Patent ID: 6477151
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
A method of synchronising radio signal transmission slots at a mobile station to radio signal reception slots at a base station subsystem to account for a propagation delay between the mobile station and the base station subsystem, said reception slots corresponding to uplink and/or downlink user data packet switched transmission channels allocated dynamically by the base station subsystem, the method comprising:at the base station subsystem, allocating to the mobile station a single timing advance index, which index identifies one idle frame in a multiframe structure in which the mobile station should transmit a timing access burst to the base station subsystem and one or more further idle frames in said multiframe structure in which the base station subsystem should transmit an updated timing advance value to the mobile station; at the base station subsystem, allocating to the mobile station an idle frame slot number, said slot number identifying the time slot in said idle frames when said timing access burst and said timing advance values should be transmitted; transmitting said timing advance index and said idle frame slot number to the mobile station; and at the mobile station, subsequently using said timing advance index and said idle frame slot number to determine timing advance values for all user data channels allocated to the mobile station.