Hybrid DSMA/CDMA (digital sense multiple access/code division multiple access) method with collision resolution for packet communications

A In a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) system employing spread-spectrum modulation comprising a radio network controller, a plurality of base stations, each base station (BS) comprising a BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a BS-spread-spectrum receiver, and a plurality of mobile stations, each mobile station (MS) comprising a MS-spread-spectrum transmitter and an MS-spread-spectrum receiver, a method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of one base station, a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising data regarding the availability or available data rates for one or more channels of a group of channels associated with the one base station;
• receiving the broadcast common-status channel at an MS-spread-spectrum receiver of one mobile station, and selecting one of the channels of the group based on the data regarding broadcast availability or available data rates;
• transmitting from an MS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one mobile station an access-burst signal, the access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments having a plurality of respective power levels;
• receiving at the BS spread-spectrum receiver of the one base station at least one segment of the access-burst signal at a detectable-power level;
• responsive to receipt of the at least one segment at the detectable power level, transmitting an acknowledgment signal from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one base station;
• receiving the acknowledgment signal at the MS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one mobile station;
• transmitting from the MS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one mobile station a spread-spectrum signal comprising data and power control inflation, over the selected channel, responsive to the receipt of the acknowledgment signal;
• executing a collision resolution phase between the receipt of the acknowledgment signal and the transmission of the data by the one mobile station;
• and
• transmitting any of data and power control information, to the MS-spread-spectrum receiver, from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one base station, wherein:
• the one mobile station initiates the step of receiving and selecting when the one mobile station has a first data packet to send, and
• the step of transmitting the spread-spectrum signal comprising data, over the selected channel, comprises piggybacking at least one additional packet that becomes ready-to-send immediately after transmission of the first data packet.

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:
• transmitting a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising availability-related status information for one or more channels of a group of common packet channels allocated to the base station;
• receiving from a remote station an access burst over one of the common packet channels, the access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal in the sequence comprising one of a plurality of possible signature codes, the one signature code corresponding to the one common packet channel as selected from the group by the remote station based on the status information;
• 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 corresponding to the one signature code;
• and
• receiving any of data and power control information over the one common packet channel from the remote station.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless remote 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 remote station is for performing the following steps:
• receiving from a base station a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising availability-related status information for one or more channels of a group of common packet channels served through the base station;
• selecting one common packet channel from the group based on the status information;
• transmitting an access burst over the one common packet channel, the access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal in the sequence comprising one of a plurality of possible signature codes, the one signature code corresponding to the selected common packet channel;
• receiving an acknowledgement signal from the base station over a downlink channel corresponding to the one common packet channel following the transmission of one or more of the coded preamble signals, the acknowledgement signal corresponding to the signature code;
• transmitting data over the one common packet channel following receipt of the acknowledgement signal;
• and
• receiving any of data and control information from the base station over a downlink channel corresponding to the one common packet channel.

A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless remote 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 remote station is for performing the following steps:
• receiving from a base station a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising availability-related status information for one or more channels of a group of common packet channels served through the base station;
• selecting one common packet channel from the group based on the status information;
• transmitting an access burst over the one common packet channel, the access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal in the sequence comprising one of a plurality of possible signature codes, the one signature code corresponding to the selected common packet channel;
• receiving an acknowledgement signal from the base station over a downlink channel corresponding to the one common packet channel following the transmission of one or more of the coded preamble signals, the acknowledgement signal corresponding to the signature code;
• transmitting data over the one common packet channel following receipt of the acknowledgement signal;
• and
• receiving any of data and control information from the base station over a downlink channel corresponding to the one common packet channel, wherein:
• the controller initiates the step of selection of the one common packet channel when the remote station has a first data packet to send, and
• the controller is further for controlling the transmission of data over the one common packet channel so as to piggy-back at least one additional packet that becomes ready-to-send immediately after transmission of the first data packet.

