Abstract: A method and apparatus for packing management messages in a broadband wireless communication system. Management messages are sent across a link in packets addressed to a particular connection, where the address identifies messages which may be specially treated. Such special treatment may include recognition of an overall message conveyed in such packets as containing one or more implicit messages embedded within the overall message. Two methods are disclosed to efficiently convey such management messages. First, each packet of information sent across the link may include a message type identifier, in which case it need not be repeated in the payload of the packet, and a number of such messages may be sent within a packet. Second, a packet of information may contain mixed management messages, in which case the byte with the message type identifier should be included with each such message. In this case, an overall message may be constructed from individual management messages simply concatenated together.

Abstract: The invention relates to communication systems and to systems and methods for implementing adaptive call admission control (CAC) in such systems. Adaptive call admission control can determine what CPE to base station calls (connections) are allowed at any given time. CAC, coupled with precedence, can further determine what connections are suspended if less bandwidth is available than is currently committed. Multiple techniques are disclosed to select connections for suspension. These techniques include suspending enough connections through the affected CPE until there is enough bandwidth to meet the remaining commitment, randomly (or in a round robin fashion) choosing connection to suspend from the entire set of connection, and using precedence priority levels.

Abstract: A system and method providing a wireless broadband connection between base stations and customer sites. The system includes indoor units, within the base stations and customer sites, that communicate across cables to outdoor units. The indoor units link to routers, switches and other devices and services. The outdoor units transmit and receive wireless data and send it to the indoor units. The indoor units control the functioning of the outdoor units by transmitting digital messages along the interface cables. The outdoor units report various detector values to the indoor units, which allows the indoor units to tune and adjust several functions within the outdoor units. Several embodiments for automatically calibrating the receive path gain in the base stations to compensate for the base station cable between the indoor unit and outdoor unit are described. In addition, an improved transmit power control technique which is not affected by modulation type, is also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adaptively obtaining bandwidth requests in a broadband wireless communication system. The method and apparatus includes dynamically varying technique combinations enabling a plurality of users to efficiently request bandwidth from a shared base station. A user may “piggyback” a new bandwidth request upon, or set a “poll-me bit” within, presently allocated bandwidth. A base station may poll users, individually or in groups, by allocating unrequested bandwidth for new requests. Polling may respond to a “poll-me bit,” and/or it may be adaptively periodic at a rate based on communication status parameters, such as recent communication activity and connection QoS levels. Group polling permits a possibility of collisions. Polling policies may be established for dynamically varying user groups, or may be determined for each user. Dynamic selection of appropriate polling techniques makes use of efficiency benefits associated with each technique.