Abstract: Methods and apparatus for quickly selecting an optimal excitation waveform from a codebook are presented herein. In encoding schemes that use forward and backward pitch enhancement, storage and processor load is reduced by approximating a two-dimensional autocorrelation matrix with a one-dimensional autocorrelation vector. The approximation is possible when a cross-correlation element is configured to determine the autocorrelation matrix of an impulse response and a pulse energy determination element is configured to determine the energy of a pulse code vector that incorporates secondary pulse positions.

Abstract: A self-biased voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that includes a VCO core including a plurality of switching transistors, a resonant tank circuit operatively coupled to the VCO core, a current source operatively coupled to the VCO core for supplying a bias current to the VCO core, and a biasing circuit operatively coupled to both the resonant tank circuit and to the current source. The biasing circuit and the switching transistors of the VCO core cooperatively function to bias the current source, whereby the VCO is self-biased.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing and accessing a preferred roaming list formed of variable size system records each of which includes a system identification field, a network identification included field, a preferred_negative field, a geographical region indicator field, and an acquisition parameter information field. Each of the system records optionally includes a network identification field, a priority field, and a roaming indicator field. The network identification, priority and roaming indicator fields from the records are stored in a first array; the system identification and geographical region indicator fields are stored in a second array; the first bit of the network identification included and the preferred_negative fields are stored in a third array; the second bit of the network identification included fields from the records are stored in a fourth array; and the acquisition parameter information fields are stored in a fifth array.

Abstract: Techniques for improved diversity pilot estimation in rapidly changing channel environments are disclosed. In one aspect, a difference estimate is updated when a current received symbol comprises a difference between the primary and diversity channels, and a sum estimate is updated when a current received symbol comprises a sum of the primary and diversity channels. The primary channel and the diversity channel are estimated in response to the sum estimate and the difference estimate. In another aspect, the sum estimate and difference estimate are produced by filtering the received symbols. In yet another aspect, received symbols are demodulated in response to the primary and diversity channel estimates. These aspects have the benefit of incorporating the most recently received symbol, resulting in more accurate channel estimates and hence improved demodulation performance, increased system capacity, lower required transmit power, and other benefits.

Abstract: Techniques for processing transmissions in a communications (e.g., CDMA) system. Samples are received and assembled into one or more traffics, with each traffic including one or more portions (e.g., radio frames, coded blocks) suitable for processing independently. The priority of each portion is determined based on its processing delays requirement, which can be estimated based on, for example, the time interval over which the samples in the traffic are interleaved, the processing deadline, and so on. A portion in a traffic having the highest priority is selected and scheduled for processing. The processing can include reordering the samples in the selected portion in accordance with a particular reordering scheme, accumulating redundant samples and inserting place holders (e.g., don't cares) for deleted samples in the selected portion, and decoding the reordered samples in the selected portion.

Abstract: An area area package includes a plurality of solder balls not used as electrical connectors. These non-connected solder balls, or “dummy balls,” provide protection to solder balls connected to live pins and therefore increase reliability of the area array package. The dummy balls may be placed in the corners, along the diagonals or in other high stress location on the area array package. To further increase reliability, a continuous copper ball land pad may be used to connect each group of corner dummy balls. Continuous copper pads help to reduce stress on the dummy balls. For center-depopulated BGA packages, an array of dummy balls may be used in the center of the package to prevent substrate bending and improve drop test reliability.

Abstract: Techniques for inner/outer loop tracking that is stable and provides desirable loop convergence characteristics are disclosed. In one aspect, the contribution from any one inner loop to the tracking function of the outer loop is limited, to prohibit any one received signal component from dominating the outer loop. In another aspect, the rate of outer loop tracking variation is controlled to provide inner and outer loop stability. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of providing stable inner and outer loop control, as well as efficient convergence and tracking by the various loops, resulting in reduced frequency error and improved communication performance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to dynamically adjust parameters of a filter for a pilot signal. An incoming signal containing a pilot signal is filtered using non-identical filters, and the magnitudes of the filtered signals are compared to estimate a bandwidth of the pilot signal. Noise in the incoming signal may also be estimated, preferably from a portion of the incoming signal not expected to contain the pilot signal. Based on the comparison of the filtered signal magnitudes, which may be compensated to remove the noise contribution, the parameters of a filter applied to the incoming signal to isolate the pilot signal are varied. The parameters may vary the bandwidth of a pilot signal filter. The non-identical filters used in the pilot signal bandwidth estimation may be IIR or FIR filters having different passbands, or may be a correlation of the incoming signal with sinusoids of different frequencies.

Abstract: A telephone has several lists of phone numbers. Each phone number within a list has a number of digits which is not less than a predetermined minimum number, and not more than a predetermined maximum number. The maximum number is the “size” of the list. When a digit is entered, the phone compares (1B) the number of digits entered to the lists, and selects (1C) the list of the smallest size which is greater than or equal to the number of digits entered. That list is searched (1D) and the results displayed (1E) when the search is complete. If another digit is entered during the search (1F), the comparing (1B) and list selecting (1C) steps are repeated.

