Abstract: A channel structure and mechanisms that support effective and efficient allocation and utilization of the reverse link resources. In one aspect, mechanisms are provided to quickly assign resources (e.g., a supplemental channel) as needed, and to quickly de-assign the resources when not needed or to maintain system stability. The reverse link resources may be quickly assigned and de-assigned via short messages exchanged on control channels on the forward and reverse links. In another aspect, mechanisms are provided to facilitate efficient and reliable data transmission. A reliable acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment scheme and an efficient retransmission scheme are provided. Mechanisms are also provided to control the transmit power and/or data rate of the remote terminals to achieve high performance and avoid instability.

Abstract: A novel and improved method for performing paging is described. In one embodiment of the invention a searcher is used to detect spread spectrum signals. Samples received RF signals are stored in a sample buffer. During standby mode, the samples are gathered during paging slots assigned to the mobile. A set of searches are performed on the samples, and if pilot signals are detected additional demodulation is performed to detect paging messages. The resulting set of demodulation data may be combined to increase detection. After a page message has been detected, additional demodulation resources may be activated to processes more complete page messages, or other information channels. In one embodiment of the invention, the searcher includes a demodulator to perform quick page detection without the use of finger elements to reduce idle mode power consumption.

Abstract: In wireless communications, it is necessary to monitor the transmission quality of communications channels to maintain system performance and operation. The invention provides a way of measuring bit error rates in channels at the receiver, without diminishing channel throughput by inserting quality monitoring data into the signal at the transmitter.

Abstract: In a communication system, a method and an accompanying apparatus determine a number of available fingers (110A-N) in a receiver (100). A controller (121) adjusts a threshold based on the determined number of the available fingers (110). The adjusted threshold may be one of, or any combination of, a pilot signal search threshold, a lock/unlock threshold, and a combine/un-combine threshold. The number of available fingers (110) may change after the threshold is adjusted.

Abstract: The invention is a method for limiting the peak transmit power in a CDMA communication system. At least one of first and second high transmit power regions are separated into a plurality of high transmit power subregions. The high transmit power subregions of the plurality of high subregions are shifted by time offsets of differing durations to provide a plurality of time offset subregions. First and second low transmit power regions are also provided. At least one of the first and second low transmit power regions is also separated into a plurality of transmit power subregions and the low transmit power subregions are shifted by time offsets of differing time durations. The subregions can be time offset by a predetermined time duration or by a random time duration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for negotiating service configuration in a digital communication system is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment the service negotiation system is implemented in a wireless spread spectrum communication system. The service configuration comprises data rates, frame formats and types of services. Types of service may include speech encoding, facsimile or digital data services. Further described herein is a digital transmitter and receiver using the service negotiation system to provide service configuration mutually acceptable at both ends of a communication link.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus for supervising a potentially gated channel in a wireless communication system. The first method is an extension of the method used in IS-95 with empty frames simply ignored, but with potentially different thresholds. The mobile station maintains a counter of consecutive bad frames, COUNT1, and a counter of consecutive good frames, COUNT2. COUNT1 and COUNT2 are set to zero at the beginning of a call. For each frame received, the mobile station determines if it is a good frame, a bad frame, or an empty frame. If the received frame is a good frame, COUNT1 is reset to zero and COUNT2 is incremented by 1. If the received frame is a bad frame, COUNT1 is incremented by one and COUNT2 is reset to zero. If the received frame is an empty frame, COUNT1 and COUNT2 are unchanged. If COUNT1 reaches a threshold value, TH1, the mobile station shall disable its transmitter.

Abstract: In a communication system capable of variable rate transmission, scheduling of high speed data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay in data communication. Each remote station is assigned one primary code channel for the duration of the communication with a cell. Secondary code channels of various types and transmission capabilities can be assigned by a channel scheduler for scheduled transmission of data traffic at high rates. Secondary code channels are assigned in accordance with a set of system goals, a list of parameters, and collected information on the status of the communication network. Secondary code channels can be grouped into sets of secondary code channels. Data is partitioned in data frames and transmitted over the primary and secondary code channels which have been assigned to the scheduled user.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved method for providing broadcast short message services (SMS) in a communication network. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that insures the successful transmission of the broadcast message while minimizing the impact of providing the short messaging service on overall system capacity. It is further the objective of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for receiving broadcast messages without depriving the receiver of the benefits of slotted paging, that being the savings in power consumption.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing diversity transmissions to a mobile unit from a transmitting station having at least first and second antennas by repeatedly switching between the two antennas during the transmission of information to the receiving unit. Message information is transmitted from the first antenna in the transmitting station to the receiving unit. After the start of the transmission of the message information from the first antenna, transmission of the message information from the first antenna to the receiving unit terminates and transmission of the message information from the second antenna in the transmitting station to the receiving unit is initiated. Some time after transmission of the message information from second antenna is initiated, the transmission of the message information from the second antenna to the receiving unit terminates and transmission of the message information from the first antenna in the transmitting station to the receiving unit is initiated.

