Common packet channel

An improvement to a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) system employing spread-spectrum modulation, the CDMA system comprising a base station (BS) and a plurality of remote stations (RS), the improvement comprising:

• a BS spread-spectrum transmitter located at said base station, for transmitting a broadcast common-synchronization channel having a common chip-sequence signal, the broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a frame-timing signal;
• an RS-sprcad-spectrum receiver, located at one of the remote stations, for receiving the broadcast common-synchronization channel, and determining frame timing from the frame-timing signal;
• an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter, located the one first remote station, for transmitting an access-burst signal, the access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments having a plurality of respective power levels;
• a BS spread-spectrum receiver at said base station for receiving at least one segment of the access-burst signal at a detected-power level;
• said BS-spread-spectrum transmitter for transmitting an acknowledgment signal responsive to receiving the at least one segment;
• said RS-spread-spectrum receiver for receiving the acknowledgment signal;
• said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter for transmitting a spread-spectrum signal comprising data responsive to the receipt of the acknowledgment signal;
• and
• said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter for transmitting any of data and power-control information, to said RS-sprcad-spectrum receiver.

In a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) system employing spread-spectrum modulation, the CDMA system comprising a first base station (BS) comprising a first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a first BS-spread-spectrum receiver, a second base station comprising a second BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a second BS-spread-spectrum receiver, and a plurality of remote stations, each remote station (RS) comprising an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter and an RS-spread-spectrum receiver, a method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from said first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter a first broadcast common-synchronization channel having a first common chip-sequence signal, the first broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a first frame-timing signal;
• transmitting from said second BS-spread-spectrum transmitter, a second broadcast common-synchronization channel having a second common chip-sequence signal, the second broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a second frame-timing signal;
• at one remote station, receiving in the RS-spread-spectrum receiver the first broadcast common-synchronization channel, and determining a first frame timing from the first frame-timing signal;
• receiving at the RS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one remote station the second broadcast common-synchronization channel, and determining a second frame timing from the second frame-timing signal;
• responsive to the received common-synchronization channels, determining at said one remote station to transmit to said first base station;
• from the RS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one remote station, transmitting a first access-burst signal, the first access-burst signal comprising a first plurality of segments at a first plurality of respective power levels;
• receiving at said first BS spread-spectrum receiver at least one segment of the first access-burst signal at a first detected-power level;
• transmitting from said first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter a first acknowledgment signals responsive to the receipt of the at least one segment;
• receiving the first acknowledgment signal at the RS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one remote station;
• and
• responsive to the receipt of the first acknowledgment signal, transmitting a first spread-spectrum signal comprising data from the RS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one remote station.

An improvement to a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) system employing spread-spectrum modulation, the CDMA system comprising a first base station (BS), a second base station, and a plurality of remote stations (RS), the improvement comprising:

• a first BS spread-spectrum transmitter located at said first base station, for transmitting a first broadcast common-synchronization channel having a first common chip-sequence signal common to the plurality of remote stations, the first broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a first frame-timing signal;
• a second BS spread-spectrum transmitter located at said second base station, for transmitting a second broadcast common-synchronization channel having a second common chip-sequence signal common to the plurality of remote stations, the second broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a second frame-timing signal;
• an RS-spread-spectrum receiver, located at one of the plurality of remote stations, for receiving the first and second broadcast common-synchronization channels, and determining a first frame timing from the first frame-timing signal and determining a second frame timing from the second frame-timing signal;
• means located at said one remote station, for determining from the first broadcast common-synchronization channel and from the second broadcast common-synchronization channel, to transmit to said first base station based on any of power levels and probabilities of error;
• an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter, located at said one remote station, for transmitting a first access-burst signal comprising a first plurality of segments having a first plurality of respective power levels;
• a first BS spread-spectrum receiver located at said first base station for receiving at least one segment of the first access-burst signal at a detected-power level;
• said first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter for transmitting a first acknowledgment signal, responsive to the receipt of at least one segment of the first access-burst signal;
• said RS-spread-spectrum receiver for receiving the first acknowledgment signal;
• and
• said first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter for transmitting a first spread-spectrum signal comprising data responsive to the receipt of the first acknowledgment signal.

A method of transferring data for one a plurality of wireless remote station (RS) handsets through a base station (BS) of a wireless telecommunication network, the base station comprising a BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a BS-spread-spectrum receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a frame-timing signal from said BS-spread-spectrum transmitter over a broadcast common-synchronization channel having a common chip-sequence signal;
• receiving the broadcast common-synchronization channel comprising a frame timing signal at an RS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one RS handset;
• determining frame timing at an RS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one RS handset from the received frame-timing signal;
• transmitting an access-burst signal from an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one RS handset, the access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments;
• receiving at least one segment of the access-burst signal at said BS spread-spectrum receiver;
• transmitting an acknowledgment from said BS-spread-spectrum transmitter, in response to the receipt of the at least one segment of the access-burst signal;
• receiving the acknowledgment at said RS-spread-spectrum receiver;
• transmitting a spread-spectrum signal comprising data from said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter, in response to the receipt of the acknowledgment;
• receiving the spread-spectrum signal comprising data at said BS-spread-spectrum receiver;
• and
• forwarding the data from said base station to another network element.

