Abstract: A mobile wireless terminal (MWT) includes multiple wireless modems. The multiple modems have their respective transmit outputs combined together to produce an aggregate transmit output. The multiple modems can concurrently transmit data in a reverse link direction and receive data in a forward link direction. The MWT is constrained to operate under an aggregate transmit power limit. Each of the multiple modems has an individual transmit limit related to the aggregate transmit power limit. An MWT controller adjusts the individual transmit power limits in the multiple modems based on an aggregate transmit power limit of the MWT and respective transmit power estimates from the modems, to cause each individual transmit power limit to track a corresponding individual modem transmit power.

Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing a number of specialized circuits or application-specific integrated circuits to a common timing standard is provided. The system includes a first communications device including at least first and second type communication paths which is configured to receive first and second timing signals in the first type communications path and to transmit data on the second type communications path. The data is transmitted in association with the received first timing signal. A controller or signal processor element is coupled to the first device and configured to receive the second timing signal and produce a timing word therefrom. A second communications device is coupled to the processor and configured to receive the second timing signal and produce a timing word therefrom. The second communications. device receives the timing word and the transmitted data and derives synchronization information therefrom.

Abstract: A system and method for narrowing the range of frequency uncertainty of a Doppler shifted pilot signal in a satellite or other communications system with relative signal source and receiver motion. The satellite communications system includes a user terminal (for example, a mobile wireless telephone), a gateway (terrestrial base station), and at least one satellite with unknown position and unknown relative velocity. The method includes the steps of shifting the pilot signal over a plurality of frequency hypotheses, coherently accumulating samples of the pilot signal over a plurality of chips, measuring the energy of the accumulated pilot signal samples, accumulating the energy measurements over a plurality of chips to produce an energy accumulation value, and determining which of the plurality of frequency hypotheses results in the highest energy accumulation value.

Abstract: A method for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including obtaining an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a telephone subscriber and associating the identifier with a destination telephone number of the telephone subscriber to form a mapping therebetween. The method further includes storing the mapping in a lookup table, dialing the identifier using an originating telephone, using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table so as to recover the destination telephone number from the stored mapping, and establishing a connection between the originating telephone and a destination telephone via the destination telephone number.

Abstract: A system and method places signaling message frames in a traffic channel carrying voice frames so that the signaling message transmission does not seriously impact voice quality. This is accomplished by producing a first stream of voice encoded packets and a second stream of signaling message packets. The signaling message packets are prioritized in the second stream relative to the voice encoded packets in the first stream. An arbitration element arbitrates between the voice encoded and prioritized signaling message packets, which are multiplexed as a function of this arbitration. The multiplexed voice encoded and prioritized signaling message packets are then transmitted.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for detecting the presence of or acquiring a signal in a data stream, where the signal has been spread using a pseudonoise sequence. The method comprises the steps of delaying a pseudonoise sequence by a plurality of predetermined delays to produce a plurality of delayed pseudonoise sequences, combining each of the delayed pseudonoise sequences with the data stream to produce a plurality of despread data streams, and accumulating each of the despread data streams for a preselected duration to produce a plurality of coherent sums. Each of the coherent sums are accumulated for a further duration to produce a plurality of non-coherent sums. The non-coherent sums are examined to determine the most likely PN offset hypothesis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing latency in a group communication network provides for a significant reduction in the actual total dormancy wakeup time and the PTT latency by exchanging group call signaling even when mobiles are dormant and no traffic channel is active. The method and apparatus provides for exchanging the group call signaling through the use of the short data burst (SDB) message signaling. The method and apparatus provides for reestablishing dedicated traffic channels for the talker mobile and the dormant listener mobiles advantageously in parallel.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for providing an audio interface between multiple deskset phones and a single radio antenna unit (RAU). The audio interface includes a transmit path and a receive path. The transmit path carries transmit signals from the multiple deskset phones to the RAU. The receive path carries a receive signal from the RAU to the deskset phones. The transmit path and receive path are electrically isolated from each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the probability of successful data frame transmission from a transmitter to a receiver. When a data frame is generated by a processor, it is stored in a transmit queue and a copy of the data frame is stored in a secondary queue. An elapsed time device tracks the elapsed time that the data frame copy has been stored in the secondary queue. When no data frames are generated by the processor, data frame copies from the secondary queue are placed into the transmit queue, thereby increasing the redundancy of transmitted data frames and thus the probability of successful transmission to the receiver.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling transmitted output power of outdoor antenna units coupled to hand held wireless devices. When the antenna unit is operating with wireless network technology it may also be referred to as an outdoor unit. Transmit power level of an information signal is controlled in the outdoor unit by obtaining a control voltage from the hand held unit. The control voltage is used by the outdoor unit, to adjust the power level of the transmitted information signal. The transmit power level is adjusted by the outdoor unit performing the following steps: (1) detecting the transmit power level of the antenna unit, (2) determining whether the transmit power level is equal to a control voltage, and (3) adjusting the transmit power level based on the control voltage if the transmit power level is not equal to the control voltage. The adjustment of the transmit power level is accomplished by a closed loop circuit that maintains a constant loop gain.

