Abstract:
In general, the present invention provides a low cost mechanism for reducing the settling time and/or improving the phase noise performance of a frequency synthesizer in a mobile station. In one embodiment (Fig. 7), the present invention eliminates the need for using two transmit offset synthesizers (44 and 52) (Fig. 5) in a mobile station (100) (Fig. 6) which must be able to operate on two different frequency bands characterized by different transmit-receive (TX-RX) channel separation. According to the present invention, one or both of the transmit offset synthesizers (44 and 52) may be eliminated by deriving an appropriate transmit offset signal from an auxiliary synthesizer (38) in the mobile station (100) through a relatively simple and inexpensive frequency scaling circuit (e.g., frequency divider or multiplier) (130), and by using a fast settling main channel synthesizer (140) to hop between two different frequencies when the mobile station (100) is switching between transmitting and receiving, respectively.
Abstract:
A system and method for controlling the number and scope of pages to a mobile subscriber in a wireless telecommunications system is disclosed. Operational information about each subscriber is stored within the respective Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register for that subscriber, and pages to the subscriber are modified pursuant to a given rule stored in a rules database in accordance with the operational information.
Abstract:
An echo and noise suppression device for processing an information signal to suppress unwanted signal components. In an exemplary embodiment, the echo suppression device includes an AC-center clipper having a clipping window with an adjustable window center. A clipping threshold of the AC-center clipper is set to attenuate the unwanted signal components, and the center of the clipping window is varied in accordance with the value of the information signal so that the unwanted components are suppressed even when the information signal contains a significant noise component. In another exemplary embodiment, a mobile radio station is provided including a microphone for receiving a near-end audio input and for producing a near-end audio output which is to be transmitted to a far-end user. The exemplary mobile station also includes a loudspeaker for broadcasting, to a near-end user of the mobile station, a far-end audio signal which is generated by the far-end user and then received at the mobile station. An echo suppression circuit within the mobile station is used to attenuate an echo component of the near-end audio signal which results from the mobile station microphone receiving output from the mobile station loudspeaker. The echo suppression circuit includes an AC-center clipper having a clipping window with an adjustable clipping center.
Abstract:
A local exchange (10) includes a logic device (28) for producing a specified ring control signal pattern. The logic device (28), which is coupled to receive a calling information signal, produces a plurality of ring patterns according to the state of a caller ID blocking signal transmitted within the calling information signal. The logic device either examines the state of a specified signal or the character set of a caller ID field to determine whether to generate a different or standard ring control signal to cause a different or standard ring pattern to occur. A method includes setting a ring signal for a specified on time and resetting the ring signal for a specified off time in various combinations to create the unique ring patterns. In one embodiment, a common or standard ring pattern is used whenever a caller ID is not blocked and a different ring pattern is used when the caller ID is blocked.
Abstract:
A virtual touch screen switch includes a push window disposed over a display assembly. The transparent push window functions similar to a toggle switch, while enabling touch screen functionally. In a preferred arrangement, the push window is disposed in a display opening of an electronic apparatus and is pivotable between a neutral position and one or more actuating positions where an actuator mounted to the push window actuates a PCB switch. With this arrangement, function keys from the electronic apparatus can be eliminated with a toggle-type switch arrangement, thereby reducing the apparatus size while maintaining reasonable manufacturing costs.
Abstract:
A system and method for enabling emergency call initiations in response to the detection of a vehicle accident is disclosed. A number of sensors (10) located about the vehicle, for example, air bag deployment sensors, initiate call activation signals upon detection of a vehicle accident. The emergency call activation signal is transmitted to an associated cellular telephone unit (15) via wireline or non-wireline communications, and a timer (35) initiates a timeout period. Once the timer (35) has measured the proper timeout period, an emergency call setup is begun. The emergency call setup may be discontinued at any point by a user abort command (115). Otherwise, the mobile switching center (65) serving the cellular telephone (15) is alerted to initiate an emergency call. The MSC (65) utilizes location information from the base station (60) of the cellular telephone (15) and emergency information (68) from the home location register (70) of the cellular telephone (15) to contact and provide an emergency operator with emergency information.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically limiting the amplitude output of a speaker for a mobile telephone when the telephone is in the active mode of operation. In a preferred embodiment, a tuned cavity in the stand-by mode operates in conjunction with the speaker to provide a higher than normal acoustic output. When the tuned cavity is moved away from the speaker, the acoustic output returns to the level equal to the speaker's normal output. In an electronic embodiment, a device switching the mobile telephone from the stand-by mode to the active mode also enables an amplitude limiter which limits the maximum acoustic output of the speaker to a level sufficient to prevent hearing discomfort or damage.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method are disclosed for playing an announcement to a calling party that is placing a call in an anonymous manner to prompt the calling party to respond in a manner which causes a switch to make the call identifiable by the called party. The apparatus is operable to play the announcement if the called party is a subscriber to anonymous call rejection and has activated the feature and if the calling party is calling in an anonymous mode. If the calling party does not respond within a specified time period the call is blocked. Specified responses include verbal responses as well as key entries on the calling party phone. A typical specified time period is five seconds.
Abstract:
Call forwarding data, including forward to numbers for a particular mobile station are correlated with a particular service area and stored at a home location register (HLR) associated with that particular mobile station. Whenever the mobile station travels into a mobile switching center (MSC) serving that particular service area, the MSC performs a location update with the HLR. A location update signal further includes data representing the identity of the service area currently serving the mobile station. Upon receiving the location update signal from the serving MSC, the HLR analyzes the received data to determine the identity of the service area currently serving the mobile station and retrieves the call forwarding data associated with that particular service area. The retrieved call forwarding data are then analyzed to determine whether the forward to numbers are located in the current service area for the mobile station and, if so, transmitted back to the serving MSC in order to provide location-based call forwarding to the roaming mobile station.
Abstract:
A call is originated from a mobile station (80) being served by a visited mobile switching center (MSC) and associated with a particular MSC as a home MSC. A base station subsystem (BSS) (40) connected to the visited MSC dynamically establishes an A-interface with an application module within the home MSC transparently through the visited MSC. Thereinafter, all subscriber transmitted data are routed from the serving BSS to the home MSC. The application module within the home MSC then processes the data to provide mobile service to the mobile station.