Abstract: A method of reducing an audio gap in a connection between communication hardware and a mobile unit during a handoff between a first cell and a second cell in a communication network, wherein a first voice processor is communicatively coupled to a mobile switching center that services the first cell, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining when the mobile unit is likely to move from the first cell to the second cell, establishing inbound and outbound communicative coupling between the mobile switching center and a second voice processor that services the second cell when the mobile unit is likely to move from the first cell to the second cell and determining that the mobile unit has moved from the first cell to the second cell.

Abstract: A component shim 310 is used with printed circuit boards 306 and heat spreaders 314, for example, where each of the printed circuit board 300 and heat spreader 314 has a surface 304, 312 that are in different spaced apart planes. A component 300 has one lead attached to the surface 304 of the printed circuit board 306. The component shim 310 has a conductive section 320 with an upper attachment layer 326 and a lower attachment layer 332 secured to opposed sides 322, 324 of the conductive section 320. The upper attachment layer 326 is secured to a bottom 308 of the component 300 and the lower attachment layer 332 is secured to a surface 312 of the heat spreader 314. The total thickness of the conductive section 320 and upper and lower attachment layers 326, 332 of the component shim 310 is substantially equal to a distance from the bottom 308 of the component 300 to the surface 312 of the heat spreader 314.

Abstract: Within a wireless CDMA communication system (100), at least one dedicated inbound code (232, 332, 414-416) and at least one dedicated outbound code (234, 334, 418-420) are provided solely for use in providing group calls. Based on a dedicated inbound code, a subscriber unit transmits a group call signal (505) and a base transceiver system receives the group call signal (703). In turn, the base transceiver system retransmits the group call signal based on a dedicated outbound code (709). Alternatively, or in addition, the base transceiver system sends the group call signal, along with information regarding the dedicated inbound code, to a controller (705-706). Subscriber units can receive group code updates (502, 602) indicating the particular dedicated inbound and outbound codes to be used within a given site. In this manner, the communication system can provide group call functionality in a public system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for modifying facsimile data transfer rates based upon varying bit rates of a transport medium. The apparatus includes a channel quality monitor adapted to monitor channel quality of an asynchronous link, and a rate modifier adapted to dynamically modify a maximum data transfer rate between the originating facsimile machine and the terminating facsimile machine in response to the channel quality.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system (100) affinity groups to which a mobile station (114) belongs are identified (504). Historical affinity strengths between the mobile station and the affinity groups are then determined (506). For each of a plurality of communication resources (102) serving members of the affinity groups, a total affinity strength between the mobile station and the members served by the communication resource is calculated (508). The mobile station is then assigned (522) to the communication resource having a highest total affinity strength with the mobile station.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of interleaving information units in order to provide improved error control. A communication device codes the information units, subdivides the coded information units into multiple subsets, reorders each of the multiple subsets, and interlaces the multiple reordered subsets to produce a set of interleaved coded information units. By reordering and interlacing the subsets, the impact of burst errors is diminished and the coded information units are formatted to take advantage of the different levels of error protection provided to the various bits underlying a symbol assigned by a symbol mapper.

Abstract: An apparatus (100), comprising multiple modular electrical devices (102, 104, 504) and an optical signal source (106), all coupled to an optical communication resource (108), and method for the interconnection of the multiple modular electrical devices (102, 104, 504) provides for a first modular electrical device (102) of the multiple modular electrical devices to locate a second modular electrical device (104) of the multiple modular electrical devices and to selectively address a communication among multiple modular electrical devices (102, 504).

Abstract: The present invention addresses the need for providing dispatch service to dispatch clients via a packet-switched network, such as the Internet, by disclosing a network dispatch manager, a dispatch gateway, a method for a network dispatch manager to provide dispatch service, and a method for a dispatch gateway to provide dispatch service. Dispatch service is provided via a multicast capable, packet-switched network (114) connecting a network dispatch manager (112) to dispatch gateways (115-116) and a packet-switched network (120), such as the Internet, connecting the dispatch gateways to dispatch clients (124,126). The network dispatch manager (112) assigns a multicast group to each dispatch gateway and uses the multicast group to multicast voice packets to the dispatch gateways (115-116). The dispatch gateways (115-116), in turn, perform any required packet duplication needed to forward the voice packets, via the packet-switched network (120), to the dispatch clients involved in the dispatch call.

Abstract: A carrier assembly (10) for a circuit board includes a copper insert (12) pressed into an aluminum carrier (14). The copper insert has an undercut recess (36). As the insert (12) is pressed into the carrier (14), a portion of the carrier material is flowed into the undercut recess (36) to provide a firm interlocking of the insert (12) with the carrier (14).

Abstract: An air moving device in the form of an axial flow fan is provided that is adapted for use in substantially enclosed high-density electrical systems, e.g. computers and the like. The fan includes an annular wall extending about the blades thereof and in which pressure equalizing openings are formed for increasing the maximum pressure in the preferred operating area of the fan and just before the stall effect occurs due to increasing system pressure resistance. A method is also provided for optimizing the number and size of the slots to obtain a desired maximum pressure increase. The slots are optimized so that there is no appreciable airflow loss in early stages of the preferred operating area while providing the desired increase in maximum pressure. The slots preferably have an elongated shape, e.g. rectangular or oval, with a major dimension extending generally axially and parallel to the axis of rotation of the blades, and are spaced from each other circumferentially about the annular wall.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the need for an apparatus and method for facilitating and performing distributed speech processing in a wireless communication system. The present invention encompasses communication infrastructure embodiments that facilitate distributed speech processing by establishing voice and data pathways to support distributed speech processing services. The present invention also encompasses a communication unit that performs distributed voice recognition and distributed speech synthesis via the communication infrastructure. The communication unit (102) requests communication services from the communication infrastructure (101) that support both voice and data communication and utilizes a data connection to a distributed speech processing unit (116) to perform distributed voice recognition and distributed speech synthesis.