Abstract: A control interface protocol governs communications in a satellite telephone system. The satellite telephone system comprises a radio antenna unit (RAU) and a plurality of desksets connected to the RAU. An interface bus connects the desksets to the RAU. The RAU and the desksets communicate with each other by packets. Each packet comprises a start of header (SOH) byte, an address number (ADDR) byte, a command (CMD) byte, an argument (ARG) and a block check character (BCC). The ADDR byte comprises a source and a destination address of the packet. All packets, except negative acknowledgment (NAK) packets from the desksets, are acknowledged by the RAU. The packets originating from the desksets are tagged with an address of the desksets. A packet to a specific deskset includes a destination address. A packet originating from the RAU to all desksets includes a first default address. A packet originating from the RAU to a deskset that does not have an address includes a second default address.

Abstract: The present invention represents an integrated antenna assembly comprising a cellular communications antenna and a satellite communications antenna. Such an antenna assembly can, therefore, be used for communications over either frequency range. A wireless telephone using this assembly can, therefore, operate with either a terrestrial cellular communications system or a satellite communications system. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the satellite communications antenna is a quadrifilar helix antenna and the cellular communications antenna is a sleeve dipole. The whip portion of the sleeve dipole is positioned axially in the center of the quadrifilar helix antenna. This orientation permits operation in both the satellite and cellular frequency ranges without significant electromagnetic coupling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing voice latency in a voice-over-data wireless communication system. In a transmitter, audio information to be transmitted is first encoded using a voice encoder operating in a first mode of operation. At least one operating parameter in the transmitter is measured by a processor, the least one operating parameter proportional to a latency between the transmitter and receiver. If the at least one operational parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold, the voice encoder is instructed to operate in a second mode of operation. When the at least one operational parameter falls below a second predetermined threshold, the voice encoder is instructed to operate in the first mode of operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multiple band mobile radio (also referred to as a Wireless Communication Device (WCD)) capable of communicating with both a satellite communication system and a terrestrial communication system. The satellite communication system can be, for example, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite system. The terrestrial communication system can be a Personal Communication System (PCS), or a cellular system, including either an analog or a digitally based cellular system. The cellular analog system can be AMPS. The digitally based cellular system can be a CDMA or a TDMA based communication system. The WCD can concurrently receive signals from the terrestrial communication system and the satellite communication system.

Abstract: A method for reducing call dropping rates in a multi-beam communication system. The multi-beam communication system includes a user terminal, a gateway, and a plurality of beam sources, where each beam source projects a plurality of beams, and where a communication link between the user terminal and the gateway is established on one or more beams. The method according to the present invention relies on a messaging protocol between the gateway and the user terminal. Based on messages sent from the user terminal to the gateway, preferably on a preselected periodic basis, the gateway can determine the more desirable beam(s) for transmitting data or information to the user terminal. The messages sent from the user terminal to the gateway contain values representing beam strengths as measured at the user terminal. The gateway uses the user terminal measured beam strengths to select the beams that should be used for transmitting data or information to the user terminal.

Abstract: A dielectric-patch resonator antenna having a resonator formed from a dielectric material mounted on a ground plane with a conductive skirt, and a patch element disposed inbetween. The ground plane and patch are formed from conductive materials. First and second probes are electrically coupled to the resonator for providing first and second signals, respectively, to or receiving from the resonator. The first and second probes are spaced apart from each other. The first and second probes are formed of conductive strips that are electrically connected to the perimeter of the resonator and are substantially orthogonal with respect to the ground plane. A dual band antenna can be constructed by positioning and connecting two dielectric resonator antennas together. Each resonator in the dual band configuration resonates at a particular frequency, thereby providing dual band operation. The resonators can be positioned either side by side or vertically.

Abstract: In a digital cinema system comprising a decoder and an auditorium manager, where the auditorium manager configured to sequence the presentation of scheduled programs, a method of cueing a theatre automation system is claimed. A cue command is received from the decoder. The cue command is configured to a format acceptable by the theatre automation system. The cue command is then relayed to the theatre automation system.

Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing files shared by members of a distributed workgroup through electronic mail. Electronic mail having a synchronization command embedded in multipurpose internet mail extensions is generated when a workgroup member revises a workgroup file and is sent to the other workgroup members. Upon receipt of the electronic mail containing the synchronization command, the local copy of the corresponding workgroup file resident on the computer of the recipient is synchronized to reflect the revision. Membership in the workgroup is managed through electronic mail having embedded mailer's list management command as well.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of intraframe encoding of digital frequency-domain data. The data comprises a plurality of slices each having a plurality of blocks. Each block has a DC component and a plurality of AC components. A first DC component value of each slice is encoded. Each subsequent DC component value of each slice is represented as the difference between it and the DC component value preceeding it. For lossless encoding, the initial DC component value of each slice and the differences are encoding using Golomb-Rice.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing coverage control for multicast service in a wireless network. The present invention comprises a central transceiver for receiving a membership report from a plurality of wireless communication devices, the membership report identifying a multicast group to which at least one wireless communication device belongs. The central transceiver transmits an indication of the multicast group identified in the membership report to at least a portion of the plurality of wireless communication devices. The wireless communication devices use the information contained within the indication to determine whether or not to transmit a membership report identifying a multicast group to which it currently belongs.