Abstract: An apparatus for communicating variable rate data over a communication channel. A modulator that receive frames of user data each comprised of data symbols. The modulator repeats the data symbols within each frame to maintain a constant data rate. A transmitter receiver the modulator data and scales the modulated symbol data based upon the amount of symbol repetition in the frame.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for integrating a personal communication system with a cable television plant. A set of radio antenna devices (RAD) are connected to the cable plant. The RADs provide frequency conversion and power control of signal received from the cable plant for wireless transmission to the remote units. The RADs also provide power control and frequency conversion of wireless signals received from the remote units for transmission by the RADs onto the cable plant. In addition to the functions of standard base stations and centralized controller, the CATV base station must also compensate for gain variations in the cable plant. The downstream power control is regulated by a RAD reference signal which can be hidden within the CDMA signal for maximum efficiency. The upstream power control is regulated by an upstream gain reference signal which is individually transmitted by each RAD on the upstream link.

Abstract: An antenna system for a communication device. A whip antenna is surrounded by a helical antenna. A switch couples the helical antenna to the signal source when the whip antenna is in a retracted position. The whip antenna is comprised of an upper conductive portion, a lower conductive portion, and a dielectric portion which isolates the upper and lower conductive portions from each other. A conductive sleeve member surrounds the whip antenna and is slidably mounted thereon. In a first embodiment, when the whip antenna is extended, the conductive sleeve member slides over the dielectric portion, coupling the upper and lower conductive portions together. As the whip antenna is retracted, the helical antenna pushes the conductive sleeve member to the top end of the whip antenna, isolating the whip antenna from the helical antenna. In a second embodiment, the helical antenna is an integral part of the conductive sleeve member.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the strength of a shared resource signal transmitted by the satellite transponder in a satellite communications system. The satellite communications system includes a gateway for transmitting communications signals including a shared resource signal, a satellite transponder for relaying the signals to at least one subscriber unit (for example, a phone), and at least one subscriber unit for receiving the signals. The method includes the steps of receiving the shared resource signal, at each subscriber unit, via the satellite transponder; measuring, at each subscriber unit, a signal strength for the received shared resource signal; sending the signal strengths to the gateway; and adjusting the power of the shared resource signal transmitted by the satellite transponder based on the signal strengths.

Abstract: A dual-band octafilar helix antenna operational at two frequencies, while maintaining a relatively small package size. The dual-band octafilar antenna is manufactured by disposing radiators and a feed network onto a flexible substrate and forming the substrate into a cylindrical shape to obtain the helical configuration. The dual-band octafilar helix antenna includes four active radiators which are matched to a first frequency and disposed on a radiator portion of the flexible substrate. Four additional radiators, which may be either passive or active radiators, are matched to a second frequency, are also disposed on the radiator portion of the substrate and interleaved with the active radiators. At least one feed network is provided on a feed portion of the substrate that provides 0.degree., 90.degree., 180.degree., and 270.degree. signals to active radiators.

Abstract: In a communications network, a remote unit communicates with another user via at least one base station. The network has a plurality of base stations controlled by a mobile switching center. Each base station of the plurality of base stations transmits an identifying pilot signal. To defining an area in which communication between a set of the base stations and the remote unit is forbidden, an auxiliary antenna transmits a silent region identifying pilot signal. The remote unit measures a signal strength of a set of identifying pilot signals corresponding to a neighbor set of base stations and measures a signal strength of the silent region identifying pilot signal. The remote unit sends a pilot strength measurement report to the mobile switching center via a first base station with which the remote unit has established communication.

Abstract: A phase lock loop wherein the reference clock is divided by a variable divider which is capable of dividing the reference clock by a divider ratio of 2, 3, 4, . . . or M depending on the value of a control signal. The control signal is generated from a divider controller in response to a controller input. The noise shaping characteristics of the divider controller results in dithering of the variable divider ratios such that the average frequency of the divided reference clock is at the desired comparison frequency but the quantization noise from the fractional divide is pushed from low frequency to high frequency where it is more easily filtered. The noise shaper can be implemented with many bits of resolution to allow for a wide frequency control range and high frequency accuracy. A dither circuit to prevent limit cycling at the output of the noise shaper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transmission power in a variable rate communication system is disclosed. The method disclosed provides for a closed loop power control method. A first remote station controls the transmission power of a second remote station by transmitting a rate dependent power control signal to the second remote communication station. Since only the second communication knows its transmission rate a priori, it must determine its course of action in accordance with both the received power control signal and the knowledge of its transmission rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for negotiating service configuration in a digital communication system is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment the service negotiation system is implemented in a wireless spread spectrum communication system. The service configuration comprises data rates, frame formats and types of services. Types of service may include speech encoding, facsimile or digital data services. Further described herein is a digital transmitter and receiver using the service negotiation system to provide service configuration mutually acceptable at both ends of a communication link.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and adjustment of control unit parameter settings of vehicle electronic control units. The monitoring system may be implemented in a vehicle in which are incorporated one or more electronic control units for regulating one more operational parameters of the vehicle in accordance with corresponding control unit parameter settings. In an exemplary implementation the vehicle is equipped with a mobile communications terminal (MCT), which receives from a base station a list of operational parameters to be monitored. Each of the electronic control units, as well as a memory unit, are connected to an internal data link of the vehicle. When a parameter value within the memory unit corresponding to a given control unit is changed, a message is provided to the base station specifying the value currently registered by the control unit. The currently registered value is then compared to an expected parameter value, and an error message is generated if disagreement exists therebetween.

