Importance

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Abstract

In a TDM/TDMA digital radio communications system, each portable unit in accessing the system must select the 'best' port through which to route each call. The so called 'best' port may not, however, have an idle time-slot to accommodate the call. Attempts to route a call through a busy 'best' port, or busy 'second best' port will decrease the throughput of the network and result in increased call setup time. An autonomous selective routing scheme is described which increases system throughput and decreases call setup time. When a user at a portable unit (301) desires to access the network, the portable unit scans (308, 309) the downlink frequencies associated with each of the ports in the system. For each port, the portable measures signal quality (310) and determines from the received bit patterns (313) whether the port has an idle time-slot. The highest signal quality measure for a port having an idle time-slot is determined (315) and the call is routed through that port if that highest signal quality measure exceeds (317) a predetermined quality measure threshold. Otherwise, the call is blocked.

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First Claim