Abstract: A system for operating a wireless communications device in a manner that significantly reduces the power consumption of the device. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system is provided for operating a wireless communications device in a low power mode including the step of controlling the operation of circuit components to operate in either a low-power standby mode or an operating mode. The system includes detecting a first condition and, in response to the detection of the first condition, operating a first set of circuit components in a low-power standby mode while operating a second set of circuit components in the operating mode. The system further includes detecting a second condition and, in response to the detection of the second condition, operating substantially all the circuit components in the operating mode.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a system to achieve a high data rate channel in a CDMA system. According to the preferred embodiment, multiple CDMA data sequences are modulated in parallel by multiple low data rate CDMA channels. Each low data rate CDMA channel digitally delays the CDMA data sequence modulated thereby by a different period of time, where the largest period of time of all the digital delays is less than one-half the period of a single chip of data. The high data rate CDMA channel is created by combining the output of multiple low data rate CDMA channels operating in parallel, thereby resulting in significantly increased data throughput.

Abstract: A system for adjusting a phase angle of a recovered data clock signal from a received data signal includes a plurality of counters and a phase state machine. Each counter within the plurality of counters determines a number of samples having a logical one (1) value within a particular portion of a period of the received data signal. Each counter then compares the number to a predetermined threshold value. Each counter transmits a signal indicating whether the number of samples having a logical one (1) for each portion of received data signal's period is greater than, is less than, or is equal to the predetermined threshold. The phase state machine receives the signals transmitted by each counter and adjusts the phase angle of the recovered data clock signal based on the signals received from each counter.

Abstract: An output power control system prevents saturation by limiting total output power and maintaining closed loop responsiveness for a radio telephone having closed loop and open loop gain control systems. The output power control system determines when total output power exceeds an output power trigger level and automatically enters a saturation prevention mode whereby total output power is reduced through modification of a closed loop power control register. In one embodiment, an output detector and an output comparator continuously monitor output power, and in another embodiment, an analog-to-digital converter samples output power levels.

Abstract: A system for amplifying output transmitted power of a mobile battery powered radio transceiver includes a secondary voltage source, multiple power amplifiers, a central processing unit to control the amplification of the output transmitted signal, and a switch to detect the presence of the radio transceiver. The system includes a method for compensating for the signal loses associated with cabling used in the installation of the amplifying circuitry in an automobile application. According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for compensating for signal losses is a manually configured bank of switches. When the amplifying circuitry is installed in the automobile application, the bank of switches is set to specify the amount of loss compensation needed. Multiple amplifiers are used for amplification of the output transmitted signal when the radio transceiver is operating at different frequencies.

Abstract: An external control unit (ECU) with a reduced keypad is tightly integrated in a voice activated vehicular telephone system which further includes a voice adapter (VA) providing an intelligent interface between the ECU and a portable telephone removably coupled to a portable telephone holder. By taking full advantage of the voice recognition capabilities of the VA, the ECU is able to effectively harness the extensive power of the vehicular telephone system while requiring a very small amount of vehicle space through the combination of an internal microphone and a keypad with a very few number of keys. The remaining keys are specifically chosen for their unique value in the integrated system and are further defined to support multiple mode-specific functions.

Abstract: A Charging unit for a cellular telephone is provided with having means for connection to an electrical power source and a charging circuit for delivering a charging current to a battery pack or the cellular telephone itself, if the cellular telephone includes an internal energy retaining mechanism (e.g., charge storage device such as a battery). The charging unit further includes a plurality of electrical contacts in electrical communication with the charging circuit. Finally, the invention includes at least one user-selectable switch and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with the at least one user-selectable switch. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a cellular telephone is provided, wherein the telephone includes a sensing circuit configured to detect the presence of a charging unit. It further includes a circuit configured to identify from the charging unit a designated number to which to forward incoming calls to.

