Communication protocol for spread spectrum communication

A method for time division multiple access communication comprising the steps of

• defining a series of major time frames, each major time frame divided into a plurality of minor time frames,
• transmitting with a power level, in a designated minor time frame of a major time frame, a pulse signal from a user station to a base station, said base station capable of communicating with a different user station in each minor time frame of said major time frame,
• receiving said pulse signal at said base station,
• measuring a received signal quality in response to said pulse signal,
• measuring a received signal power of said pulse signal,
• selecting a base station antenna in response to said received signal quality,
• transmitting over said base station antenna, in said designated minor time frame of said major time frame, a first spread spectrum signal from said base station to said user station, said first spread spectrum signal comprising a power adjustment command based at least in part on said received signal power,
• receiving said first spread spectrum signal at said user station,
• adjusting said power level at said user station in response to said first spread spectrum signal,
• transmitting with said adjusted power level, in said designated minor time frame of said major time frame, a second spread spectrum signal from said user station to said base station, and
• receiving said second spread spectrum signal at said base station.

A communication protocol for time division multiple access communication comprising

• a major time frame divided into a plurality of minor time frames, said minor time frames collectively capable of supporting a plurality of communication links between a base station and a plurality of user stations,
• a control pulse interval in a each of said minor time frames, wherein a control pulse is transmitted to a base station from one of said plurality of user stations using said minor time frame for communication,
• means in said base station for measuring a received signal quality of said control pulse,
• a base transmission interval in each of said minor time frames, wherein a first spread spectrum signal is transmitted from said base station to said user station using an antenna selected in response to said received signal quality, said first spread spectrum signal comprising a power adjustment command,
• a user transmission interval in each of said minor time frames, wherein a second spread spectrum signal is transmitted from said user station to said base station at a power level determined in response to said power adjustment command.

In a spread spectrum wireless communication system employing time division duplex communication, a method comprising the steps of

• transmitting, during a designated portion of a time interval, a control pulse from a user station to a base station,
• receiving said control pulse at said base station,
• generating an internal synchronization pulse at said base station in response to said control pulse,
• measuring an indication of link quality in response to said control pulse, including the step of measuring a received signal power of said control pulse,
• selecting an antenna for a subsequent spread spectrum transmission from said base station to said user station based upon said indication of link quality, and
• commanding said user station to adjust a transmission power in response to at least said received signal power.

A time frame structure for wireless communication comprising:

• a major time frame, and
• a plurality of minor time frames in said major time frame, each minor time frame comprising
• a first interval wherein an assigned user station transmits a first spread-spectrum user station signal over a designated frequency band to a base station,
• a second interval wherein said base station transmits a spread-spectrum base station signal over said designated frequency band to said assigned user station, said assigned user station adjusting a transmission power level in response to receiving said spread-spectrum base station signal, and
• a third interval wherein said assigned user station transmits a second spread-spectrum user station signal over said designated frequency band to said base station.

In a time division multiple access communication system, a method for communicating comprising the steps of:

• defining a plurality of major time frames, each major time frames comprising a plurality of minor time frames, and each minor time frame capable of supporting a communication link between a base station and one of a plurality of user stations,
• transmitting, during a first interval of a minor time frame and over a designated frequency band, a spread-spectrum user station signal from a user station to said base station,
• receiving said spread-spectrum user station signal at said base station,
• measuring at said base station a relative signal quality of said spread-spectrum user station signal,
• selecting a base station antenna from among a plurality of base station antennas in response to receiving said spread-spectrum user station signal at said base station,
• transmitting, during a second interval of said minor time frame and over said designated frequency band, a spread-spectrum base station signal from said base station to said user station, and
• receiving said spread-spectrum base station signal at said user station.

In a time division multiple access communication system, a method of communicating comprising the steps of:

• (a) dividing each of a series of major time frames into a plurality of minor time frames, said minor time frames collectively supporting communication between a base station and a plurality of user stations,
• (b) transmitting, during a first interval of a minor time frame and over a designated frequency band, a spread-spectrum user station signal from a user station to said base station,
• (c) receiving said spread-spectrum user station signal at said base station,
• (d) measuring at said base station a signal quality of said spread-spectrum user station signal,
• (e) selecting at least one base station antenna from among a plurality of base station antennas,
• (f) transmitting using said at least one base station antenna, during a second interval of said minor time frame and over said designated frequency band, a spread-spectrum base station signal from said base station to said user station,
• (g) receiving said spread-spectrum base station signal at said user station, and
• (h) repeating steps (b) through (g) at the occurrence of said minor time frame in each major time frame.