Abstract: In a time division multiple access communication system, adjacent and co-channel interference are reduced by discontinuing or shutting off modulation of carrier frequency signals during inactive time slots so that transmitted power of carrier frequency signals are reduced. Also, the time slots and carrier frequency signals are organized so that each carrier frequency signal has the least amount of time slots designated as active time slots. The time slots are designated so that the respective same time slots of adjacent carrier frequency signals are not concurrently designated as active time slots.

Abstract: In the method for dynamically determining interference and carrier-to-interference ratio, interference is measured during an active TDMA time slot. In one embodiment, a base station determines the interference level in an active time slot using power level measurement taken during a DTX OFF period, when a mobile station is transmitting in discontinuous transmission mode. In another embodiment, a base station orders a mobile station to cease transmission during a SACCH portion of the time slot, and determines an interference level I measurement using power level measurements taken during the inactive SACCH field. Another embodiment provides for the determination of an interference level I using power level measurements taken during the guard and ramp fields.

Abstract: A phase-modulated signal such as a quadrature phase-shift-keyed (QPSK) signal in a wireless communication system is demodulated using sample timing based at least in part on frequency information generated by frequency demodulating the phase-modulated signal. The phase-modulated signal is separated into first and second portions, the first portion is phase demodulated to generate demodulated symbols, and the second portion is frequency demodulated to generate, e.g., a measure of the instantaneous frequency of the phase-modulated signal. The instantaneous frequency measure is processed to identify one or more symbol transitions, and the identified transitions are used to establish the sample timing such that proper sampling of the symbols is ensured.

Abstract: A simplified method for sampling timing adjustment and frequency offset estimation in a TDMA cellular PCS environment using &pgr;/4 - shifted DQPSK comprises the steps of oversampling a received signal resulting from transmission of sequences of complex-valued symbols at a rate N times the symbol rate thereof so as to produce N sets of samples, comparing for each set of samples the differential phase angle between successively received complex-valued symbols, and determining which set of the N sets of samples has differential phase angles closest to ideal values to thereby obtain an optimal sampling timing. The differential phase angles are measured by multiplying a complex conjugate of a received complex-valued symbol and a succeeding symbol to produce a comparison vector having an angle equal to the differential phase angle between the received complex-valued symbol and the succeeding symbol. The differential phase angles are optionally rotated so that the angle thereof is between 0° and 90°.

Abstract: A phase-modulated signal such as a quadrature phase-shift-keyed (QPSK) signal in a wireless communication system is demodulated by frequency demodulating the phase-modulated signal. The phase-modulated signal is separated into first and second copies, the first copy is phase demodulated to generate demodulated symbols, and the second copy is frequency demodulated to generate, e.g., a measure of the instantaneous frequency of the phase-modulated signal. The instantaneous frequency measure is processed to identify one or more symbol transitions, and the identified transitions are used to generate event signals having signature properties (signature events). These signature events are used in traditional Time Difference of Arrival tdoa algorithms to accurately determine position of a mobile unit in the wireless communication system.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications system is disclosed that hands off a wireless terminal from one base station to another as the wireless terminal moves within a wireless telecommunications system. Each pair of communications channels (forward and reverse) that are used by the system for communication with a specific wireless terminal are not associated with a specific base station. Instead, the pair of communications channels are associated with the wireless terminal and are used by the wireless terminal both before and after a hand off. Before the hand off, the wireless terminal uses the pair of communications channels for communicating with a first base station. To accomplish the hand off to a second base station, the first base station stops using the communications channels at the same time that the second base station starts using them. Although the wireless terminal is handed off from the first base station to the second base station, re-tuning of the wireless terminal is not required.

