Reuse groups for scan monitoring in digital cellular systems

Claim 2

A time-division-multiplex-across (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having base site equipment at at least one site with an associated radiotelephone communication coverage area and having a switch controller for connecting radiotelephone communication, and wherein the base site equipment employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in a time partitioned manner, comprising monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of at least one radiotelephone call on the system, and characterized by: processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the base site equipment are having utilized for radiotelephone communication; and assigning means, responsive to said processing means and said monitoring means, for assigning radiotelephone calls to time partitions of the base site equipment frequencies based on a frequency prioritization technique that reduces the number of frequencies carrying radiotelephone calls.

Claim 3

A TDMA radiotelephone cellular communication system, according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means includes means for monitoring the signal strength of said at least one radiotelephone call on the system.

Claim 4

A TDMA radiotelephone cellular communication system, according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means includes means for monitoring the signal integrity of said at least one radiotelephone call on the system.

Claim 5

A time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having at least first base site equipment and second base site equipment with associated radiotelephone communication coverage areas, wherein each base site equipment employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, and wherein the system has identified a radiotelephone handoff candidate within the coverage area of the first base site equipment, characterised by: monitoring means included with the second base site equipment for monitoring frequencies from the first base site equipment to obtain signal quality parameters of radiotelephone calls, including the radiotelephone handoff candidate, active in the first base site equipment's coverage area; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the second base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; and assigning means, responsive to said processing means and said monitoring means, for effecting a handoff to the coverage area of the second base site equipment by assigning the radiotelephone handoff candidate to a time partition in one of the second base site equipment frequencies based on a frequency prioritization technique that concentrates radiotelephone calls within each frequency to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls.

Claim 6

A time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having at least first base site equipment and second base site equipment with associated radiotelephone communication coverage areas, wherein each base site equipment employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, and wherein the system has identified a radiotelephone handoff candidate within the coverage area of the first base site equipment, characterised by: monitoring means included with the second base site equipment for monitoring frequencies from the first base site equipment to obtain signal quality parameters of radiotelephone calls, including the radiotelephone handoff candidate, active in the first base site equipment's coverage area; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the second base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; and assigning means, responsive to said processing means and said monitoring means, for effecting a handoff to the coverage area of the second base site equipment by assigning the radiotelephone handoff candidate to a time partition in one of the second base site equipment frequencies based on a frequency prioritization technique that concentrates radiotelephone calls within each frequency to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls.

Claim 7

A switch controller for use in a time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in a time partitioned manner, comprising: a) coupling means for communicating with the base site equipment at each of the cell sites; b) determination means for determining that there is a radiotelephone handoff candidate present in the first cell site coverage area; c) means, responsive to said determination means, for choosing a target cell site for the radiotelephone at a cell site which is adjacet to the first cell site; and characterised by: d) means for selecting a frequency and time slot from the target cell site based on a frequency prioritization technique that concentrates radiotelephone calls within each frequency to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls; and e) means for assigning the selected frequency and time slot to effect the handoff at the target cell site.

Claim 8

A switch controller for use in a time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in a time partitioned manner, comprising: a) coupling means for communicating with the base site equipment at each of the cell sites; b) determination means for determining that there is a radiotelephone handoff candidate present in the first cell site coverage area; c) means, responsive to said determination means, for choosing a target cell site for the radiotelephone at a cell site which is adjacet to the first cell site; and characterised by: d) means for selecting a frequency and time slot from the target cell site based on a frequency prioritization technique that concentrates radiotelephone calls within each frequency to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls; and e) means for assigning the selected frequency and time slot to effect the handoff at the target cell site.

Claim 9

6) A switch controller, according to claim 5, wherein said selecting means includes means for selecting a first group of frequencies which is considered for radiotelephone call assignments before other frequencies are considered for such assignments.

Claim 10

A switch controller, according to claim 6, wherein said selecting means further includes means for selecting a second group of frequencies wich is considered for radiotelephone call assignments if the first group of frequencies cannot carry another radiotelephone call.