Abstract: Techniques for power control of serving and non-serving base stations are disclosed. In one aspect, power control commands for a plurality of base stations are combined to form a single command to control the plurality of base control. In another aspect, an “Or-of-up” rule is used to combine the power control commands. In yet another aspect, a channel quality indicator is used to power control a serving base station. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of providing efficient power control between a mobile station and both serving and non-serving base stations, thus avoiding excessive interference and increasing capacity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing orthogonal spot beams (14a, 14b), sectors (16a, 16b), and picocells (18), by using orthogonal auxiliary pilots and different Walsh traffic channels in adjacent areas. According to the IS-95 standard, the pilot signal is covered with the 64-chip Walsh sequence zero. Designating the 64-chip all zeros Walsh sequence as P and the 64-chip all one sequence as M, additional pilot signals are provided in the present invention by concatenating the P and the M sequences. Thus, for two pilot signals, pilot Walsh sequences of PP and PM can be used. For four pilot signals, pilot Walsh sequences of PPPP, PMPM, PPMM, and PMMP can be used. In general, the required number of pilot Walsh sequences can be generated by substituting each bit in an K-bit Walsh sequence with the 64-chip all zeros P or all ones M sequence, depending on the value of that bit.

Abstract: The present invention describes a spread spectrum communication system wherein the frequency of carriers and the code channels of the carriers or both for transmission to a given remote station user vary in time. This provides for a direct sequence spectrum communications system which changes frequency or code channel according to a predetermined pattern. The code channels and frequencies can be determined in accordance with a deterministic function or based upon a subset of the data to be transmitted. A receiver structure is also described for receiving the same.

Abstract: An efficient retransmission of data using symbol accumulation wherein a first set of data symbols is encoded, producing a first set of encoded symbols and a second set of encoded symbols. The first set of encoded symbols is then transmitted in a first frame. A second set of data symbols is then encoded to produce a third set of encoded symbols. The first frame is then analyzed to ascertain whether it failed to decode. If the first frame failed to decode, a minimum retransmission power level for the second set of encoded symbols is determined. The second and third sets of encoded symbols are determined. The second and third sets of encoded symbols are then sent in a second frame, thus improving the probability of correct decoding. The throughput rate can be improved since the packet received in error is retransmitted concurrently with the transmission of the new data packet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transmission power levels in a mobile communication system. The method provides for a closed-loop power control method. A mobile station provides information on the quality of the signal received from the base station, and the base station responds by adjusting the power allocated to that user in a shared base station signal. The transmission power is adjusted initially by a large increment and then ramped down at an increasingly decreasing rate. The mobile station also provides information to the base station as to its relative velocity and the base station adjusts its transmission power in accordance with this velocity information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coordinating the time at which a mobile station performs searches for alternative systems to which a hard handoff will occur. The mobile station receives a command which instructs the mobile station as to when to tune to alternative frequencies in order to search for indicates of the presence of an alternative system. In another system which includes the present invention, predetermined times are defined with respect to a reference point in time that is common to both the origination base station and a mobile station. The mobile station tunes to alternative frequencies to perform searches only during these predetermined times. In addition, the mobile station coordinates the transmission of reports, which indicate the results of searches for alternative systems such that these reports are only transmitted from the mobile station when the mobile station is tuned to the origination frequency.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting forward traffic channel power allocation in a communications system, wherein signal qualities of pilot channels respectively transmitted by multiple base stations in an active set of a mobile station, are measured by the mobile station, compared to a signal quality standard, and the comparison results reported to a system controller, thereby to indicate which of the pilots at the mobile station surpass the standard. The system controller then adjusts the forward channel power allocation based on the comparison results.

Abstract: In a mobile communication system having a first communication device for communicating with a plurality of second communication devices, a method for performing handoff within the mobile communication system includes transmitting from at least one of the second communication devices to the first communication device a handoff list of second communication devices to which the first communication device is permitted to handoff. A channel assignment message is transmitted from each of the second communications devices in the handoff list. The handoff list includes base stations controlled by a single controller that determines which of the second communication devices transmits the channel assignment message. The base stations on the handoff list have pilot signals and the energy levels of the pilot signals are measured by the first communication device.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is provided that includes a plurality of origination stations and at least one terminal. The plurality of origination stations each communicate a signal comprising a regular page message over respective regular paging channels and a quick paging channel page message over respective quick paging channels. The terminal, when in an idle state during which an RF receiver is off, simultaneously monitors each of the quick paging channels for their respective quick paging channel page messages.

Abstract: An acknowledgement method in a wireless communication system. Initially, a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH) frame is received at a base station. The base station then transmits an acknowledgement (ACK) signal if quality of the received R-SCH frame is indicated as being good. A negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal is transmitted only if the received data frame is indicated as being bad but has enough energy such that, if combined with energy from retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame. If the best base station is known, the acknowledgement method may reverse the transmission of the acknowledgement signals for the best base station so that only NAK signal is sent. A positive acknowledgement is assumed in the absence of an acknowledgement. This is done to minimize the transmit power requirements.