Abstract: An automatically provisioned network element (26) has the ability to detect a heartbeat message interval used by a remote network element (22, 24) and to automatically adjust a heartbeat interval timer value that it uses for sending subsequent heartbeat messages. The adjustment is responsive to the interval used by the remote network element 50 that they correspond to each other. By automatically configuring the heartbeat timer interval value so that there is correspondence between the intervals used by the end points on a link over which Cisco HDLC SLARP communications occur, for example, the chance of a link being considered to have failed is decreased. In a disclosed example, the heartbeat interval timer value is initially set to a value that is expected to be higher than that used by the remote network element and only automatic reductions in the heartbeat message interval timer value are permitted.

Abstract: One embodiment includes distributing user traffic packets to a plurality of queues, and draining the queues of the user traffic packets according to a defined methodology. The drained user traffic packets are sent to a plurality of physical channel interfaces. Each of the plurality of physical channel interfaces interfaces with a respective channel of the backhaul. The sending step sends each of the drained user traffic packets to the physical channel.

Abstract: A system for managing security keys in a wireless network includes a manufacturer certification authority (MCA) for providing a signed digital MCA certificate for installation into a new network element (NE) at the manufacturer's facility prior to the new NE being installed and initialized in the network. The MCA also provides a source of trusted authority for authenticating legacy NEs in the network. The system includes a service provider certification authority for managing certificates and files used by the NEs to communicate securely within the network, a signing server for providing signing services to NEs for authentication, an element manager for providing security key and digital certificate management, and a management agent (MA) for providing proxy functionality of the EM security key services to NEs not directly connected to the EM.

Abstract: A wireless communication system (20) includes a capacity allocation module (35) that adjusts an allocation of an authorized total capacity among a plurality of base stations (22, 24, 26). A disclosed example includes determining a peak capacity requirement for a plurality of base stations at any given time. An authorized capacity corresponds to the peak requirement for the plurality of base stations. The disclosed example includes adjusting an allocation of the authorized total capacity among the plurality of base stations to meet different traffic requirements at each of the base stations at different times.

Abstract: One embodiment includes distributing user traffic packets to a plurality of queues, and draining the queues of the user traffic packets according to a defined methodology. The drained user traffic packets are sent to a plurality of physical channel interfaces. Each of the plurality of physical channel interfaces interfaces with a respective channel of the backhaul.

Abstract: An automatically provisioned network element (26) has the ability to detect a heartbeat message interval used by a remote network element (22, 24) and to automatically adjust a heartbeat interval timer value that it uses for sending subsequent heartbeat messages. The adjustment is responsive to the interval used by the remote network element 50 that they correspond to each other. By automatically configuring the heartbeat timer interval value so that there is correspondence between the intervals used by the end points on a link over which Cisco HDLC SLARP communications occur, for example, the chance of a link being considered to have failed is decreased. In a disclosed example, the heartbeat interval timer value is initially set to a value that is expected to be higher than that used by the remote network element and only automatic reductions in the heartbeat message interval timer value are permitted.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and apparatus for transmission that provides the performance of space time spreading (STS) or orthogonal transmit diversity (OTD) and the backwards compatibility of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) without significantly degrading performance in additive white guassan noise (AWGN) conditions using a transmission architecture that incorporates STS/OTD and a form of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) referred to herein as biased PSTD, which involves transmitting a signal and a frequency swept version of the same signal over diversity antennas at different power levels to reduce the depths of nulls normally seen in AWGN conditions when regular PSTD is utilized.

Abstract: The existing paging infrastructure is used to send commands to operate remotely-located electronic or mechanical devices. A paging message containing one or more pre-set commands, trigger signals, or command strings is received by a paging receiver into an optional signal buffer which provides the received message to a message compare function. The message compare matches each component of the message to a set of one or more allowed commands and sends at least one signal or command that causes the action specified by the received message contents to take place at the target device. The command may be a signal for triggering an electronic or mechanical action, or may be a command that causes an operation to be performed in a software-controlled component of the target device. An alternate embodiment allows responses generated by the system and/or the target device to be forwarded back to the initiator via a two-way paging transceiver.