A base-band processor, for use in a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless base station having a modulator and a demodulator, the base-band processor comprising:

• a preamble processor, coupled to the demodulator, for detecting a preamble in a received spread-spectrum signal;
• a data processor, coupled to the demodulator, for detecting and processing any data contained in the received spread-spectrum signal;
• an encoder, for encoding data;
• an interleaver, coupled to the encoder, for interleaving encoded data;
• a packet formatter, coupled to the interleaver, for formatting the interleaved data into a packet;
• and
• a controller coupled to the preamble processor and coupled for controlling the modulator, the data processor and the packet formatter, such that in operation the base-band processor is for performing the following steps:
• transmitting a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising availability-related status information for one or more channels of a group of common packet channels allocated to the base station;
• receiving from a remote station an access burst over one of the common packet channels, the access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal in the sequence comprising one of a plurality of possible signature codes, the one signature code corresponding to the one common packet channel as selected from the group by the remote station based on the status information;
• 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 corresponding to the one signature code;
• receiving data over the one common packet channel from the remote station;
• and
• transmitting any of data and control information to the remote station.

A base-band processor, for use in a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) wireless remote station having a spread-spectrum modulator and a spread-spectrum demodulator, the base-band processor, comprising:

• an acknowledgment detector, coupled to the demodulator, for detecting an acknowledgment in a received spread-spectrum signal;
• an encoder, for encoding data;
• an interleaver, coupled to the encoder, for interleaving encoded data;
• a preamble generator for generating a preamble;
• a multiplexer, coupled to the interleaver and to the preamble generator, for multiplexing the interleaved data and the preamble;
• a packet formatter, coupled to the multiplexer, for formatting the multiplexed data and preamble into one or more packets;
• and
• a controller coupled to the acknowledgment detector and coupled for controlling the modulator, the preamble generator, the multiplexer and the packet formatter, such that in operation the base-band processor is for performing the following steps:
• receiving from a base station a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising availability-related status information for one or more channels of a group of common packet channels served through the base station;
• selecting one common packet channel from the group based on the status information;
• transmitting an access burst over the one common packet channel, the access burst comprising a sequence of coded preamble signals at sequentially increasing discrete power levels, each coded preamble signal in the sequence comprising one of a plurality of possible signature codes, the one signature code corresponding to the selected common packet channel;
• receiving an acknowledgement signal from the base station following the transmission of one or more of the coded preamble signals, the acknowledgement signal corresponding to the one signature;
• transmitting data over the one common packet channel following receipt of the corresponding acknowledgement signal;
• and
• receiving any of data and control information from the base station.

In a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) system employing spread-spectrum modulation comprising a radio network controller, a plurality of base stations, each base station (BS) comprising a BS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a BS-spread-spectrum receiver, and a plurality of mobile stations, each mobile station (MS) comprising a MS-spread-spectrum transmitter and a MS-spread-spectrum receiver, a method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of one base station, a broadcast common-status channel, the broadcast common-status channel comprising data regarding available data rates for one or more channels of a group of channels associated with the one base station;
• receiving the broadcast common-status channel at an MS-spread-spectrum receiver of one mobile station, and selecting one of the channels of the group based on the available data rates data;
• transmitting from an MS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one mobile station an access-burst signal, the access-burst signal comprising a plurality of segments having a plurality of respective power levels;
• receiving at the BS spread-spectrum receiver of the one base station at least one segment of the access-burst signal at a detectable-power level;
• responsive to receipt of the at least one segment at the detectable power level, transmitting an acknowledgment signal from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one base station;
• receiving the acknowledgment signal at the MS-spread-spectrum receiver of the one mobile station;
• transmitting from the MS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one mobile station a spread-spectrum signal comprising data and power control information, over the selected channel, responsive to the receipt of the acknowledgment signal;
• and
• transmitting any of data and power control information, to the MS-spread-spectrum receiver, from the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter of the one base station.