A terminal for a communications network.

0001This invention relates to a terminal for a packet switched code divison multiple access (CDMA) telecommunication network, wherein N network users are connected to the network by a respective terminal.

0002Each terminal communicates by means of a transmitter and a receiver with a receiver and a transmitter of another terminal via a CDMA channel forming the transmission path. A substantially orthogonal receiver code is assigned to the terminal of each user, which code is used by the other terminals of the network for addressing and/or encoding packets to the particular terminal, and a substantially orthogonal transmitter code is also assigned to each terminal, which code is used by the terminal itself for encoding packets to the other terminals of the network.

0003In a packet switched network or a packet network, data is addressed and provided with control information and then transmitted in packets of specified format, the data transmission line being assigned to the transmission of a single packet at a time, whereafter the transmission channel is assigned to other transmission functions.

0004Packet switched telecommunication networks are used widely in computer communications, digital telephone systems and mobile communication networks. As compared with the previous circuit switched network, the packet switched network enables a more efficient utilization of the available frequency band and other telecommunication resources. The packet switched network is particularly applicable in burst transmission in which the data to be transmitted consists of short data periods and long idle periods during which no data is transmitted between the communicating parties. In such operation several slightly loaded transmission lines are replaced by a single transmission line which is shared by a number of different users, and so the users of the network transmit data via a common transmission line.

0005In the CDMA packet network all users share the same available frequency band. It is important in which way the used codes are associated with each user and in which way they are assigned to the different users. These two functions are usually performed in accordance with a special spreading code protocol. CDMA packet networks employ spreading code protocols of different kinds, such as the common code (C) protocol, the receiver-based (R) code protocol, the transmitter-based (T) code protocol, the common transmitter-based (C-T) code protocol and the receiver-transmitter based (R-T) code protocol. The naming of the spreading code protocol depends on the assignment of the code, that is, on the function with which the code is associated.

0006In the R-T code protocol, for instance, a receiver code is assigned to the terminal of each user, and the other users use this code when they address and/or encode data packets to this particular user. In addition, a transmitter code is assigned to the terminal of the user, which code is used by the terminal itself when it addresses and/or encodes data packets to the other users.

0007However, when using a conventional spreading code protocol, an adequate performance is not achieved especially as far as the throughput is concerned. The applicant has observed that none of the above-mentioned conventional spreading code protocols provides a throughput efficiency higher than 0.36. As the traffic load of the network increases, the network is more probable to get into a backlog state in which the throughput is extremely low and long delays occur in the network. Thus the present day conventional spreading code protocols do not provide sufficiently good results, which is due to the fact that the packet transmissions are started at random, and so packet collisions are inevitable with increasing traffic load of the network.

0008To eliminate the above mentioned problems, it is previously known to use a channel load sensing protocol intended especially for a broadband CDMA packet network employing the R code protocol. However, the codes used in the above mentioned prior art method and in protocols used in other CDMA networks are not always fully orthogonal with respect to each other, and so the cross-correlation between two codes may deviate from zero. The probability and level of cross-correlation increase with the number of codes of different users in the channel. In the above mentioned prior art channel load sensing method, the level of cross-correlation is monitored on the receiver side, thus obtaining a rough estimate of the number of users in the network at any given time. If the level of cross-correlation exceeds a predetermined value, i.e. a CDMA threshold, the transmitter remains waiting for a reduction in the level of cross-correlation. The channel load sensing protocol cannot, however, determine which receiver and/or transmitter is busy at a given time, but it only determines the number of active users. The channel load sensing protocol also operates poorly when the level of cross-correlation is less than the CDMA threshold value, whereas the user, that is, the terminal to which the transmitter wants to transmit a packet, is busy, and so collisions of packets inevitably result after transmission. In other words, the prior art protocol described above is "blind".