Abstract: A novel and improved antenna coupler useful in an adapter for a portable radiotelephone. In a first embodiment, a plurality of curved bands of metal are positioned on a ground plane, with at least one of the plurality of curved bands of metal being electrically isolated from the ground plane so as to couple RF signals to and from the antenna of a portable telephone. At least one ground pin is also mounted on the ground plane. When a portable radiotelephone is interfaced with the antenna coupler, the at least one ground pin makes electrical contact with assembly screws or an external ground pad of a battery charging port on the portable radiotelephone. In a second embodiment, a coupling pin makes direct contact with an component of the RF chain of the portable radiotelephone. In a third embodiment, a helical coupler surrounds the antenna of the portable radiotelephone.

Abstract: The process of the present invention enables a mobile radiotelephone to operate at a 100% duty cycle while providing closed loop power control. The base station measures the signal to noise ratio of the signal from the mobile and compares that SNR with the SNR threshold values the base station has for each data rate the mobile is capable of transmitting. The base station then generates power control commands to instruct the mobile to change its power depending on the outcome of the comparisons.

Abstract: A complete telephone number detection unit is described for use within a wireless local loop telephone. The detection unit examines digits or other symbols entered by user via a telephone keypad to determine whether a completed telephone number has been entered. If a completed telephone number has been entered, the detection unit signals other components of the telephone to transmit the telephone number. If the telephone number is not yet complete, then the detection unit awaits entry of additional digits or other symbols. To determine whether a completed telephone number has been entered, the detection unit accesses a parsing table having rows corresponding to different parsing states of permissible telephone numbers. Each row of the table includes a set of columns with one column corresponding to each of digits 0-9, the "*" symbol and the "#" symbol. To parse a telephone number using the table, each digit is applied to the table to yield a value.

Abstract: A system and method for processing wideband data within digital FM transceiver. A digital FM demodulator within the transceiver produces a demodulated information signal in response to the FM signal. The digital FM receiver also includes a wideband message processing section for recovering message information from the demodulated information signal. A word register circuit within the wideband message processing section stores one or more repetitions of a message word recovered from the demodulated information signal. During operation of the FM receiver in a control channel mode, a dotting detector within the wideband processing section is used for detecting a first dotting sequence within the demodulated information signal. Similarly, the dotting detector serves to detect a second dotting sequence within the demodulated information signal during operation in a voice channel mode.

Abstract: A novel and improved dual band antenna system comprising an inner antenna element surrounded by an outer antenna element. In a first embodiment, the inner antenna element radiates and receives RF signals in a first RF band, and the outer antenna element radiates and receives RF signals in a second RF band. Optionally, the inner and outer antennas may be coupled together when operating in the first RF band in order to improve the antenna gain pattern of the dual band antenna. In a second embodiment, the inner antenna element radiates and receives RF signals in both the first and second RF bands. In this second embodiment, when operating in the second RF band, the outer antenna element is grounded, thus altering the signal length of the inner antenna element to resonate in the second RF band.

Abstract: A filter comprising a plurality resonator stages between sequentially coupled between input and output ports. The resonator stages are arranged such that at least one non-sequential pair of stages are physically adjacent. The non-sequential pair of resonator stages are separated by a common internal wall, which defines a bypass coupling aperture therebetween. During operation of the filter, attenuation poles are formed in the filter response due to bypass coupling between the non-sequential pair of resonator stages through the bypass coupling aperture. The preferred U-shaped arrangement of the resonator stages enables the formation of attenuation poles, without using an external bypass connection, by permitting inductive or capacitive bypass coupling through the bypass aperture.

Abstract: The satellite communications terminal employs separate transmit and receive feedhorns, offset from one another, to achieve adequate isolation of received and transmitted signals during full duplex operation. In one implementation, described herein, the satellite communications terminal employs an ultra-small-aperture dish antenna having an aperture of about one meter. Signals are received and transmitted at Ku band wavelengths of about 12 gigahertz and 14 gigahertz respectively. For this implementation, an extended focal point zone occurs, rather than a discrete focal point. Both the receive and transmit feedhorns are positioned within the focal point zone thereby achieving adequate gain to both reception and transmission. However, the receive and transmit feedhorns are offset from one another to minimize the coupling of feedback transmission signals into the receive feedhorn.

Abstract: A bus interface unit disposed for incorporation within a microprocessor system having a local microprocessor bus, a memory unit, and a system bus coupled to the memory unit is disclosed herein. The bus interface unit includes a bus control unit having an address latch for latching N-bit memory addresses impressed upon the local microprocessor bus by the microprocessor. Each of the N-bit memory addresses identifies one or more M-bit memory locations within the memory unit. The bus interface unit further includes a multiplexing interface for transferring data associated with the M-bit memory locations between the system bus and the local microprocessor bus during microprocessor memory access cycles. A programmable wait state generator serves to control the duration of the microprocessor memory access cycles in order to accommodate address and data transfer between the system bus and the local microprocessor bus during both memory read and write access cycles.

Abstract: A novel and improved method of acquisition in a spread spectrum communication system is presented. In the present invention, a large window of PN chip offset hypotheses are searched and if an energy signal is found that might indicate the presence of the pilot signal having one of the chip offsets of the large search window, then a search of a subset of offset hypotheses, or small window, is searched.

Abstract: A system and method for testing signal transmission quality within a digital communication system is disclosed herein. The system may be incorporated within a digital cellular communication system in which information is exchanged over spread spectrum communication channels, among a plurality of mobile users, via at least one cell-site. The system contemplates testing a digital communication channel by transmitting a test sequence of digital data over the communication channel. The test sequence of digital data transmitted over the communication channel is received at a receiving station, within which is also generated a replica of the test sequence of digital data. The accuracy of transmission over the communication channel is then determined by comparing the replica of the test sequence of digital data to the test sequence of data received over the communication channel.