Lucent Technologies Inc.

Itt Corporation

Myles Patrick Murphy

Alex Matusevich

Philip Lamoureux

Sheng-Jen Tsai

Norman Gerard Ziesse

Joe Huang

Max Aaron Solondz

Bulin B Zhang

James Paul Seymour

Steven Anthony Falco

Lionel Nicholas Menegozzi

Chris Constantine Tsamutalis

Albert Charles Harding

Bernard McKay

A measurement radio system uses a measurement radio to scan active channels of a base station and produce operating information for the traffic radios servicing the active channels. The measurement radio can produce operating information, such as signal strength, bit error rate (BER), frame error rate (FER) and signal to interference ratio (C/I), which is used to determine whether to change the manner in which the traffic radio is servicing the active channel. For example, if the measurement radio can switch between different sets of antennas, the measurement radio can scan an active voice/data channel using a different set of antennas than the traffic radio is using to service the active channel and determine operating information related to the signal received over the active channel using the different set of antennas. The traffic radio can use the operating information to determine whether to hand off the active channel to the different set of antennas. The measurement radio can determine operating information, such as operating coefficients, parameters or settings, to change how the traffic radio services the active channel.

Measurement radio system for producing operating information for traffic radios

The synchronization system uses a TDMA or AMPS air interface to provide timing synchronization between previously unsynchronized base stations. The synchronization of base stations is critical between when determining the geographical position of a mobile because the geographical position is determined using a time difference of arrival method. In order to synchronize a remote base station with a serving base station, the remote base station receives a signal from the serving base station and measuring the receiving time of the signal at the remote base station in relation to the clock of the remote base station. The synchronization system determines the transmission time of the signal based on the reception time of the signal and the distance between the base stations, in relation to the clock signal of the second station, and synchronizes the clock of the remote base station to the clock of the serving base station based on the offset in the clock cycles at the time the signal was transmitted.

Providing an accurate timing source for locating the geographical position of a mobile

Sharing the existing sector antennas at the base station each of which corresponds to one sector of the outer communication coverage area to create an omnidirectional inner communication coverage area. When transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in one sector of the outer communication coverage area only one antenna is used, and when transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in the inner communication coverage area all the antennas are used. This allows an increase in capacity of the hybrid inner/outer sectored cell without the additional cost of adding further antennas.

Antenna configuration for a hybrid inner/outer sectored cell

A time slotted system capable of switching between two or more antennas during the guard times of the time slots. Switching between antennas during the guard time of the time slots eliminates any disturbance to the user, since it eliminates any loud noise, or popping that can occur during the switching between antennas. The beamwidth of each of the antennas is narrower than needed to cover a sector of a cell of the system, increasing the size of the cell due to the larger gain of the narrower beamwidth antenna elements. The system also includes a scanning radio for determining the optimal signal amongst the signals received on the antennas, and a switch for coupling the antenna receiving the optimal signal to a receiver system. In one embodiment of the invention the optimal signal is based on the information content of the signal, such as the signal's bit error rate. In another embodiment of the invention, the optimal antenna is selected, and a plurality of a combined signals is obtained by combining the signal received on the optimal antenna and a signal received on one of the other antennas, until all of the antennas have been paired with the optimal antenna. The optimal combined signal is selected, and the antenna pair that received the signals that produced the optimal combined signal are coupled to the receiver system.

Intelligent antenna sub-sector switching for time slotted systems

A hybrid amplitude/phase comparison direction finding system for aircraft, employing a unique calibration system to compensate for tolerance variations in the antennas. The calibration system utilizes a programmable read only memory (PROM) for each antenna pair, wherein calibration data from pre-measured antenna patterns of the associated antennas are stored. The calibration data preferably includes measured relative amplitude (electromagnetic field strength) and phase data, as a function of frequency and angle from a common reference plane, for the associated antenna pair. This calibration data is stored in a PROM which is preferably disposed within an assembly which includes the antenna pair. A system processor can then retrieve the calibration data during system operation, whereupon angle of arrival measurements can be performed with improved accuracy.

Hybrid amplitude/phase comparison direction finding system

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Annandale, NJ, United States of America

Myles Patrick Murphy