Abstract: A method and system for wireless communications between a base transceiver station and a mobile unit which provides necessary guard times in the downlink signal burst while maintaining the same bit rate in both the downlink and uplink signal bursts is disclosed. Downlink signal bursts are modulated using a first modulation technique and uplink signal bursts are modulated using a second modulation technique. Preferably, the first modulation technique is a higher-order than the second modulation technique. The first modulation technique may be 16 QAM while the second modulation technique may be 4 QAM or ?/4 QPSK.

Abstract: A packet prioritization and transmission algorithm for on demand transportation of data packets having different priorities through a shared packet pipe. The algorithm comprises prematurely ending the transmission of a packet having a low priority; placing the remainder of the packet having the low priority in a storage means, holding data of the packet having the low priority in the storage means, transmitting a packet having a high priority, transmitting the remainder of the packet having the low priority once the packet having the high priority is finished transmitting, flagging a packet header of a packet having the low priority to identify pending packets to allow for transmission of packets having the high priority; and determining a priority of an incoming packet.

Abstract: A multipath signal searcher (204) used in CDMA wireless communication systems is provided. Search paths (214) of the multipath signal searcher are grouped together and assigned by an offset assignment/timing block (210) to search a time offset within a search window. The search paths may be operated In serial or parallel operation mode. In either mode, the search paths are individually assigned to search over one of a group of time offsets that are distributed across the search window evenly. In parallel mode, the search paths are not only grouped to search only a given set of time offsets within the search window, but different groups of search paths are offset to commence searching at different times then other groups of search paths to more quickly update a finger manager and more quickly retrieve the mobile communication signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to efficiently calculate log-likelihood ratios for each bit within M-ary QAM modulated symbols transmitted in a communication system. The method and apparatus utilize characteristics of square Karnaugh mapping of the QAM symbol constellation in order to reduce the number of distance calculations needed to determine the log-likelihood ratios for each of the bits within a demodulated symbol. The reduction in the number of calculations affords significant reduction in the time needed to determine log-likelihood ratios, especially for higher order M-ary QAM systems.

Abstract: To address the need for an interference-efficient method and apparatus to provide CDMA services, embodiments of the present invention adjust the outer loop frame error rate (FER) target on the forward and reverse links (110-113) while providing communication services to remote units (101-102). At times during a service when a link is conveying primarily “empty” eighth rate frames, the FER target for that link is increased. This improves system capacity by effectively reducing the power needed to transmit such frames and thereby reducing the resultant interference.

Abstract: To address the need for a base site and method for quickly establishing a CDMA dispatch call, the present invention provides for signaling mobile stations (e.g., 120-123) to inform them of the call and then starting the dispatch call without waiting for the call participants to request their inbound links. The dispatch call is first transmitted by base sites (e.g., 110-112) of all the service coverage areas (e.g., 101-103) that may have call participants, and then discontinued at those base sites where no inbound link requests are received within a period of time. Thus, the dispatch call is established while “call setup” effectively continues.

Abstract: To address the need for an apparatus and method for CDMA-dispatch soft handoff, the present invention enables mobile-initiated soft handoff for dispatch calls. A mobile station (120) in a dispatch call establishes an individual inbound link (137) with the serving base site (111). When the mobile station determines that a handoff with an adjacent site (112) is needed, the mobile station uses its individual inbound link to request a soft handoff with the adjacent base site. After notifying the adjacent base site, the serving base site then transmits the handoff information to the mobile station to enable the mobile station to begin a soft handoff with the adjacent site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting a communication timer (306) for a communication network is described herein and comprises a communication device (302) capable of receiving data indicating that a data transfer rate has varied from a previous data transfer rate to a new data transfer rate, determining the amount the data transfer rate has varied, and adjusting the communication timer (306) from one set timed interval to a different set timed interval to automatically account for the varying data transfer rate and for optimizing data transfer between networked components.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamic rate switching via medium access channel layer signaling is disclosed, wherein data rates for high data rate channels are automatically shifted up or down based on a predetermined metric. In a preferred embodiment, data rates are automatically shifted up or down based on transmit channel gain required to maintain a required signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for long code generation in synchronous, multi-chip rate systems, wherein a first code sequence having a first bit rate, and a second code sequence having the first bit rate, the second code sequence being a time delay of the first code sequence, are multiplexed together, producing a desired long code.

Abstract: A wireless communication system (100) employs a method and apparatus for providing information to multiple communication units (121-129). The communication system includes a communication infrastructure (101, 102, 103, 105, 111-113, 120), a data network (107) and an information source (109). The multiple communication units each subscribe to an information service provided by the information source. The communication infrastructure creates a subscription group that includes the multiple communication units. The infrastructure receives subscriber information including at least one information unit from the information source and sets up a point-to-multipoint group call with the subscription group. The infrastructure then transmits the subscriber information to the multiple communication units. Any information unit not confirmed by the multiple communication units is re-transmit by the infrastructure.

