US6097704A — System for communicating digital information betw…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 141 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into slots, one of said slots being for control communications between said base unit and said plural remote units, each of the other of said slots being dynamically assigned at a different frequency for transmitting or receiving subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with a particular remote unit, the improvement comprising dividing each of the other of said slots into two portions during which the particular remote unit receives and makes subscriber-to-subscriber communications at one frequency, and, during subscriber-to-subscriber communications, saving battery power of the particular remote unit by reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit at all times within a frame except during the divided slot assigned to the particular remote unit.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 141 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into slots, one of said slots being for control communications between said base unit and said plural remote units, each of the other of said slots being dynamically assigned at a different frequency for transmitting or receiving subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with a particular remote unit, the improvement comprising dividing each of the other of said slots into two portions during which the particular remote unit receives and makes subscriber-to-subscriber communications at one frequency, and, during subscriber-to-subscriber communications, saving battery power of the particular remote unit by reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit at all times within a frame except during the divided slot assigned to the particular remote unit.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communications within a divided slot are first received from a remote unit.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 66 words

The communications system of claim 1 further comprising plural antennas for communicating between the base unit and the remote units wherein one of said antennas is selected based at least in part on the signal received from a remote unit during a divided slot, said antenna being selected for continued communications with the remote unit during the remainder of said divided slot and in following frames.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 107 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into plural slots, a pair of slots being dynamically assigned for establishing duplex subscriber-to-subscriber communications, the improvement comprising: (a) means for providing duplex subscriber-to-subscriber communications between the base station and a particular remote unit during a single assigned slot; (b) means for synchronizing clocks in the base station and the particular remote unit; and (c) means for reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit except during the single assigned slot and while the clocks remain synchronized.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 107 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into plural slots, a pair of slots being dynamically assigned for establishing duplex subscriber-to-subscriber communications, the improvement comprising: (a) means for providing duplex subscriber-to-subscriber communications between the base station and a particular remote unit during a single assigned slot; (b) means for synchronizing clocks in the base station and the particular remote unit; and (c) means for reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit except during the single assigned slot and while the clocks remain synchronized.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into plural slots, one of said slots being a control slot for communicating control information between said base unit and said plural remote units, each of the other slots being communication slots for establishing subscriber to subscriber communications, the improvement where the length of the control slot is different from the length of a communication slot.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and which divides each frame into plural slots, one of said slots being a control slot for communicating control information between said base unit and said plural remote units, each of the other slots being communication slots for establishing subscriber to subscriber communications, the improvement where the length of the control slot is different from the length of a communication slot.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 24 words

The system of claim 5 wherein the length of the control slot is twice a s long as the length of a communication slot.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 24 words

The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base unit receives communications from the remote units during the first portion of the divided slots.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

The communication system of claim 7, wherein the communication received by the base station during the first portion of a divided slot includes a preamble with a predetermined bit pattern.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The communication system of claim 8, wherein the base unit comprises a plurality of antennas and uses said predetermined bit pattern to test the reception on each antenna.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

The communication system of claim 9, wherein the base unit selects one of said plurality of antennas for receiving the communication based on the quality of the reception of the predetermined bit pattern.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

The communication system of claim 10, wherein the base unit maintains the selection of the antenna for the entire divide d time slot.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

The communication system of claim 9, wherein the base unit selects a plurality of the best antennas for receiving the signal from the remote unit based on the quality of the reception of the predetermined bit pattern.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 23 words

The communication system of claim 12, wherein the base unit attenuates the received signal when the signal exceeds a predetermined figure of merit.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 21 words

The communication system of claim 12, wherein the base unit selects a best antenna for transmitting communications to the remote unit.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 24 words

The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base unit transmits communications to the remote units during the second portion of the divided slots.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 1, further comprising means for synchronizing clocks in the base station and the particular remote unit.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system of claim 16, wherein battery power is reduced except during the divided slot and while the clocks remain synchronized.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 23 words

The system of claim 1, wherein the length of the control slot is different than the length of the other of said slots.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 18, wherein the length of the control slot is twice as long as the length of the other of said slots.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 73 words

The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a battery saving system comprising: a means for organizing said frames, located at said base station, into a time series of superframes, each superframe comprising a plurality of frames; a means for monitoring, located at each of said plural remote units, an assigned frame within each of said superframes; a means for reducing power to said communications circuits after said assigned frame has been monitored.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system of claim 20, wherein said battery saving system further includes a timer that is set to repower said communication circuits immediately prior to said assigned frame in the next superframe.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system of claim 20, wherein said battery saving system reduces power to the communication circuits of each remote unit at all times within said assigned frame except during the divided slot assigned to the remote unit.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 174 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and on a closed set of frequencies and which divides each frame into plural slots, one of said slots being for control communications between said base unit and said plural remote units, a pair of said slots being dynamically assigned to a particular remote unit for receiving and transmitting subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with the particular remote unit, the improvement comprising dividing each of said slots except said one of said slots into two portions, and assigning the particular remote unit only one of said divided slots within a frame, a divided slot in combination with an exclusive frequency from said set of frequencies being for receiving and transmitting subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with the particular remote unit, and saving battery power of the particular remote unit during subscriber-to-subscriber communications by reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit except when needed for communicating during the remote unit's assigned divided slot.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 174 words

In a time-division-multiple-access ("TDMA") communication system which communicates between a base unit and plural remote units through a time series of frames and on a closed set of frequencies and which divides each frame into plural slots, one of said slots being for control communications between said base unit and said plural remote units, a pair of said slots being dynamically assigned to a particular remote unit for receiving and transmitting subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with the particular remote unit, the improvement comprising dividing each of said slots except said one of said slots into two portions, and assigning the particular remote unit only one of said divided slots within a frame, a divided slot in combination with an exclusive frequency from said set of frequencies being for receiving and transmitting subscriber-to-subscriber communications associated with the particular remote unit, and saving battery power of the particular remote unit during subscriber-to-subscriber communications by reducing power to the communications portions of the particular remote unit except when needed for communicating during the remote unit's assigned divided slot.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 20 words

The communication system of claim 23 wherein the communications within a divided slots are first received from a remote unit.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 78 words

The communications system of claim 23 further comprising plural antennas at the base unit for communicating between the base unit and the remote units wherein one of said antennas is selected by the base unit during a divided slot based on the signal received by the base unit during the first part of the same divided slot, said antenna being selected for communicating during the remainder of the same divided slot and subsequent communications with the base unit.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 21 words

The communications system of claim 23 wherein said battery saving circuit reduces power for all but a single dynamically assigned slot.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-08-01	2004-01-31	2004-08-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-08-01	2008-01-31	2008-08-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-08-01	2012-01-31	2012-08-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System for communicating digital information between a base unit and plural mobile units

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