Abstract: A communication system for communication using wireless signals in a fast macrodiversity switching environment. The wireless signals include downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations where the wireless signals have bursts in time slots. In the communication system, a plurality of transceiver stations have broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated channels (switched) for the wireless signals. A zone manager controls the fast macrodiversity switching of bursts in dedicated channels among transceiver stations. The fast macrodiversity switching causes the bursts to have time shifts that are of a magnitude to cause unwanted burst overlap. A macro-diversity timing control controls the timing of bursts, to reduce burst overlap, in dedicated channels that have been dynamically switched timing problem.

Abstract: A communication system using fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) and frequency hopping (FH) for wireless signals including downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations. Frequency hopping sequences are determined for the uplink and downlink signals for the mobile stations. A plurality of transceiver stations employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for communications with the mobile stations. A zone manager controls fast macrodiversity switching of dedicated channels among the mobile stations while broadcast channels remain unswitched. The zone manager extracts frequency hopping information to form predictions of dedicated channel collisions, and based upon the predictions, controls the dynamic switching of dedicated channels to avoid collisions.

Abstract: Dynamic allocation of communication channels among communication units (CU) in a communications system. Dynamic channel allocation employs a reservation set for reserving channels and an allocation set corresponding to the reservation set for receiving allocated channels. The reservation set and the allocation set are changed dynamically as a function of network parameters to control the dynamic channel operation. Reservation set information is broadcast downlink to multiple users to reserve an allocation set of uplink radio resources for specific ones of the users. The system uses a modification of the packet data channel (PDCH) of a GPRS/EGPRS or EDGE system which employs an Uplink Status Flag (USF) on each PDCH downlink radio block. The downlink reservation set information is commonly received by all users in the group of users. Allocation delay, bandwidth efficiency and other system parameters are optimized.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without changing the radio resource, that is, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) or frequency and spreading code combination (CDMA). The traffic channel switching is under control of zone managers. Each BTS includes a zone manager where a host BTS has its zone manager designated as a host zone manager and other BTSs (assistant BTSs) have their zone managers designated as assistant zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels. Measurements of the wireless signals are made at macrodiverse locations.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) of channels that employ interleaving. The fast macrodiversity switching dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without switching the radio resource, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) in an environment where interleaving is occurring. The fast macrodiversity switching of channels and interleave processing is under control of an interleave manager which is distributed among zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels that employ interleaving. The dedicated channels are switched as frequently as a signal switch time which can be the frame rate of the up-link signals.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without changing the radio resource, that is, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) or frequency and spreading code combination (CDMA). The traffic channel switching is under control of zone managers. Each BTS includes a zone manager where a host BTS has its zone manager designated as a host zone manager and other BTSs (assistant BTSs) have their zone managers designated as assistant zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels. Measurements of the wireless signals are made at macrodiverse locations.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without changing the radio resource, that is, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) or frequency and spreading code combination (CDMA). The traffic channel switching is under control of zone managers. Each BTS includes a zone manager where a host BTS has its zone manager designated as a host zone manager and other BTSs (assistant BTSs) have their zone managers designated as assistant zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels. Measurements of the wireless signals are made at macrodiverse locations.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) of channels that employ interleaving. The fast macrodiversity switching dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without switching the radio resource, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) in an environment where interleaving is occurring. The fast macrodiversity switching of channels and interleave processing is under control of an interleave manager which is distributed among zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels that employ interleaving. The dedicated channels are switched as frequently as a signal switch time which can be the frame rate of the up-link signals.

Abstract: Dynamic allocation of communication channels among communication units (CU) in a communications system. Dynamic channel allocation employs a reservation set for reserving channels and an allocation set corresponding to the reservation set for receiving allocated channels. The reservation set and the allocation set are changed dynamically as a function of network parameters to control the dynamic channel operation. Reservation set information is broadcast downlink to multiple users to reserve an allocation set of uplink radio resources for specific ones of the users. The system uses a modification of the packet data channel (PDCH) of a GPRS/EGPRS or EDGE system which employs an Uplink Status Flag (USF) on each PDCH downlink radio block. The downlink reservation set information is commonly received by all users in the group of users. Allocation delay, bandwidth efficiency and other system parameters are optimized.

Abstract: A communication system for communication using wireless signals in a fast macrodiversity switching environment. The wireless signals include downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations where the wireless signals have bursts in time slots. In the communication system, a plurality of transceiver stations have broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated channels (switched) for the wireless signals. A zone manager controls the fast macrodiversity switching of bursts in dedicated channels among transceiver stations. The fast macrodiversity switching causes the bursts to have time shifts that are of a magnitude to cause unwanted burst overlap. A macrodiversity timing control controls the timing of bursts, to reduce burst overlap, in dedicated channels that have been dynamically switched timing problem.

