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US5239557A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Discountinuous CDMA reception

Assignee: Ericsson Inc
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Filing: 1992-04-10
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Granted: 1993-08-24
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Expires: 2012-04-10
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Abstract

Abstract A cellular radio telephone system employs discontinuous transmission and reception of speech signals to conserve receiver processing resources. A frame structure is imposed on digitized speech data to divide the data into units of fixed transmission time. When no active speech is present for the entire duration of a frame, transmission of that frame of data is inhibited. At the receiver, decoding of received bits is performed to determine correlation with a defined set of code words. If no correlation is found after the first few received bits of a frame, due to the absence of active speech data, decoding is discontinued for the remainder of the frame's duration. This approach frees up the receiver's resources for other tasks, such as decoding of other received signals. Frames of data from different sources are transmitted with a defined time alignment to enable the receiver to remain synchronized in the absence of transmitted data. The frames associated with different sources are staggered relative to one another, to distribute processing loads at the receiver.

Inventors

  • 👤 Paul W. Dent

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 02:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04K; H04K1/00; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/69; H04B1/707; H04B1/7073; H04B1/7075; H04B1/70755; H04L; H04L7/00; H04L7/0079; H04L7/0083

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim 81 words
An improved transmitter for spread spectrum code division multiple access radio communication signals, having a speech digitizer for speech signals, comprising: means for assembling the digitized speech from the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of symbols; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame containing speech activity; and means for inhibiting the transmitter when there is no activity and for resuming the transmitter, only at fixed frame times identified by the activity indication.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 81 words
An improved transmitter for spread spectrum code division multiple access radio communication signals, having a speech digitizer for speech signals, comprising: means for assembling the digitized speech from the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of symbols; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame containing speech activity; and means for inhibiting the transmitter when there is no activity and for resuming the transmitter, only at fixed frame times identified by the activity indication.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
An improved transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the frames include a fixed number of speech symbols and each frame includes one or more known symbols which are always transmitted, the known symbols indicating to the receiver whether the rest of the frame is transmitted or not.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 58 words
An improved transmitter according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of radio signals are added with controlled multiplying weights for transmission by a common transmitter amplifier and antenna combination, each radio signal being capable of being discontinued for a fixed frame consisting of a time period corresponding to a whole number multiple of the spread spectrum code units.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
An improved transmitter according to claim 3 in which the fixed frames for each of said plurality of signals have a fixed time alignment with respect to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
An improved transmitter according to claim 4 in which said fixed time alignment is relatively staggered between said signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
An improved receiver according to claim 5 wherein the improved receiver maintains synchronization with the transmitter during frames of discontinued transmission by demodulating a signal destined for another receiver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 75 words
An improved receiver for receiving spread spectrum code division multiple access radio communication signals, comprising: means for deciding whether a transmitter has or has not discontinued transmission only at predetermined fixed frames which correspond to frames of speech symbols at the input of the speech decoder, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that there is a discontinuance of activity from the transmitter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 75 words
An improved receiver for receiving spread spectrum code division multiple access radio communication signals, comprising: means for deciding whether a transmitter has or has not discontinued transmission only at predetermined fixed frames which correspond to frames of speech symbols at the input of the speech decoder, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that there is a discontinuance of activity from the transmitter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 36 words
An improved receiver according to claim 7 wherein upon detecting discontinuance of a transmitted signal, the receiver does not attempt to decode that signal until the beginning of the next fixed frame associated with that signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 51 words
An improved receiver according to claim 8 for simultaneously receiving multiple radio communication signals in which said signals are demodulated and decoded in units of a fixed number of spreading code symbols and in decreasing order of historically predicted relative signal strength until a desired predetermined signal is demodulated and decoded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 43 words
An improved receiver according to claim 9 wherein further attempts to decode a signal having a predetermined spreading code are discontinued for the remainder of said fixed number of spreading code symbols when said signal fails to reach an expected signal strength threshold.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 38 words
An improved receiver according to claim 10 wherein the fixed frames for different signals start at different predictable times and attempts to demodulate and decode one signal do not resume at the same time as for other signals.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
An improved receiver according to claim 7 wherein the default audio signal output upon the discontinuance of new information from the transmitter is dependent upon data received earlier from the transmitter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 25 words
An improved receiver according to claim 7, wherein the deciding means decides whether the transmissions discontinue or resume at the boundaries of the fixed frames.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 52 words
An improved receiver according to claim 7, wherein the receiver decodes a new frame and ceases to decode, if after a predetermined number of symbols no signal is found, and the receiver does not resume decoding until after the beginning of the next frame which is a fixed number of symbols later.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 37 words
An improved receiver according to claim 7, wherein known symbols are used to determine whether the receiver attempts to decode the whole frame or suspends decoding until the next frame when the known symbols are next transmitted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
An improved receiver according to claim 15 wherein said known transmitted symbols are used by said receiver to establish a coherent reference for demodulation.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 26 words
