Time and frequency slot allocation system and method

Claim 2

A radio communication system comprising: a plurality of frequencies for transmission of communication signals; a plurality of time slots on each frequency; a plurality of first stations which transmit and receive communication signals on the time slots; and at least one second station which assigns time slots on a first frequency to first stations which are to be communicated with by employing highest second station transmitter power levels and which assigns time slots on a second frequency to first stations which are to be communicated with by employing second station transmitter power levels which are lower than said highest second station transmitter power levels, wherein each time slot transmitted on said first frequency is transmitted at a higher power level than each time slot transmitted on said second frequency.

Claim 3

A radio communication system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for adjusting power transmitted by the at least one second station on each of said first and second frequencies to be a minimum power level necessary for communication with every first station on that same frequency.

Claim 4

A radio communication system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for turning off transmission on frequencies having all time slots presently unallocated to a first station.

Claim 5

A radio communication system comprising: a plurality of frequencies available for transmission of communication signals; a plurality of time slots on each frequency; a plurality of first stations which transmit and receive communication signals on the time slots; and at least one second station which sorts the first stations into groups requiring similar second station transmitting power and allocates a unique frequency to each group and a unique time slot to each first station in each group, whereby time slots allocated to a same frequency by said at least one second station are associated with a same second station transmitting power.

Claim 6

A radio communication system comprising: a plurality of frequencies available for transmission of communication signals; a plurality of time slots on each frequency; a plurality of first stations which transmit and receive communication signals on the time slots; and at least one second station which sorts the first stations into groups requiring similar second station transmitting power and allocates a unique frequency to each group and a unique time slot to each first station in each group, whereby time slots allocated to a same frequency by said at least one second station are associated with a same second station transmitting power.

Claim 7

A radio communication system according to claim 4, further comprising: means for turning off transmission on frequencies having all time slots unallocated to a first station.

Claim 8

A radio communication system comprising: a plurality of frequencies available for transmission of communication signals; a plurality of time slots on each frequency, wherein times slots on a common frequency are associated with a common second station transmitting power; a plurality of first stations which transmit and receive communication signals on the time slots; and at least one said second station comprising: a plurality of transmitters and an antenna system for transmitting communication signals to the first stations; a plurality of receivers for receiving communication signals from the first stations; a calling channel transmitter for transmitting a channel assignment message to the first stations; a random access receiver for receiving a random access message from one of the first stations and for measuring a quality and a signal strength of the random access message; a station controller for i) receiving the random access message, random access message quality, and random access message signal strength from the random access receiver and for estimating a transmitting power necessary to communicate with one of the first stations based on the random access message, random access message quality, and random access message signal strength; for ii) selecting a frequency having an unallocated time slot for said one of said first stations based on the estimated transmitting power; for iii) composing a channel assignment message; and for iv) sending the channel assignment message to said one of said first stations via the calling channel transmitter.

Claim 9

A radio communication system comprising: a plurality of frequencies available for transmission of communication signals; a plurality of time slots on each frequency, wherein times slots on a common frequency are associated with a common second station transmitting power; a plurality of first stations which transmit and receive communication signals on the time slots; and at least one said second station comprising: a plurality of transmitters and an antenna system for transmitting communication signals to the first stations; a plurality of receivers for receiving communication signals from the first stations; a calling channel transmitter for transmitting a channel assignment message to the first stations; a random access receiver for receiving a random access message from one of the first stations and for measuring a quality and a signal strength of the random access message; a station controller for i) receiving the random access message, random access message quality, and random access message signal strength from the random access receiver and for estimating a transmitting power necessary to communicate with one of the first stations based on the random access message, random access message quality, and random access message signal strength; for ii) selecting a frequency having an unallocated time slot for said one of said first stations based on the estimated transmitting power; for iii) composing a channel assignment message; and for iv) sending the channel assignment message to said one of said first stations via the calling channel transmitter.

Claim 10

A radio communication system according to claim 6, wherein the station controller further comprises means for adjusting a power level on a frequency having all time slots presently unallocated to the estimated transmitting power level for said one of said first stations.

Claim 11

A radio communication system according to claim 6, wherein the station controller further comprises means for selecting, as said frequency, a frequency on which the at least one second station is transmitting at a power greater than, but closest to, the estimated transmitting power for said one of said first stations.

Claim 12

A radio communication system according to claim 6, wherein the station controller further comprises means for selecting, as said frequency, a frequency having a highest transmitting power when the estimated transmitting power for said one of said first stations is greater than a transmitting power of every frequency on which said at least one second station is transmitting.

Claim 13

A radio communication system according to claim 9, wherein the station controller further comprises means for smoothly increasing the transmitting power of the frequency having the highest transmitting power to the estimated transmitting power for said one of said first stations.

Claim 14

A radio communication system according to claim 6, further comprising means for turning off transmitters which transmit on frequencies having all time slots presently unallocated to a first station.

Claim 15

The radio communication system according to claim 6, further comprising means for determining an interference level in each unallocated time slot on the selected frequency and assigning to said one of said first stations the time slot on the selected frequency having a lowest interference level.

Claim 18

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: transmitting signals on said first frequency at a highest required power level of said first plurality of remote stations.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: transmitting on said second frequency at a highest required power level of said second plurality of remote stations.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: continuing to group additional remote stations based on their relative transmission power requirements.

Claim 21

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: turning off frequencies which have no remote stations allocated thereto.

Claim 22

The method of claim 13, wherein said steps of allocating further comprise the step of: allocating said time slots in said first and second frequencies based on anticipated interference.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 19 in which said base station uses a transmission power on each frequency that is sufficient for a remote station using that frequency having the highest path loss value.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 20 in which said transmission power is adjusted downwards upon termination of communication with the remote station having the highest path loss.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 19 in which dummy remote stations are inserted at intervals in said list in order to create a free timeslot/frequency combination for accepting new calls.