Abstract: A mobile wireless communication device, for example a cellular handset, for selecting communication services and methods therefore, based on user specified communication objectives related to characteristics of communications executed by the device. The user specified characteristics are used to assess a plurality of communication services by comparing the specified characteristic with corresponding service characteristics of each of a plurality of available communication services. A communication service is selected from the plurality of communication services having service characteristics that correlate most closely with the specified characteristics of the communication executed by the device.

Abstract: A wireless data system (200) and a method (300) of communicating digital data to a handheld wireless device (202) are provided. The wireless data system (200) includes a plurality of handheld wireless devices (202) capable of receiving digital data comprised of a first digital data portion and at least one second digital data portion. The wireless data system (200) also includes a wireless network (209) capable of transmitting (318) the first digital data portion to the plurality of handheld wireless devices (202), a data server (212) for creating the digital data, the data server capable of communicating with the wireless network, and at least one broadcast transmitter (215) communicating with the data server, the at least one broadcast transmitter broadcasting (321) the at least one second digital data portion to the plurality of handheld wireless devices.

Abstract: An apparatus enabling multiple client devices to access a SIM card, coupled to a server device, along a local link, that includes a SIM card interface and a router unit. The SIM card interface couples the SIM card to the server device, formats the commands from the client devices for transmission to the SIM card, and formats responses to the commands for transmission from the SIM card to the client devices. The router unit routes the commands from the server device to the SIM card interface, and routes the responses to the commands for transmission along the local link from the SIM card to the client devices. A broadcast message is transmitted by the router unit along the local link to the client devices in response to detecting a physical presence signal transmitted by the SIM card interface in response to the SIM card being coupled to the SIM card interface.

Abstract: A wireless data system (200) and a method (400) of communicating digital data to one or more handheld wireless devices (202) are provided. The method (400) comprise the steps of removing (402) at least one data segment from the digital data to form a first digital data portion (300) and replacing (406) the at least one data segment with an at least one position holder (303, 305) embedded into the first digital data portion. The method further includes forming (409) at least one second digital data portion including the at least one data segment, communicating (413) the first digital data portion (300) to a wireless network (209), and communicating (419) the at least one second digital data portion to a broadcast transmitter (215). The method broadcasts (422) the first digital data portion (300) from the wireless network (209) and broadcasts (425) the at least one second digital data portion from the broadcast transmitter (215).

Abstract: The present invention is a method of coordinating an activity at a destination includes receiving a first signal indicative of a first location of a first party (110). The first signal is received at a destination of the first party. A second signal indicative of a second location of a second party is received at a destination (112), which is also the destination of the second party. A schedule is created (150) to coordinate the activity automatically at the destination. The schedule is based on the first and second signals indicative of the first and second locations and may include additional functions such as the estimated times of arrival of the first and second parties (120, 122). Also, the present invention is a method of notification upon arrival at a predetermined location (200) that includes receiving a first signal indicative of the location of a first party (210).

Abstract: A video processing system (100) employs a method and apparatus for indicating a location of a person (203) with respect to a video capturing volume (201) of a camera (101). A location determiner (115) receives at least one image from the camera (101), in which the image preferably includes at least a portion of the person (203). Based on the image, the location determiner (115) determines a location of the person (203) with respect to the video capturing volume (201) of the camera (101). An abstract representation generator (119) generates an abstract representation (209), e.g., an icon, of the person (203) and provides the abstract representation to a video processor (117). The video processor (117) positions the abstract representation (209) together with an image, e.g.

Abstract: A system for rapidly acquiring a time reference for the location determination of a wireless communication device. The system includes a wireless communication device (200), a GPS satellite (202) and a communication satellite (208). The method comprises the steps of acquiring a communication satellite signal (210) and using the finite frame time to establish a course time reference. Once the course time reference is established, an absolute device time is determined by the wireless communication device, which as a result is synchronized to the absolute time of the communication satellite (208) to within ten milliseconds. The absolute device time is then used to synchronize the GPS portion of the wireless communication device with the GPS satellite system.

