Abstract: The call processing state machines defined by the CDMA standards (e.g., IS-95 and IS-2000) are modified to include a “traffic channel” substate indicative of the mobile station processing at least one active call. Call control (CC) state machines of various types are also provided to control the processing of the calls. To process one or more calls concurrently, a CC state machine is instantiated upon receiving an indication to process a particular call. The instantiated CC state machine is identified with, and used to control the processing of, the particular call. Upon receiving an indication to process an additional call, another CC state machine can be instantiated for the additional call. Each call to be processed can also be associated with a particular a service option connection, which includes information indicative of a set of parameters (e.g., the physical channels) to be used for data transmission.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for secure transmissions. Each user is provided a registration key. A long-time updated broadcast key is encrypted using the registration key and provided periodically to a user. A short-time updated key is encrypted using the broadcast key and provided periodically to a user. Broadcasts are then encrypted using the short-time key, wherein the user decrypts the broadcast message using the short-time key. One embodiment provides link layer content encryption. Another embodiment provides end-to-end encryption.

Abstract: Demodulator architectures for processing a received signal in a wireless communications system. The demodulator includes a number of correlators coupled to a combiner. Each correlator typically receives and despreads input samples (which are generated from the received signal) with a respective despreading sequence to provide despread samples. Each correlator then decovers the despread samples to provide decovered “half-symbols” and further demodulates the decovered half-symbols with pilot estimates to generate correlated symbols. The decovering is performed with a Walsh symbol having a length (T) that is half the length (2T) of a Walsh symbol used to cover the data symbols in the transmitted signal. The combiner selectively combines correlated symbols from the assigned correlators to provide demodulated symbols. One or more correlators can be assigned to process one or more instances of each transmitted signal.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided in which a group of users in a system that employs a retransmission mechanism such as Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is divided into multiple sub-groups of users. Each user is assigned a number of channels for transmission of information. The number of channels assigned to each user is determined based, at least in part, on the number of the sub-groups and a number of channels available in the system. Transmission intervals are alternated among the multiple sub-groups such that only one of the sub-groups of users is allowed to transmit information during any transmission interval. An idle interval during which a particular user in the first group does not transmit information is used as a waiting period for acknowledgement of a previous transmission by the particular user.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to support fast frequency hopping with a code division multiplexed (CDM) pilot in a multi-carrier communication system (e.g., an OFDMA system). Each transmitter (e.g., each terminal) in the system transmits a wideband pilot on all subbands to allow a receiver (e.g., a base station) to estimate the entire channel response at the same time. The wideband pilot for each transmitter may be generated using direct sequence spread spectrum processing and based on a pseudo-random number (PN) code assigned to that transmitter. This allows the receiver to individually identify and recover multiple wideband pilots transmitted concurrently by multiple transmitters. For a time division multiplexed (TDM)/CDM pilot transmission scheme, each transmitter transmits the wideband pilot in bursts. For a continuous CDM pilot transmission scheme, each transmitter continuously transmits the wideband pilot, albeit at a low transmit power level.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for selecting a serving sector in a high rate data (HDR) communication system are disclosed. An exemplary HDR communication system defines a set of data rates, at which a sector of an Access Point may send data packets to an Access Terminal. The sector is selected by the Access Terminal to achieve the highest data throughput while maintaining a targeted packet error rate. The Access Terminal employs various methods to evaluate quality metrics of forward and reverse links from and to different sectors, and uses the quality metrics to select the sector to send data packets to the Access Terminal.

Abstract: A power control system for use in facilitating transition to an active state suitable for use in a wireless communication system. In one aspect, the system includes a first transceiver, such as a BTS, having the ability to initiate transmission of a power control function. The transceiver comprises a generator for generating a power control arrangement and a transmitter for transmitting the power control arrangement. The system further includes a second transceiver, such as a terminal, for receiving the power control arrangement and coherently combining the power control arrangement to determine a state transition indication. The second transceiver includes a transmitter that transmits a selected waveform subsequent to the coherent combining. The first transceiver receives the selected waveform, determines a power level associated therewith, and provides feedback to the second transceiver.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for computing soft decision input metrics to a turbo decoder includes circuits associated with eight-ary phase shift keyed (8PSK) modulation and sixteen-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM). In both implementations log-likelihood ratio (LLR) metrics on code symbols are estimated as products of various constant values and various combinations of the in-phase and quadrature components of a demodulated soft decision. In the implementation associated with the 16QAM modulation scheme, an estimate of the carrier-signal-to-interference (C/I) ratio is also used to estimate some of the LLR metrics. Estimates of the LLR metrics may also be obtained in association with generalized square QAM and M-ary PSK modulation schemes including, e.g., 64QAM, 256QAM, and 16PSK.

