Patent ID: 7085312
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: H04B,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A spread spectrum communication apparatus which carries out radio communication by a spread spectrum communication method with base stations each belonging to any of a plurality of cells, and which is used in a communication system in which incoming information is sent from the base station at a known timing during waiting, the apparatus comprising: a receiving section configured to receive the incoming information; a detecting section configured to detect timings and energies of a plurality of paths corresponding to the received incoming information and relating to a transmitted signal from the base station belonging to a cell which is waiting; a control section configured to control the receiving section and the detecting section so as to operate discontinuously before and after a predetermined sleeping period determined so as to avoid an arrival time of the incoming information; a determining section configured to determine a center of gravity in a distribution of the timings of the plurality of paths on the basis of the timings and energies of the respective paths detected by the detecting section; a first deciding section configured to decide a correction timing, within a range in which a timing difference between the correction timing and a timing of a center of gravity determined in a one-before operating period by the determining section does not exceed a predetermined lower limit time and an upper limit time, on the basis of the timing of the center of gravity determined in the one-before operating period by the determining section and a timing of the center of gravity determined in a last operating period by the determining section; a second deciding section configured to decide a correction value on the basis of the correction timing decided by the first deciding section within the last operating period, the correction timing decided by the first deciding section within the one-before operating period, and the correction value determined within the one-before operating period; a first generating section configured to generate a first clock signal having a first predetermined frequency; a second generating section configured to generate a second clock signal having a second predetermined frequency lower than the first predetermined frequency; a first clocking section configured to clock by counting the first clock signal within a first period which is part of the sleeping period; a second clocking section configured to clock by counting the second clock signal within a second period which is a period of the sleeping period excluding the first period; and a third deciding section configured to decide, on the basis of the correction value, a first count number which the first clocking section counts in order to clock the first period and a second count number which the second clocking section counts in order to clock the second period, wherein the control section makes points in time, when the first clocking section and the second clocking section finish clocking the first period and the second period, respectively, be ending timings of the sleeping period.