Abstract: A base station receives (201) OFDMA messages from a plurality of end user platforms that share all used tones within at least one OFDMA symbol. By one approach this base station then uses (202) a fixed starting time to select contiguous samples from received aggregate multi-user signals wherein the fixed starting time is offset from a reference time that comprises a time at which the base station expects to be receiving the signals from all end users. In combination with the time offset approach noted above or in lieu thereof the base station can process (204) selected contiguous samples using fast Fourier transform and then provide (205) phase rotation with respect to those processed samples. When applying phase rotation, by one approach a phase rotation can be applied (401) to the aggregate multi-user signal and, in addition, individual phase rotation can be applied (402) as determined on a user-by-user basis.

Abstract: A cellular communication system comprises a user equipment (101) which is arranged to transmit control channel messages to a network (103) of the communication system. When a message is transmitted, the user equipment (101) enters an active monitoring mode for a time interval after which it returns to the power-down mode. The user equipment (101) monitors a paging channel when in the active monitoring mode but not in all paging cycles when in the power-down mode. The network (103) is arranged to transmit paging messages in response to a detection of the control channel message from the user equipment (101). The invention may allow a much longer power-down interval thereby reducing power consumption and increasing battery life. The approach may be particularly suitable for machine-to-machine communications.

Abstract: Estimates of carrier signal power S and interference-noise NI at the output of the equalizer in a wireless communication system is obtained by (i) determining the variance, ?Z2, of the noise at the output of the equalizer dependent upon the equalization matrix, WH and an estimate of the variance ?2 of the noise at the receiving antennas, (ii) determining the interference, ?I2, at the output of the equalizer dependent upon the equalization matrix, WH, a transfer function matrix, H, of transmission paths between transmitting antennas and receiving antennas, and an estimate ?X2 of the variance of the transmitted signals and (iii) determining the power, S, of the carrier signal at the output of the equalizer dependent upon WH, H and ?X2. The estimate of the interference-noise NI is calculated as NI=?I2+?Z2. These values may be used to facilitate adaptation of the wireless communication system.

Abstract: A wireless transceiver (100) that produces soft decisions for received, block error correction encoded codewords and a confidence indicator signifying a likelihood of errors in the detected data. The wireless transceiver (100) processes block encrypted signals, such as feedback channel messages in a WiMax uplink. Upon receiving a signal, a soft decision is determined for received block encoded codewords. A difference is calculated between a soft decision metric for a most likely detected codeword and a soft decision metric for a next most likely detected codeword. This difference is normalized based upon the total decoder input power received over the received signal (201). The normalized difference is then scaled by a channel dependent factor and is time filtered. The normalized and time filtered confidence indicator output (212) is able to be provided to a wireless network controller to assess the usability of the received data.

Abstract: A method for selecting at least one operating parameter of a communication system (100). The method can include determining a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) for a communication signal (330). An intermediate value (D) for the communication signal can be determined based on, at least in part, a received value (ri) of at least one known datum, a predetermined value (pi) of the known datum and a channel estimate ({tilde over (h)}i). Further, a carrier to interference and noise ratio (CINR) can be estimated based on, at least in part, the RSSI and the intermediate value. The operating parameter can be selected based on, at least in part, the estimated CINR.

Abstract: Estimates of carrier signal power S and interference-noise NI at the output of the equalizer in a wireless communication system is obtained by (i) determining the variance, ?Z2, of the noise at the output of the equalizer dependent upon the equalization matrix, WH and an estimate of the variance ?2 of the noise at the receiving antennas, (ii) determining the interference, ?I2, at the output of the equalizer dependent upon the equalization matrix, WH, a transfer function matrix, H, of transmission paths between transmitting antennas and receiving antennas, and an estimate ?X2 of the variance of the transmitted signals and (iii) determining the power, S, of the carrier signal at the output of the equalizer dependent upon WH, H and ?X2. The estimate of the interference-noise NI is calculated as NI=?I2+?Z2. These values may be used to facilitate adaptation of the wireless communication system.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for determining a carrier to interference-noise ratio (CINR) and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) in a wireless communication system. A base station calculates a carrier power (C) of at least one user in the wireless communication system, and a noise interference (NI) for one cell or sector in the wireless communication system. The carrier power (C) is divided by the noise interference (NI) to produce a value representative of the carrier to interference-noise ratio (C/NI). The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is derived by combining weighted carrier power (C) and noise interference (NI).

Abstract: A dual transfer mode communications network (100), such as a GSM network using AMR and GPRS data transmission modes, allows enhanced data utilization efficiency by multiplexing AMR pauses generated during speech frame transmission by a first mobile system (101) with short packet-switched data bursts from a second mobile system (105). The communications network (100) processes an access request burst signal on an uplink channel from the first mobile system (101) along with the short packet-switched data bursts from the second mobile system (105).

Abstract: A wireless communication system (100) includes a first mobile device (110) with a circuit-switched connection using adaptive multi-rate (AMR) speech coding. This first mobile device (110) is assigned to a first time slot by a base station (130). The base station (130) also serves at least a second mobile device (120) with a packet-switched connection and assigned to a second time slot. The base station (130) instructs the second mobile device (120) to transmit data on the first time slot, as well as its originally-assigned second time slot, during a no-speech-data AMR frame of the first mobile device (110). The base station ceases to instruct the second mobile device (120) to transmit data on the first time slot when it receives an AMR Access Burst (AAB) from the first mobile device (110). A 52-multiframe structure, used by the second mobile device (120) when it is transmitting on the first time slot, includes at least one A-idle frame when the first mobile device (110) can transmit its AAB.

Abstract: A wireless transceiver (100) that produces soft decisions for received, block error correction encoded codewords and a confidence indicator signifying a likelihood of errors in the detected data. The wireless transceiver (100) processes block encrypted signals, such as feedback channel messages in a WiMax uplink. Upon receiving a signal, a soft decision is determined for received block encoded codewords. A difference is calculated between a soft decision metric for a most likely detected codeword and a soft decision metric for a next most likely detected codeword. This difference is normalized based upon the total decoder input power received over the received signal (201). The normalized difference is then scaled by a channel dependent factor and is time filtered. The normalized and time filtered confidence indicator output (212) is able to be provided to a wireless network controller to assess the usability of the received data.

Abstract: A base station receives (201) OFDMA messages from a plurality of end user platforms that share all used tones within at least one OFDMA symbol. By one approach this base station then uses (202) a fixed starting time to select contiguous samples from received aggregate multi-user signals wherein the fixed starting time is offset from a reference time that comprises a time at which the base station expects to be receiving the signals from all end users. In combination with the time offset approach noted above or in lieu thereof the base station can process (204) selected contiguous samples using fast Fourier transform and then provide (205) phase rotation with respect to those processed samples. When applying phase rotation, by one approach a phase rotation can be applied (401) to the aggregate multi-user signal and, in addition, individual phase rotation can be applied (402) as determined on a user-by-user basis.

Abstract: A method for selecting at least one operating parameter of a communication system (100). The method can include determining a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) for a communication signal (330). An intermediate value (D) for the communication signal can be determined based on, at least in part, a received value (ri) of at least one known datum, a predetermined value (pi) of the known datum and a channel estimate ({tilde over (h)}i). Further, a carrier to interference and noise ratio (CINR) can be estimated based on, at least in part, the RSSI and the intermediate value. The operating parameter can be selected based on, at least in part, the estimated CINR.