US5396647A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
GPS base wide area communication system site selection
Assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1993-12-22
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Granted: 1995-03-07
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Expires: 2013-12-22
Abstract
Abstract A communication device (200) operates in a wide area communication system having a number of sites. The communication device (200) includes a first receiver for receiving communication signals from an active site (120). The information received from the active site (120) includes the location information and the quality of the adjacent sites (102, 104, 106, and 108). The communication device (200) includes a GPS receiver (210) for establishing its own location. The location of adjacent sites along with their quality is ranked to produce a ranking table. A controller (208) is utilized to sense when the signal strength of the communication signals received from the active site (120) falls below a desired level. The communication device (200) switches to a new site on top of the ranking list when this condition of low signal strength is present.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael J. Thompson
- 👤 Dana J. Salihi
- 👤 M. Mansour Ghomeshi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W48/00; H04W48/08; H04W48/16; H04W48/20; H04W64/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
In a communication device operating in a communication system having a plurality of communication sites geographically located to provide communication coverage for a plurality of communication devices, a method for selecting an optimum communication site comprising the steps of: receiving adjacent site location information from a single active site; receiving coordinate information on the location of the communication device; ranking the adjacent sites based on the location coordinate information received from the single active site and the location of the communication device to produce a ranking list; measuring signal strength of signals communicated between the single active site and the communication device and sensing when they fall below a desired level; selecting the site on top of the ranking list; and switching to the selected site and communicating using the selected site.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
In a communication device operating in a communication system having a plurality of communication sites geographically located to provide communication coverage for a plurality of communication devices, a method for selecting an optimum communication site comprising the steps of: receiving adjacent site location information from a single active site; receiving coordinate information on the location of the communication device; ranking the adjacent sites based on the location coordinate information received from the single active site and the location of the communication device to produce a ranking list; measuring signal strength of signals communicated between the single active site and the communication device and sensing when they fall below a desired level; selecting the site on top of the ranking list; and switching to the selected site and communicating using the selected site.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, further including the step of receiving a site quality factor on the adjacent site from the active site.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the step of ranking includes ranking the adjacent sites including the single active site.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the step of ranking includes ranking the adjacent sites based on the location coordinate information and the quality factor to produce the ranking list.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving coordinate information on the location of the communication device includes receiving location coordinate information from a global positioning system (GPS).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of ranking includes ranking the adjacent sites including the single active site.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
132 words
A communication device operating in a wide area communication system having a plurality of sites, the communication device comprising: a first receiver for receiving information from a single active site including a quality factor and coordinate information on the quality and location, respectively, of sites adjacent to the active site; a second receiver for establishing the location of the communication device; means responsive to first and second receivers for ranking the adjacent sites to produce a ranking list; means for measuring signals strength; means for sensing when signal strength of the communication signals received from the single active site falls below a desired level; means for switching to a new site on top of the ranking list in response to the means for sensing; and means for communicating with the new site.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
132 words
A communication device operating in a wide area communication system having a plurality of sites, the communication device comprising: a first receiver for receiving information from a single active site including a quality factor and coordinate information on the quality and location, respectively, of sites adjacent to the active site; a second receiver for establishing the location of the communication device; means responsive to first and second receivers for ranking the adjacent sites to produce a ranking list; means for measuring signals strength; means for sensing when signal strength of the communication signals received from the single active site falls below a desired level; means for switching to a new site on top of the ranking list in response to the means for sensing; and means for communicating with the new site.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The communication device of claim 7, wherein the information on the quality of adjacent sites includes information on the antenna height.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The communication device of claim 7, wherein the second receiver includes a GPS receiver.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The communication device of claim 7, wherein the means for measuring includes a signal strength indicator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The communication device of claim 7, wherein the means for ranking includes ranking the active site along with adjacent sites in one ranking list.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The communication device of claim 7, wherein the first receiver includes a trunked receiver.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
164 words
In a communication system having a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of communication sites for providing wide area communication coverage for the plurality of communication devices, at least one of the plurality of communication devices comprising: a first receiver for receiving radio frequency signals from a single active communication site, the radio frequency signals include coordinate information on the location and a quality factor of adjacent communication sites; a second receiver for receiving coordinate information on the location of the communication device; means coupled to the first receiver for storing the location and the quality factor of the adjacent communication sites to produce stored information; means for ranking the adjacent communication sites using the stored information to produce a ranking list; means for measuring signal strength levels; means for sensing when signal strength level of radio frequency signals received by the first receiver is below a pre-determined value; and means for switching to a communication site on top of the ranking list.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
164 words
In a communication system having a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of communication sites for providing wide area communication coverage for the plurality of communication devices, at least one of the plurality of communication devices comprising: a first receiver for receiving radio frequency signals from a single active communication site, the radio frequency signals include coordinate information on the location and a quality factor of adjacent communication sites; a second receiver for receiving coordinate information on the location of the communication device; means coupled to the first receiver for storing the location and the quality factor of the adjacent communication sites to produce stored information; means for ranking the adjacent communication sites using the stored information to produce a ranking list; means for measuring signal strength levels; means for sensing when signal strength level of radio frequency signals received by the first receiver is below a pre-determined value; and means for switching to a communication site on top of the ranking list.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the second receiver includes a GPS receiver.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the information on the quality includes antenna height information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the information on the quality includes antenna gain information.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the information on the quality includes a factor representing the terrain of the communication site.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the information on the quality includes a factor representing the receiver sensitivity of the communication site.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The communication device of claim 13, wherein the information on the quality includes a factor representing fading conditions associated with the communication site.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-03-06 | 1998-09-05 | 1999-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-03-06 | 2002-09-05 | 2003-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-03-06 | 2006-09-05 | 2007-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |