Method and system for autonomously allocating a frequency hopping traffic channel in a private radio system

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, wherein said determination of said first set of candidate frequencies is made within said private radio base station.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1, wherein said first set of candidate frequencies are forwarded to said private radio base station by a remote device, said determination of said first set of candidate frequencies being made within said remote device.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3, wherein said remote device forwards said first set of candidate frequencies to said private radio base station via a wireless communication.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1, wherein said first interference measurement comprises a combination of uplink and downlink measurements carried out within said private radio base station.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said step of ordering, each said candidate frequency in said second set includes a signal strength value associated therewith.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 6, further comprising, after said step of ordering, selecting a first subset of said second set of candidate frequencies, said candidate frequencies within said second set having an associated signal strength value less than a threshold signal strength value being selected for said first subset, said first subset being utilized in said step of expanding.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said step of expanding said second set into said third set of pairings, said second interference measurement comprises an averaging of the signal strengths of said frequency/timeslot pairings over a plurality of minutes.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 1, wherein said frequency/timeslot pairings signal strengths after said another averaging differ from said frequency/timeslot pairings signal strengths prior to said another averaging, wherein a first frequency/timeslot in said pairings subset has a signal strength greater than the signal strength of a second frequency/timeslot prior to said averaging and less than the signal strength of said second frequency/timeslot after said averaging, and wherein said step of reordering is performed if the difference in signal strengths between said first frequency/timeslot pairing and said second frequency/timeslot pairing after said averaging is greater than a threshold margin.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 1, wherein said cellular network system is a digital Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) system.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 1, wherein said cellular network system is a digital Frequency Division Multiple Access/Time Division Multiple Access (FDMA/TDMA) system.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 1, wherein said frequencies are expressed in Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Numbers.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13, wherein said determination of said first set of candidate frequencies is made within said private radio base station.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13, wherein said first set of candidate frequencies are forwarded to said private radio base station by a remote device, said determination of said first set of candidate frequencies being made within said remote device.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 15, wherein said remote device forwards said first set of candidate frequencies to said private radio base station via a wireless communication.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 13, wherein said first interference measurement comprises a combination of uplink and downlink measurements carried out within said private radio base station.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 13, wherein, in said step of ordering, each said candidate frequency in said second set includes a signal strength value associated therewith.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 13, wherein, in said step of expanding said second set into said third set of pairings, said second interference measurement comprises an averaging of the signal strengths of said frequency/timeslot pairings over a plurality of minutes.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 13, wherein said cellular network system is a digital Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) system.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 13, wherein sad cellular network system is a digital Frequency Division Multiple Access/Time Division Multiple Access (FDMA/TDMA) system.

Claim 24

The method according to claim 13, wherein said frequencies are expressed in Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Numbers.

Claim 25

In a communication system having a cellular mobile station and a private radio base station, said private radio base station being located within an area of said cellular mobile station, circuitry within said private radio base station for allocating a least-interfered communications link between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, where said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station share frequencies, said circuitry comprising: a first determining means for determining a first set of candidate frequencies for use by said private radio system within said area of said cellular mobile station; a first ordering means for ordering said first set of candidate channels into second set of candidate frequencies pursuant to a first interference measurement; expanding means for expanding said second set of candidate frequencies into a third set containing a multiplicity of frequency and timeslot pairings pursuant to a second interference measurement, each candidate frequency in said second set having a plurality of timeslots associated therewith; a dividing means for dividing said third set of pairings into a plurality of frequency hop lists, each of said frequency hop lists containing a plurality of frequencies from said third set associated with a particular timeslot within said pairings, wherein said dividing means further comprises an averaging means for averaging the signal strengths of said frequency/timeslot pairings within said third set over a plurality of seconds, wherein said frequency/timeslot pairings within said pairings subset are reordered; a second selecting means for selecting a subset of said pairings from said third set, said candidate frequencies within said third set pairings having an associated signal interference value less than a given interference value being selected for said pairings subset, said pairings subset comprising said plurality of frequency hop lists for said dividing means; and selecting means for selecting one of said frequency hop lists as the least-interfered communications link for said private radio base station.