Abstract: A mobile station (16) may include a terminal equipment (10), a mobile station modem (14), a mobile telephone (12), and other features. A CPU (52) selectively generates control signals to efficiently control transmission of supplemental channel request messages (SCRM) by the mobile station (16). In one embodiment, transmission of a SCRM in response to a predetermined event is prohibited until a fixed period of time has elapsed since the last transmission of an SCRM in response to the predetermined event.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for efficiently reading and storing state metrics in memory to enhance high-speed ACS Viterbi decoder implementations. The method includes applying an addressing scheme that determines the address locations of source state metrics during a process cycle. The source state metrics are then read from the address locations during the process cycle and applied to an add-compare-select butterfly operation of a Viterbi algorithm implementation to generate target state metrics. The method then stores each of the target state metrics into the address locations previously occupied by the source state metrics. The method further provides an addressing scheme that determines the address locations of the source state metrics based on a process cycle counter that is incremented and rotated in accordance with the process cycle.

Abstract: A method and system that combines voice recognition engines and resolves differences between the results of individual voice recognition engines using a mapping function. Speaker independent voice recognition engines and speaker-dependent voice recognition engines are combined. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) engines and Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) engines are combined.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (100) includes a display (120) having a backlight (124). A backlight controller (126) selectively enables the backlight (124) to minimize power consumption and conserve energy in a battery (132). In one embodiment, a receiver (110) receives a time-of-day message from a remote location to set a timer (122) with the current time-of-day. The current time-of-day is compared with a predetermined time-of-day and the backlight controller (126) enables and disables the backlight (124) at predetermined times-of-day. The wireless communication device (100) may also include a GPS receiver (128), to determine the location of the device. The backlight controller (126) can determine the sunrise or sunset times for the specific location. The GPS data may be used in combination with the time-of-day message. A photosensor (130) can detect ambient light levels and generate an electrical signal corresponding thereto.

Abstract: The dual microprocessor system includes one microprocessor configured to perform wireless telephony functions and another configured to perform personal digital assistant (PDA) functions and other non-telephony functions. A memory system and a digital signal processor (DSP) are shared by the microprocessors. By providing a shared memory system, data required by both data microprocessors is conveniently available to both of the microprocessors and their peripheral components thereby eliminating the need to provide separate memory subsystems and further eliminating the need to transfer data back and forth between the separate memory subsystems. By providing a shared DSP, separate DSP devices need not be provided, yet both microprocessors can take advantage of the processing power of the DSP. In a specific example described herein, the microprocessors selectively program the DSP to perform, for example, vocoder functions, voice recognition functions, handwriting recognition functions, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved technique for performing coding with particular application to turbo, or iterative, coding techniques. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, interleaving is performed by generating the address of a memory using a PN state generator. Data is written into a memory in sequential order, and then read out using addresses specified by the PN state generator. To deinterleave, the interleaved data is written into a memory using addresses specified by the PN state generator, and then read out in sequential order. A set of PN state generators that provide excellent coding performance is provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing coding efficiency by reducing illegal or other undesirable packet generation while encoding a signal. The probability of generating illegal or other undesirable packets while encoding a signal is reduced by first analyzing a history of the frequency of codebook values selected while quantizing speech parameters. Codebook entries are then reordered so that the index/indices that create illegal or other undesirable packets contain the least frequently used entry/entries. Reordering multiple codebooks for various parameters further reduces the probability that an illegal or other undesirable packet will be created during signal encoding. The method and apparatus may be applied to reduce the probability of generating illegal null traffic channel data packets while encoding eighth rate speech.

Abstract: When all of the fingers of a wireless rake receiver are “out-of-lock,” the transmit power is initially maintained at a constant level. When the “out-of-lock” condition persists for an extended period of time, transmit power is increased in an effort to reacquire a lock with a subscriber unit or base station, as the case may be. An increase in transmit power may be effective in reacquiring lock when the cause of the out-of-lock condition is slow fading, rather than fast fading. Slow fading may be evidenced by persistence of the out-of-lock condition for an extended period of time. The length of the out-of-lock condition is used to selectively control transmit power and thereby promote quality of service. Transmit power is only increased when the fingers remain out-of-lock for an extended period of time, thereby avoiding undue increases in transmit power that could produce interference among different subscriber units.

Abstract: A client unit (102) has a client GPS receiver (104) integrated with a two-way-radio transceiver (108) and a client manager (116) for performing server-assisted global position fixes. A server unit (120) is associated with a second two-way-radio transceiver (126) and a server manager (130). The client and server managers (116 and 130) function as communication managers, and each has modules for detecting RF channel traffic, enabling transmitter portions of the transceivers (108 and 126) to transmit satellite data and position information only when there is no traffic on the RF channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decreasing the probability of dropping a call during a hard handoff procedure in a wireless communication system. The two primary functions of the candidate frequency (CF) search method and apparatus of the present invention are to detect the strong pilots on a candidate frequency in the area of the mobile station and to maintain adequate service quality during the CF search.

Abstract: A multi-carrier filter for a wireless communications system employing a multi-carrier signal. The multi-carrier filter includes a first mechanism for receiving the multi-carrier signal and extracting carrier signal components of the multi-carrier signal in response thereto. A second mechanism filters the carrier signal components and outputs a demodulated and filtered multi-bandwidth signal in response thereto. In the specific embodiment, the first mechanism includes a rotator. The multi-carrier signal is a 3× bandwidth multi-carrier signal having three carrier components. The three carrier components include a center carrier, a left carrier, and a right carrier. The center carrier, the left carrier, and the right carrier are separated by approximately 1.25 MHz. The rotator is a lookup table rotator that includes a mechanism for selectively rotating the multi-carrier-signal clockwise or counter clockwise and outputting the left carrier or the right carrier, respectively, in response thereto.