Using code channel overrides to suppress CDMA wireless devices
Techniques for generating an interloping beacon which can control the behavior of a target wireless device on a CDMA frequency channel without noticeably altering the behavior of non-target wireless devices which share the frequency channel of the target wireless device's live beacon. The interloping beacon is an override beacon which overrides the live beacon's pilot channel and a control message on a code channel on which control messages may be addressed to the target wireless device. The override beacon provides the overriding pilot and the overriding control message only as long as is required for the target wireless device to respond to the overriding control message. The period of time during which the overriding pilot and the overriding control message are generated for the override beacon is so short that only the target wireless device responds without noticeable effect on collateral wireless devices.
1. A method of using an interloping beacon to cause a call involving a target wireless device and a live beacon to terminate, the target wireless device operating on a frequency channel of the live beacon in a wireless network that operates according to a standard that employs code division multiplexing to define code channels in the frequency channel, the code channels including a pilot channel for a pilot provided by the live beacon and a traffic channel for the call,
the method comprising the steps performed by a signal generator which generates the interloping beacon of:
on the frequency channel of the live beacon, generating an overriding pilot on the pilot channel to which the target wireless device responds rather than responding to the pilot of the live beacon; and
on the frequency channel of the live beacon, generating one or more overriding symbols on the traffic channel which will result in the call being terminated, the overriding pilot and the overriding symbol being generated by the signal generator only as long as required to cause the call to terminate in response to the overriding symbol,
whereby causing the call to terminate does not cause another wireless device operating on the frequency channel to respond to the overriding pilot in a manner which is noticeable by a user of the other wireless device.
2. A signal generator configured to generate an interloping beacon, the interloping beacon causing a call involving a target wireless device and a live beacon to terminate, the target wireless device operating on a frequency channel of the live beacon in a wireless network that operates according to a standard that employs code division multiplexing to define code channels in the frequency channel, the code channels including a pilot channel for a pilot generated by the live beacon and a traffic channel for the call,
the interloping beacon including an interloping override signal being characterized in that:
the interloping override signal provides on the frequency channel of the live beacon:
an overriding pilot on the pilot channel to which the target wireless device responds instead rather than responding to the pilot of the live beacon; and
one or more overriding symbols on the traffic channel which will result in the call being terminated,
wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the overriding pilot and the overriding symbol of the interloping beacon only as long as required to terminate the call.