A method of transferring data by one of a plurality of wireless handsets, through a wireless telecommunication infrastructure comprising a first base station (BS) and a second base station, the one wireless handset having a remote-station (RS)-spread-spectrum transmitter and an RS-spread-spectrum receiver, the first base station comprising a first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a first BS-spread-spectrum receiver, the second base station comprising a second BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a second BS-spread-spectrum receiver,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• transmitting a first frame-timing signal from the first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter over a first broadcast common-synchronization channel having a first common chip-sequence signal;
• transmitting a second frame-timing signal from the second BS-spread-spectrum transmitter over a second broadcast common-synchronization channel having a second common chip-sequence signal;
• at the RS-spread-spectrum receiver, receiving the first and second broadcast common-synchronization channels;
• at the one wireless handset, based on any of power levels and probabilities of error determined from the first broadcast common-synchronization channel and from the second broadcast common-synchronization channel, determining to transmit to said first base station;
• transmitting from the RS-spread-spectrum transmitter a first access-burst signal, in a predetermined relationship to the first frame timing signal, the first access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments;
• receiving at least one segment of the first access-burst signal at said first BS spread-spectrum receiver;
• transmitting a first acknowledgment signal from said first BS-spread-spectrum transmitter, in response to receipt of the at least one segment;
• receiving at said RS-spread-spectrum receiver the first acknowledgment signal;
• and
• in response to receipt of the first acknowledgment signal, transmitting a first spread-spectrum signal comprising data, from said first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter to said first BS-spread-spectrum receiver.

A method of providing a common packet channel communication service, in a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless network, the method comprising:

• broadcasting a frame-timing signal from a CDMA base station of the network, over a common synchronization channel modulated with a common chip-sequence signal;
• deriving a slotted-aloha timing reference from the frame-timing signal receiving over the common packet channel from each of at least one or more of a plurality of remote CDMA stations at least part of one or more access bursts, each comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals transmitted at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal being sent in accord with the slotted-aloha timing reference;
• selectively authorizing each of said at least one or more remote CDMA stations to access the common packet channel for packet transmissions to the CDMA base station, according to the slotted-aloha timing reference, in response to detection of one or more preambles in one or more received parts of access bursts;
• and
• receiving CDMA packet data transmitted from the one or more selectively authorized remote CDMA stations over the common packet channel at the CDMA base station in accordance with the slotted-aloha timing reference.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless base station, comprising:

• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and
• a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver for responding to signals received via the CDMA receiver and coupled for controlling the CDMA transmitter, such that in operation the CDMA base station is for performing the following steps:
• receiving over a common packet channel from a remote station an access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels;
• detecting a first one of the coded preamble signals of the sequence that is received at an adequate power level;
• upon detection of the first coded preamble signal at the adequate power level, transmitting an acknowledgement signal and a power control signal;
• and
• receiving data over the common packet channel from the remote station.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless communication system, comprising:

• a network of CDMA base stations, each CDMA base station comprising:
• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver and the CDMA transmitter to cause each respective base station to:
• broadcast a frame-timing signal over a common synchronization channel modulated with a common chip-sequence signal;
• receive over a common packet channel from each of a plurality of remote CDMA stations at least part of an access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals transmitted at sequentially increasing discrete power levels and in a predetermined slotted-aloha relationship to the frame-timing signal;
• selectively authorize the remote CDMA stations to access the common packet channel for packet transmissions to the respective CDMA base station, on a slotted-aloha basis in response to detection of preambles in the received parts of access bursts from the remote CDMA stations transmit power control signals for the remote CDMA stations, in response to access bursts from the CDMA remote stations at least partially received by the respective CDMA base station;
• receive CDMA packet data transmitted from the selectively authorized remote CDMA stations over the common packet channel;
• and
• forward at least some of the received packet data through the network.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless communication system, comprising:

• a network of CDMA base stations, each respective base station being assigned a respective set of possible coded preamble signals for use in CDMA communication with the respective CDMA base station,
• each CDMA base station comprising:
• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and
• a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver and the CDMA transmitter to cause each respective base station to perform the following steps:
• receiving over a common packet channel from a remote stations at sequentially increasing discrete power levels one of the coded preamble signals assigned to the respective base station selected by the remote station;
• detecting a first one of the coded preamble signals of the sequence that is received at an adequate power level;
• sending a coded acknowledgement signal corresponding to the detected coded preamble signal;
• receiving data over the common packet channel from the remote station;
• and
• forwarding at least some of the received data through the network.