0009Known methods also include the Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) protocol, i.e. a contention bus, the purpose of which is to prevent random transmission of packets by sensing the bus for the same carrier frequency before a new packet is transmitted. Packet transmission is initiated if the same carrier frequency is not detected in the bus. The CSMA protocol reduces packet collisions but it is applicable to narrow band packet networks only. The CSMA protocol is not either in other respects well suited for use in conjunction with the CDMA network, because the simultaneous transmission of several packets, which is possible in the CDMA network, cannot be detected on the same carrier frequency in accordance with the CSMA protocol.

0010A further known protocol is the Busy Tone Multiple Access (BTMA), in which each busy receiver in the network at a given time indicates its busy state by transmitting a busy tone signal in a separate busy-tone channel. The BTMA protocol is applicable only to narrow band packet networks.

0011According to the present invention, there is provided a terminal in a telecommunications network in which a multiplicity of users are couplable to the network for communication with each other via a channel forming a communication path characterized in that the terminal comprises means for detecting the presence of data packets in the channel intended for, or originating from, a receiver terminal to which the terminal wishes to transmit a message data packet, means for encoding and transmitting a request data packet to the receiving terminal when no data packet is detected, means for detecting an acknowledgement data packet transmitted by the receiving terminal in response to the transmitted request data packet, and means for encoding and transmitting the message data packet in response to the detected acknowledgement data packet.

0012The invention makes it possible to determine which receiver/transmitter is busy or is not busy at any given time when different codes are used at different stages of the connection establishment. A hand-shaking procedure between the different communicating terminal equipments is thus effected by transmitting and receiving packets of different types, such as request, acknowledgement and data packets.

0013The invention provides many advantages, such as a significant improvement in the throughput to a value 0.57, which is about 50% in excess of the throughput obtained by the best conventional spreading code (R-T spreading code). Delays occurring in the CDMA network are also shortened considerably as collisions between packets in the transmission channel are considerably less frequent than previously. There is also a significant decrease in channel backlogs and the stability properties of the network are improved. The invention is also relatively easy to apply in a CDMA network, and it can be realised with existing equipment with slight modifications and additions. The advantages obtained are based on controlled packet transmissions. The hand-shaking procedure is also advantageously realised.

0014In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Figure 1 is a graphic representation of the throughput as a function of normalized channel load;</li><li>Figure 2 is a graphic representation of channel backlogs as a function of normalized channel load;</li><li>Figure 3 is a graphic representation of channel delays as a function of normalized channel load;</li><li>Figure 4 is a graphic representation of a function of the number of codes in use as a function of normalized channel load;</li><li>Figure 5 is a graphic representation of an effective code utilization ratio as a function of normalized channel load;</li><li>Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of a transmitter of the invention;</li><li>Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of a receiver of the invention;</li><li>Figure 8 is a simplified block diagram of a packet network;</li><li>Figure 9 is a graphic representation of the level of correlation; and</li><li>Figure 10 illustrates a hand-shaking procedure.</li></ul>

0015As used in the text below, the term "receiving terminal" refers to a terminal in communication with a transmitting terminal or with a terminal wanting to transmit.

0016Figure 8 shows a simplified block diagram of a packet network, in which a pair of users U_i and U_j communicate with each other via a channel 1.

0017Figure 8 shows a packet network comprising merely two users U₁ and U₂ and their terminals TER_i and TER_j interconnected by a CDMA channel 1, that is, the number N of users is 2 i.e. i=1 and j=2. In practice, the packet network comprises more users, that is, N different users, which are connected to the packet network by respective terminals TER_1→N and transmit data in packets at a rate λ packets/s. The same channel 1 can also be used by all the other users in the network. The terminal TER_i comprises a transmitter T_i and a receiver R_i with a correlator, C_i where i is in the range 1→N. The other communicating party, that is, the terminal TER_j comprises a transmitter T_j and a receiver R_j with a correlator C_j, where j is in the range 1→N so that i is different from j.

0018Each terminal TER 1→N in the network and thus each user U1→N is provided with a specific receiver sensing code r1→N, so that the user U_i, for instance has the receiver sensing code ri and the user U_j has the receiver sensing code r_j.

