Communication devices, methods, and computer program...

Details Communication devices, methods, and computer program... Communication devices, methods, and computer program...

2000-01-12

2004-07-13

Sam, Phirin (Department: 2661)

Multiplex communications

Communication over free space

Combining or distributing information via time channels

C370S282000, C370S336000, C370S353000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06763015

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of communication, and, more particularly, to communication using time division multiple access (TDMA) technology.
Wireless communication systems are commonly used to provide voice and data communication services to subscribers. A typical terrestrial cellular radiotelephone communication system
20
is illustrated in FIG.
1
. The cellular radiotelephone system
20
may include one or more radiotelephones or mobile terminals
22
a,b,c,
that communicate via a plurality of cells
24
a,b,c
served by base stations
26
a,b,c
and a mobile switching center (MSC)
28
. Although only three cells
24
a,b,c
are shown, a typical cellular network may include hundreds of cells, multiple MSCs
28
, and may serve thousands of radiotelephones
22
a,b,c.
The cells
24
a,b,c
generally serve as nodes in the communication system
20
from which links are established between the radiotelephones
22
a,b,c
and the MSC
28
by way of the base stations
26
a,b,c
serving the cells
24
a,b,c.
Each cell
24
a,b,c
will typically have allocated to it one or more dedicated control channels and one or more traffic channels. A control channel is a dedicated channel used for transmitting cell identification and paging information. A traffic channel carries the voice and data information. Through the cellular network
20
, a duplex radio communication link may be established between two radiotelephones
22
or between a radiotelephone
22
and a wireline telephone user
32
through the public switched telephone network (PSTN)
34
. A function of the base stations
26
a,b,c
is to handle radio communication between the cells
24
a,b,c
and the radiotelephones
22
a,b,c.
In this capacity, the base stations
26
a,b,c
may function as a relay station for data and voice signals.
The radiotelephones
22
a,b,c
may be designed to communicate using, for example, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) technology (e.g., the advanced mobile phone service (AMPS) standard); time division multiple access (TDMA) technology (e.g., the Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA)/Electronic Industries Association (EIA) 136 or digital AMPS (DAMPS) standard or the global system for mobile communication (GSM) standard); or code division multiple access (CDMA) technology (e.g., the TIA interim standard (IS) 95). The FDMA and TDMA technologies will be discussed in more detail hereafter.
Traditional analog cellular systems generally use FDMA to create communication channels. Radiotelephone communication signals are generally modulated waveforms that are communicated over predetermined frequency bands in a spectrum of carrier frequencies. In a typical FDMA system, each of these discrete frequency bands may serve as a channel over which cellular radiotelephones communicate with a base station or satellite serving a cell.
As the number of subscribers in a cellular radiotelephone system increases, the available frequency spectrum may need to be managed with greater efficiency to provide more channels while maintaining communication quality. This challenge may be further complicated because subscribers may not be uniformly distributed among cells in the system. More channels may be needed for particular cells to handle potentially higher local subscriber densities at any given time. For example, a cell in an urban area might contain hundreds or thousands of subscribers at certain times, which may exhaust the number of channels available in the cell.
To provide service to increasing numbers of subscribers, conventional cellular systems may implement frequency reuse to increase channel capacity in each cell and increase spectral efficiency. More specifically, frequency bands may be allocated to each cell such that cells using the same frequencies are geographically separated to allow radiotelephones in different cells to use the same frequency simultaneously without interfering with each other. Accordingly, many thousands of subscribers may be served by a system having only several hundred allocated frequency bands.
Another technology that may further increase channel capacity and spectral efficiency is TDMA. A TDMA system may be implemented by subdividing the frequency bands used in conventional FDMA systems into sequential time slots. Communication over a frequency band typically occurs via a repetitive TDMA frame structure wherein each frame includes a plurality of time slots. Each radiotelephone communicates with the base station using bursts of digital data transmitted during the radiotelephone's assigned time slots.
A channel in a TDMA system may include at least one time slot on at least one frequency band, and typically includes at least one time slot in each of a plurality of frames. As discussed in the foregoing, channels may be used to communicate voice, data, or other information between users, e.g., between a radiotelephone and a wireline telephone. Predetermined time slots of predetermined frequency bands may be allocated for dedicated control channels. These dedicated control channels may include forward control channels, which are used to broadcast control information in a cell of the radiotelephone system to radiotelephones which may seek to access the system. The control information broadcast on a forward control channel may include such information as the cell's identification, associated network identification, system timing information, and other information needed to access the radiotelephone system from a radiotelephone.
Traditional radiotelephones or mobile terminals may include a serial data port in which a device, such as a computer or personal digital assistant (PDA), may be connected to establish a wireless data connection. Moreover, a cellular network may include such communication devices known as “wireless communicators,” which are being used in ever increasing numbers for voice calls, data calls, facsimile transfer, Internet access, paging, and other personal organization features such as calendar management or even travel directions via the Global Positioning System (GPS). As used herein, the term “wireless communicator” may include a cellular radiotelephone with a multi-line display, a Personal Communications System (PCS) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing, facsimile and data communications capabilities, a PDA that can include a radiotelephone, pager, Internet/intranet access, Web browser, organizer, calendar and/or a GPS receiver, and conventional laptop and/or palmtop receivers that include radiotelephone transceivers. Wireless communicators also may be referred to as “pervasive computing” devices.
In view of the capabilities of wireless communicators, radiotelephones, PDA devices, and the like, there exists a need for improved communication devices that can provide voice and data services.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Communication devices, methods, and computer program products may acquire a first time division multiple access (TDMA) time slot on a TDMA carrier frequency to establish a first call and acquire a second TDMA time slot on the TDMA carrier frequency to establish a second call. The first and second time slots may be associated with a single TDMA frame of the TDMA carrier frequency, which may allow, for example, a voice call and a data call to be established concurrently. Accordingly, the need for multiple phones to maintain both a voice connection and an Internet connection concurrently on a TDMA network may be obviated. As a result, a user need not carry two separate phones having separate phone numbers and electronic serial numbers and the additional weight and bulk of multiple batteries and battery chargers.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a communication device may include a controller that configures a transmit switch to selectively connect a voice source and a data source to a transmit interface based on the TDMA time slots allocated to respective voice and data calls. Similarly, the controller configures a receive switch to selectively

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