Abstract: A mobile subscriber unit (MS) location method and system in a spread spectrum channel coding system uses a known spread spectrum location beacon channel (34) that is time division multiplexed with normal code division multiplexed channels (36). Each base station (12, 14 and 16) in a defined service area transmits the known time division multiplexed spread spectrum location beacon signal (34), such as a known location channel, as a spread spectrum location beacon signal at a same time interval. Mobile subscriber units (18) receive the spread spectrum location beacon signal (34) time division multiplexed with the normal CDMA channels (36) and determine their own location using location techniques such as trilateration. Preferably, all of a base station's transmit power is assigned to this special known location channel (34) during transmission.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for creating a composite waveform. This composite waveform is created by coding a plurality of input digital information signals. Subsequently, the plurality of coded input digital information signals are communicated over a communication medium to a digital combiner. The digital combiner combines the plurality of coded input digital information signals. Finally, the digitally combined information signal is spectrally shaped to form a composite waveform. These composite waveform creation principals may be applied to digitally encoded voice subbands in a subband coding system as well as channel information in a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) communication system transmitter.

Abstract: Orthogonal transmit diversity is implemented by employing a data splitter (803) to subdivide channel information (801) into at least a first portion of bits (802) and a second portion of bits (804). Each portion is spread with its own Walsh code for eventual transmission to a mobile station via a predetermined carrier frequency. When the number of bits in the first and second portion (802, 804) are small, separate Walsh codes are used to maintain orthogonality. When the number of bits in the first and second portion (802, 804) are relatively large, a time-division multiplex transmission is used to maintain orthogonality. A controller (809) controls the subdivision of the channel information and also an interleaver (308) to further enhance the effects of the diversity transmission. Control information related to the subdivision is transmitted to the mobile station so the channel information can be accurately reconstructed prior to decoding.

Abstract: A frequency-hopping communication system preempts certain burst frequency assignments. The communication system is capable of communicating to mobile stations (114, 115) via a radio channel (121) in a TDM/TDMA mode. A plurality of mobile stations are assigned burst frequencies for transmission during timeslots of the TDMA system. To support additional mobile stations without additional burst frequencies, the communication system preempts the burst frequency assignment from the plurality of mobile stations, and utilizes the preempted assignment to support communication to the additional mobile stations.

Abstract: Different orthogonal codes (W.sub.x, W.sub.y) are used to spread common pilot channels (Pilot.sub.A) intended for transmission to a particular mobile station (106) within a coverage area (sector A) to implement forward link transmit diversity. The use of different orthogonal codes (W.sub.x, W.sub.y) for each pilot channel (Pilot.sub.A) allows the mobile station (106) to discern which pilot channel spread with a different orthogonal code includes corresponding traffic channel (TCH) information. This allows forward link transmit diversity to be enable/disabled based on conditions associated with the environment, the communications channel, etc. without a complete loss of information as seen by the mobile station (106).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for balancing uplink and downlink signal transmissions in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) communication system (100) is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, a system level change is performed (303) and parameters related to the uplink (107) and downlink (108) transmissions are analyzed (306). The uplink (107) and downlink (108) transmissions are balanced (309) by, inter alia, increasing or decreasing the downlink transmission power at a base-station (101, 106), systematically adding loss or noise to a receiver located at a base-station (101, 106) or both.

Abstract: In a communication system (100) where a remote unit is given a time offset for a base station (102) and hands off to the base station (102) if the remote unit (113) can acquire the base station within a time window surrounding the time offset, a remote unit (113) utilizes the time offset of each base station (supplied by a serving base station (101) via a downlink communication signal (116) and searches for neighboring base stations within the time window surrounding its PN offset. The time window surrounding an individual base station's PN offset is allowed to vary depending upon whether the communication system (100) is time synchronized. In particular, a base station (101) supplies the remote unit (113) with an indication that the communication system (100) is operating in a synchronized or an unsynchronized mode, and the remote unit (113) varies the time window (search window) accordingly.