0019Similarly, each terminal TER1→N in the network and thus each user U1→N is provided with a transmitter sensing code t1→N , so that the user U_i, for instance, has the transmitter sensing code t_i and the user U_j has the transmitter sensing code t_j.

0020The basic idea of the invention will be described in the following with reference to Figure 6 which is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the transmitter of the terminal TER_i, and to Figure 8 showing a packet network. The basic idea of the invention is that the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit senses the channel 1 acting as the transmission path for the presence of the receiver code r_j or the transmitter code t_j in encoded data packets intended for or transmitted by the other communicating party, i.e. the receiving terminal TER_j, in the channel.

0021Duplexers D forward the packets to the CDMA channel 1 and and away from the channel 1. Controllers CTR control the operation of the terminals TER_i and TER_j.

0022If at least one of the codes is present in the channel, then the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit remains waiting to repeat the above-described sensing after a period of time. The waiting time of the terminal is preferably random. If the terminal TER_i observes that neither the receiver code r_j nor the transmitter code t_j is present in the channel 1, the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit uses both the receiver code r_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, and its own transmitter code t_i to encode a request packet REQ or the like, which contains the address of the terminal TER_i and which is to be transmitted the receiving terminal TER_j.

0023At the next stage the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit senses the channel 1 for the presence of an acknowledgement packet ACK possibly transmitted by the other receiving terminal TER_j, in acknowledgement of the request packet REQ. The presence of the acknowledgement packet ACK in the channel 1 would appear as the presence of the transmitter code t_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, in the channel 1.

0024After detecting and receiving the acknowledgement packet ACK, the transmitter T_i of the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit initiates the transmission of data packets DAT encoded by its own transmitter code t_i via the channel 1 to the receiving terminal TER_j.

0025Preferably, if the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit does not detect the acknowledgement packet ACK in the channel 1 when it senses the channel, it remains waiting to repeat the sensing of the acknowledgement packet ACK after a period of time. The waiting time is preferably random. The re-sensing may also concern the codes r_j and t_j, because it is possible in the channel that the terminal wanting to transmit has not even transmitted the request packet REQ.

0026In a preferred embodiment the status of the other party is monitored by sensing the channel 1 for the presence of the receiver code r_j or the transmitter code t_j by applying a signal S_i derived from the channel 1 to a correlator C_i included in the receiver R_i of the sensing terminal, i.e. the terminal TER_i. The signal S_i contains receiver codes r or transmitter codes t possibly present in the signals i.e data packets transmitted by other terminals than the terminal TER; wanting to transmit. The receiver code r_j and the transmitter code t_j of the receiving terminal TER_j are also applied to the correlator C_i as reference values, whereafter correlation between the parameters applied to the correlator C_i is measured in the output C_i out of the correlator C_i.

0027In a preferred embodiment the transmitter T_i of the sensing terminal, i.e. the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit, remains waiting and does not initiate the packet transmission to the receiver R_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, if the level of auto-correlation, that is, correlation between the receiver code r_j sensed from the channel 1, that is, present in the signal S_i derived from the channel 1, and the same receiver code r_j applied to the correlator as a reference value, or between the transmitter code t_j sensed from the channel and the transmitter code t_j applied to the correlator as a reference value, in the output C_i out of the correlator C_i is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value K. If the level of auto-correlation in the output C_i out of the correlator C_i is lower then the predetermined threshold value K, the transmitter T_i of the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit initiates the transmission of the request packet REQ to the receiver R_j of the other communicating party, i.e. the receiving terminal TER_j. The presence of any packet or code in the channel can be sensed by similar sensing algorithms. The sensing can be performed by applying the code to be sensed to the correlator as a reference value.

0028Referring to Figure 8, a limiter, i.e. a maximum chooser E, determines, in the terminal TER_i, whether the output C_i out of the correlator C_i exceeds the predetermined threshold value K. Correspondingly, another limiter, i.e. a maximum chooser E, in the terminal TER_j determines whether the output C_j out of the correlator C_j exceeds the threshold value.

