Subscriber RF telephone system having distributed channel switching capability

A system for processing information signals received from trunk lines for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising:

• (a) a first subscriber unit;
• (b) a network interface exchange configured to sample said received information signals and combine said sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams, said network interface exchange including:
• (i) a processor configured to assign a first of said sampled information signals from one of said trunk lines to an available repetitive slot of a first of said transmit channel bit streams;
• and
• (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a forward interface signal over a network interface channel in response to said first transmit channel bit stream;
• (c) a first destination node, in RF communication with said network interface exchange over said network interface channel, configured to extract said first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and produce a first subscriber signal, and to route reverse link signals from said first subscriber unit to a second destination node, said first destination node being associated with a call request signal received over said one trunk line and including:
• (i) a transmitter configured to transmit said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to said first subscriber unit;
• and
• (d) a remote telephone exchange is associated with said first destination node;
• is located distal from said network interface exchange and;
• produces said first subscriber signal based on said extracted first sampled information signal;
• wherein said processor is configured to perform the assignment dynamically;
• wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• and
• wherein said network interface exchange is configured to perform the combination of sampled information signals sequentially;
• wherein said call request signal comprises a subscriber identification signal associated with said first subscriber unit, said processor further being configured to assign said first sampled information signal to the repetitive slot position corresponding to said first of RF subscriber channel said transmit channel bit streams at least partially on the basis of said subscriber identification signal;
• wherein said remote telephone exchange includes:
• a master telephone exchange configured to generate a first inter-exchange signal on the basis of said first extracted information signal and said subscriber identification signal;
• and
• a master transceiver configured to transmit said inter-exchange signal over an inter-exchange channel;
• wherein said remote telephone exchange further includes a slave telephone exchange for providing said first subscriber signal in response to receipt of said inter-exchange signal over said inter-exchange channel;
• wherein said remote telephone exchange includes a plurality of slave exchanges, said master telephone exchange including a subscriber identification map for associating each of said slave exchanges with one or more of said RF subscriber channels;
• and
• wherein a first of said slave telephone exchanges is selected in accordance with said subscriber identification map to serve as a relay between said master exchange and a second slave exchange associated with said first RF subscriber channel;
• wherein said first slave telephone exchange is configured to forward said first inter-exchange signal to said second slave exchange, said first slave telephone exchange including a transmitter configured to transmit a second inter-exchange signal over a second inter-exchange channel to said second slave telephone exchange;
• and
• wherein said second slave exchange is configured to provide said first subscriber signal on the basis of said second inter-exchange signal received from said first slave telephone exchange.

A system for processing information signals received from trunk lines for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising:

• (a) a first subscriber unit;
• (b) a network interface exchange configured to sample said received information signals and combine said sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams, said network interface exchange including:
• (i) a processor configured to assign a first of said sampled information signals from one of said trunk lines to an available repetitive slot of a first of said transmit channel bit streams;
• and
• (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a forward interface signal over a network interface channel in response to said first transmit channel bit stream;
• and
• (c) a first destination node, in RF communication with said network interface exchange over said network interface channel, configured to extract said first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and produce a first subscriber signal, and to route reverse link signals from said first subscriber unit to a second destination node, said first destination node being associated with a call request signal received over said one trunk line and including:
• (i) a transmitter configured to transmit said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to said first subscriber unit;
• (d) a remote telephone exchange is associated with said first destination node and is located distal from said network interface exchange;
• wherein said remote telephone exchange produces said first subscriber signal based on said extracted first sampled information signal;
• wherein said processor is configured to perform the assignment dynamically;
• wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• wherein said network interface exchange is configured to perform the combination of sampled information signals sequentially;
• wherein said call request signal comprises a subscriber identification signal associated with said first subscriber unit, said processor further being configured to assign said first sampled information signal to the repetitive slot position corresponding to said first of RF subscriber channel said transmit channel bit streams at least partially on the basis of said subscriber identification signal;
• and
• wherein said first subscriber unit is configured to receive and process said first subscriber signal to replicate the first information signal received from said one trunk line.

A system for processing information signals received from trunk lines for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising:

• (a) a first subscriber unit;
• (b) a network interface exchange configured to sample said received information signals and combine said sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams, said network interface exchange including:
• (i) a processor configured to assign a first of said sampled information signals from one of said trunk lines to an available repetitive slot of a first of said transmit channel bit streams;
• and
• (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a forward interface signal over a network interface channel in response to said first transmit channel bit stream;
• and
• (c) a first destination node, in RF communication with said network interface exchange over said network interface channel, configured to extract said first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and produce a first subscriber signal, and to route reverse link signals from said first subscriber unit to a second destination node, said first destination node being associated with a call request signal received over said one trunk line and including:
• (i) a transmitter configured to transmit said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to said first subscriber unit;
• wherein said processor is configured to perform the assignment dynamically;
• wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• (d) a remote telephone exchange is associated with said first destination node and is located distal from said network interface exchange;
• wherein said network interface exchange is configured to perform the combination of sampled information signals sequentially;
• wherein said remote telephone exchange produces said first subscriber signal based on said extracted first sampled information signal;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to assign said sampled information signals other than said first sampled information signal to repetitive slot positions corresponding to RF subscriber channels associated with call request signals received over said trunk lines, said network interface exchange including a slot memory configured to store said repetitive slot position assignments.