An improved receiver according to claim 15 wherein said known transmitted symbols are used by said receiver to estimate the impulse response of the communications channel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 154 words
An improved radio communication system including an improved transmitter for spread spectrum code division multiple access radio signals, having a speech digitizer for speech signals, and an improved receiver having a speech decoder, for receiving the code division multiple access radio communication signals, wherein the improvement comprises: means for framing the output of the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of speech signals; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame; means for inhibiting transmission of said fixed frame of symbols when no activity is indicated and for resuming the transmission only for whole fixed frames identified by said activity indication; means for deciding at the receiver whether the transmitter has or has not inhibited transmission of a fixed frame, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that transmission of a frame has been inhibited.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 154 words
An improved radio communication system including an improved transmitter for spread spectrum code division multiple access radio signals, having a speech digitizer for speech signals, and an improved receiver having a speech decoder, for receiving the code division multiple access radio communication signals, wherein the improvement comprises: means for framing the output of the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of speech signals; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame; means for inhibiting transmission of said fixed frame of symbols when no activity is indicated and for resuming the transmission only for whole fixed frames identified by said activity indication; means for deciding at the receiver whether the transmitter has or has not inhibited transmission of a fixed frame, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that transmission of a frame has been inhibited.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 21 words
An improved communication system according to claim 18 the transmissions discontinue or resume only at the boundaries of the fixed frames.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 46 words
An improved communications system according to claim 18 wherein the radio communication signals overlapping on the same frequency have staggered frame alignments, such that their respective instants for discontinuing or resuming transmission do not fall at the same instant, but are distributed over a frame period.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 50 words
An improved communications system according to claim 12, wherein the radio communication signals overlap on the same frequency have staggered frame alignment, each frame having at least one known symbol, such that their respective known symbols are not transmitted at the same instant but are distributed over a frame period.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 29 words
An improved communications system according to claim 12, wherein the improved transmitter is disposed in a cellular base station and the improved receiver is disposed in a mobile station.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 36 words
An improved communications system according to claim 22, wherein the transmitter of the mobile station determines the time alignment of the frames for transmission based upon time alignment of frames received, from the base station transmitter.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 29 words
An improved communications system according to claim 18, wherein the improved receiver is disposed in a cellular base station and the improved transmitter is disposed in a mobile station.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 158 words
An improved radio communication system including an improved transmitter for transmitting radio communication signals having a speech digitizer for speech signals, and an improved receiver for receiving the radio communication signals having a speech decoder, wherein the improvement comprises: means for framing digitized speech from the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of bits; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame based on speech activity; means for discontinuing the transmitter when there is no activity indication and for resuming the transmitter only at fixed frames identified by the activity indication; means for deciding whether the transmitter has or has not discontinued transmission only at predetermined fixed frames which correspond to frames of speech bits at the input of the speech decoder, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that there is a discontinuance of activity from the transmitter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 158 words
An improved radio communication system including an improved transmitter for transmitting radio communication signals having a speech digitizer for speech signals, and an improved receiver for receiving the radio communication signals having a speech decoder, wherein the improvement comprises: means for framing digitized speech from the speech digitizer into fixed frames corresponding to a fixed whole number of bits; means for generating an activity indication for each fixed frame based on speech activity; means for discontinuing the transmitter when there is no activity indication and for resuming the transmitter only at fixed frames identified by the activity indication; means for deciding whether the transmitter has or has not discontinued transmission only at predetermined fixed frames which correspond to frames of speech bits at the input of the speech decoder, and means, responsive to the deciding means, for causing the receiver to output a default audio signal upon deciding that there is a discontinuance of activity from the transmitter.
Claim 30
Independent Claim 171 words
A method for communicating speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; inhibiting the transmission of a frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech; receiving the transmitted signal at a receiver; decoding the received signal, relative to said communication code, at the beginning of a frame of the signal to obtain digital data; determining whether the obtained digital data meets a minimum correlation threshold; continuing to decode the received signal for the remainder of the frame if the digital data meets the correlation threshold; and inhibiting the decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame, relative to said communication code, when the digital data does not meet the correlation threshold.
Claim 31
Independent Claim 171 words
A method for communicating speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; inhibiting the transmission of a frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech; receiving the transmitted signal at a receiver; decoding the received signal, relative to said communication code, at the beginning of a frame of the signal to obtain digital data; determining whether the obtained digital data meets a minimum correlation threshold; continuing to decode the received signal for the remainder of the frame if the digital data meets the correlation threshold; and inhibiting the decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame, relative to said communication code, when the digital data does not meet the correlation threshold.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said communication code includes a spreading code having a predetermined number of symbols, and wherein each of said frames comprises a whole number multiple of said predetermined number of symbols.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of claim 26 further including the step of resuming the decoding received signal, relative to said communication code, at the beginning of the next received frame in the signal after inhibiting said decoding for the remainder of a previous frame.
Claim 34
Independent Claim 189 words
