Ranging arrangement and method for TDMA communications

Apparatus for use in at least one local equipment unit at a prescribed local location to obtain a signal propagation ranging delay interval between the at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit at a prescribed remote location, the apparatus comprising:

• means for supplying an indication of whether or not power is ON in the at least one local equipment unit;
• means responsive to a power ON indication for indicating whether or not the at least one local equipment unit has being initialized by establishing a ranging delay interval;
• means, responsive to an indication that the at least one local equipment unit has not been initialized, for transmitting an out-of-band ranging delay tone at a frequency band out side a frequency band in which data signals are transmitted from said at least one local equipment unit to said remote equipment unit;
• and
• means for receiving a stop transmitting out-of-band ranging tone message from said remote equipment unit to control the controllable transmitter to terminate transmission of said out-of-band ranging delay tone, and for receiving a message containing a representation of a delay interval to be applied to in-band data signals being transmitted from said at least one local equipment to said remote equipment.

Apparatus for use in a system including at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit to obtain signal propagation ranging delay interval between the at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit, the apparatus comprising:

• for use at said at least one local equipment unit
• an indicator for supplying an indication of whether or not power is ON in the at least one local equipment unit,
• an indicator responsive to a power ON indication for indicating whether or not the at least one local equipment unit has being initialized by establishing a ranging delay interval,
• a controllable transmitter, responsive to an indication that the at least one local equipment unit has not been initialized, for transmitting an out-of-band ranging delay tone at a frequency band out side a frequency band in which data signals are transmitted from said at least one local equipment unit to said remote equipment unit, and
• a local receiver for receiving a terminate transmitting out-of-band ranging tone message from said remote equipment unit to control the controllable transmitter to terminate transmission of said out-of-band ranging delay tone, and for receiving a message containing a representation of a delay interval to be applied to in-band data signals being transmitted from said at least one local equipment to said remote equipment;
• and
• for use at said remote equipment unit
• a detector for detecting reception of said out-of-band ranging delay tone,
• a remote transmitter responsive to detection of receiving said ranging delay tone for transmitting said termination message to said at least one local equipment unit to terminate transmission of said ranging delay tone, and for transmitting a message including a representation of said ranging delay interval to said at least one local equipment unit, and
• a delay timer which is started upon transmission of said termination message and stopped upon said detector detecting that reception of said ranging delay tone has terminated, wherein an interval between said starting and stopping of said timer is said ranging delay interval.

A method for use in at least one local equipment unit at a prescribed local location to obtain a signal propagation ranging delay interval between the at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit at a prescribed remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying an indication of whether or not power is ON in the at least one local equipment unit;
• in response to a power ON indication, indicating whether or not the at least one local equipment unit has being initialized by establishing a ranging delay interval;
• in responsive to an indication that the at least one local equipment unit has not been initialized, transmitting an out-of-band ranging delay tone at a frequency band out side a frequency band in which data signals are transmitted from said at least one local equipment unit to said remote equipment unit;
• and
• receiving a stop transmitting out-of-band ranging tone message from said remote equipment unit to control the controllable transmitter to terminate transmission of said out-of-band ranging delay tone, and for receiving a message containing a representation of a delay interval to be applied to in-band data signals being transmitted from said at least one local equipment to said remote equipment.

A method for use in a system including at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit to obtain signal propagation ranging delay interval between the at least one local equipment unit and a remote equipment unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• for use at said at least one local equipment unit
• supplying an indication of whether or not power is ON in the at least one local equipment unit,
• in responsive to a power ON indication, indicating whether or not the at least one local equipment unit has being initialized by establishing a ranging delay interval,
• in responsive to an indication that the at least one local equipment unit has not been initialized, transmitting an out-of-band ranging delay tone at a frequency band out side a frequency band in which data signals are transmitted from said at least one local equipment unit to said remote equipment unit, and
• receiving a terminate transmitting out-of-band ranging tone message from said remote equipment unit to control the controllable transmitter to terminate transmission of said out-of-band ranging delay tone, and for receiving a message containing a representation of a delay interval to be applied to in-band data signals being transmitted from said at least one local equipment to said remote equipment;
• and
• for use at said remote equipment unit
• detecting reception of said out-of-band ranging delay tone,
• in response to detection of receiving said ranging delay tone from said at least one local equipment unit, transmitting said termination message to said at least one local equipment unit to terminate transmission of said ranging delay tone,
• transmitting a message including a representation of said ranging delay interval to said at least one local equipment unit, and
• controlling a delay timer to be started upon transmission of said termination message and stopped upon said detector detecting that reception of said ranging delay tone has terminated, wherein an interval between said starting and stopping of said timer is said ranging delay interval.