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: A method and apparatus for performing on-going calibration of a communication system in which a master system unit is coupled to one or more remote units via a relatively long wireline. On the forward link, measurements are made of at the input to the master system unit and the output of each remote unit. On the reverse link, the input to the remote unit is and the output from the master unit is measured when there is a dominant signal applied to one of the remote units. These measurements are made for a controlled signal during an initialization process and during normal operation. A reference gain for the system is determined from the measurements made during initialization. The gain of the system during normal operation is then dynamically compared to the reference gain of the system. A control signal is generated based on the difference between the reference gain and the current gain under normal operation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for distributing location-based information (i.e., information specific to a client's location or a location of interest to the client) to a client, which may be a mobile SPS receiver, via the Internet and in particular, the World-Wide Web. The client provides information about its location and/or a location of interest to a Web server. The Web server, based on the information, provides via the Internet information relating to the client's location or location of interest to the client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sequentially synchronized timing and frequency generation in a communication network includes a parent station for maintaining system time and frequency values, a time/frequency transfer unit for receiving and demodulating the system time and frequency values from the parent station and generating corrected system time and frequency values by adjusting a clock and the center frequency of a pilot signal at a child station to remove time and frequency discrepancies, and a child station to which the time/frequency transfer unit directly communicates the corrected system time and frequency values. The child station become a parent station upon communication of the corrected system time and frequency values. The sequence may be repeated for as many stations as are deployed in the network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network. One exemplary method performs time synchronization between at least two basestations, a first basestation and a second basestation, of a cellular communication system. In this exemplary method, a first time-of-day and a first geographical location of a first mobile cellular receiver station (MS) are determined from a first satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver which is co-located with the first MS, and the first time-of-day and first location are transmitted by the first MS to a first basestation which determines a time-of-day of the first basestation from the first time-of-day and first location and from a known location of the first basestation.

Abstract: A system for providing an accurate interference value signal received over a channel and transmitted by an external transceiver. The system includes a first receiver section for receiving the signal, which has a desired signal component and an interference component. A signal extracting circuit extracts an estimate of the desired signal component from the received signal. A noise estimation circuit provides the accurate interference value based on the estimate of the desired signal component and the received signal. A look-up table transforms the accurate noise and/or interference value to a normalization factor. A carrier signal-to interference ratio circuit employs the normalization factor and the received signal to compute an accurate carrier signal-to-interference ratio estimate. Path-combining circuitry generates optimal path-combining weights based on the received signal and the normalization factor.

Abstract: A digital signal processor (DSP) employs a variable-length instruction set. A portion of the variable-length instructions may be stored in adjacent locations within memory space with the beginning and ending of instructions occurring across memory word boundaries. The instructions may contain variable numbers of instruction fragments. Each instruction fragment causes a particular operation, or operations, to be performed allowing multiple operations during each clock cycle. The DSP includes multiple data buses, and in particular three data buses. The DSP may also use a register bank that has registers accessible by at least two processing units, allowing multiple operations to be performed on a particular set of data by the multiple processing units, without reading and writing the data to and from a memory. an instruction fetch unit that receives instructions of variable length stored in an instruction memory. An instruction memory may advantageously be separate from the three data memories.

Abstract: Electronic devices, such as IC devices, are tested by determining a failure net within the electronic device that is causing a device failure. After identifying the failure net, the failure net is locally stressed. The stress is applied so that only the net being tested is subjected to the stress, and the remaining nets and components of the device are not stressed. A change in a signal produced by the failure net is observed while the failure net is being subjected to the stress. Testing in this manner assists in identifying the failure net as a failure source of the device.

