Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Eshwar Pittampalli

David Di Huo

Subramanian Vasudevan

David A Rossetti

Yuen-Yin L Koo

Farooq Khan

Lily H Zhu

Semyon B Mizikovsky

Ashok N Rudrapatna

Ganapathy Subramanian Sundaram

Carl Francis Weaver

Michael F Dolan

Srinivas R Kadaba

John Kenney Burgess

Thomas Lee McRoberts

Thomas Towle

Yunsong Yang

Edward Fredrick Berliner

Jim Jingfu Chao

Orlett Wanda Pearson

John Antonio Marinho

Daniel Charles Stanzione

George Isaac Zysman

Modris Olgerts Allen Baum

Roy Herbert Durdik

Modris Olgerts Baum

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for maintaining communication between a dependent and a communications network when the dependent is outside a coverage area associated with its master using a controller and a communications network. In one embodiment, when the dependent is in a piconet, the dependent is within communication range of its master using a communication channel on frequency band f(). When the dependent moves outside the piconet, the dependent should be within communication range of the controller and, thus, switches to another communication channel within frequency band f() such that it may communicate with the controller. When the dependent moves outside the communication range of the controller, the dependent should be within communication range of a communications network or a base station and, thus, switches to a communication channel within another frequency band f().

Method for maintaining a communication link in wireless network groups

A multiple mode data communication system and method provides the flexibility to schedule wireless unit transmissions and/or allow the wireless unit to transmit autonomously. In certain embodiments, the wireless units can transmit autonomously and/or use scheduling depending on the data rate, the length of the data packet or the type of data. For example, the wireless units can transmit autonomously at lower data rates and use scheduling at higher data rates. Thus, the multiple mode system enables wireless unit transmissions to be scheduled and/or be transmit autonomously, and wireless units can simultaneously operate in different scheduling and/or autonomous modes. Depending on the embodiment, the system can provide even greater flexibility in operation by permitting wireless units to be scheduled by a single base station, scheduled by a multiplicity of base stations simultaneously or otherwise, via coordination between base stations, scheduled by a multiplicity of base stations in an uncoordinated and asynchronous manner, allowed to transmit autonomously, and/or allowed to transmit autonomously under base station supervision (i.e. rate control/adjustment by the base station). Additionally, a forward and/or reverse link control channel structure is provided which can be used to implement the multiple mode data communication system and/or support various features enabling increased throughput over a shared data channel in a wireless communications system.

Multiple mode data communication system and method and forward and/or reverse link control channel structure

A method for adjusting antenna radiation in a wireless network involves varying antenna radiation directions of antennas throughout a defined range. A test receiver measures signal parameters from the antennas at measurement locations as the antenna radiation directions are varied. The processing system determines a resultant antenna radiation direction for each of the antennas in the wireless network, or segment thereof, based upon the measured signal parameters.

System and method for adjusting antenna radiation in a wireless network

Multiple carriers are used to provide access to a wireless communication system. A first carrier transmits synchronization messages in accordance with the IS-95B standard (communication protocol revision 5). The synchronization message directs mobiles attempting to access the network to a paging channel on the first carrier. The paging channel enables mobiles conforming to a standard of IS-2000 revision 0 or older to access the wireless network. The paging channel also includes an extended global service redirection message (EGSRM) that instructs mobiles conforming to the IS-2000 revision A standard (communication protocol revision 7) to use a synchronization channel on a second carrier for reception of an IS-2000 revision A synchronization message. The IS-2000 revision A (communication protocol revision 7) synchronization message instructs the mobile to access the wireless communication network using a BCCH and/or FCCCH on the second carrier, or using a BCCH and/or FCCCH on the first carrier.

Multi-carrier method for providing access to a wireless communication system

A system and method for preventing a call from being dropped changes from a first set of serving base station(s) for the call to a second set of serving base station(s) which can be determined independently by both the wireless unit and the wireless communications system. As such, the wireless unit can attempt to recover the call using the second set of serving base station(s) even without the availability of a communication link between the wireless unit and the current set of serving base station(s). The wireless communications system can independently determine a second set of serving base station(s) for the call using information known at both the wireless communication system and at the wireless unit before the communication link was severed. For example, the wireless unit and the communications system can determine the second set of serving base station(s) using the candidate list identified with a previous pilot strength measurement message (PSMM) known to have been successfully reported to the wireless communications system. After the wireless communications system and the wireless unit determine that a call is in danger of being dropped, the wireless unit and the wireless communications system can automatically add base station(s) in the candidate set to the active set in attempting to recover the call.

System and method for preventing dropped calls

The possibility of incompatibility between wireless communication system stations having the most recent protocol revisions is addressed by transmitting from the base station to a mobile station characteristics that identify a mobile station group that is restricted to using less than the most recent protocol revision. Using less than the most recent protocol revision may involve using an earlier revision or a subset of the most current protocol revision. This permits a base station to direct mobiles to avoid using protocol revisions or features of protocol revisions that have been insufficiently tested or that have a history of problems for a particular base station/mobile station combination. Additionally, when a mobile station receives a message from a base station identifying which mobile stations are subject to what set of restrictions, the mobile station then sends a message to the base station requesting service that matches the restrictions that were identified associated with the group to which the mobile station belongs.

