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Abstract

A time sharing method and apparatus for frequency reuse in cellular communication systems. Frequency reuse is enhanced by synchronizing cell transmit/receive base stations in a cellular system to a common time base, and then sharing the available frequencies via allocated time slots. Cells using the same frequency that may interfere with each other are activated only during selected time intervals while same-frequency cells nearby are deactivated. The deactivated cells are then in turn activated while previously activated same-frequency cells nearby are deactivated. The frequency time slots may be of equal length, or longer time slots may be allocated to cells having higher usage rates, as determined in any of a number of ways. The time slots may be mutually exclusive, or may overlap. The time sharing technique of the present invention allows design of cell systems with many reuse patterns. Several particular cell reuse patterns are disclosed that provide good operational characteristics and low co-channel interference. The invention allows the use of a small number of cellular frequencies in a conventional cellular system without significant alteration of the existing system, and is particularly useful in two-way cellular paging systems. Improved reverse link data throughput is achieved via reuse of the reverse frequency channels.

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