Abstract: Techniques to time-share a common channelization code among multiple terminals for compressed mode transmissions. Each terminal is initially assigned a respective channelization code used to channelize data transmitted in non-compressed frames for the terminal. A common channelization code used to channelize data transmitted in compressed frames for the terminals is also selected. Each compressed frame includes one or more compressed transmissions and all or a portion of a transmission gap. The compressed frames for the terminals are scheduled such that the compressed transmissions for the compressed frames do not overlap. Thereafter, non-compressed frames for each terminal are channelized with the channelization code assigned to the terminal, and compressed frames for the terminals are channelized with the common channelization code.

Abstract: Techniques to “successively” process received signals at a receiver unit in a MIMO system to recover transmitted data, and to “adaptively” process data at a transmitter unit based on channel state information available for the MIMO channel. A successive cancellation receiver processing technique is used to process the received signals and performs a number of iterations to provide decoded data streams. For each iteration, input (e.g., received) signals for the iteration are processed to provide one or more symbol streams. One of the symbol streams is selected and processed to provide a decoded data stream. The interference due to the decoded data stream is approximately removed (i.e., canceled) from the input signals provided to the next iteration. The channel characteristics are estimated and reported back to the transmitter system and used to adjust (i.e., adapt) the processing (e.g., coding, modulation, and so on) of data prior to transmission.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting voice/data and packet data services such that packet data transmissions have less impact on voice/data transmissions. In one aspect, voice/data and packet data can be multiplexed within a transmission interval such that the available resources are efficiently utilized. In another aspect, the amount of variation in the total transmit power from a base station is controlled to reduce degradation to transmissions from this and other base stations. In a specific method for concurrently transmitting a number of types of data, a first data type (e.g., voice, overhead, and some data) and a second data type are respectively processed in accordance with first and second signal processing schemes to generate first and second payloads, respectively. First and second partitions are then defined in a transmission interval. The first and second payloads are time multiplexed into the first and second partitions, respectively, and the multiplexed payloads are transmitted.

Abstract: Schemes to time-align transmissions from multiple base stations to a terminal. To achieve time-alignment, differences between the arrival times of transmissions from the base stations, as observed at the terminal, are determined and provided to the system and used to adjust the timing at the base stations such that terminal-specific radio frames arrive at the terminal within a particular time window. In one scheme, a time difference between two base stations is partitioned into a frame-level time difference and a chip-level time difference. Whenever requested to perform and report time difference measurements, the terminal measures the chip-level timing for each candidate base station relative to a reference base station. Additionally, the terminal also measures the frame-level timing and includes this information in the time difference measurement only if required. Otherwise, the terminal sets the frame-level part to a predetermined value (e.g., zero).

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting data from a transmitter unit to a receiver unit in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system. In one method, at the receiver unit, a number of signals are received via a number of receive antennas, with the received signal from each receive antenna comprising a combination of one or more signals transmitted from the transmitter unit. The received signals are processed to derive channel state information (CSI) indicative of characteristics of a number of transmission channels used for data transmission. The CSI is transmitted back to the transmitter unit. At the transmitter unit, the CSI from the receiver unit is received and data for transmission to the receiver unit is processed based on the received CSI.