Abstract: A packet data communication system (100) that includes a plurality of communication units and a fixed infrastructure comprising a packet data routing system (101, 103) and a plurality of base sites (111-119), emloys a method and apparatus for paging a communication unit (110). The fixed infrastructure (101, 103, 111-119) transmits a paging message to a communication unit (110) of the plurality of communication units. In response to receiving the paging message, the communication unit (110) transmits an acknowledgment. If the fixed infrastructure (101, 103, 111-119) fails to receive the acknowledgment within a certain waiting period, the fixed infrastructure (101, 103, 111-119) waits at least until the expiration of a backoff period before again transmitting a paging message, wherein the length of time of the backoff period is based on a metric of known system behavioral patterns.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system (100) having a plurality of communication cells (115, 117), and a plurality of mobile stations (118) operating within selected ones of the multiple communication cells (115, 117), a method and an apparatus for selecting those communication cells (115, 117). Within each communication cell (115, 117), a base station (112) transmits a message directed to the mobile stations (118), and detects a response indicator in the selected ones of the plurality of communication cells (115, 117). The message may be a broadcast page message transmitted by the base station (112). The response indicator may be an impulse radio-frequency energy transmission generated by the plurality of mobile stations (118) operating within the selected ones of the plurality of communication cells (115, 117).

Abstract: A radio communication system (10) that includes a method and call processor (18) for integrating multiple services. The call processor (18) provides a transparent interface between various service subsystems (12-16) to allow inter-service call waiting notification and to improve overall system reliability and performance. A local home location register (HLR) (21) stores mobile subscriber unit status information, permitting the call processor (18) to perform call notification and route calls more efficiently.

Abstract: To address the need for conveying data to a base site (110) and communication unit (104) without substantially introducing congestion or delay to the network used, the present invention provides two methods and a data gateway apparatus. The data gateway (116) upon receiving a data packet addressed to a communication unit (104), divides the data packet into data blocks and generates transmission data packets which can be transmitted from a base site (110) to the communication unit (104) in individual time slots. The transmission data packets, being smaller than the data packet, do not introduce substantial delay to an infrastructure network (114) and are conveyed over time to prevent congestion.

Abstract: To address the need to provide interurban dispatch services, embodiments supporting an interurban dispatch group call service are disclosed. Call control in the controlling network equipment (e.g., 110-131) manages the dispatch service in both the local urban area (101) and the remote urban areas (151). Call flow embodiments that enable this management of group call service across urban area boundaries are described in detail.

Abstract: To address the need for a communication unit, a communication infrastructure, and method that shorten call-setup time while still providing the benefit of the QPCH, the present invention provides a communication unit (e.g., 103) that sends a page response before receiving a page message from the communication infrastructure, based on the values of the QPCH indicators. This “preemptive” page response shortens call-setup time. Because several communication units may send page responses before verifying whether they specifically are being paged, the infrastructure (e.g., 108-110) determines which page responses are valid (and processes them further) and which are false (and discards them).

Abstract: When a remote unit (113) accesses a cellular communication system (100) via an uplink communication signal (119), a Mobile Switching Center (104) notifies a voice-mail system (114) that the remote unit (113) is available for communication. The voice-mail system (114) then establishes a connection via a base station (102) and the downlink communication signal (116), to the remote unit (113). Once connection has been established between the voice-mail system (114) and the remote unit (113), the remote unit (113) downloads the voice-mail message from voice-mail system (114) for storage internal to the remote unit (113).

Abstract: The present invention achieves the benefits of the improved joint detector previously disclosed with significantly less computation by, first, moving the backward substitution computation outside the detector's decoding iteration loop and, second, by moving the input buffer inside the iteration loop. The backward substitution computation is performed initially as part of a joint detection equalization stage prior to entering the decode iteration loop. Then with each decode iteration, the present invention generates a correction signal that is subtracted from the present input signal to produce the next input signal. Each correction signal is generated from a series of differences between the decoded symbols of the current iteration and those in the previous iteration. Thus, the present invention achieves the same performance improvement over conventional joint detectors as the improved joint detector previously disclosed but with dramatically less computational requirements.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the deficiencies of prior art joint detection techniques by implementing the decision feedback equalizer part of a joint detector in the turbo decoding iteration loop such that joint detection and turbo decoding are performed interactively in a mutual support fashion. Thus, the decoder (230) benefits from ISI and MAI suppressed samples provided by the equalizer, while the decision feedback equalizer is fed with more reliable hard decisions for the transmitted symbols by the turbo decoder.