Abstract: A communication system includes a first station in voice communication with a base station and a second station in data communication with the base station. The second station monitors the voice communication and identifies predetermined periods (e.g., preferably silent periods) of the voice communication. The second station transmits data packets during the predetermined periods.

Abstract: An emergency use only panic button phone provides a low cost comprehensive personal security device. The panic button phone has a large button located on a rigid housing that contains a cellular receiver and transmitter. Pressing the large button allows the user of the panic button phone to establish full duplex cellular voice communications with an emergency response center and summon emergency response personnel. Preferably, a flip top cover that is connected by hinges to the rigid housing folds over the large button and minimizes the likelihood the large button will be accidentally pressed. A global positioning device in the panic button phone provides the location of the operator to the emergency response center. A small button on the rigid housing activates a noise alarm that alerts individuals in the immediate area that an emergency situation exists.

Abstract: A method for densifying a transmitter and a receiver network for mobile telephony. The network includes base stations that each have three cells that are mutually spaced at 120.degree. intervals about the base station. At least four different base stations have mutually different frequency sets in the cells, and base stations of different frequency sets are placed in a repetitive pattern, a so-called 4/12-frequency pattern. A first densification is achieved by causing a center base station that has a first frequency set, and that is located within a generally rhomboidal pattern of base stations, to change its frequency set to the same frequency set as the base stations located at the corners of the rhomboidal pattern. Additional base stations are positioned within the rhomboidal pattern, and the frequency sets of the additional base stations are selected so that the frequency or frequencies of their cells will differ from the frequency or frequencies of the cells of the nearest base station.

Abstract: A method for automatically searching a frequency range for signal channels in a receiver for digitally modulated signals is described, each channel having a center frequency, a symbol rate, and a modulation type.

Abstract: A cellular telephone network includes plural areas each having a plurality of cells. The cells individually supporting certain service capabilities. Inter-exchange messaging is provided for distributing from a second exchange to a first exchange information on the service capabilities supported by a cell serviced by the second exchange. Using the distributed service capability information, the first exchange may identify, in the context of a potential inter-exchange hand-off, whether to request that cells serviced by the second exchange be instructed to make verification signal strength measurements. Furthermore, responsive to received verification signal strength measurement reports, the first exchange screens candidate cells based on the distributed service capability information to select an appropriate target cell served by the second exchange for hand-off.

Abstract: An apparatus (109) for and method of voting provides efficient use of communication resources (111, 112), while avoiding interference caused by other signal sources, particularly in a simulcast system. Although the same communication resource (111) is used for transmission on multiple base stations or repeaters (103, 105, 107, 113) at the same time in a simulcast system, the present invention provides way to achieve increased signal throughput without causing interference (213, 301) with desired signals (215, 211).

Abstract: A communication system provides efficient satellite communication in rural, remote, or sparsely populated areas, or in areas lacking a conventional telephone infrastructure, or in special purpose uses such as airport coverage. Subscribers in such areas communicate with the satellite via a simple, highly modular entry node located in a local area to be served. Subscriber units provide subscribers with access to the system. The subscriber units are connected to the entry node via local access loops provided by point-to-point wireless links between the subscriber units and the entry node. The entry node internally switches local traffic among subscribers and connects traffic to outside circuits, via wireless links with the satellite, as appropriate. The outside circuits are provided by the cooperative working of the satellite, an entry-node controller, and an earth station. The wireless links between the satellite and the entry node and the local access loops may operate at the same or different frequencies.

Abstract: When a power supply to a mobile station is turned on, mobile station identification information is read out from a non-volatile storage of a subscriber information module. A module identification information is read out from the non-volatile storage of the mobile station. The mobile station identification information which is read out is collated against the own mobile station identification information, and module identification information which is read out is collated against identification information for the loaded subscriber information module. If the module identification information does not coincide, the communication processing information is read out from the loaded subscriber information module and is stored into the non-volatile storage of the mobile station to update its content. Identification information for subscriber information module is stored into the non-volatile storage of the mobile station to update it.

Abstract: A system and method for sending e-mail messages between an authorized user connected to a publicly accessible computer network system and a vehicle occupant using a private communication system having different messaging formats. E-mail messages are received by an interface, converted into an appropriate format, and transmitted to an intended user or vehicle occupant if a sufficient balance exists in an account associated with the vehicle occupant.

Abstract: A process for dynamic channel allocation in mobile radio networks, wherein priorities which are increased or decreased in dependence on interference occurring in the channel concerned are established for the individual channels. When the propagation conditions are satisfactory, channels with low priority can be allocated. The mean of values dependent on the extent of interference can be formed in order to increase and decrease the priority. In addition, various priority lists can be established for various interference or load situations, or both.

Abstract: A method, and associated apparatus, for determining cell relationships in a radio communication system, such as a cellular communication system. The cell relationships describe how communications in a cell are disturbed by communications in other cells. The cell relationships are used, for example, in frequency planning procedures and procedures by which to determine neighbor cell lists.