Abstract: A power control system is implemented within a mobile communications system to prevent erroneous power fluctuations by a mobile station when the power of signals communicated between the mobile station and a base station becomes so weak that the mobile station would otherwise erroneously interpret power control signals communicated from the base station to the mobile station. By configuring the mobile station to ignore power control signals communicated by the base station when a received signal strength is below a power control threshold, erroneous changes in power output can be prevented and the overall performance of the communication system can be increased.

Abstract: In a synchronous fixed frame boundary system with variable data rates, a transmitter inserts into a current frame an indication of the data rate of the next frame. After the first frame is received and processed at a receiver, the variable data rates of subsequent frames are known before processing, thereby reducing processing load. Furthermore, because the rate indication is inserted into the frame to be error protected along with the rest of the frame information, reliability is high, while additional data overhead and complexity are very low. For example, North American code division multiple access (CDMA) digital cellular telephone systems and personal communication system (PCS) utilize variable data rate transmissions. As a station modem (SM) assembles a current frame for convolutional encoding and further processing, the SM inserts a rate indication for the subsequent frame in accordance with information from a vocoder and CPU of the appropriate data rate for the subsequent frame.

Abstract: A wireless telephone is additionally operable in a voice data interface mode in which voice (sound) data is output from the wireless telephone for communication over a data network, such as, for example, the Internet. In the voice data interface mode, voice audio signals detected through a wireless telephone microphone are converted into data for transmission through the data network, and, likewise, voice data received by the wireless telephone from the data network, or sound data simply generated by a connected PC, is converted into audio signals and output through a wireless telephone speaker. In one embodiment, a wireless telephone with voice data interface functionality is serially connected as a peripheral device to a local PC which is also connected to an Internet service provider (ISP) through land lines, and in another embodiment, through the wireless telephone itself.

Abstract: A bit of a data signal is encoded with a value of a transmission clock signal if the bit corresponds to a zero. If the bit corresponds to a one, then the bit is encoded with an inverse of the value of the transmission clock signal. After transmission, the encoded signal is decoded by a counter and a comparator. The counter samples the encoded bit of the data signal into a plurality of sampled signals and inverts a portion of the sampled signals. The counter counts the number of sampled signals corresponding to a particular value such as a one or zero. When most of the sampled signals correspond to the particular value, a comparator outputs a decoded signal having a value corresponding to the particular value. When most of the sampled signals do not correspond to the particular value, the comparator outputs a decoded signal having a value corresponding to an inverse of the particular value.

Abstract: A variable attenuator circuit provides variable attenuation responsive to received signal strength in a receiver to reduce intermodulation (IM) distortion. In a dual-mode frequency modulation/code division multiple access (FM/CDMA) cellular telephone implementation, the variable attenuator circuit decreases IM distortion by variably attenuating received radio frequency (RF) signals before an initial RF amplification stage to reduce the level of undesirable frequency mixing products. The variable attenuator circuit is turned on (activated) and off (deactivated) at a single, relatively low, input power level. An attenuator enable signal is also supplied from a logic unit of the mobile station to enable operation of the variable attenuator circuit throughout operation in a digital mode.

Abstract: A call forwarding automation feature in a wireless telephone provides automated activation and deactivation of conventional carrier system call forwarding. The wireless telephone provides for storing multiple call forwarding telephone numbers, selecting a call forwarding telephone number based upon location information, automatically activating call forwarding to the selected telephone number during a wireless telephone power down sequence, and automatically deactivating the call forwarding during a wireless telephone power up sequence. Programming is also provided for configuring and enabling the call forwarding feature. In another embodiment, the wireless telephone automatically prompts the user for activation of call forwarding each time the user powers down the wireless telephone. The process also provides the user an ability to select from a list of stored call forwarding telephone numbers to use, as well as providing the user an ability to manually input a new telephone number.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and an apparatus for reducing power consumption in a wireless telephone. The wireless telephone is programmed to enter a reduced power mode for a sleep interval of time upon failing to access a base station. Additionally, the overall base station accessing process is considerably shortened by only searching once through the sequence of available carrier spectrums (e.g., digital and analog carriers for multi-mode mobile stations) before entering the reduced power mode. Also, when searching through a code division multiple access (CDMA) channel, the present invention includes searching only once through all pseudo-random number (PN) code timing locations when searching for a base station.