Claim 26

In a communication system having a cellular mobile station and a private radio base station, said private radio base station being located within an area of said cellular mobile station, circuitry within said private radio base station for allocating a least-interfered communications link between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, where said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station share frequencies, said circuitry comprising: a first determining means for determining a first set of candidate frequencies for use by said private radio system within said area of said cellular mobile station; a first ordering means for ordering said first set of candidate channels into second set of candidate frequencies pursuant to a first interference measurement; expanding means for expanding said second set of candidate frequencies into a third set containing a multiplicity of frequency and timeslot pairings pursuant to a second interference measurement, each candidate frequency in said second set having a plurality of timeslots associated therewith; a dividing means for dividing said third set of pairings into a plurality of frequency hop lists, each of said frequency hop lists containing a plurality of frequencies from said third set associated with a particular timeslot within said pairings, wherein said dividing means further comprises an averaging means for averaging the signal strengths of said frequency/timeslot pairings within said third set over a plurality of seconds, wherein said frequency/timeslot pairings within said pairings subset are reordered; a second selecting means for selecting a subset of said pairings from said third set, said candidate frequencies within said third set pairings having an associated signal interference value less than a given interference value being selected for said pairings subset, said pairings subset comprising said plurality of frequency hop lists for said dividing means; and selecting means for selecting one of said frequency hop lists as the least-interfered communications link for said private radio base station.

Claim 27

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said first determining means for determining said first set of candidate frequencies is within said private radio base station.

Claim 28

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said first determining means for determining said first set of candidate frequencies is within a remote device.

Claim 29

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said remote device forwards said first set of candidate frequencies to said private radio base station via a wireless communication.

Claim 30

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said first interference measurement comprises a combination of uplink and downlink measurements carried out within said private radio base station.

Claim 31

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said second set includes a signal strength value associated with each of said candidate frequencies.

Claim 32

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, wherein said frequency/timeslot pairings signal strengths after said averaging in said averaging means differ from said frequency/timeslot pairings signal strengths prior to said averaging, wherein a first frequency/timeslot in said pairings subset has a signal strength greater than the signal strength of a second frequency/timeslot prior to said averaging and less than the signal strength of said second frequency/timeslot after said averaging, and wherein said frequency/timeslot pairing reordering is performed if the difference in signal strengths between said first frequency/timeslot pairings and said second frequency/timeslot pairing after said averaging is greater than a threshold margin.

Claim 33

The communication system circuitry according to claim 23, further comprising an escape communications link means, said link means used upon an occurrence of a link failure condition between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, said escape communication link means using a particular frequency hop list.

Claim 34

In a communication system having a cellular mobile station and a private radio base station, said private radio base station being located within an area of said cellular mobile station, circuitry within said private radio base station for allocating a least-interfered communications link between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, where said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station share frequencies, said circuitry comprising: a first determining means for determining a first set of candidate frequencies for use by said private radio system within said area of said cellular mobile station; a first ordering means for ordering said first set of candidate channels into second set of candidate frequencies pursuant to a first interference measurement; expanding means for expanding said second set of candidate frequencies into a third set containing a multiplicity of frequency and timeslot pairings pursuant to a second interference measurement, each candidate frequency in said second set having a plurality of timeslots associated therewith; a dividing means for dividing said third set of pairings into a plurality of frequency hop lists, each of said frequency hop lists containing a plurality of frequencies from said third set associated with a particular timeslot within said pairings, wherein the number of said plurality of frequency hop lists equals the number of timeslots in a multislot digital transmission frame; and selecting means for selecting one of said frequency hop lists as the least-interfered communications link for said private radio base station.

Claim 35

In a communication system having a cellular mobile station and a private radio base station, said private radio base station being located within an area of said cellular mobile station, circuitry within said private radio base station for allocating a least-interfered communications link between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, where said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station share frequencies, said circuitry comprising: a first determining means for determining a first set of candidate frequencies for use by said private radio system within said area of said cellular mobile station; a first ordering means for ordering said first set of candidate channels into second set of candidate frequencies pursuant to a first interference measurement; expanding means for expanding said second set of candidate frequencies into a third set containing a multiplicity of frequency and timeslot pairings pursuant to a second interference measurement, each candidate frequency in said second set having a plurality of timeslots associated therewith; a dividing means for dividing said third set of pairings into a plurality of frequency hop lists, each of said frequency hop lists containing a plurality of frequencies from said third set associated with a particular timeslot within said pairings, wherein the number of said plurality of frequency hop lists equals the number of timeslots in a multislot digital transmission frame; and selecting means for selecting one of said frequency hop lists as the least-interfered communications link for said private radio base station.

Claim 36

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, wherein said first determining means for determining said first set of candidate frequencies is within said private radio base station.

Claim 37

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, wherein said first determining means for determining said first set of candidate frequencies is within a remote device.

Claim 38

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, wherein said remote device forwards said first set of candidate frequencies to said private radio base station via a wireless communication.

Claim 39

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, wherein said first interference measurement comprises a combination of uplink and downlink measurements carried out within said private radio base station.

Claim 40

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, wherein said second set includes a signal strength value associated with each of said candidate frequencies.

Claim 41

The communication system circuitry according to claim 31, further comprising an escape communications link means, said link means used upon an occurrence of a link failure condition between said private radio base station and said cellular mobile station, said escape communication link means using a particular frequency hop list.