Abstract: The invention is directed to a mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency. The invention is further directed to methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal.

Abstract: A multi-hop wireless, for example cellular, communications system is provided comprising a source equipment which may be one of a base station or an end user terminal for transmitting signals towards a destination equipment which may be the other of a base station or an end user terminal via at least one relay equipment. The relay equipment receives a plurality of signals transmitted from one or more source equipments of the system and from this plurality of signals selects a signal to relay. In this way the decision about which relays are included in which communication paths in the system is distributed to the relay equipments of the system, thus reducing the signalling overhead as compared with link state protocols which are typically used for routing in such multi-hop systems.

Abstract: The Invention is directed to a mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency. The invention is further directed to methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal.

Abstract: A mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency, and methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal. The technique is applicable to both the uplink and the down link and also to peer to peer communication.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency. The invention is further directed to methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal.

Abstract: A mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency, and methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal. The technique is applicable to both the uplink and the down link and also to peer to peer communication.

Abstract: A communications network comprises a plurality of linked nodes between a source and a destination. At each node the state of the network and its links are measured and stored with advertisements from other links. The node also performs a routing algorithm to define the instantaneously best path to the destination for the current network state. The routing algorithm responds to a plurality of metrics, including costs of links, and may use fuzzy logic which derives a fuzzy cost for candidate paths to derive a least fuzzy cost path to be followed. Traffic is shared between a path which is determined to be the best, at the current point in time, and a path which has previously been determined as the best path. The network can be a network which carries mobile cellular traffic.

Abstract: A multi-hop wireless, for example cellular, communications system is provided comprising a source equipment which may be one of a base station or an end user terminal for transmitting signals towards a destination equipment which may be the other of a base station or an end user terminal via at least one relay equipment. The relay equipment receives a plurality of signals transmitted from one or more source equipments of the system and from this plurality of signals selects a signal to relay. In this way the decision about which relays are included in which communication paths in the system is distributed to the relay equipments of the system, thus reducing the signalling overhead as compared with link state protocols which are typically used for routing in such multi-hop systems.

Abstract: A communications network, particularly for mobile cellular traffic, whose topology changes as a function of time and usage includes a plurality of linked nodes between a source and destination and at each node the state of the network and its links are measured and. stored with advertisements from other links. The node also runs, for each of a traffic type defined by QoS requirements and/or precedence, a routing algorithm to define the instantaneously best path to the destination for the current network state and updated either periodically or whenever the network metrics are changed by traffic load to a significant extent. The routing algorithm responds to a plurality of metrics, including costs of links, and may use fuzzy logic which is set up to derive a fuzzy cost for candidate paths to derive a least fuzzy cost path to be followed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency. The invention is further directed to methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal.

Abstract: The present invention seeks to provide a more reliable method for transmitting data packets over a communications link, such as a wireless link. A method of error correction for a cell based transmission protocol is provided wherein the cells are arranged to form multi-cell frames wherein for each frame the header fields are reduced in size and; wherein idle cells provide space for error correction within the payload of the multi-cell frame. Preferably, an algorithm is provided which is operable to evenly distribute these idle cells in time. The separate coding of the headers and payloads can enable at least some payload errors to be removed by reference to the header field. Where idle cells are present in the frame, the presence of ATM idle cell headers in the header field of the frame is used to enhance the effectiveness of the coding applied to the payload field.

Abstract: In a transducer, e.g. a pressure transducer, the sensing element comprises a torsional oscillator provided with magnetic means for feedback of signals to maintain oscillation. Typically the sensing element is formed by selective etching from a body of single crystal silicon.

Abstract: An optically addressed optical fiber sensor system in which light is employed to excite an optical fiber cantilever (6) into mechanical oscillation at a frequency f.sub.o. This oscillation modulates the amplitude of the light launched into the cantilever. The sensed parameter controls the displacement of the free end of the cantilever with respect to the end of the fiber (2) from which light is launched into the cantilever. The magnitude of this displacement affects the magnitudes of the components of modulated light at frequencies f.sub.o and 2f.sub.o. From an analysis of these components a measure of the displacement is obtained, and also a measure of the magnitude of the sensed parameter.