Abstract:
Apparatus and method for dynamically selecting a transmitter for directed message delivery in a messaging system (100) including plural transmitters (107-111) operating in a simulcast or non-simulcast mode. A communication system (1100) dynamically selects transmitters (1115) by sending transmission signals, receiving the transmission signals at a PMU (1105), calculating signal strengths of the transmission signals, transmitting a signal indicative of the signal strengths, receiving the signal and determining therefrom carrier-to-interference (C/I) values indicative of relative strengths of the transmission signals at a controller (1110), and delivering a message with a selected transmitter (1115) associated with a lowest C/I value that is chosen from the C/I values and that exceeds a C/I threshold value.
Abstract:
Inbound channel access is facilitated in a two-way messaging system (figure 1) utilizing a frequency-hopped spread-spectrum modulation technique on a set of hopping frequencies. First and second subsets of the set of hopping frequencies are defined (504), the first and second subsets being orthogonal to one another. Scheduled transmissions are communicated (514) on the first subset, and ALOHA transmissions are communicated (514) on the second subset.
Abstract:
Spread spectrum packet-switching radio devices (22) are operated in two or more ad-hoc networks or pico-networks (19, 20, 21) that share frequency-hopping channels and time slots that may collide. The piconets (19, 20, 21) can be short range wireless associations of communicating devices (22), for example according to the Bluetooth, Home RF or similar industry protocols. One device in each piconet (19, 20, 21) is a synchronizing master (25) and others are slaves (27) that follow the master's frequency hopping sequence. The sequences (54) of two or more operating piconets (19, 20, 21), i.e., masters (25), occasionally coincide, which could cause simultaneous transmissions that interfere or collide. The frequency hopping sequences (54) of two or more masters (25) are exchanged using identity codes, permitting the devices to anticipate collision time slots (52). Priorities are assigned to the simultaneously operating piconets (19, 20, 21) during collision slots (52), e.g., as a function of their message queue size or latency, or other factors. Lower priority devices may abstain from transmitting during predicted collision slots (52), and/or a higher priority device may employ enhanced transmission resources during those slots, such as higher error correction levels, or various combinations of abstinence and error correction may be applied. Collisions are avoided or the higher priority piconet (19, 20, 21) is made likely to prevail in a collision. Priorities are repetitively re-determined and re-assigned, to allocate communications resources among all the devices (22) and piconets (19, 20, 21).
Abstract:
A controller (122) that dynamically configures a number of channels within a communication system (102) having a predetermined bandwidth comprises a processor (710) and memory (714), wherein the processor is programmed to receive a channel request from a subscriber unit for an inbound transmission of information. The processor (710) is further programmed to determine a type of information to be transmitted from the channel request and configure the predetermined bandwidth to be transmitted from the subscriber unit.
Abstract:
A selective call two-way communication system having a plurality of selective call transceiver units (170) using an inbound channel overlay on an outbound selective call system, the selective call transceiver units comprising a receiver (173) for receiving a message having an address directed to and decodable by the receiver wherein the address (58) points to a vector (60), a decoder (174) for decoding a pointer within the vector that points to a control information portion (66) within an outbound message portion (67) and for decoding another control information portion (64) for controlling inbound transmissions within an outbound message portion, and a transmitter (172) for transmitting information in accordance with the control information portions. The system further comprises a controller (114) for receiving, formatting and encoding messages having an address wherein the address points to a vector(s) which contains pointer(s) to control information portion(s) within an outbound message portion.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of and device for selecting a path for communications between a source device and a target device in an ad-hoc communications system. Operations performed include; determining a first layer of neighbor devices, each neighbor device within the first layer capable of communicating with the source device; successively determining additional layers of neighbor devices, each neighbor device within a particular layer capable of communicating with one or more neighbor device within a preceding layer, until the target device is identified as one of the neighbor devices; and selecting the path including intervening neighbor devices capable of communicating with each other to form the path for communications from the source device to the target device.
Abstract:
Interference removal in spread spectrum signals, comprises the steps at a spread spectrum transmitter (10) of spreading information across a predetermined spectrum by phase modulating a repeating noise sequence (18), providing a spread spectrum signal and transmitting the spread spectrum signal. The method further comprises the steps at a receiver of receiving the spread spectrum signal along with interference (41) multiplying (42) the spread spectrum signal along with interference by a window function (44) providing a multiplied spread spectrum signal. The information is recovered by despreading the multiplied (48) spread spectrum signal using a reciprocal (50) of the spectrum of the repeating noise sequence to obtain a data spectrum with interference and subsequently normalize (52) to obtain a clean data spectrum. Alternatively the information can be recovered by substituting a corrupted magnitude spectrum with a prestored PN sequence magnitude spectrum (70) as shown by receiver (60).
Abstract:
A wireless communications network (2) including a fixed master communication device (4) capable of initiating an action or requesting a service on the wireless communication network and a mobile slave communication device (6) to wirelessly communicate with the master communication device. The slave communication device (6) registers with the master communication device (4) to determine a location of the slave communication device and the slave communication device automatically downloads a location-specific portal corresponding to the location of the slave communication device from the master communication device (40-50). Further, communication controls of the slave communication device can be set according to the specific location by referring to a location distribution profile server (27) when the location of the device is determined (52-62).
Abstract:
A portable subscriber unit (122) and a controller (112) cooperate to maintain (402) a table (226, 326) identifying operations that utilize location information, and corresponding resolutions preferred for the location information when performing one of the operations. When a request to perform an operation is received (404), the portable subscriber unit and the controller cooperate to select (408) a resolution preferred for the operation, in response to the request; and then to determine (414) and report (418) the location information at the resolution preferred for the operation.
Abstract:
A wireless communication system employs a method and apparatus for selectively communicating in the wireless communication system based on varying time incremental costs of communication. A communication unit (116) receives a transmission (118) from the system infrastructure of the wireless system, wherein the transmission indicates a time incremental cost of future communications as temporarily established by the system infrastructure. Responsive to receiving the transmission, the communication unit determines whether the received time incremental cost is acceptable to a user of the communication unit (e.g., whether the received cost is less than or equal to a previously stored desired cost or whether, after displaying the received cost to the user, the user has indicated his or her acceptance of the cost). If the received cost is acceptable, the communication unit transmits a message (119) to the system infrastructure at least indicating the communication unit's desire to communicate in the wireless system.