Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in a mobile communications system having a plurality of cell segments includes allocating a plurality of channels to perform communications and defining a plurality of time groups. A channel reuse pattern is provided that is based on the plurality of channel frequencies and the plurality of time groups. Control channels are carried in a different time slot of a frame in each time group. Predetermined time slots are allocated as guard periods to reduce likelihood of interference of signaling due to overlap of time slots in neighboring cell segments. In one arrangement, three channel frequencies are allocated. Further, three or four time groups are defined to provide an effective 3/9 or 4/12 channel reuse pattern. In each time group, control channels are carried in odd time slots of a time-division multiple access (TDMA) frame.

Abstract: A wireless network and serviced mobile station manages VOIP telephony calls by incorporating control information into VOIP datagrams. The control information includes an indication of the data rate of the VOIP payload of the VOIP datagram, the quality of the VOIP payload, requested data rates for subsequent VOIP datagrams, and whether the VOIP payload contains a “silent” VOIP payload. To avoid conflicting with particular datagram requirements, the control information is inserted into the VOIP datagram between the VOIP datagram and the VOIP payload. A base station servicing the wireless link may override the requested data rate and/or the commanded data rate in order to manage its available wireless bandwidth among a plurality of mobile stations. The frame quality indicator may be set by the servicing physical/mac/link layer(s) of the base station or mobile station to indicate that the VOIP payload was not correctly received.

Abstract: A communications network includes a data network that is coupled to a wireless access network and other devices. The wireless access network enables access by mobile stations of the data network. Each mobile station, and optionally, one or more of other devices coupled to the data network, contains an adaptive multi-rate codec (coder/decoder) that can be set to operate at a plurality of rates. Based on the selected one of the plurality of rates, the mobile station or other device sets a quality-of-service (QoS) indicator value in a packet carrying data, such as real-time data, over the wireless access network and/or data network. By varying QoS requirements using the QoS indicator value for different codec rates, bandwidth requirements are varied so that more efficient usage of the data network is provided.

Abstract: A mobile communications system includes a first link and a second link (e.g., a circuit-switched link and a packet-switched link). When a mobile unit is initialized in the mobile communications system, it identifies a first control signal, such as the digital control channel (DCCH) of an IS-136 system, of the first link. From information associated with the first control signal, the mobile unit determines the existence of the second link (e.g., according to 136 HS). From information identifying a current frame structure in the first link, a pointer to the current frame structure of the second link can be derived.

Abstract: A mobile communications system includes a plurality of cell segments each allocated primary carriers to carry circuit-switched traffic and packet data carriers for carrying packet-switched traffic. The packet data carriers include two sets of carriers, a main set of carriers and a secondary set of carriers. The main packet data carriers are allocated to corresponding cell segments. The secondary carriers are allocated to high capacity segments, which may be segments having high bursty traffic or segments in which a hierarchical cell structure is implemented. For high bursty cell segments, the main carriers are used to carry control signaling for performing selection or reselection. However, in such high bursty cell segments, the secondary carriers are not used for performing cell segment selection or reselection.

Abstract: A mobile communications system having a plurality of cells, with each cell being divided into a number of sectors. Each sector is allocated one of a corresponding number of channels of different frequencies. In addition, a plurality of time groups are defined, and a channel reuse pattern is provided that is based on both channel frequencies and time groups. In one arrangement, a 1/3 channel reuse pattern is provided to carry traffic signals in the system. For control signals, which are more susceptible to interference, a higher effective channel reuse pattern (e.g., 3/9 or 4/12) based on both frequency and time is employed.

Abstract: The invention is a novel slot structure and method of transmitting data at a controllable power level. The slot comprises a header, a DATA field adjacent the header and a ramp interval adjacent the DATA field. The method consists of transmitting the entire slot at a sufficiently high power when the DATA field is occupied by data traffic or control information but to lower the power during transmission of the DATA field when the slot is a null slot. In the latter case, a gradual decrease of the transmitted power is effected during the first few symbols of the DATA field, whereas the power is brought back to a higher level during the ramp interval. The new power level may be higher or lower than the initial power level, depending on the destination mobile unit associated with the following slot.

