings in the distal end of the flip component, and coupled to a microphone element carried by the main housing. The acoustic transmission lines have boots coupled to the microphone element to accommodate the swiveling action of the flip component. In a critical aspect of the present invention, the microphone assembly incorporated in a communication device has acoustic transmission tubes containing acoustic impedance elements matched to the specific acoustic characteristic resistance of the tubes to eliminate standing waves and thus resonances in the microphone frequency response.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for establishing a cellular mobile call. If no radio traffic (voice or data) channels are available for a calling Mobile Station (MS), then a test is made to determine the expected wait time before a channel becomes available. If the expected wait time is less than a first threshold, then the call request is queued. If a channel does not become available before a second time threshold, then the caller is notified that the call has been queued and is expected to be established in a short time. A control message is sent to the MS to trigger an indication of the queued status to the user. The indication may be one or more tones, a data display, or the playing of a pre-recorded announcement. If the expected wait time is more than the first threshold, the caller is given the opportunity to be called back when a radio channel becomes available. Advantageously, the number of failed calls because of unavailable traffic channels is reduced, and the caller's annoyance level is reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing a wireless telephone connection when a call cannot be made immediately. The caller and the wireless system negotiate for a later time when another attempt will be made to establish the call. Shortly before that time arrives, the wireless system reserves a radio channel and retains that channel for the deferred call. Then, the system calls the customer back, or waits for the customer to attempt the call. A reserved channel is then used for the call if the system has been successful in reserving such a channel. Advantageously, there is a high probability that the deferred call will have a radio channel available.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for permitting a wireless telecommunications caller to use an alternate service provider if the primary service provider has no available bearer channels. If the primary service provider has no available bearer channels for a call, that service provider sends a message to the caller's mobile station to switch its control channel to one of the control channels of an alternate service provider. The caller then attempts to complete the call over the facilities of the alternate service provider. Advantageously, spare facilities of the alternate service provider can be employed to good use; advantageously, the caller's service is improved because the call is not finally blocked when no bearer channels are available for the call.

Abstract: In a cellular mobile telecommunications system, apparatus and a method for altering the charge for a call if the occupancy of radio channels is above or below an appropriate threshold. For one proposed service, the users are charged less if they make calls during the time when the occupancy of radio channels is less than a threshold. For users having another proposed service, the charge is greater when the occupancy of the radio channels is above another threshold. Advantageously, users are encouraged to use the mobile telecommunications service when the occupancy of regular channels is low, and to use the service less when the occupancy of the radio channels is high.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the approximate distance and direction of a mobile unit from a plurality of cells in order to determine whether and how to handoff the mobile unit and which cell may be the best serving cell. The CDMA timing system is used to provide an estimate of the subscriber's location to be determined by a CDMA base station. A distance calculation is made by the serving cell site sending a request for signal strength message to a mobile unit. The mobile unit measures pilot signal strength and a time offset from the expected time of such pilot signals. The signal strength and time offsets are returned to the cell site. a processor in the system can then determine if a handoff is really desirable, and with which of the cell sites is the best serving all for the mobile unit the mobile unit with a high degree of confidence that the call will be maintained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether a wireless station is operating within a prescribed geographic location. During an initialization process, the wireless telephone measures propagation delays of pilot signals from nearby base stations and stores the propagation delays in a non-volatile memory of the wireless station. Thereafter, during a check process, the wireless station measures propagation delays of pilot signals from nearby base stations and compares them with the stored propagation delays stored in memory. If the difference between the two sets of propagation delays are within a predetermined tolerance, then a determination is made that the wireless station is operating within the prescribed geographic location. Multiple sets of propagation delays may be stored in memory such that a determination can be made as to whether the mobile station is operating within any one of a number of prescribed geographic locations.

Abstract: A wireless repeater comprising a first antenna for receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal and for transmitting the first signal along a first path; a second antenna for receiving a second signal from the wireless terminal and for transmitting the second signal along a second path; a summing circuit for receiving the first signal from the first path and the second signal from the second path, for summing the first signal and the second signal to form an aggregate signal, and for outputting the aggregate signal along a third path; a delay in the second signal that makes the second signal path longer than the first signal path; and a third antenna for receiving the third signal from the third path and for transmitting the third signal.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for operating a display monitor to prevent burn-in of the screen. The entire display is imperceptibly moved in both vertical and horizontal directions by changing the temporal relationship between the information signal transmitted to the monitor and the signals used to synchronize the scanning of the screen.