Abstract: An output power control system prevents saturation by limiting total output power and maintaining closed loop responsiveness for a radio telephone having closed loop and open loop gain control systems. The output power control system determines when total output power exceeds an output power trigger level and automatically enters a saturation prevention mode whereby total output power is reduced through modification of a closed loop power control register. In one embodiment, an output detector and an output comparator continuously monitor output power, and in another embodiment, an analog-to-digital converter samples output power levels.

Abstract: A portable cellphone, with or without its docking system, is integrated as an accessory to a host system such as by providing a terminal interface (terminal mode) to the host for the purpose of user interface and control of the host. The portable also provides radio frequency (RF) communication capability which is integrated and controlled by the application running on the host. While functioning in a terminal mode of operation, the portable generates and communicates to the host, through the reverse data line, data representing manipulation of the portable keypad. Likewise, the portable relinquishes control of the portable display to the host according to display control commands received by the portable from the host on the forward data line. A user is also provided the ability to use the portable to notify the host through the reverse data line that the portable is available for use in terminal mode.

Abstract: A variable attenuator circuit provides variable attenuation responsive to received signal strength in a receiver to reduce intermodulation (IM) distortion. In a dual-mode frequency modulation/code division multiple access (FM/CDMA) cellular telephone implementation, the variable attenuator circuit decreases IM distortion by variably attenuating received radio frequency (RF) signals before an initial RF amplification stage to reduce the level of undesirable frequency mixing products. The variable attenuator circuit is turned on (activated) and off (deactivated) at a single, relatively low, input power level. An attenuator enable signal is also supplied from a logic unit of the mobile station to enable operation of the variable attenuator circuit throughout operation in a digital mode.

Abstract: A cellular telephone, in its most preferred embodiment, performs a method for notifying a digital cellular telephone user of an imminent communication disconnection. The preferred method includes, at least, generating at least one condition indication representative of at least one communication condition, analyzing the condition indication, determining whether a communication disconnection is imminent, enhancing quality of received communication signals when possible, and notifying the user of an imminent communication disconnection. Exemplary condition indications include, at least, continuous count and rate indications of frame checksum errors, insufficient quality frames, symbol errors, and chip errors, output power level indication, received signal strength indication, soft handoff status indication, other pilot signal indication, and current pilot signal strength indication.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for selecting a cellular carrier frequency for accessing cellular airtime services based upon a list of preferred system identification codes (SIDs). A cellular telephone is programmed to accept into memory a list of preferred SIDs corresponding to carriers through which service is preferred. While any SID remains in a preferred list, the standard A/B system selection function is replaced by a substitute system selection function which includes only three carrier selection modes including the Home Only mode, the SID Only mode, and a Roam Saver mode. With the Roam Saver carrier selection mode, the cellular telephone first prefers service through a home carrier and then through a carrier broadcasting a SID matching a SID on the preferred list, but never denies service to emergency or non-emergency destinations if any SID is detected.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for selecting a cellular carrier frequency for accessing cellular airtime services based upon a list of preferred system identification codes (SIDs). A cellular telephone is programmed to accept into memory a list of preferred SIDs corresponding to carriers through which service is preferred. While any SID remains in a preferred list, the standard A/B system selection function is replaced by a substitute system selection function which includes only three carrier selection modes including the Home Only mode, the SID Only mode, and a Roam Saver mode. With the Roam Saver carrier selection mode, the cellular telephone first prefers service through a home carrier and then through a carrier broadcasting a SID matching a SID on the preferred list, but never denies service to emergency or non-emergency destinations if any SID is detected.