Abstract: Different orthogonal codes (W.sub.x, W.sub.y) are used to spread common pilot channels (Pilot.sub.A) intended for transmission to a particular mobile station (106) within a coverage area (sector A) to implement forward link transmit diversity. By implementing separate, different orthogonal codes (W.sub.x, W.sub.y) for each pilot channel (Pilot.sub.A), the pilot signals transmitted via antennas (218, 222) to a common coverage area (sector A) are orthogonal to one another and thus do not degrade system performance. Additionally, the use of different orthogonal codes (W.sub.x, W.sub.y) for each pilot channel (Pilot.sub.A) allows the mobile station (106) to discern which pilot channel spread with a different orthogonal code includes corresponding traffic channel (TCH) information. This allows forward link transmit diversity to be enable/disabled based on conditions associated with the environment, the communications channel, etc. without a complete loss of information as seen by the mobile station (106).

Abstract: Subscriber power levels are adjusted to enhance interference cancellation in a DS-CDMA communication system. A base-station of the communication system receives signals from a plurality of subscribers and evaluates each signal. Based on the evaluation, particular subscribers are commanded to control their power levels such that different predetermined targets for the particular subscribers are maintained. The predetermined targets include, but are not limited to, received power, frame erasure rate, bit error rate and signal quality. The resulting power levels received at the base-station are substantially different, which is beneficially employed to enhance interference cancellation in the DS-CDMA communication system.

Abstract: A dual-mode mobile station (125) transmits an AMPS signal (Td AMPS) concurrently during transmission of a DS CDMA signal (Td DS CDMA) for purposes of handoff of the mobile station from the DS CDMA system to AMPS. Scanning receivers (221) at surrounding AMPS base-stations (135-138) measure the quality of the AMPS signal (Td AMPS) and determine the best base-station for handoff. To ensure a strong signal during concurrent transmission, other mobile stations not undergoing handoff are instructed to notch their transmissions during transmission by mobile station (125) of the AMPS signal (Td AMPS).

Abstract: A communication system employs a method and apparatus for exchanging communicated signals between a communication unit (e.g., 17) and a central site (205). A remote base site (65) or the central site (205) determines whether a signal must be exchanged between the communication unit (17) and the central site (205). When a signal is to be exchanged, the remote base site (65) allocates a first radio frequency communication resource (75) for use in exchanging the signal between the communication unit (17) and the remote base site (65) and a second radio frequency communication resource (74) for use in exchanging the signal between the remote base site (65) and the central site (205).

Abstract: In a communication system where frame boundaries for the discrete frames for different users may be offset relative to one another, assignment of a remote unit (125) to a particular frame offset occurs by a processor (321) determining a frame offset belonging to a group that is the least busy group of all possible groups. In addition, during handoff of the remote unit (125) from a serving base station (130) to a neighboring base station, the remote unit (125) is attempted to be kept within the same call group, however should the same call group of the neighboring base station be filled, the remote unit (125) is placed in a second call group that is one call group prior to the current call group.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating a handoff of a remote mobile unit in a communication system 12 having a plurality of base stations (16 and 22), employs base stations (16 and 22) along a coverage area seam (10) that have a soft handoff subsystem (24) collocated with conventional base station circuitry (44) to facilitate soft handoff. The soft handoff subsystem (24) includes a transceiver (36) for generating and receiving a first group of dedicated soft handoff channels that are an orthogonally related subset of a separate second group of spread spectrum coded traffic channels wherein the soft handoff subsystem is under control of the source base station controller (14). The dedicated soft handoff channels are assigned to a specified source base station (16). Preferably the soft handoff subsystem (24) generates only the first group of dedicated soft handoff channels without pilot channels or synchronization channels.