Abstract: A method of increasing a number of possible users in a wireless communication system comprises directing steered beams to users within a sector of the system so that each user receives data via its own unique steered beam from a base station. The steered beams prevent more than one user from receiving data carried on the same beam. If the steered beams for at least two users are far enough apart so they do not interfere with each other, the base station assigns the two users the same code, such as the same Walsh code, for coding and decoding purposes to allow the base station to assign the same code to more than one user in a given sector.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and apparatus for transmission that provides the performance of space time spreading (STS) or orthogonal transmit diversity (OTD) and the backwards compatibility of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) without significantly degrading performance in additive white guassan noise (AWGN) conditions using a transmission architecture that incorporates STS/OTD and a form of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) referred to herein as biased PSTD, which involves transmitting a signal and a frequency swept version of the same signal over diversity antennas at different power levels to reduce the depths of nulls normally seen in AWGN conditions when regular PSTD is utilized.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and a method for sharing a communication channel among two or more base stations connected to a base station controller via a common transmission line in a channelized format. The present invention allows each of the base stations to receive data transmitted over a shared communication channel from the base station controller, to determine whether the data transmitted from the base station controller is intended for that base station, and to insert its data into the communication channel without interfering with data transmitted by other base stations over the communication channel. In one embodiment, each of the base stations is configured to bridge onto the transmission facility such that signaling messages being transmitted over a signaling channel may be received by all of the base stations. The signaling messages has associated identifiers for specifying particular base stations to which the signaling messages are intended.

Abstract: The system and method of the invention automatically provide appropriate configuration and control software to a hardware system consisting of multiple target hardware modules. A system controller is connected to the target hardware modules and to a repository that stores a set of software modules. Each software module includes configuration and control information for a particular target hardware module. When a particular software control and configuration scheme for at least a portion of the target hardware modules is to be implemented in the hardware system, software modules corresponding to the particular software control and configuration scheme are selected and associated with a system definition file that is also stored in the repository. When the system definition file is invoked by the system controller, the system controller executes the associated software modules thereby providing the particular software control and configuration scheme to appropriate target hardware modules.

Abstract: The system and method of the invention enable any channel of a multi-channel communication link to be used for transmission of a control signal to a system component by a system controller. The system component, connected to the system controller by the multi-channel communication link, automatically locates the one or more signaling channels carrying the control signal(s) and then establishes communication with the system controller in accordance with the control signal(s). If no signaling channels are located after a predetermined number of attempts or after a predetermined period of time, the system component may, if particular conditions are met, reset itself before continuing to search for the signaling channel(s).

Abstract: Each link between components connected in a daisy-chain configuration is also connected to a special router that can be configured to bypass any one or more of the components. In this way, one or more failed components can be isolated from the daisy-chain configuration without affecting the ability of the other operational components to continue to operate properly. In one embodiment, the special router has a configuration of horizontal and vertical switches and delay nodes. The switches can be independently and selectively controlled to isolate one or more of the components from the daisy-chain configuration, while the delay nodes delay transmission of the signals to simulate the processing time of the bypassed components. In this way, interference with the processing of the remaining operational components can be minimized.

Abstract: An interface between a parallel backplane bus of a physical layer of a communication device and a higher layer of the device is provided in a manner compatible with a serial bus architecture such as IEEE 1394. The interface includes a parallel backplane physical layer controller having multiple receive data lines for receiving data from the backplane bus, and multiple transmit data lines for transmitting data to the backplane bus. A link layer controller is coupled to the parallel backplane physical layer controller, and communicates with the parallel backplane physical layer controller over a data bus. The parallel backplane physical layer controller can provide an effective data bandwidth which is greater than its operating clock rate.