A system for processing information signals received from trunk lines for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising:

• (a) a first subscriber unit;
• (b) a network interface exchange configured to sample said received information signals and combine said sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams, said network interface exchange including:
• (i) a processor configured to assign a first of said sampled information signals from one of said trunk lines to an available repetitive slot of a first of said transmit channel bit streams;
• and
• (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a forward interface signal over a network interface channel in response to said first transmit channel bit stream;
• and
• (c) a first destination node, in RF communication with said network interface exchange over said network interface channel, configured to extract said first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and produce a first subscriber signal, and to route reverse link signals from said first subscriber unit to a second destination node, said first destination node being associated with a call request signal received over said one trunk line and including:
• (iii) a transmitter configured to transmit said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to said first subscriber unit;
• (iv) a plurality of subscriber units, each of said subscriber units being configured to produce a reverse subscriber signal and convert the reverse subscriber signal generated thereby into a sampled reverse subscriber signal;
• (d) a remote telephone exchange is further configured to produce a receive channel bit stream by assigning each of said sampled reverse subscriber signals received over said associated RF subscriber channels to a repetitive slot position in said receive channel bit stream;
• wherein said first destination node comprises a remote telephone exchange, and is further configured to route said reverse link signals to said second destination node along a path excluding said network interface exchange;
• wherein each of said subscriber units includes a transmitter configured to transmit its sampled reverse subscriber signal over one of said RF subscriber channels associated with the subscriber unit;
• and
• wherein said remote telephone exchange includes a transmitter configured to transmit said receive channel bit stream to said network interface exchange over a reverse interface channel, said network interface exchange further being configured to extract the separate sampled reverse subscriber signal from the receive channel bit stream and generate the reverse subscriber signals from the extracted sampled reverse subscriber signals for transmission over said telephone trunk lines.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• dynamically assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line, wherein each call request signal has accompanied therewith a subscriber identification signal associated with said first subscriber unit wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• wherein the repetitive slot position corresponds to said first RF subscriber channel at least partially on the basis of said subscriber identification signal;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• generating, within a master telephone exchange, a first inter-exchange signal on the basis of said first extracted information signal and said subscriber identification signal;
• transmitting said inter-exchange signal over an inter-exchange channel;
• and
• within a slave telephone exchange, providing said first subscriber signal in response to receipt of said inter-exchange signal over said inter-exchange channel.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• dynamically assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line wherein each call request signal has accompanied therewith a subscriber identification signal associated with said first subscriber unit;
• wherein the repetitive slot position corresponds to said first RF subscriber channel at least partially on the basis of said subscriber identification signal wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• and
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• generating, within a master telephone exchange, a first inter-exchange signal on the basis of said first extracted information signal and said subscriber identification signal;
• transmitting said inter-exchange signal over an inter-exchange channel;
• utilizing a subscriber identification map to associate each of a plurality of slave telephone exchanges with one or more of said RF subscriber channels;
• selecting a first of said slave telephone exchanges, in accordance with said subscriber identification map, to serve as a relay between said master exchange and a second slave exchange associated with said first RF subscriber channel;
• within said first slave telephone exchange, generating a second inter-exchange signal on the basis of said first inter-exchange signal, and transmitting said second inter-exchange signal over a second inter-exchange channel to said second slave telephone exchange;
• and
• within said second slave exchange, providing said first subscriber signal on the basis of said second inter-exchange signal.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• dynamically assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line wherein each call request signal has accompanied therewith a subscriber identification signal associated with said first subscriber unit, wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• assigning said first sampled information signal to the repetitive slot position corresponding to said first RF subscriber channel at least partially on the basis of said subscriber identification signal;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• and
• within said first subscriber unit, receiving and processing said first subscriber signal to replicate the first information signal received from said one trunk line.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• dynamically assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• assigning said sampled information signals other than said first sampled information signal to repetitive slot positions corresponding to RF subscriber channels associated with call request signals received over said trunk lines;
• storing said repetitive slot position assignments;
• and
• referring to said stored repetitive slot positions to provide additional slot assignments in response to additional call request signals.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• dynamically assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• wherein said available slot position is associated with a first of said RF subscriber channels associated with said first subscriber unit;
• within each of a plurality of subscriber units, generating a reverse subscriber signal and converting the reverse subscriber signal into a sampled reverse subscriber signal;
• transmitting each of said sampled reverse subscriber signals over one of said RF subscriber channels;
• providing a receive channel bit stream by assigning each of said sampled reverse subscriber signals received over said associated RF subscriber channels to a repetitive slot position in said receive channel bit stream;
• transmitting said receive channel bit stream to said network interface exchange over a reverse interface channel;
• and
• segregating the sampled reverse subscriber signals from the receive channel bit stream and recovering the reverse subscriber signals from the sampled reverse subscriber signals for transmission over said telephone trunk lines.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal;
• and
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• and
• routing reverse link signals from said first subscriber unit to a second destination node;
• wherein the step of routing includes the substep of choosing a path excluding said network interface channel.

A method for processing information signals received from at least one telephone trunk line for transmission over a plurality of RF subscriber channels, comprising the steps of:

• sequentially sampling the received information signals;
• combining the sampled information signals into one or more multiplexed transmit channel bit streams;
• assigning a first of said sampled information signals from said at least one trunk line to an available repetitive slot position of a first of said transmit channel bits streams provided to a destination node associated with a call request signal received over said at least one trunk line;
• transmitting a forward interface signal to said destination node over an RF network interface channel in response to the multiplexed channel bit stream, said destination node being located distal to said at least one trunk line;
• extracting, at said destination node, the first sampled information signal from said forward interface signal and generating a first subscriber signal wherein the step of generating said first subscriber signal is based on said extracted first sampled information signal;
• and
• transmitting said first subscriber signal over a first of said RF subscriber channels to a first subscriber unit;
• wherein the step of generating said first subscriber signal is based on said extracted first sampled information signal.