Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a reliable means to perform handoff from a code division multiple access (CDMA) system using a pilot signal to an alternative access technique system. Simple pilot box circuitry is added to a set of border base stations. The border base stations are base stations which operate only in the alternative access technique and which have coverage areas which are contiguous with coverage areas of CDMA operation base stations. The mobile unit monitors for the pilot signal from the border base stations in the same manner as it monitors for pilot signals from the CDMA operation base stations. When the mobile unit detects the pilot signal corresponding to a border base station, it notifies a system controller in accordance with standard operation. The system controller is aware that the pilot signal corresponds to a border base station and thus triggers a hard handoff process to the alternative access technique system in response thereto.

Abstract: A comprehensive method for mobile station registration in a cellular communication system wherein registrations are made due to multiple stimulus. Registration can occur as a function of distance traveled since the previous registration. Registration can occur due to entering the coverage area of a base station assigned to a zone in which the mobile station has not recently registered. A registration timer can be used to ensure a minimum time between registrations. Registrations can occur at power up and at power down. The mobile station can be ordered to register by a transmission from a base station. Registration can occur due to parameter changes with in the mobile station. Registration may also occur through necessary communication with a base station which is not expressly directed to registration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus providing softer handoff of a mobile unit between sectors of a common base station. A sectorized base station comprises a set of demodulation elements. Each demodulation element may be assigned to a signal from one of a plurality of sectors. The output of the demodulators are combined before the decoding process independent of the sector from which the data originated. This configuration provides improved output data reliability, more stable power control, and more efficient use of resources at the base station.

Abstract: A comprehensive method for mobile station registration in a cellular communication system wherein registrations are made due to multiple stimulus. Registration can occur as a function of distance traveled since the previous registration. Registration can occur due to entering the coverage area of a base station assigned to a zone in which the mobile station has not recently registered. A registration timer can be used to ensure a minimum time between registrations. Registrations can occur at power up and at power down. The mobile station can be ordered to register by a transmission from a base station. Registration can occur due to parameter changes with in the mobile station. Registration may also occur through necessary communication with a base station which is not expressly directed to registration.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus of multiplying an analog signal by a pulse modulated signal. The apparatus includes a CMOS or equivalent gate. The pulse modulated signal is applied to the input of the gate. The analog control signal is applied to the power pin of the part. The output of the gate is the product of the two signals. The output may be lowpass filtered to obtain a resultant analog value. A scaling and offset circuit can be used to scale the output to comprise a zero pulse width modulation value wherein the value of the analog control signal has no affect on the resultant analog value.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a reliable means to perform handoff from a code division multiple access (CDMA) system using a pilot signal to an alternative access communication technique system. Simple pilot box circuitry is added to a set of border base stations. The border base stations are base stations which operate only in the alternative access communication technique and which have coverage areas which are contiguous with coverage areas of CDMA operation base stations. The mobile unit monitors for the pilot signal from the border base stations in the same manner as it monitors for pilot signals from the CDMA operation base stations. When the mobile unit detects the pilot signal corresponding to a border base station, it notifies a system controller in accordance with standard operation. The system controller is aware that the pilot signal corresponds to a border base station and thus triggers a hard handoff process to the alternative access communication technique system in response thereto.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting convergence in an echo canceller prevent false convergence from occurring as a result of receiving only tones in an input signal. An adaptive filter is used in an echo canceller to estimate an echo signal produced by an unknown echo channel. The estimated echo signal is subtracted from the return signal to remove the echo produced by the unknown echo channel. To prevent the echo canceller from falsely converging on a signal which contains only tones a system and method are provided for detecting the presence of tones in the absence of other frequencies. Filter taps of the adaptive filter are filtered to produce a filtered signal. The amount of energy in the filtered signal is compared to the amount of energy in the unfiltered filter taps to determine whether only tones have been present. If only tones have been present, the echo canceller is not allowed to reduce the adaptation step size of the adaptive filter.

Abstract: A method of invoking and canceling voice and data service between a mobile unit and a base station. Using a standard telephone system, the connection for a voice service and a data service is the same. With the introduction of the digital wireless link, the voice connection and the data connection are different. Therefore new dialing commands which indicate the intent of the connection are created. These commands can also be used to designate the intent of the call from a mobile unit capable of data and voice service but not capable of simultaneous voice and data service. They can also be used to invoke simultaneous voice and data services.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adding and removing a target base station from a network of base stations, which includes base stations adjacent the target base station. The apparatus is comprised of two attenuators: a first for setting an artificial receive noise power level and a second for setting a transmit level. The transmit level determines the forward link coverage area of the base station. The artificial noise level sets the reverse link coverage area of the base station when a base station is added, initially the transmit power is low and the artificial receive noise power is high such that the forward and reverse kink coverage areas are collocated in close proximity to the base station. As the base station blossoms into full operation, the artificial receive noise power is decreased and the transmit level is increased such that the two coverage areas of the base station remain balanced as the coverage areas expand.

