System and method for frequency based acquisition acknowledgment between transmitter and receiver

Claim 1

A communications system comprising: at least two communications units, each communications unit further comprising a transmitter and a receiver, said transmitter capable of transmitting on a plurality of different frequencies and said receiver capable of receiving on a plurality of different frequencies, and wherein frequency locking is required to insure that each communication unit is operating on a same frequency during a given time frame; means for predetermining a plurality of n frequencies to be used as set-up channels; means for establishing a plurality of time frames for transmission and reception of signals on said set-up channels between said units; means for dividing each said time frame into a transmit period and a receive period; means for first transmitting, during said transmit period of a first time frame, by an originating unit of said units, a signal on a first one of said plurality of n frequencies; means for second transmitting, during a transmit period of a next time frame, by said originating unit of said units, a signal on a next one of said plurality of n frequencies; means for repeating said second transmitting step for each additional frequency in said predetermined plurality of n frequencies; means for third transmitting, during a transmit period of an n+1 time frame, by said originating unit, a signal on said first one of said plurality of n frequencies, such that in n+1 time frames, a signal has been transmitted on each of said n frequencies and also on said first frequency a second time in said n+1 time frame to complete a cycle of acquisition attempts by said originating unit; means for first receiving on one of said plurality of n frequencies by a receiver in a second unit in said communications system for n+1 time frames; means for second receiving on a next one of said plurality of n frequencies by said receiver and said second unit for n+1 time frames; means for repeating the enabling of said second receiving means for each additional frequency in said n frequencies; means for repeating the enabling of said first receiving means for n+1 time frames; means for enabling a transmitter in said second unit as a result of the enabling of said first or second receiving means in said second unit receiving a signal on one of said n frequencies; means for maintaining said frequency of said receiver in said second unit on one of said n frequencies; means for fourth transmitting by a transmitter in said second unit, in a transmit period for said second unit of a time frame during which said one of said n frequencies is next received by said receiver in said second unit, a signal on said one of said n frequencies; and means for repeating the enabling of said last mentioned maintaining means and said fourth transmitting means for an additional time frame to acknowledge acquisition of frequency lock.

Claim 3

A method for acquisition of frequency locking between two or more units in a communications systems, comprising the steps of: predetermining a plurality of n frequencies to be used as set-up channels; establishing a plurality of time frames for transmission and reception of signals on said set-up channels between said units; dividing each said time frame into a transmit period and a receive period for each of said units in said communications system; first transmitting, during a transmit period of a first time frame, by an originating unit, a signal on a first one of said plurality of n frequencies; second transmitting, during a transmit period of a next time frame, by said originating unit, a signal on a next one of said plurality of n frequencies; repeating said second transmitting step for each additional frequency in said predetermined plurality of n frequencies; third transmitting, during a transmit period of an n+1 time frame, by said originating unit, a signal on said first one of said plurality of frequencies, such that in n+1 time frames, a signal has been transmitted on each of said n frequencies and also on said first frequency a second time in said n+1 time frame to complete a cycle of acquisition attempts by said originating unit; first receiving on one of said plurality of n frequencies by a receiver in a second unit of said communications system for n+1 time frames; second receiving on a next one of plurality of n frequencies by said receiver in said second unit for n+1 time frames; repeating said second receiving step for each additional frequency in said plurality of n frequencies; repeating said first receiving step for n+1 time frames; enabling a transmitter in said second unit if any of the above receiving steps results in said receiver in said second unit receiving a signal on one of said n frequencies; maintaining said frequency of said receiver in said second unit on said one of said n frequencies; fourth transmitting by a transmitter in said second unit, in a transmit period for said second unit of a time frame during which said one of said n frequencies is next received by said receiver in said second unit, a signal on said one of said n frequencies; and repeating said last two steps of maintaining and fourth transmitting for an additional time frame to acknowledge acquisition of frequency lock.

Claim 4

A method for acquisition of frequency locking between two or more units in a communications systems, comprising the steps of: predetermining a plurality of n frequencies to be used as set-up channels; establishing a plurality of time frames for transmission and reception of signals on said set-up channels between said units; dividing each said time frame into a transmit period and a receive period for each of said units in said communications system; first transmitting, during a transmit period of a first time frame, by an originating unit, a signal on a first one of said plurality of n frequencies; second transmitting, during a transmit period of a next time frame, by said originating unit, a signal on a next one of said plurality of n frequencies; repeating said second transmitting step for each additional frequency in said predetermined plurality of n frequencies; third transmitting, during a transmit period of an n+1 time frame, by said originating unit, a signal on said first one of said plurality of frequencies, such that in n+1 time frames, a signal has been transmitted on each of said n frequencies and also on said first frequency a second time in said n+1 time frame to complete a cycle of acquisition attempts by said originating unit; first receiving on one of said plurality of n frequencies by a receiver in a second unit of said communications system for n+1 time frames; second receiving on a next one of plurality of n frequencies by said receiver in said second unit for n+1 time frames; repeating said second receiving step for each additional frequency in said plurality of n frequencies; repeating said first receiving step for n+1 time frames; enabling a transmitter in said second unit if any of the above receiving steps results in said receiver in said second unit receiving a signal on one of said n frequencies; maintaining said frequency of said receiver in said second unit on said one of said n frequencies; fourth transmitting by a transmitter in said second unit, in a transmit period for said second unit of a time frame during which said one of said n frequencies is next received by said receiver in said second unit, a signal on said one of said n frequencies; and repeating said last two steps of maintaining and fourth transmitting for an additional time frame to acknowledge acquisition of frequency lock.