Abstract: A communications method and apparatus are provided for estimating signal quality (Ec/IO) for uplink interference avoidance. This may involve measuring a signal strength of a carrier and estimating a value of RSCP. A signal quality estimate may be determined based on the measured signal strength and the estimated value of RSCP. Further operations (such as handovers) may be performed based on the estimated signal quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selection of downlink carriers in a cellular system that includes selecting a first downlink carrier for use by a mobile node. A decision is made that the mobile node should use another downlink carrier. The mobile node is then directed by a network node to use a second downlink carrier. The first downlink carrier and second downlink carrier may be from different cells or the same cell supplying downlink frequencies. The network node may decide that the mobile node should use another downlink carrier based on several factors such as current load conditions of the cells supplying the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier, a type of service on the current downlink carrier, whether the mobile node has connection capability at frequencies of the second downlink carrier, or if a potential interference condition may exist.

Abstract: A cellular radio system and a method for transmitting pilot channels in a cellular radio network includes, in each cell, at least one base station communicating with mobile stations located within its area. The base stations transmit a data signal in the downlink direction by using transmission directions that change in time and which transmit information about the system to the mobile stations on control channels. In order to enable the most efficient use of the pilot channels, the base stations transmit at least one first pilot channel with a predetermined radiation pattern and second pilot channels on transmission directions that change in time. The predetermined radiation pattern determines the cell coverage area.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of steering a signal from a base station is disclosed. The base station comprises one or more antenna arrays, one or more channel units, the channel units comprising means for phasing the signal to be transmitted and received in such a way that the gain from the antenna array is greatest in a specified direction. Further, the base station includes means for distinguishing connection quality information from information received from the mobile station. In order to improve the spectral efficiency and the connection quality, the channel unit comprises means for searching for the incoming directions and delays of the received signal components, and means for controlling the phasing means of the signal transmitted to the mobile on the basis of the information and the connection quality information received from the mobile station.

Abstract: The invention relates to a RAKE receiver of a CDMA system using IRC, the receiver receiving a radio signal by using at least two antenna branches. In accordance with the invention a RAKE finger comprises: a weighting coefficient part for forming weighting coefficients maximizing the Signal-to-Interference-and-Noise Ratio for each antenna branch; a multiplier for multiplying a pilot part, despread by a despreader in each antenna branch, by a weighting coefficient; a multiplier for multiplying a data part, despread by a despreader in each antenna branch, by a weighting coefficient; an antenna branch summer for combining the despread pilot parts, received via the separate antenna branches and multiplied by the weighting coefficient, to one pilot signal; an antenna branch summer for combining the despread data parts, received via the separate antenna branches and multiplied by the weighting coefficient, to one data signal.

Abstract: A base station equipment for receiving and transmitting a signal of a desired user, which signal to be received may arrive at the equipment along several different paths with several different delays, and which equipment includes one or more antenna arrays composed of several elements, one or more channel units having components for phasing the signal to be transmitted and received by the antenna array in such a way that the gain from the antenna array is the greatest in the desired directions. Each channel unit includes components for searching for the incoming directions and delays of the received signal components, and components for controlling the phasing components on the basis of the information in such a way that the angle of the greatest gain of the antenna beams is deflected in the environment of the desired directions.

Abstract: A method for steering an antenna beam and base station equipment including at least one antenna array having a plurality of elements and at least one channel unit having a means for phasing a signal to be transmitted and received by the antenna array such that gain from the antenna array is the greatest in the desired direction. In order to improve the spectral efficiency of the system, the channel unit includes a means for searching for the incoming directions and delays of the received signal components and a means for controlling the phasing means of the opposite transmission direction based on the information.

Abstract: A receiver for receiving a signal of a desired user, which signal may arrive at the receiver along several different paths with several different delays, and which receiver has an antenna array consisting of several elements and one or more channel units for demodulating the desired received signal component. Each channel unit searches for the incoming directions and delays of the received signal components, and indicates the parameters of the best components for demodulation. The receiver is connected to the antenna array for analogically phasing the received signal so that the gain from the antenna array is the greatest in the desired beam-like directions.

Abstract: In a cellular telecommunications system having mobile exchanges, base stations and mobile stations, the mobile exchanges are capable of both intra-exchange and inter-exchange soft handoffs. Thereby, a seamless soft handoff with signal diversity combining is obtained throughout the service area of the system, which preferably is a CDMA system.

Abstract: In a cellular radio system having in each of a plurality of cells at least one base station communicating with mobile stations located within its area, the base stations each transmit a pilot signal to the mobile stations. At least one of the base stations, transmits to the mobile stations by transmitting a pilot signal by using a rather narrow changing antenna beam. The angle of the greatest gain of the antenna beam is controlled in such a way that the antenna beam sweeps the cell area. The mobile stations can use the pilot signal in the identification of a base station, and as an indicator of a need for handover, without the continuous reception of the pilot signal in the subscriber equipment, and without a need to transmit the pilot signal with a higher transmission power than the other signals.

Abstract: The base stations of a cellular radio system direct their respective antennas effectively towards the terminal equipment with which they are respectively communicating. Each terminal equipment maintains and updates a list of base stations serving and potentially available to serve the respective terminal equipment. Updating is based on measuring signal strengths and directions, as well as directions of motion of the respective terminal equipment, so that each list, as updated includes only those base stations serving, and on the basis of forecast direction of movement of the terminal equipment, likely to be able to serve the respective terminal equipment. The terminal equipment measure signal strengths for the listed base stations, to determine the need for a handover.

Abstract: In a cellular telecommunications system having mobile exchanges, base stations and user mobile stations roaming in the system, the mobile exchanges are arranged to provide inter-exchange soft handoff with diversity combining. The mobile exchanges further are arranged to provide for control handoff, wherein user communications control handoff, wherein user communications control and signal diversity combining functions involved with the user communications are handed off from a first mobile exchange to a second mobile exchange.

Abstract: In a CDMA cellular telecommunications system, comprising mobile exchanges (MSC), base stations (BS) and mobile stations (MS), a new CDMA handoff procedure, a semi-hard handoff, is employed. Semi-hard handoff takes place within one and the same border base station (BS12), located in the boundary of two service areas (SA1, SA2) which are controlled by neighbouring mobile exchanges (MSC1, MSC2). This border base station is connected to and can be accessed from both of these neighbouring mobile exchanges. The inventive semi-hard handoff is a network based handoff of the communication control functions from the first to the second neighbouring mobile exchange without interrupting the active CDMA radio communications between the border base station (BS12) and the mobile station (MS).

Abstract: A soft handoff in a cellular telecommunications system in which a user mobile station relays user communication radio signals via at least two base stations to and from a controlling mobile exchange connected to another system user. The relay of user information signals is performed by using digital frames carried on digital transmission connections in the uplink and downlink directions. The differential delay of the two or more terrestial routes between the base stations and the exchange is compensated by a novel time alignment procedure. Each of the base stations sends time alignment request to the mobile exchange which performs the frame time alignment of the downlink transmissions by taking into account TA requests from all base stations.

Abstract: A system and a method for controlling the radio signal quality between a plurality of mobile stations and a plurality of base stations connected to a mobile switching center of a code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular telecommunication system. Each base station is adapted to measure the quality of each active CDMA communication link and to report for each active CDMA radio communication to the mobile switching center the corresponding measured communication signal quality. The mobile switching center is adapted to perform an averaging process on the reported quality measure values, in order to calculate a recommended quality measure threshold value. The base stations are adapted to receive the recommended threshold value for use in an uplink closed-loop power control algorithm for the mobile stations.