A method for transferring speech communication from a base station to respective mobile units in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a plurality of speech signals and dividing each digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether each speech signal represents active speech; encoding each digitized signal with a code related to the mobile unit for which the respective speech signal is intended; inhibiting the transmission of each frame of each encoded signal that is not associated with active speech; combining the encoded signals and transmitting the combined signals; receiving the transmitted combined signals at a receiver; decoding the received combined signal, relative to one of said communication codes, at the beginning of a frame to obtain digital data; determining whether the obtained digital data meets a minimum correlation threshold; continuing to decode the received signal relative to said one code for the remainder of the frame if the digital data meets the correlation threshold; and inhibiting the decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame, relative to said one code, when the digital data does not meet the correlation threshold.
Claim 35
Independent Claim 189 words
A method for transferring speech communication from a base station to respective mobile units in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a plurality of speech signals and dividing each digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether each speech signal represents active speech; encoding each digitized signal with a code related to the mobile unit for which the respective speech signal is intended; inhibiting the transmission of each frame of each encoded signal that is not associated with active speech; combining the encoded signals and transmitting the combined signals; receiving the transmitted combined signals at a receiver; decoding the received combined signal, relative to one of said communication codes, at the beginning of a frame to obtain digital data; determining whether the obtained digital data meets a minimum correlation threshold; continuing to decode the received signal relative to said one code for the remainder of the frame if the digital data meets the correlation threshold; and inhibiting the decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame, relative to said one code, when the digital data does not meet the correlation threshold.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 29 further including the step of decoding the received signal relative to a second code at the beginning of a frame of the signal associated with said second code.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 29 wherein the frames of all of said digitized signals have a predetermined time alignment relative to one another.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 31 wherein the frames of each respective digitized signal are offset by a predetermined amount relative to the frames of each of the other digitized signals.
Claim 39
Independent Claim 84 words
A method for transmitting speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; and inhibiting the transmission of a complete frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech.
Claim 40
Independent Claim 84 words
A method for transmitting speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; and inhibiting the transmission of a complete frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech.
Claim 41
Independent Claim 167 words
A method for communicating speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; inhibiting the transmission of a frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech; receiving the transmitted signal at a receiver; decoding the received signal, relative to said communication code, at the beginning of a frame of the signal to obtain digital data; determining whether said digital data corresponds to a symbol indicative of speech activity indication or a no-speech indication; continuing to decode the received signal if said digital data corresponds to a speech activity indication; and inhibiting decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame if said digital data corresponds to a no-speech indication.
Claim 42
Independent Claim 167 words
A method for communicating speech information in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a speech signal and dividing the digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether the speech signal represents active speech; encoding the digitized signal with a code related to the communication; transmitting the encoded signal to a receiver; inhibiting the transmission of a frame of the encoded signal when the portion of the speech signal associated with that frame does not represent active speech; receiving the transmitted signal at a receiver; decoding the received signal, relative to said communication code, at the beginning of a frame of the signal to obtain digital data; determining whether said digital data corresponds to a symbol indicative of speech activity indication or a no-speech indication; continuing to decode the received signal if said digital data corresponds to a speech activity indication; and inhibiting decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame if said digital data corresponds to a no-speech indication.
Claim 43
Independent Claim 180 words
A method for transferring speech communication from a base station to respective mobile units in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a plurality of speech signals and dividing each digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether each speech signal represents active speech; encoding each digitized signal with a code related to the mobile unit for which the respective speech signal is intended; inhibiting the transmission of each frame of each encoded signal that is not associated with active speech; combining the encoded signals and transmitting the combined signals; receiving the transmitted combined signals at a receiver; decoding the received combined signal, relative to one of said communication codes, at the beginning of a frame to obtain digital data; determining whether said digital data corresponds to a symbol indicative of speech activity indication or a no-speech indication; continuing to decode the received signal if said digital data corresponds to a speech activity indication; and inhibiting decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame if said digital data corresponds to a no-speech indication.
Claim 44
Independent Claim 180 words
A method for transferring speech communication from a base station to respective mobile units in a cellular radio telephone system, comprising the steps of: digitizing a plurality of speech signals and dividing each digitized signal into frames of predetermined length; detecting whether each speech signal represents active speech; encoding each digitized signal with a code related to the mobile unit for which the respective speech signal is intended; inhibiting the transmission of each frame of each encoded signal that is not associated with active speech; combining the encoded signals and transmitting the combined signals; receiving the transmitted combined signals at a receiver; decoding the received combined signal, relative to one of said communication codes, at the beginning of a frame to obtain digital data; determining whether said digital data corresponds to a symbol indicative of speech activity indication or a no-speech indication; continuing to decode the received signal if said digital data corresponds to a speech activity indication; and inhibiting decoding of the received signal for the remainder of the frame if said digital data corresponds to a no-speech indication.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4134071A Cited
US4293953A Cited
US4470138A Cited
SU1605254A1 Cited
EP0400314A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-08-23 1997-02-22 1997-08-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-08-23 2001-02-22 2001-08-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-08-23 2005-02-22 2005-08-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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