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: Several different approaches may be taken to adding mobile unit position location capability to a system for wireless communications. These approaches may include terrestrial techniques as well as satellite-based techniques. An apparatus is disclosed whereby different such approaches may be evaluated and compared in the context of a particular existing or proposed system for wireless communications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing the amount of time that a mobile station is to be out of communication with an “origination” base station while searching for a suitable system to which to perform a mobile station assisted hard handoff. After being directed to search for pilot signals in an alternate frequency band, the mobile station tunes to that alternate frequency and samples the incoming data, storing those samples in memory. When a sufficient number of samples have been stored, the mobile station retunes to the origination frequency. The forward link data is again received by the mobile station, and reverse link data can be successfully transmitted to the origination base station. After retuning to the origination frequency, a searcher in the mobile station will subsequently be employed to search for pilot signal offsets utilizing the stored data collected from the alternate frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and communicating random challenge values to mobile stations is disclosed that does not lose the unpredictability of a truly random number but can be simply and economically synchronized across cellular systems. The method and apparatus updates a binary number that will be used in cellular telephone system authentication procedures by applying a first algorithm to a plurality of most significant bits of a first binary number to obtain a second binary number; operates on a plurality of least significant bits of the first binary number with a second algorithm to obtain a third binary number, and applies a block cipher to the concatenation of the second and third numbers to obtain the updated binary number. When the most significant bits of the updated binary number comprise an all-zeroes number they are replaced with the most significant bits of the concatenation of the second and third numbers.

Abstract: A system including a user station that prioritizes multiple cell sites (BTSs) based on the strength of a paging message being transmitted by the BTSs. The user station transmits a response message to one of the BTSs transmitting the paging message based upon selecting the access channel associated with the BTS from which the user station received the paging message having the strongest signal strength until a timeout period has expired, and subsequently transmits the response message on the access channel associated with the BTS from which the user station received the paging message having the next strongest signal strength. The user station includes a receiver to receive the paging message transmitted by multiple BTSs. The user station further includes a processor to analyze and prioritize the multiple BTSs into a sequence according to the signal strength of the paging message received. Coupled to the processor is a timer for timing the timeout period.

Abstract: A method or system establishes a packet network call over a transmission link extending between a mobile terminal device and an interworking function which comprises a gateway or bridge connection to a network, such as a packet network. The transmission link connects the mobile terminal device to a wireless communication device over a first interface and further connects the wireless communication device to the interworking function over a second interface via a wireless link to a base station. The packet network call, once established, comprises a first interface data link formed within a predetermined data link layer across the first interface and a second interface data link formed within the predetermined data link layer across the second interface. A flow control is asserted and deasserted on the mobile terminal device.

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: The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus for transmitting high speed digital data in a spread spectrum communications system. In particular, the present invention provides methods for transmitting forward link and reverse link high speed digital data. For both forward link and reverse link transmissions, the present invention describes a method for processing the data for transmission in a 1.2288 Mcps band and in a 3.6268 Mcps band. In addition, the present invention describes a method for transmitting forward link and reverse link data of both rate set 1 digital data and rate set 2 digital data. Rate set 1 digital data comprises variable rate data at rates defined as Mux Option 1 in the IS-95 standard. Rate set 2 digital data comprises variable rate data at rates defined as Mux Option 2 in the appendix to the IS-95 standard. In addition the present invention describes methods of transmitting the data for applications using packet switched technology and circuit switched technology.

Abstract: A method for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a multistory building and a wireless communication network external to the building, the building including alternating even and odd floors and having a near side and a far side, the method including dividing a plurality of slave transceivers into a main sub-group of slave transceivers and a diversity sub-group of slave transceivers, the transceivers being operative to transmit signals of a type which are conveyed over the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method of designing a network results in a network with an efficient addressing scheme which allows for filters to perform a simple logical operation. The process begins by arranging a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of bi-directional links in a tree topology. Each node is assigned a range of consecutive flow process addresses such that each packet carried in a first direction on one of the bi-directional links has an address within the range A<X<B and each packet carried in a second direction on the same bi-directional link has an address within the range {overscore (A<X<B)}.

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: The present invention is a novel and improved method and circuit for digital signal processing. One aspect of the invention calls for the use of a variable length instruction set. A portion of the variable length instructions may be stored in adjacent locations within memory space with the beginning and ending of instructions occurring across memory word boundaries. Furthermore, additional aspects of the invention are realized by having instructions contain variable numbers of instruction fragments. Each instruction fragment causes a particular operation, or operations, to be performed allowing multiple operations during each clock cycle. Thus, multiple operations are performed during each clock cycle, reducing the total number of clock cycles necessary to perform a task. The exemplary DSP includes a set of three data buses over which data may be exchanged with a register bank and three data memories.