Common packet channel with firm handoff

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

• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and
• a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver for responding to certain received signals and coupled for controlling the CDMA transmitter, such that in operation the wireless mobile station:
• receives frame-timing signals from first and second CDMA base stations over at least one broadcast common-synchronization channel;
• determines first and second frame timings from the received frame-timing signals;
• transmits a first access burst signal comprising a first preamble code associated with the first CDMA base station over a Common Packet Channel at a time determined from the first frame timing signal;
• transmits a second access burst signal comprising a second preamble code associated with the second CDMA base station over the Common Packet Channel at a time determined from the second frame timing signal;
• receives an acknowledgement signal from at least the first CDMA base station;
• selects the first CDMA base station in response to the receipt of an acknowledgement signal;
• and
• transmits a CDMA signal comprising packet data and control information over the Common Packet Channel to the first CDMA base station.

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

• transmitting at least one frame timing signal from at least one BS-spread-spectrum transmitter over at least one broadcast common-synchronization channel having a common chip-sequence signal;
• receiving the at least one broadcast common-synchronization channel at an RS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one RS handset and determining timing in response to the at least one frame timing signal;
• transmitting from an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one RS handset at least one access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments containing a preamble code, in a predetermined timing relationship to the determined timing;
• receiving at least one of the segments at the BS spread-spectrum receiver of at least one of the base stations;
• transmitting an acknowledgment from a BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of each base station receiving at least one of the segments;
• receiving one or more acknowledgments at said RS-spread-spectrum receiver;
• selecting one of the base stations based on the received one or more acknowledgements;
• transmitting a spread-spectrum signal comprising packet data and power control information from said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter for the selected base station;
• and
• receiving the spread-spectrum signal comprising packet data and power control information at the BS-spread-spectrum receiver of the selected base station.

A method of providing a packet communication service in a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless network, 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;
• detecting an access burst from one of a plurality of remote CDMA stations received at the CDMA base station at an adequate power level, from among a plurality of access bursts transmitted from the one remote CDMA station at discretely different power levels;
• selectively authorizing the one remote CDMA station to use an uplink channel for packet transmissions to the CDMA base station, on a slotted-aloha basis, in a predetermined relationship to the frame-timing signal;
• receiving power control signals followed immediately by data signals, over the uplink channel, from the one authorized remote CDMA station, at the CDMA base station;
• and
• transmitting power control signals intended for the one authorized remote CDMA station, from the CDMA base station, at a power level based on the received power control signals.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless base station, the base station being assigned a set of possible coded preamble signals for use in CDMA communications, the CDMA base station comprising:

• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and
• a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver for responding to certain received signals and coupled for control of the CDMA transmitter, such that in operation the CDMA base station:
• receives from a remote station a detectable access burst, from among a plurality of access bursts transmitted from the one remote station at discretely different power levels, the detectable access burst comprising one of the possible coded preamble signals assigned to the base station selected by the remote station;
• sends a coded acknowledgement signal over a control channel, the coded acknowledgement signal corresponding to the received coded preamble signal;
• receives power control signals and data from the remote station after transmission of the acknowledgement signal;
• and
• transmits signals intended for the remote station at power levels based on the received power control signals.

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

• a CDMA transmitter;
• a CDMA receiver;
• and
• a controller coupled to the CDMA receiver for responding to certain received signals and coupled for controlling the CDMA transmitter, such that in operation the wireless mobile station:
• receives a frame-timing signal from a CDMA base station over a broadcast common-synchronization channel having a common chip-sequence signal;
• determines frame timing from the received frame-timing signal;
• transmits a plurality of access burst signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, in one or more time slots selected from a plurality of time slots having predefined relationships to the determined frame timing;
• receives an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the access burst signal, from the CDMA base station;
• receives power control signals and data from the CDMA base station;
• transmits power control signals to the CDMA base station at power levels based on the received power control signals, following receipt of the acknowledgement signal;
• and
• transmits packet data to the CDMA base station at power levels based on the received power control signals.

A method of transferring data for one of 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 segments of an access-burst signal from an RS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one RS handset at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, wherein timing of the one or more segments is based on the determined frame timing;
• 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;
• transmitting a spread-spectrum signal comprising power control information from said BS-spread-spectrum transmitter, after transmitting the acknowledgment;
• receiving the acknowledgment and the power control information at said RS-spread-spectrum receiver;
• transmitting a spread-spectrum signal comprising power control information and packet data from said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter, in response to the receipt of the acknowledgment and at a power level responsive to the received power control information;
• receiving the spread-spectrum signal comprising power control information and packet data from said RS-spread-spectrum transmitter, at said BS-spread-spectrum receiver;
• forwarding the received data from said base station to another network element;
• and
• transmitting from said BS-spread-spectrum transmitter additional signals intended for said RS-spread-spectrum receiver at power levels determined at least in part in response to the power control information received at said BS-spread-spectrum receiver.