Abstract: Techniques to select transmission channels for use for data transmission and to process and transmit data over the selected transmission channels. Transmission channels available for use are segregated into one or more groups, with each group including any number of channels. With selective channel transmission, only “good” channels in each group are selected (e.g., based on the channels' received SNRs and an SNR threshold), “bad” channels are not used, and the total available transmit power for the group is (e.g., uniformly) distributed across only the good channels. Each group may also be associated with a respective coding and modulation scheme, and data for each group may be coded and modulated based on the scheme selected for the group. Improved performance is achieved by using only good channels in each group and matching the data processing for the selected channels to the capacity achievable by the channels.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling data transfer between two stations comprises a link manager for controlling allocation of available channels in a plurality of communications links. In each of the communications links data is transferred between two stations in at least one channel. Data for transfer from a data source is buffered in a data buffer. A controller determines latency in the buffer from the amount of data in the buffer and the rate at which data is being output from the buffer. The controller generates a request for a change in the allocation of channels in a communications link between two stations depending on the latency in the buffer and preset threshold values. The link manager is responsive to a request generated by the controller either to allocate a different number of channels to the communications link or to generate a refusal of the request.

Abstract: The mobile telephone is provided with the capability for automatically adjusting the gain of a microphone of the telephone based upon the detected noise level in which the cellular telephone is operated. As the noise level increases, the gain of the microphone is automatically decreased, thereby compensating for the natural tendency of telephone users to speak more loudly in noisy environments. Also, by decreasing the microphone gain, any clipping that might otherwise occur as a result of the user speaking more loudly is avoided and the signal-to-noise ratio is not thereby decreased. Furthermore, because the microphone gain decreases, the volume level of the voice of the user as it is output from the other party's telephone is not unduly loud. Hence, the other party need not manually decrease the speaker gain of his or her telephone.

Abstract: In one disclosed embodiment, an input bit stream is supplied to a trellis code block. For example, the trellis code block can perform convolutional coding using a rate 6/7 code. The output of the trellis code block is then modulated using, for example, trellis coded quadrature amplitude modulation with 128 signal points or modulation symbols. The sequence of modulation symbols thus generated can be diversity encoded. The diversity encoding can be either a space time encoding, for example, or a space frequency encoding. The sequence of modulation symbols, or the sequence of diversity encoded modulation symbols, is fed to two or more orthogonal Walsh covers. For example, replicas of the modulation symbol sequences can be provided to increase diversity, or demultiplexing the modulation symbol sequences can be used to increase data transmission rate or “throughput”. The outputs of the Walsh covers are fed as separate inputs into a communication channel.

Abstract: Techniques for increased pilot detection accuracy are disclosed, which provide the benefits of increased acquisition speed, increased data rate, decreased power, and improved overall system capacity. In one aspect, pilot energy calculations corresponding to PN offsets surrounding the PN offset of a local pilot energy maximum are combined with that local pilot energy maximum resulting in a compensated, more accurate local pilot energy maximum. In another aspect, the combination of nearby energy calculations is combined with the local pilot energy maximum via a function with pre-calculated compensation factors. The pre-calculated compensation factors can be determined to minimize mean-squared error in the resultant compensated local pilot energy maximum. These factors can be calculated based on a matched filter. The techniques described herein apply equally to both access points and access terminals.

Abstract: Techniques to schedule downlink data transmission to a number of terminals in a wireless communication system. In one method, one or more sets of terminals are formed for possible data transmission, with each set including a unique combination of one more terminals and corresponding to a hypothesis to be evaluated. One or more sub-hypotheses may further be formed for each hypothesis, with each sub-hypothesis corresponding to specific assignments of a number of transmit antennas to the one or more terminals in the hypothesis. The performance of each sub-hypothesis is then evaluated, and one of the evaluated sub-hypotheses is selected based on their performance. The terminal(s) in the selected sub-hypothesis are then scheduled for data transmission, and data is thereafter coded, modulated, and transmitted to each scheduled terminal from one or more transmit antennas assigned to the terminal.

Abstract: Demodulator architectures for processing a received signal in a wireless communications system. The demodulator includes a number of correlators coupled to a combiner. Each correlator typically receives and despreads input samples (which are generated from the received signal) with a respective despreading sequence to provide despread samples. Each correlator then decovers the despread samples to provide decovered “half-symbols” and further demodulates the decovered half-symbols with pilot estimates to generate correlated symbols. The decovering is performed with a Walsh symbol having a length (T) that is half the length (2T) of a Walsh symbol used to cover the data symbols in the transmitted signal. The combiner selectively combines correlated symbols from the assigned correlators to provide demodulated symbols. One or more correlators can be assigned to process one or more instances of each transmitted signal.