Abstract: A high dynamic range linear automatic gain control (AGC) circuit that has independent means for temperature compensation. The temperature compensation circuit of this invention can be used in a closed-loop AGC circuit such as is required in a transceiver for compensating the gains of receiver and transmitter amplifiers to ensure that both track closely over ranges of temperature, frequency and load impedance. The temperature compensation signal is coupled to one of the two gates in a field effect transistor (FET) amplifier to maintain a constant gain function over ranges of temperature, frequency and load impedance. Thermal compensation for the transmitter amplifier is derived from the thermal compensation signal for the receiver amplifier.

Abstract: A system for mitigating the effect of fading in a digital communication system. Deep signal nulls occur when signals from multiple paths are precisely aligned in amplitude and phase canceling the signal at the receiving antenna and creating a fade. In an indoor system, moving either transmitter or receiver a short distance can shift a fade away from the frequency of interest. This invention provides an actual or perceived movement of an antenna such that the effects of fading can be averaged over a time interval. The signal processing capability of modern digital transceivers can correct errors due to the time varying fades using the present invention. Thus, a dual-antenna element using the system of this invention can provide diversity receive and transmit paths to maintain capacity. The present invention may also provide improved capacity to due enhanced stability in power control.

Abstract: Providing an audible feedback feature giving the user the ability to audibly monitor the progress of a data connection over a digital wireless channel. Audible tones generated within a base station and received from a telephone network are encoded within the base station and transmitted over the digital wireless link to a mobile unit. The mobile unit decodes the signal received from the base station and provides the audible tones to a user. The user can thus monitor the success or failure of the data connection.

Abstract: A system for determining the rate at which data has been encoded in the receiver of a variable-rate communications system. The data is received in frames having a fixed number of symbols. Multiple copies of symbols fill the frame when data is encoded at less than the full rate. At an encoding rate of one fourth the full rate, for example, each symbol in the frame is repeated four times. The incoming symbols are provided to multiple paths for decoding. Each path decodes the symbols at one of the possible rates. Error metrics, which describe the quality of the decoded symbols, are extracted and provided to a processor. The error metrics may include Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) results, Yamamoto Quality Metrics, and Symbol Error Rates. The processor analyzes the error metrics and determines the most probable rate at which the incoming symbols were encoded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for matching the location of the forward link handoff boundary to the reverse link handoff boundary. A system constant is chosen which defines the product of the received power and the transmitted pilot power at every base station. The reverse link power level is measured at the base station and the forward link power level is compensated for the reverse link loading to maintain the constant product. Thereby the forward link handoff boundary to the reverse link handoff boundary are aligned to the same location.

Abstract: A distributed antenna system is utilized in a system for providing multipath signals which facilitate signal diversity for enhanced system performance. Each node of the antenna comprises more than one antenna. Each antenna at a common node provides a path having a different delay to the base station.

Abstract: A distributed antenna system is utilized in a system for providing multipath signals which facilitate signal diversity for enhanced system performance. Each node of the antenna comprises more than one antenna. Each antenna at a common node provides a path having a different delay to the base station.

Abstract: A method of mobile station synchronization to a system time, wherein the time alignment is attained while the mobile station operates in analog mode. The mobile stations transmits a periodic signal, each period of which has a leading edge. The base station detects the leading edge of the periodic signal and compares it to an indication of system time. The base station generates an error message for the mobile station indicating an update to the phase of the periodic signal. When the mobile station and the base station are time aligned, the base station may send a message indicating the absolute time at some future leading edge of the periodic signal thereby eliminating ambiguities of time due to the finite time required to receive the message.

Abstract: A system for reducing receiver power consumption in communication system having a transmitter and one or more receivers schedules periodic messages in "slots." Each receiver is assigned a slot during which it monitors the transmissions. The transmitter transmits messages to the receiver only during the assigned slots. The receiver is in an "active state" during its assigned slot. It may remain in the active state after its assigned slot if the message requires the receiver to perform additional actions. During the "inactive state," which is the time period between successive occurrences of its assigned slot, the receiver may perform any action not requiring coordination with the transmitter. It may conserve power during this time by removing power from one or more components such as those used for monitoring the transmissions. At a time during the inactive state shortly before the assigned slot, the receiver applies power to these components and performs initializations.

Abstract: A method of invoking and canceling voice and data service between a mobile unit and a base station. Using a standard telephone system, the connection for a voice service and a data service is the same. With the introduction of the digital wireless link, the voice connection and the data connection are different. Therefore new dialing commands which indicate the intent of the connection are created. These commands can also be used to designate the intent of the call from a mobile unit capable of data and voice service but not capable of simultaneous voice and data service. They can also be used to invoke simultaneous voice and data services.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of providing communications between standard unmodified terminal equipment over a telephone link that includes a digital wireless link. The digital wireless link introduces substantial time variable delay. In order to pass time sensitive messages over the link, time sensitive messages are recognized and translated into time insensitive messages for transmission over the wireless link. The time insensitive messages indicate the information contained in the time sensitive messages and in the timing of the time sensitive messages. At the receiving end, the time insensitive messages are recognized and the time sensitive messages reconstructed with the appropriate timing.