Base site selection apparatus and method

In a communication system having a plurality of base sites for allocating a communication channel for use by a communication unit in response to a communication channel request from the communication unit, each base site comprising a receiver, a transmitter, an attenuator circuit, an antenna coupled to the receiver and to the transmitter, and a control circuit, for controlling the receiver and the transmitter, the attenuator circuit comprising:

• resistor means for attenuating signals;
• and
• switching means for coupling the resistor means between the receiver and the antenna when there are no communication channel requests received, and for directly coupling the receiver to the antenna in response to a control signal provided by the control circuit when the communication channel request is received by the base site.

In a communication system having a plurality of base sites for allocating a communication channel for use by a communication unit in response to a communication channel request from the communication unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of base sites comprise:

• a receiver for receiving the communication channel request, including receiver range reducing circuitry being selectively active prior to the receiver's reception of the communication channel request;
• and
• control circuitry coupled to the receiver range reducing circuitry for deactivating the receiver range reducing circuitry in response receiving the communication channel request.

In a communication system having a plurality of base sites for allocating a communication channel for use by a communication unit in response to a communication channel request from the communication unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of base sites include a receiver having a selectable attenuator for attenuating received signals, wherein each of the received signals have a respective received signal level, a method for operating at least one of the plurality of base sites comprising the steps of:

• attenuating each of the received signals to be processed by the receiver to a level below their respective received signal levels until the communication channel request is received;
• allocating the communication channel to the communication unit requesting the communication channel and operating the receiver to process each of the received signals at their respective received signal levels after receiving the communication channel request.

In a communication system having a plurality of base sites for allocating a communication channel for use by a communication unit in response to a communication channel request from the communication unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of base sites include a receiver having a selectable sensitivity, a method for operating at least one of the plurality of base sites comprising the steps of:

• reducing the sensitivity of the receiver until the communication channel request is received;
• and
• increasing the sensitivity of the receiver in response receiving the communication channel request and communicating with the communication unit requesting the communication channel.

In a communication system having a plurality of base sites for allocating a communication channel for use by a communication unit in response to a communication channel request from the communication unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of base sites comprise:

• a receiver for receiving the communication channel request, including receiver sensitivity reducing circuitry being selectively active until the communication channel request is received by the receiver;
• and
• control circuitry coupled to the receiver sensitivity reducing circuitry for increasing the sensitivity of the receiver in response to receiving the communication channel request.