Abstract: A communication system using fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) and frequency hopping (FH) for wireless signals including downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations. Frequency hopping sequences are determined for the uplink and downlink signals for the mobile stations. A plurality of transceiver stations employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for communications with the mobile stations. A zone manager controls fast macrodiversity switching of dedicated channels among the mobile stations while broadcast channels remain unswitched. The zone manager extracts frequency hopping information to form predictions of dedicated channel collisions, and based upon the predictions, controls the dynamic switching of dedicated channels to avoid collisions.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without changing the radio resource, that is, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) or frequency and spreading code combination (CDMA). The traffic channel switching is under control of zone managers. Each BTS includes a zone manager where a host BTS has its zone manager designated as a host zone manager and other BTSs (assistant BTSs) have their zone managers designated as assistant zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels. Measurements of the wireless signals are made at macrodiverse locations.

Abstract: A communication system for communication using wireless signals in a fast macrodiversity switching environment. The wireless signals include downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations where the wireless signals have bursts in time slots. In the communication system, a plurality of transceiver stations have broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated channels (switched) for the wireless signals. A zone manager controls the fast macrodiversity switching of bursts in dedicated channels among transceiver stations. The fast macrodiversity switching causes the bursts to have time shifts that are of a magnitude to cause unwanted burst overlap. A macrodiversity timing control controls the timing of bursts, to reduce burst overlap, in dedicated channels that have been dynamically switched timing problem.

Abstract: Fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) of channels that employ interleaving. The fast macrodiversity switching dynamically switches radio links used for traffic and control channels for a mobile station among a number of base transceiver stations (BTS) without switching the radio resource, using the same frequency and time slot combination (TDMA) in an environment where interleaving is occurring. The fast macrodiversity switching of channels and interleave processing is under control of an interleave manager which is distributed among zone managers. The control by the host and assistant zone managers includes switching down-link signals to and up-link signals from mobile stations among base transceiver stations which include broadcast channels (non-switched) and dedicated (switched) channels that employ interleaving. The dedicated channels are switched as frequently as a signal switch time which can be the frame rate of the up-link signals.

Abstract: A communication system using fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) and frequency hopping (FH) for wireless signals including downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations. Frequency hopping sequences are determined for the uplink and downlink signals for the mobile stations. A plurality of transceiver stations employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for communications with the mobile stations. A zone manager controls fast macrodiversity switching of dedicated channels among the mobile stations while broadcast channels remain unswitched. The zone manager extracts frequency hopping information to form predictions of dedicated channel collisions, and based upon the predictions, controls the dynamic switching of dedicated channels to avoid collisions.

Abstract: A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications from and to a plurality of mobile users. A plurality of broadcaster transmitters are distributed at macro-diverse locations for transmitting forward channel signals to the users under control of a broadcaster control unit. A plurality of collectors are distributed at macro-diverse locations for receiving reverse channel signals from the users which are processed to yield one or more sequences of data bits as a burst and corresponding initial confidence metrics for each bit. The collectors forward these reverse channel signals including the data bits and corresponding processed confidence metrics to aggregators. The system includes bandwidth control for minimizing backhaul bandwidth from collector to aggregator while maximizing signal quality.

Abstract: Dynamic allocation of communication channels among communication units (CU) in a communications system. Dynamic channel allocation employs a reservation set for reserving channels and an allocation set corresponding to the reservation set for receiving allocated channels. The reservation set and the allocation set are changed dynamically as a function of network parameters to control the dynamic channel operation. Reservation set information is broadcast downlink to multiple users to reserve an allocation set of uplink radio resources for specific ones of the users. The system uses a modification of the packet data channel (PDCH) of a GPRS/EGPRS or EDGE system which employs an Uplink Status Flag (USF) on each PDCH downlink radio block. The downlink reservation set information is commonly received by all users in the group of users. Allocation delay, bandwidth efficiency and other system parameters are optimized.

Abstract: A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications from and to a plurality of mobile users. A plurality of collectors are distributed at macro-diverse locations for receiving reverse channel signals from the users which are processed to yield one or more sequences of data bits as a burst and corresponding one or more initial confidence metrics for each bit. The initial confidence metrics have an initial range, a.sub.in, represented by an initial number of bits, .gamma..sub.in, and are processed to form processed confidence metrics having a processed range, a.sub.p, represented by a processed number of bits, .gamma..sub.p. The collectors forward these reverse channel signals including the data bits and corresponding processed confidence metrics to aggregators. The aggregators combine the multiple collector signals for the same user received from the macro-diverse collectors.