0029The receiver codes r of the other terminals, needed as a reference in the correlation measurement, can be generated by each terminal TER or they can be applied to each terminal TER through the controller CTR one at a time.

0030In the following, the operation of receivers will be described with reference to Figure 7 showing the operation of receivers and to Figure 8 showing a block diagram of a packet network. The basic idea is that when the other communicating party, i.e. the receiving terminal TER_j is not busy, it monitors the channel 1 for the presence of the request packet REQ by sensing the channel 1 for the presence of the receiver code r_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, the receiver code being used to encode the request packet REQ transmitted by the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit. Then, if the receiving terminal TER_j detects its receiver code r_j in the channel 1, it receives the request packet REQ and acknowledges its receipt by transmitting the acknowledgement packet ACK or the like encoded by its own transmitter code t_j via the channel 1 to the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit. Thereafter the receiving terminal TER_j monitors the channel 1 for the presence of a data packet DAT by sensing the channel 1 for the presence of the transmitter code t_i of the terminal TER_i wanting to transmit, or, in fact, now already transmitting, used in the encoding of the data packet DAT transmitted by the terminal TER_i. If the receiving terminal TER_J detects the transmitter code t_i of the transmitting terminal TER_i in the channel 1, it receives the data packets DAT and indicates its busy state to the other terminals by transmitting a busy tone packet BTP or the like encoded by its own receiver code r_J to the channel 1.

0031In a preferred embodiment the receiving terminal TER_j repeats the sensing procedure, if it does not detect the request packet REQ in the channel 1 when sensing the channel.

0032In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiving terminal TER_j repeats the sensing function, if it does not detect the data packet DAT in the channel 1 when sensing the channel.

0033In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiver code r_j of the receiving terminal TER_j is monitored in connection with the sensing of the request packet REQ by applying a signal S_j derived from the channel to a correlator C_j included in the receiver R_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, in addition to which the receiver code r_j of the receiving terminal TER_j is also applied to the correlator C_j as a reference. Correlation C between the parameters applied to the correlator C_j is then measured in an output C_jout of the correlator C_j, whereafter autocorrelation is detected in the output C_jout of the correlator C_j if the request packet REQ was present in the channel 1.

0034In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmitter code t_i of the receiving terminal TER_i is monitored in connection with the sensing of the data packet DAT by applying a signal S_j derived from the channel to a correlator C_j included in the receiver R_j of the receiving terminal TER_j, in addition to which the transmitter code t_i of the transmitting terminal TER_i is applied to the correlator C_j as a reference. Correlation C between the parameters applied to the correlator C_j is when measured in an output C_jout of the correlator C_j, whereafter autocorrelation is detected in the output C_jout of the correlator C_j if the data packet DAT was present in the channel 1.

0035Figure 9 is a graphic representation of the level of correlation, in which the low portions represent cross-correlation between codes substantially orthogonal with respect to each other, while the peak represents the auto-correlation of the receiver code r_j with respect to itself or the auto-correlation of the transmitter code t_j with respect to itself or the auto-correlation of the transmitter code t_i with respect to itself. Auto-correlation of the sensing code t_i of the transmitting terminal may occur when the receiving terminal senses the channel for the presence of the data packets. On the basis of the occurrence of auto-correlation, the presence of a certain code in the channel forming the transmission path is easy to monitor.

0036If the level of auto-correlation, i.e. correlation between the signal S_i,j measured from the channel 1 and the code applied to the correlator as a reference, in the output C_i,jout of the correlator C_i,j exceeds the predetermined threshold value K, the operation of the transmitter and the receiver is controlled on the basis of the occurrence of autocorrelation at the different stages of connection establishment. The use of correlators in sensing different codes and packets or terminal is very similar in each particular case; in practice, the different sensing procedures differ from each other depending on the code which is applied to the correlator as a reference.

0037Figure 10 illustrates a handshaking procedure, in which step (1) comprises request REQ, step (2) comprises acknowledgement ACK, step (3) comprises pairing-up as well as data transmission DAT, and the last step (4) comprises ending.

