Patent · US Expired

Channel quality in wireless communications

US6292664A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
9References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 1998
Grant dateSep 18, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L1/0014
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method in a wireless communications environment maximizes voice quality in low capacity situations. A Mobile services Switching Centre (MSC) that is associated with a base station of a cell is capable of assigning speech calls of mobile terminals to either a full-rate (FR) or a half-rate (HR) channel. The FR channels provide better transmitted voice quality but consume twice the bandwidth (two time slots versus only one for HR channels). When occupied cell capacity is low, an MSC assigns connections to FR channels. After occupied cell capacity reaches a predetermined threshold value, the MSC assigns connections to HR channels whenever possible. Also, handover procedures can reclaim available capacity by switching a connection from a FR to a HR channel. The superior voice quality of the FR channels are therefore provided to mobile terminal users more often.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.