Abstract: A target communication device (106) determines a length of time needed to transmit outbound information. The target communication device then transmits to a sending communication device (112) an indication of a timer value based on the length of time needed to transmit the outbound information. The sending communication device receives the indication and transmits information to the target communication device. The sending communication device determines a timer length using the indication of the timer value and starts a timer, associated with the information transmitted, with the timer length determined.

Abstract: A method and mechanism provide for online testing, replacement, upgrading and modification of portions of a radio communications system 100. A task controller 200 tests and replaces online elements in a task unit. The task unit is generally comprised of a task input queue 208, a task output queue 210, a subagent 204 and a task 206. The task controller 200 checks the functioning of the queues 208 and 210. If either or both are functioning improperly, the task controller 200 may replace one or both online. If both are operating properly, the task controller 200 tests the task 206. If the task 206 is improperly functioning, the task controller 206 replaces the task 206 with another task 402 online. The task controller 200may further replace tasks to upgrade portions of the system.

Abstract: A multi-cell communication system (100) that includes a plurality of communication units (105, 106), a plurality of base radios (108-112), and at least one system controller (128) employs a method (200) and apparatus for allocating a communication resource to a communication unit within a zone (101). In establishing a communication (118) for a communication unit (105) via a base radio (110), a communication resource (124) is allocated to the communication unit (105). This allocation of the communication resource (124) is maintained for the communication unit (105) for as long as the communication unit (105) is engaged in the communication (118) within the zone (101). When the communication unit (105) hands-off to another base radio (108) within the zone (101), deallocation of the communication resource (124) from the communication unit (105) is prevented during and after the hand-off to improve system capacity while minimizing hand-off muting.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a current generator (101) having an output. A plurality of mixers (103, 105, and 107) is switchably coupled to the current generator output, such that a first average power output level is provided when a first mixer (103) of the plurality of mixers is engaged and a second average power output level is provided when a second mixer (105) of the plurality of mixers is engaged. Alternatively, a first average power output level is provided when a first mixer (103) and a second mixer (105) of the plurality of mixers is engaged and a second average power output level is provided when the first mixer (103) of the plurality of mixers is engaged. The first average power output level and the second average power output level are different.

Abstract: An apparatus and method produce a plurality of output signals (917-921) with fixed phase relationships therebetween. The apparatus (900) includes a first signal generator (901), a second signal generator (903), and a signal processor (907). The first signal generator produces a first input signal (911) at a first frequency. The second signal generator produces a second input signal (915) at a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is an integer multiple of the first frequency. The signal processor receives the first and second input signals and produces a plurality of output signals (917-921) having fixed phase relationships therebetween at the first frequency, wherein the fixed phase relationships are based on the integer multiple and wherein each of the output signals has a single, determinate phase relative to the phase of the first input signal.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the need for an apparatus and method for controlling the load of a PA, to improve PA efficiency in linear transmitters with isolator elimination (IE) circuitry, that does not require the use of high frequency RF circuitry. The present invention provides a PA load controller (130, 131) that improves the efficiency of a PA (116) by adjusting the PA load using an AGC signal (134), a level set adjustment signal (132), and a signal strength indicator (135), these three signals are readily obtained from continuous gain and phase adjustment circuitry (e.g., 102). The load controller determines a phase of the PA load that minimizes the AGC signal and a phase of the PA load that maximizes the level set adjustment signal. From these determinations, the PA load controller determines a phase of the PA load that improves the efficiency of the PA and adjusts the PA load phase accordingly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for performing neighbor site measurements that address the need to reduce data transfer delays while performing such measurements. In the present invention, the signal quality of the serving site (108) of a communication unit (102) is used to determine the neighbor site measurement characteristics for the communication unit (102). Serving site signal quality is used as an indicator of the critical or non-critical need for neighbor site measurements. Thus, data transfer delays can be reduced by delaying serving site communication only when the serving site signal quality indicates a critical need for neighbor site measurements.

Abstract: A controller (120), in response to receiving a request for a group call (201) targeting a group (101), allocates at least one power adjustment channel to the group call (202) and sends identification of the at least one power adjustment channel to at least some of the subscriber units in the group (203). Using the at least one power adjustment channel, the controller also sends unique power adjustment information to each of the at least some subscriber units (204). Unique power adjustment channel access information is also sent to the subscriber units so that each subscriber unit can receive its own unique power adjustment information (503) and adjust its inbound transmission power (504) in response. In this manner, efficient reverse power control is provided for multiple subscriber units thereby facilitating group calls in CDMA systems.

Abstract: A first communication device (107) transmits user data (102), divided into a plurality of data blocks, at a first modulation rate. The first communication device (107) then receives an acknowledgment (104) from the second communication device (101) indicating a quantity of the data blocks that were not received and compares this quantity to a threshold. When the quantity is less than the threshold, the data blocks that were not received are retransmitted (106) at a second, usually lower, modulation rate. Otherwise, they are retransmitted at the first modulation rate. A comparison between the quantity of data blocks to be retransmitted and a threshold is being introduced to known communication techniques by the present invention.