Microcellular communications system using macrodiversity

Claim 2

A communications system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas each controlled by an area controller and serving a plurality of remote stations within each coverage area, characterized by: means for transmitting a first electromagnetic signal during a first one of a plurality of time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency into at least a first portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal during a second one of said pluality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency into at least a second portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means at a remote station for selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals and communicating said selection to the area controller; and means at the area controller for selecting a third one of said plurality of time slots for transmission of at least a portion of a first message on said first electromagnetic signal.

Claim 3

A communications system in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by means for enabling said transmitting means of said selected electromagnetic signal during said third time slot.

Claim 4

A communications system in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by: means at said remote station for transmitting at least a portion of a second message to a receiver means associated with said means for transmitting said selected electromagnetic signal in a time slot on a second electromagnetic frequency associated with said third time slot on said first electromagnetic frequency; means at the area controller for measuring signal quality received in said time slot on said second electromagnetic frequency; and means at the area controller for determining that said measured signal quality indicates that said remote station should be handed off to another area controller in another electromagnetic coverage area.

Claim 5

A remote station for a communications system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas with fixed electromagnetic transceivers controlled by an area controller in each coverage area, characterized by: means for receiving a first electromagnetic signal from a first transceiver during a first one of a plurality of time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency; means for receiving a second electromagnetic signal from a second transceiver during a second one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency; means for selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals and communicating said selection to the area controller; and means for receiving said selected electromagnetic signal conveying at least a portion of a message during a third one of said plurality of time slots selected by the are controller.

Claim 6

A remote station for a communications system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas with fixed electromagnetic transceivers controlled by an area controller in each coverage area, characterized by: means for receiving a first electromagnetic signal from a first transceiver during a first one of a plurality of time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency; means for receiving a second electromagnetic signal from a second transceiver during a second one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency; means for selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals and communicating said selection to the area controller; and means for receiving said selected electromagnetic signal conveying at least a portion of a message during a third one of said plurality of time slots selected by the are controller.

Claim 7

A remote station in accordance with claim 4 further characterized by means for transmitting at least a portion of a second message on a second electromagnetic frequency to said transceiver transmitting said selected electromagnetic signal in a time slot associated with said selected third time slot.

Claim 8

Fixed site control and transceiving apparatus for a communications system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas serving a plurality of remote stations within each coverage area, characterized by: means for transmitting a first electromagnetic signal during a first one of a plurality of time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency into at least a first portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal during a second one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency into at least a second portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for receiving a selection between said first and second electromagnetic signals from a remote station; means for selecting a third one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency for transmission of at least a portion of a first message to said remote station; and means for enabling said transmitting means of said selected electromagnetic signal during said third time slot.

Claim 9

Fixed site control and transceiving apparatus for a communications system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas serving a plurality of remote stations within each coverage area, characterized by: means for transmitting a first electromagnetic signal during a first one of a plurality of time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency into at least a first portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal during a second one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency into at least a second portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for receiving a selection between said first and second electromagnetic signals from a remote station; means for selecting a third one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency for transmission of at least a portion of a first message to said remote station; and means for enabling said transmitting means of said selected electromagnetic signal during said third time slot.

Claim 12

A method of communications channel selection in accordance with the method of claim 7 further characterized by the steps of: enabling said transmitting means of said selected electromagnetic signal during said third time slot; cyclically repeating said plurality of time slots including said first, second, and third time slots; determining signal quality of said first and second electromagnetic signals as part of said step of selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals at a remote station; determining, after transmission during said third time slot, that said electromagnetic signal not selected has a better signal quality than said selected electromagnetic signal as part of said step of selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals at a remote station; newly selecting said electromagnetic signal previously not selected as part of said step of selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals at a remote station; communicating said new selection to the area controller from a remote station; enabling, at the area controller, the transmitting means of said newly selected electromagnetic signal for trnamsitting at least a portion of said first message to said remote station in said third time slot; and disabling said transmitting means of electromagnetic signals not newly selected during said third time slot.

Claim 13

A method of communications channel selection in accordance with the method of claim 7 further characterized by the steps of: enabling said transmitting means of said electromagnetic signal during said third time slot; transmitting, at said remote station, at least a portion of a second message in a time slot on a second electromagnetic frequency associated with said third time slot on said first electromagnetic frequency; measuring signal quality received in said time slot on said second electromagnetic frequency; and determining, at the area controller, that said measured signal quality indicates that said remote station should be handed off to another area controller in another electromagnetic coverage area.

Claim 14

A radiotelephone system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas each controlled by an area controller and serving a plurality of remote stations within each coverage area, characterized by: means for transmitting a first electromagnetic signal during a first one of a plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency into at least a first portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal during a second one of said plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency into at least a second portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means at a remote station for selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals based on electromagnetic signal quality and communicating said selection to the area controller; means at the area controller for selecting a third one of said plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency for transmission of at least a portion of a first message to said remote station during said third time slot; means for determining, after transmission during said third time slot, that said electromagnetic signal not selected has a better signal quality than said selected electromagnetic signal; means for newly selecting said electromagnetic signal previously not selected and for communicating said new selection to the area controller; and means at the area controller for enabling said transmitting means of said newly selected electromagnetic signal for transmitting at least a portion of said first message to said remote station in said third one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency.

Claim 15

A radiotelephone system having a plurality of electromagnetic coverage areas each controlled by an area controller and serving a plurality of remote stations within each coverage area, characterized by: means for transmitting a first electromagnetic signal during a first one of a plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on a first electromagnetic frequency into at least a first portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal during a second one of said plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency into at least a second portion of the electromagnetic coverage area; means at a remote station for selecting between said first and second electromagnetic signals based on electromagnetic signal quality and communicating said selection to the area controller; means at the area controller for selecting a third one of said plurality of cyclically repeated time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency for transmission of at least a portion of a first message to said remote station during said third time slot; means for determining, after transmission during said third time slot, that said electromagnetic signal not selected has a better signal quality than said selected electromagnetic signal; means for newly selecting said electromagnetic signal previously not selected and for communicating said new selection to the area controller; and means at the area controller for enabling said transmitting means of said newly selected electromagnetic signal for transmitting at least a portion of said first message to said remote station in said third one of said plurality of time slots on said first electromagnetic frequency.