Claim 11

A base site controller for use in a time-division-­multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring frequencies to obtain signal quality parameters of radiotelephone communications active on the system; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; and means, responsive to said processing means and to said monitoring means, for assigning radiotelephone calls to time partitions of the base site equipment frequencies based on a frequency prioritization technique that reduces the number of frequencies carrying radiotelephone calls.

Claim 12

A base site controller for use in a time-division-­multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring frequencies to obtain signal quality parameters of radiotelephone communications active on the system; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; and means, responsive to said processing means and to said monitoring means, for assigning radiotelephone calls to time partitions of the base site equipment frequencies based on a frequency prioritization technique that reduces the number of frequencies carrying radiotelephone calls.

Claim 13

A base site controller for use in a radiotelephone frequency-hopping time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of radiotelephone communications in adjacent cell sites; means for storing records of which time partitions and frequencies are carrying radiotelephone communications; and processing means, responsive to said means for storing and coupled with said monitoring means, for programming said monitoring means to monitor selected communication frequencies in adjacent cell sites such that said monitoring means continuously monitors one of said selected frequencies for a plurality of time partitioned frames.

Claim 14

A base site controller for use in a radiotelephone frequency-hopping time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of radiotelephone communications in adjacent cell sites; means for storing records of which time partitions and frequencies are carrying radiotelephone communications; and processing means, responsive to said means for storing and coupled with said monitoring means, for programming said monitoring means to monitor selected communication frequencies in adjacent cell sites such that said monitoring means continuously monitors one of said selected frequencies for a plurality of time partitioned frames.

Claim 15

A base site controller for use in a radiotelephone frequency-hopping time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of radiotelephone calls active on the system; processing means, coupled with said monitoring means, and including; means for programming said monitoring means to monitor selected frequencies used for carrying frequency-hopping radiotelephone calls in adjacent cell sites such that said monitoring means continuously measures said selected frequencies for a plurality of time partitioned frames, and means for assigning radiotelephone calls to time partitioned frames of the base site equipment frequencies in a frequency prioritized manner such that radiotelephone calls are concentrated within each frequency so as to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls.

Claim 16

A base site controller for use in a radiotelephone frequency-hopping time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system having a plurality of cell sites including a first cell site, wherein each cell site has associated base site equipment and corresponding radiotelephone communication coverage areas and each cell site employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in time partitioned frames, said base site controller at each cell site characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of radiotelephone calls active on the system; processing means, coupled with said monitoring means, and including; means for programming said monitoring means to monitor selected frequencies used for carrying frequency-hopping radiotelephone calls in adjacent cell sites such that said monitoring means continuously measures said selected frequencies for a plurality of time partitioned frames, and means for assigning radiotelephone calls to time partitioned frames of the base site equipment frequencies in a frequency prioritized manner such that radiotelephone calls are concentrated within each frequency so as to reduce the number of frequencies which carry radiotelephone calls.

Claim 17

A time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having base site equipment at at least one site with an associated radiotelephone communication coverage area and having a switch controller for connecting radiotelephone communication, and wherein the base site equipment employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in a time partitioned manner, characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of at least one radiotelephone call on the system; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; means, responsive to said processing means and said monitoring means, for instructing base site equipment to begin monitoring frequencies as they become used for radiotelephone calls.

Claim 18

A time-division-multiplex-access (TDMA) radiotelephone cellular communication system having base site equipment at at least one site with an associated radiotelephone communication coverage area and having a switch controller for connecting radiotelephone communication, and wherein the base site equipment employs a plurality of frequencies which are used for radiotelephone communication in a time partitioned manner, characterised by: monitoring means coupled with the base site equipment for monitoring a signal quality parameter of at least one radiotelephone call on the system; processing means for maintaining a record of which frequencies and which time partitions at the base site equipment are being utilized for radiotelephone communication; means, responsive to said processing means and said monitoring means, for instructing base site equipment to begin monitoring frequencies as they become used for radiotelephone calls.