Abstract: A method for phase encoding DPSK and N-PSK which maintains phase continuity and which does not require any reference symbols when using N-PSK. A sequence of known DPSK phases are encoded with respect to an initial phase. The N-PSK phases are then all offset by this same initial phase. The known DPSK phases can be used at a receiver to determine a sum consisting of the initial phase and any further phase shift introduced by the channel, and this sum is used to decode the unknown N-PSK phases. The method is more generally applicable to any case where a switch between a phase encoding method which requires an absolute phase reference and a phase encoding method which does not have an absolute phase reference is to be implemented on a single carrier or channel.

Abstract: The SS7 interface of a conventional GPRS-136 or GPRS-136HS network is replaced with an IP interface. An IP interface is placed between the ANSI TIA/EIA-41 circuit-switched network and the GPRS-136 packet-switched network. This interface can handle both signaling and bearer traffic and thereby overcomes the limitations imposed by the current SS7 interface, which can handle only signaling.

Abstract: A communications network includes a wireless core network that is coupled to a packet data network and/or a public circuit-switched network. The wireless core network includes wireless access systems that communicate over wireless links with mobile stations. The mobile stations are capable of participating in packet-switched communications session with another endpoint, such as one connected to the packet data network or the public circuit-switched network. To take advantage of existing channel coding and interleaving schemes, and to enhance spectral efficiency, protocol headers associated with packet-switched communications are not communicated with the bearer traffic (which can be voice or other forms of real-time traffic). The protocol headers are reconstructed at the receiving end, which may be the wireless access system or a mobile station. To enable the reconstruction of the protocol headers, configuration messages are exchanged between the mobile stations and the wireless access systems.

Abstract: A wireless network includes wireless access systems for communicating with mobile stations. At least one of the wireless access systems is capable of communicating with multiple types of mobile stations. One type of mobile station communicates according to the Enhanced General Packet Radio Service (EGPRS) protocol, while another type of mobile station communicates according to the GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) protocol. The wireless access system includes control logic to select one of plural types of protocol stacks to use for communications over an air link with the different types of mobile stations. In response to an indicator of a first type, the wireless access system selects a first protocol stack, and in response to an indicator of a second type, the wireless access system selects a second protocol stack.

Abstract: A communications system includes a wireless access network that is coupled to a packet-based data network. Packet-based calls may be established between a mobile station coupled to the wireless access network and a network endpoint coupled to the data network. For efficient call setup and call release, call control signaling, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages and Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) messages, are carried in traffic channels over the wireless access network.

Abstract: A wireless network and serviced mobile station manages VOIP telephony calls by incorporating control information into VOIP datagrams. The control information includes an indication of the data rate of the VOIP payload of the VOIP datagram, the quality of the VOIP payload, requested data rates for subsequent VOIP datagrams, and whether the VOIP payload contains a “silent” VOIP payload. To avoid conflicting with particular datagram requirements, the control information is inserted into the VOIP datagram between the VOIP datagram and the VOIP payload. A base station servicing the wireless link may override the requested data rate and/or the commanded data rate in order to manage its available wireless bandwidth among a plurality of mobile stations. The frame quality indicator may be set by the servicing physical/mac/link layer(s) of the base station or mobile station to indicate that the VOIP payload was not correctly received.

Abstract: A mobile communication system includes cell segments each associated with a base station. The base station includes transceivers capable of communicating over two sets of carriers. A first set of carriers carry circuit-switched traffic, while the second set of carriers carry packet-switched data. Co-channel interference measurements are made by mobile units or by a serving base station in each cell segment during communications of active bursts of traffic or control signaling. Such bursts may include a training sequence that is used by the measuring device to recreate a burst without interference contributions. Co-channel interference is then determined based on the recreated bursts and the received bursts. Multiple interference values may be derived and applied to an averaging filter to calculate the final interference contribution value.