Abstract: A measurement radio system uses a measurement radio to scan active channels of a base station and produce operating information for the traffic radios servicing the active channels. The measurement radio can produce operating information, such as signal strength, bit error rate (BER), frame error rate (FER) and signal to interference ratio (C/I), which is used to determine whether to change the manner in which the traffic radio is servicing the active channel. For example, if the measurement radio can switch between different sets of antennas, the measurement radio can scan an active voice/data channel using a different set of antennas than the traffic radio is using to service the active channel and determine operating information related to the signal received over the active channel using the different set of antennas. The traffic radio can use the operating information to determine whether to hand off the active channel to the different set of antennas.

Abstract: A system for determining coverage in a wireless communications systems uses location information for a wireless unit and collects information on communications between the wireless unit and the wireless communications system in association with the location information. The wireless communications system determines and/or receives location information for the wireless unit along with other information associated with the location information. The information by location can be used to represent the coverage of a geographic region. For example, during communications between a serving base station and a wireless unit, the serving base station could receive and/or determine signal quality measurements of a forward link and/or of a reverse link at a particular location.

Abstract: The synchronization system uses a TDMA or AMPS air interface to provide timing synchronization between previously unsynchronized base stations. The synchronization of base stations is critical between when determining the geographical position of a mobile because the geographical position is determined using a time difference of arrival method. In order to synchronize a remote base station with a serving base station, the remote base station receives a signal from the serving base station and measuring the receiving time of the signal at the remote base station in relation to the clock of the remote base station. The synchronization system determines the transmission time of the signal based on the reception time of the signal and the distance between the base stations, in relation to the clock signal of the second station, and synchronizes the clock of the remote base station to the clock of the serving base station based on the offset in the clock cycles at the time the signal was transmitted.

Abstract: A method for locating a mobile unit without synchronizing base-stations is provided. A triangulation scheme where distances between a plurality of base-stations and a mobile unit (herein termed mobile) are calculated by measuring at least three round-trip-delay-values wherein each round-trip-delay-value corresponds to transmission of a downlink signal from each base-station to the mobile unit and transmission of an uplink signal, in response to the downlink signal, from the mobile unit to each base-station is described. It is a low-cost solution without requiring the participating base-stations to be accurately synchronized in time and with the added advantages of utilizing a known downlink signal and a known uplink signal in determining the position of the mobile.

Abstract: A communications system includes at least one mobile station and a plurality of base stations each transmitting a downlink signal to the at least one mobile station substantially asynchronously from one another. Each base station receives an uplink signal from the at least one mobile station responsive to the downlink signal. Further, each base station has a known position and may determine a round trip delay between transmission of the downlink signal and reception of the uplink signal. The communications system may also include a position determiner for determining a position of the at least one mobile station based upon the round trip delays and the known positions of the base stations.

Abstract: A time slotted system capable of switching between two or more antennas during the guard times of the time slots. Switching between antennas during the guard time of the time slots eliminates any disturbance to the user, since it eliminates any loud noise, or popping that can occur during the switching between antennas. The beamwidth of each of the antennas is narrower than needed to cover a sector of a cell of the system, increasing the size of the cell due to the larger gain of the narrower beamwidth antenna elements. The system also includes a scanning radio for determining the optimal signal amongst the signals received on the antennas, and a switch for coupling the antenna receiving the optimal signal to a receiver system. In one embodiment of the invention the optimal signal is based on the information content of the signal, such as the signal's bit error rate.

Abstract: A technique for synchronizing the timing signals in the base stations of a wireless telecommunications system is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, each base station derives the frequency of its timing signal from one periodic signal, but the phase of its timing signal from a second periodic signal. In general, the base station derives its timing signal based on: (1) the frequency of a reference timing signal, and (2) the phase of a feedback signal. The reference timing signal can be obtained from a common timing source or from different timing sources which are designed to have the same frequency. The feedback signal is advantageously the confluence of two feedback loops. In accordance with the first feedback loop, the feedback signal is based on the phase of the base station's own timing signal. In accordance with the second feedback loop, the feedback signal is based on the phase of the timing signals from one or more nearby base stations.