Patent ID: 8837512
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of communicating within a time division multiple access (TDMA) communication system, comprising: receiving N communication channels of voice data at a receiver in a stream of TDMA super-frames, wherein each communication channel comprises payload data in a respective first frame within a super-frame of the TDMA super-frames, each TDMA super-frame comprising M frames, where M is a positive integer greater than one; determining quality levels for a plurality of active calls assigned to the N communication channels, where the quality level for at least one active call is based on signal quality metrics for a plurality of preceding super-frames; determining if N is less than M when at least one quality level of said quality levels has a value less than a pre-defined threshold value; if N is less than M, granting a first transmitter of a plurality of transmitters permission to transmit extra data in a second frame and a third frame of said super-frame of said TDMA super-frames, said extra data in said second frame exclusively comprising parity data so that a number of parity bits per unit of payload data is increased and an accuracy of forward error correction performed by said receiver is improved, said extra data in said third frame comprising payload data that is duplicative of said payload data contained in said first frame, said first transmitter responsible for transmitting the active call with the quality level having a value less than the pre-defined threshold value; collectively processing in a processor said payload data and said extra data to reconstruct said voice data from said transmitter; and periodically repeating (1) both said determining steps and (2) said granting permission step during a duration of each said active call such that a different second transmitter of said plurality of transmitters is granted permission to transmit said extra data in at least said second frame of at least one next said super-frame of said TDMA super-frames.