0038The graphic representations of Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the performance to be obtained by the invention as compared with performances obtained by conventional spreading codes. In Figures 1-5, the horizontal axis represents a normalized channel load r; the scale has been formed by dividing the transmission rate λ of the packets by the reciprocal u of one time unit. All Figures 1-5 illustrate a network comprising 8 users, that is, N = 8 and 1/u = 1.0 ms.

0039Figure 1 shows a graphic representation of the throughputs per pair S(N, r) to be obtained by the method according to the invention (R&amp;T code sensing protocol) as a function of the packet traffic load r of the channel as compared with the throughout efficiencies obtained by conventional spreading codes (R, R-T). In Figure 1, the two highest curves represent the throughput obtained by the method according to the invention, i.e. the receiver&amp;transmitter (R&amp;T ) code sensing protocol. The upper curve shows a parabolic approximation and the curve below it shows a linear approximation. The maximum throughput is 0.57, which is clearly higher than those obtained by the conventional R-T or R spreading code protocols represented by the two lowest curves in Figure 1. In Figure 1, the maximum throughput to be obtained by the R-T spreading code is only 0.36, which is significantly lower than the value 0.57 obtained by the method according to the invention. The maximum throughput 0. 57 is obtained when λ /u is 2. The curve portion on the left side of the point where λ /u = 2 represents the stable range of the network and the curve portion on its right side represents the unstable range of the network. As appears from Figure 1, the stable range of the network is widest in the case of the uppermost curve, that is, in the method employing the R&amp;T code sensing according to the invention. The higher stability enables each user of the network to use a higher packet transmission rate λ.

0040Figure 2 is a graphic representation of channel backlogs K(N, r) occurring in the invention (R&amp;T code sensing protocol) as a function of the packet traffic load r of the channel as compared with backlogs occurring when using the conventional spreading code protocols (R, R-T). The term backlog means the average number of users in blocked state. The lowest curve shows a parabolic approximation and the curve above it shows a linear approximation of the number of backlogs occurring when using the method according to the invention, that is, the R&amp;T code sensing protocol. As appears from Figure 2, the number of backlogs is clearly lower in the method according to the invention as compared with the conventional spreading code protocols. The uppermost curve in Figure 2 represents the number of backlogs occurring when using the R spreading code protocol, and the curve below it represents the number of backlogs occurring when using the R-T spreading code protocol. As the channel load increases, the number of backlogs with the method according to the invention is only one half of that obtained with the prior art methods, as is apparent from Figure 2.

0041Figure 3 is a graphic representation of channel delays D(N, r) as a function of the packet traffic load r of the channel. In Figure 3, the delay occurring when using the method according to the invention, that is, the R&amp;T code sensing protocol, is represented by the two lowest curves. The lowest curve shows a parabolic approximation and the curve below it shows a linear approximation. As is to be seen from Figure 3, delays in the network employing the method according to the invention are less than one fourth of those occurring with the conventional R and R-T protocols when the channel traffic increases.

0042Figure 4 is a graphic representation of the number of codes in use NCIU (N, r) as a function of the packet traffic load r of the channel. In Figure 4, the number of codes used in

0043the invention, that is, with the R&amp;T code sensing protocol, is two times the number of pairs which have been set up. When the number N of users is 8, 4 operative pairs are formed without collisions. Collisions occur when using the conventional R and R-T spreading codes, wherefore the curves representing them are higher in Figure 4.

0044Figure 5 is a graphic representation of the effective code utilization ratio ECU (N, r) as a function of the packet traffic load r of the channel. As appears from Figure 5, a considerably higher performance is achieved with the R&amp;T code sensing protocol according to the invention as compared with the conventional spreading codes.

0045The effective code utilization ratio is obtained by dividing the throughput by the number of codes in use.

0046Even though the invention has been described above with reference to the examples of the attached drawings, it is obvious that the invention is not restricted to them, but it can be modified in many ways within the inventive idea disclosed in the attached claims.