Servicing multiple high speed data users in shared packets of a high speed wireless channel
View Patent ↗A slot structure carries data/control for a plurality of user terminals on a high speed forward channel. The slot structure includes a preamble that identifies the plurality of user terminals and a data rate of the slot structure. In one embodiment, the data rate is indicated via an Explicit Data Rate Indicator (EDRI) that is (8,4,4) code. Further, the preamble includes a plurality of 32-ary Walsh functions, each of which corresponds to an identified user terminal. According to a particular embodiment, the slot structure services four user terminals, with a first set of two user terminals identified by 32-ary Walsh functions transmitted on an in-phase portion of a carrier during the preamble and a second set of two user terminals identified by 32-ary Walsh functions transmitted on a quadrature portion of the carrier during the preamble. In such embodiment, the EDRI code is also carried on the quadrature portion of the carrier during the preamble.
1. A method of operating a base station to wirelessly transmit data communications to a plurality of user terminals on a carrier, the method comprising:
repeatedly and sequentially wirelessly transmitting time division multiplexed slots to the plurality of user terminals on the carrier, wherein at least one of the time division multiplexed slots carries data/control intended for the plurality of user terminals, and wherein the time division multiplexed slots each include a preamble;
wherein the preamble includes an indication of the data rate of the data/control carried by the time division multiplexed slots; and
wherein the preamble includes a plurality of user identifiers that identify the plurality of user terminals.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein Walsh functions are employed as the plurality of user identifiers.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
a first plurality of Walsh functions is modulated on an in-phase portion of the carrier to identify a first plurality of user terminals; and
a second plurality of Walsh functions is modulated on a quadrature portion of the carrier to identify a second plurality of user terminals.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the data rate comprises an (8,4,4) code that is modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the first plurality of Walsh functions are modulated on the in-phase portion of the carrier in a time division manner; and
the second plurality of Walsh functions are modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier in a time division manner.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the first plurality of Walsh functions are concurrently modulated on the in-phase portion of the carrier; and
the second plurality of Walsh functions are concurrently modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data/control is contained in a plurality of segments of the slot.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the slot further carries a pilot channel and a Medium Access Control (MAC) channel.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slot further carries a pilot channel and a Medium Access Control (MAC) channel.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein Walsh functions are employed as the plurality of user identifiers.
11. A time division multiplexed slot embodied on a carrier that carries data intended for a plurality of user terminals, the slot comprising:
a preamble that includes an indication of a data rate of data carried by the time division multiplexed slot and that includes a plurality of user identifiers that identify the plurality of user terminals;
at least one data segment that carries the data;
at least one pilot signal segment; and
at least one Medium Access Control (MAC) segment.
12. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 11 , wherein Walsh functions are employed in the preamble as the plurality of user identifiers.
13. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 12 , wherein:
a first plurality of Walsh functions is modulated on an in-phase portion of the carrier during the preamble to identify a first plurality of user terminals; and
a second plurality of Walsh functions is modulated on a quadrature portion of the carrier during the preamble to identify a second plurality of user terminals.
14. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 13 , wherein the indication of the data rate comprises an (8,4,4) code that is modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier.
15. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 13 , wherein:
the first plurality of Walsh functions are modulated on the in-phase portion of the carrier during the preamble in a time division manner; and
the second plurality of Walsh functions are modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier during the preamble in a time division manner.
16. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 13 , wherein:
the first plurality of Walsh functions are concurrently modulated on the in-phase portion of the carrier; and
the second plurality of Walsh functions are concurrently modulated on the quadrature portion of the carrier.
17. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 11 , wherein the data is contained in a plurality of segments of the slot.
18. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 17 , wherein the slot further carries a pilot channel and a Medium Access Control (MAC) channel.
19. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 11 , wherein the slot further carries a pilot channel and a Medium Access Control (MAC) channel.
20. The time division multiplexed slot of claim 19 , wherein Walsh functions are employed as the plurality of user identifiers.