Abstract: A multisubscriber unit is disclosed for use of in a digital cellular communication system to communicate with a base transceiver station and eventually to switched telephone network. The multisubscriber unit connects to a plurality of individual subscriber telephones. It includes a plurality of upconverters, modulators, downconverters, demodulators speech compressors, speech decompressors, and voice activity detectors that are assigned to a subscriber telephone upon detection of an off hook signal from the telephone. Preferably, upon the detection of data to be transmitted, to channel allocation is requested from a pool of time division multiple access channels in a digital speech interpolation pool.

Abstract: A digital cellular communication system in which fixed subscribers and mobile subscribers share base transceiver stations, base station controllers and mobile switching centers to communicate with the switched telephone network. Mobile subscribers communicate using any cellular radio protocol, while the fixed subscribers communicate via a multi-subscriber unit (MSU) using the inventive air interface. The MSU system uses digital speech interpolation to transmit speech spurts between subscribers and the switched telephone network. Preferably, time division multiple access channels in a digital speech interpolation pool are allocated and deallocated on a speech spurt basis.

Abstract: A flexible, modular communications processor is disclosed comprised of a plurality of microprocessors. A demand assigned bus is provided to couple the microprocessors through an arbitrator to an information storage and retrieval device. Each of the microprocessors comprises a conventional integrated circuit microprocessor, associated local memory, transmitters and receivers for coupling information to and from the bus and bus access circuitry, cooperating with the arbitrator to allocate the bus resource. Communication input/output is handled by a plurality of microprocessors configured as line processors, each coupled to its associated interface switch, which, in turn, is coupled to modems or other input/output devices. A background or executive microprocessor is included to manage system configuration and react to failures.

Abstract: A frame synchronizer is disclosed for searching for the framing bits of an N bit frame in a stream of binary signals. Means are provided to compare, bit by bit, the signals in different bit positions of two adjacent frames. When only a single bit position indicates an alternating pattern of binary signals, it is considered the framing bit and a framing pulse is provided in that bit position. Apparatus is also provided to detect loss of synchronization including a pair of counters, one counting framing pulses and the other counting alternating signals in that bit position. To reduce the likelihood of false out-of-synchronization signals, the second of these counters can be pre-set. Only when the count of the first counter exceeds the number of signals counted by the second counter by this pre-set quantity will out-of-synchronization be declared.

Abstract: A clock for locally distributing a synchronized signal derived from a remotely transmitted signal. The clock normally operates in the slave mode, phase locked to the remotely transmitted signal, when that signal is deemed available. If it is not available the clock switches to a master mode in which it independently generates the necessary signal.