Service restriction control for mobile communications

A paging signal is detected where the paging signal is intended for a mobile-telephone having a paging channel frequency that is different than a paging channel frequency associated with a concentrator. A base station transmits a base station-to-mobile-telephone (BS-MT) paging message by including such BS-MT paging message in a base station-to-concentrator (BS-C) paging message. The BS-MT paging message includes a message portion and a mobile-telephone identifier portion, wherein the mobile-telephone identifier portion indicates the mobile-telephone to which the BS-MT paging message is intended. The BS-C paging message includes the MT paging message and a concentrator identifier portion for indicating the concentrator to which the BS-C is intended. The BS-C paging message is transmitted over a paging channel on a frequency f associated with the intended concentrator (i.e., concentrator through which the mobile-telephone is linked to the base station). The intended concentrator detects the BS-C paging message by monitoring its associated paging channel on frequency f for a BS-C paging message with a concentrator identifier portion indicating the concentrator. Upon detecting its BS-C paging message, the concentrator parses the BS-MT paging message from the BS-C message and transmits the BS-MT paging message to the intended mobile-telephone using a paging channel on frequency f being monitored by the mobile-telephone.

Supporting concentrator in multiple paging channel environment

A communication system monitors the resources that are available for new users. When the availability of free resources becomes too small or falls below a threshold, the communication system initiates a reduction in the the class of service to selected users. The class of service can be reduced by reducing the quality of service provided to existing communications or by providing selected new users with only lower quality communications. The decision to alter the class of service is alerted to the end user and based on the profile of the end user, appropriate alteration of a specific resource parameter is undertaken. The quality of communications may be reduced, for example, by decreasing the information carrying capacity of the channel available to a particular user and thereby decreasing the data transfer rate, decreasing the amount of error encoding used to detect and correct errors introduced by a communication channel, or in the case of a wireless system, using a lower rate vocoder (voice encoder) which win reduce the voice quality or clarity of the speech transmitted over the communication channel.

Dynamic variation of class of service in a communication network based on network resources

A method for allocating downlink power in a wireless network determines downlink transmit powers to permit a target performance goal to be satisfied for defined radio frequency coverage areas. Base stations transmit electromagnetic transmissions. Received signal parameters of the electromagnetic transmissions are measured at measurement locations within defined radio frequency coverage areas. A data processing system determines propagation factors associated with the electromagnetic transmissions as a function of the measurement locations. The data processing system determines a downlink transmit power for at least one of the base stations based upon at least one target performance goal for the coverage areas and the propagation factors.

Method for allocating downlink electromagnetic power in wireless networks

Performance of a wireless telecommunications systems is enhanced by communication of an actual applied forward link gain and, if necessary, an overload indicator from base stations participating in a soft handoff. Subsequently, a power control system within a selection/distribution unit determines a forward link gain acceptable to all base stations involved in a soft handoff call.

Method for optimizing forward link power levels during soft handoffs in a wireless telecommunications network

Service provider flexibility in wireless network configuration is enhanced by first and second interconnection protocols which enable flexibility in mobile switching center/base station communications. This communication flexibility allows service providers to control, on a call-by-call basis, the operation of the wireless telecommunications network.

Wireless telecommunications system for improving performance and compatibility

A method and system for locating a precise physical location of a distressed enhanced mobile unit comprises use of a distress notification signal. In one embodiment, a distressed mobile unit emanates a predefined distress notification signal upon completion of an emergency services (e.g. 911) call. The distress notification signal is received by a rescue squad enhanced mobile unit in nearest proximity to the distressed enhanced mobile unit. The rescue squad enhanced mobile unit uses the distress notification signal to identify the location of the distressed mobile unit. In some embodiments, an audible distress signal is also issued by the distressed enhanced mobile unit so that rescue personnel can follow the audible signal to a user in distress.

Method and apparatus for precisely locating a mobile unit

Signal markers are placed in critical locations within the wireless network. Critical locations are locations where signals from base stations may be weak due to natural or man-made obstruction and locations where user demand for network resources may be particularly heavy. The signal markers collect data such as the signal strength or amplitude of signals from surrounding base stations, and the amount of user demand for access to the network. The signal markers then communicate this data to the mobile switching center. The mobile switching center analyzes the data and, if the data indicates unsatisfactory performance, determines new parameters for the base stations. The mobile switching center then communications the new parameters to each of the base stations where each of the base stations changes its performance in accordance with the new parameters. The signal markers then once again collect data and communicate that data to the mobile switching center where further changes to base station parameters are made as necessary.

Parallel optimization of wireless networks

The performance of a wireless telecommunications system is enhanced by the exchange of frame error rate (FER) setting data between base stations and an FER control system within a selection/distribution unit. This exchange occurs when radio facilities from other base stations are added to a call during a soft handoff procedure.

Growing community of inventors

Randolph, NJ, United States of America

Eshwar Pittampalli