Abstract: Cellular telephone which operates as an alarm in an alarm mode. After or prior to being manually or automatically set in the alarm mode, the cellular telephone receives a sensor signal which identifies the occurrence or non-occurrence of a predetermined event. Upon receiving a signal that indicates the occurrence of a predetermined, usually undesirable, event, the cellular telephone automatically establishes a channel of communication with a pre-programmed telephone number, transmits to the called number identification data that identifies the cellular telephone, and then establishes the cellular telephone in a particular alarm operating mode, for example, a two-way audio mode.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting and combining satellite communication signals from multiple antennas. The system includes at least two signal paths, each coupled to a separate antenna, and a combiner for combining signals from the two paths for processing by a signal processor. At least one of the two paths includes a signal delay unit. The signal processor can distinguish a signal received from a source on one of the antennas from that signal received from the source on the other antenna based on a signal delay produced by the signal delay unit. Each signal path includes a variable attenuator for selectively coupling each signal path to the signal processor. The signal processor determines the quality of the signals received along the signal paths, and provides data regarding signal quality to a control processor, which manipulates the attenuators to couple the signal path having the highest quality signal to the signal processor.

Abstract: In first radio station and a second radio station constituting a radio transmission system using spatial duplex diversity, interference signals are cancelled by a power inversion adaptive array (PIAA). One branch of the transmission side is multiplied by a complex coefficient multiplier so that the desired received signal has the optimum vector value after a combination of two branches and PIAA processing. An envelope detector detects the received signal level with an envelope detector at the receiving side, feeds back the received signal level information to the transmission side through the transmission baseband circuit, extracts the information with the receiving baseband circuit at the transmission side, and inputs the information into a constant modulus algorithm control circuit. The constant envelope algorithm control circuit sequentially controls the complex coefficient multiplier so that the multiplier has an optimum value.

Abstract: A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for increasing the utilization of available bandwidth, which will simultaneously maximize revenue for wireless service providers. This can be accomplished through a flexible marketing mechanism based on system utilization, which will enable service providers to tailor the system charging rate based upon the current system utilization rate. For example, a mobile subscriber can subscribe to a flexible marketing service, which monitors the number of idle channels within a cell site that the mobile subscriber is currently located in, and sends a Short Message Service (SMS) message to the mobile subscriber offering the mobile subscriber a discounted rate for calls placed within a certain time period when the number of idle channels falls below a desired system utilization ratio.

Abstract: A satellite communication apparatus is capable of accurately determining whether there is a received audio signal or not without being affected by ambient conditions, for thereby preventing the characteristics of an adaptive filter from being degraded. A demodulator demodulates a signal received by an antenna, generating synchronizing frame data and a synchronizing frame signal. At this time, the demodulator also generates a synchronization status signal indicating whether the synchronizing frame signal is being generated at a constant period or not. An echo canceler determines whether there is an audio signal or not on based on the synchronization status signal which has been generated by the demodulator and delayed for a given period of time by a delay circuit. Based on the determined result, the echo canceler estimates tap coefficients for generating a quasi-echo signal, and updates the quasi-echo signal.

Abstract: A method for performing encoding in a cellular network includes, in each cell, at least one base station communicating with terminal equipment within its coverage area, and a mobile switching center controlling the operation of the base stations. In order to improve the transmission quality over a connection between two terminal equipment, when the mobile switching center detects, during call set-up or handover, that the call is between two terminal equipment located within the area of the mobile switching center, the mobile switching center guides the transcoders of base stations communicating with the terminal equipment to a mode in which the transcoders adapt the rate to fit the transmission network, but do not encode the speech signal.

Abstract: A method and system for performing handoffs in radiocommunication systems using a time variable hysteresis value are described. By varying the hysteresis value in accordance with the amount of time that the mobile station has been using a current channel, problems associated with the measurement of signal strengths attributable to filter initialization can be avoided.

Abstract: A technique for sharing radio frequency spectrum in a multiple communication satellite system with a plurality of satellites in each of a plurality of non-geostationary (non-GSO) Earth orbits. A first satellite communication system uses a plurality of predefined non-GSO Earth orbits and a second satellite communication system uses a plurality of predefined orbits that are interleaved with the orbital planes of the first satellite communication system. In this manner, it is possible to achieve satisfactory discrimination between satellites and Earth-based stations. With near polar orbits, the topocentric separation between satellites decreases as the latitude of the Earth-based stations increases due to the convergence of orbital planes near the poles. To compensate for the decreased topocentric separation, the system utilizes one or more mitigation techniques to select one of a plurality of possible satellites to communicate with the Earth-based station in order to effectively increase topocentric separation.

Abstract: A communication system for transmitting messages includes a mobile private communication system. The mobile private communication system has a mobile terminal disposed in each of a plurality of trucks, the mobile terminal having a transceiver, an electronic control unit in communication with the transceiver, and a display in communication with the electronic control unit for displaying the messages. A satellite transmits the messages to the mobile terminal, and a satellite dish transmits the messages to the satellite. A satellite hub converts the messages to a satellite transmittable form. An interface is provided, having a local management system for adjusting an account for each of the messages being transmitted to the mobile terminal, and further for ensuring that the account has a sufficient balance prior to transmitting messages to the mobile terminal.