Abstract: A physical channel estimator for a communication system using pilot symbols and an equalizer uses a model of the system in which the impulse response of the physical channel is considered separately from the impulse responses of the pulse shaping filters in the transmitter and receiver of the communication system. The system is modeled as if the signals were propagated first through both pulse shaping filters and then through the physical channel. To estimate the physical channel impulse response, known pilot symbols are transmitted and then sampled. The pilot symbol samples and the known impulse responses of the pulse shaping filters are then used to estimate the physical channel impulse response. In one embodiment, the physical channel impulse response is considered time-invariant over the estimation period and a sufficient number of pilot symbol samples are taken so that the system is overdetermined.

Abstract: A paging protocol includes header synchronization and system information segments containing information that allows a pager to conserve power. These segments can indicate a schedule of transmissions, and the channels of other transmissions. The pager can use this information to reduce the time the pager is in a high-power mode. In addition, the addresses are ordered so that the pager can more quickly determine whether a page is addressed to that particular pager. Further, the pager can activate circuitry in a sequenced manner to reduce peak power usage. The transmissions on different channels are synchronized in an offset manner so that the pager can scan one channel and switch to a next channel and immediately receive the start of a frame. Still further, the pager can be configured to perform narrowing searches during the initial acquisition process, which are then widened if no active channels are detected.

Abstract: A paging protocol includes header synchronization and system information segments containing information that allows a pager to conserve power. These segments can indicate a schedule of transmissions, and the channels of other transmissions. The pager can use this information to reduce the time the pager is in a high-power mode. In addition, the addresses are ordered so that the pager can more quickly determine whether a page is addressed to that particular pager. Further, the pager can activate circuitry in a sequenced manner to reduce peak power usage. The transmissions on different channels are synchronized in an offset manner so that the pager can scan one channel and switch to a next channel and immediately receive the start of a frame. Still further, the pager can be configured to perform narrowing searches during the initial acquisition process, which are then widened if no active channels are detected.

Abstract: A pattern detector adapted for wireless communication systems includes an error calculator, a comb filter, an averager, and a threshold detector. The pattern to be detected is a sequence of pilot signal patterns whose error calculation is relatively invariant with respect to frequency offset introduced by Doppler and the local oscillator. The pattern detector processes received input samples y.sub.k to determine an error signal from the input samples y.sub.k and estimated input samples y.sub.k. The estimated input samples y.sub.k are determined using an estimated channel impulse response. When a vector of the received input samples is "aligned" with the expected header sync input samples, the level of the error signal is about equal to the level of the noise. The pattern detector determines the average level of the error signals for the last K error signals of each sample position E.sub.