Increasing channel capacity in fixed cellular networks

Abstract

A method of forwarding signals over a cellular link. The method includes receiving, at a first base station of a cellular fixed network, a packet of signals having a data payload directed to a second base station, determining whether the data payload will be used by the second base station, and forwarding the entire packet if the data payload will be used and not forwarding the entire packet if the data payload will not be used.

1. A method of forwarding signals over a cellular link, comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at a first base station of a cellular fixed network, a packet of signals having a data payload, wherein the packet is directed to a second base station;  
 determining whether the data payload will be decoded by the second base station ; and  
 forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be decoded and not forwarding the entire data payload of the packet if the data payload will not be decoded.  
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a stream of packets of the same size at equal intervals of time. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a packet which includes coded digital voice signals. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be decoded by the second base station  comprises determining whether the second base station will forward or discard the contents of the payload. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be decoded comprises determining based on information retrieved from a header of the packet. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be decoded is performed before forwarding any part of the packet. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein not forwarding the entire payload of the packet if the data payload will not be decoded comprises not forwarding any of the packet. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 7 , comprising forwarding a message in place of a plurality of packets not forwarded. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein forwarding the payload of the packet comprises forwarding the packet along with a connection indication field. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein forwarding the payload of the packet comprises forwarding through a tunnel used by a number of connections greater than the number of channels in the tunnel. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first base station and the second base station comprise base transmission stations. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first base station comprises a base station controller. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein not forwarding the entire payload of the packet if the data payload will not be decoded comprises forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet. 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 13 , wherein forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet comprises forwarding only a header of the packet. 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be decoded comprises forwarding the entire packet. 
     
     
       16. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be decoded comprises forwarding the content of the payload of the packet. 
     
     
       17. A method of forwarding signals over a cellular link, comprising:
 receiving, at a first base station of a cellular fixed network, a packet of signals having a data payload, wherein the packet is directed to a second base station;  
 determining whether the data payload will be used based on information retrieved from a signaling line corresponding to the link; and  
 forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be used and not forwarding the entire data payload of the packet if the data payload will not be used.  
 
     
     
       18. A method according to claim  1    17 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be used is performed after forwarding at least part of the packet. 
     
     
       19. A method according to claim  18    17 , wherein not forwarding the entire payload of the packet if the data payload will not be used comprises forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet. 
     
     
       20. A method according to  claim 19 , wherein forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet comprises forwarding only a header of the packet. 
     
     
       21. A method according to claim  20    17 , wherein forwarding the payload of the packet comprises forwarding through a tunnel used by a plurality of connections. 
     
     
       22. Apparatus for compressing packets being forwarded over a link between base stations, comprising:
 an input interface which receives packets having a data payload;  
 a processor which determines whether the data payload carries meaningful information and will be decoded by a remote base station; and  
 an output interface which forwards the payload of the packet if the data payload carries meaningful information and will be decoded by the remote station and does not forward the entire packet if the data payload does not carry meaningful information.  
 
     
     
       23. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor which determines whether the data payload carries meaningful information also generates the packets. 
     
     
       24. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor examines a header of the packets to determine whether the data payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       25. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the output interface begins to forward the packets before the processor determines whether the data payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       26. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , comprising a delay unit, which delays forwarding the packets while the processor determines whether the payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       27. Apparatus for compressing packets being forwarded over a link between base stations, comprising:
 a first input interface for receiving packets having a data payload, wherein the data payload comprises a compressed signal that was compressed by an initiator of the data payload;  
 a second input interface for receiving information from a signaling line corresponding to the link carrying the data payload;  
 a processor which determines whether the data payload carries meaningful information, based on information received from the signaling line; and  
 an output interface which forwards the payload of the packet if the data payload carries meaningful information and does not forward the entire packet if the data payload does not carry meaningful information.  
 
     
     
       28. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor determines whether the data payload is defective to determine whether the data payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       29. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor determines whether the data payload includes padding needless information to determine whether the data payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       30. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor determines whether the cellular link is discontinued to determine whether the data payload is meaningful. 
     
     
       31. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the initiator of the data payload is a mobile phone. 
     
     
       32. Apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the entity to which the data payload is directed to is a mobile phone. 
     
     
       33. A method of forwarding signals over a cellular link, further comprising the steps of:
   receiving, at a first base station of a cellular fixed network, a packet of signals having a data payload, wherein the data payload is directed to an entity, and wherein the data payload comprises a compressed signal that was compressed by an initiator of the data payload;        determining whether the data payload will be read; and        forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be read and not forwarding the entire data payload of the packet if the data payload will not be read.     
     
     
       34. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be read further comprises the step of determining whether the data payload will be read by the entity. 
     
     
       35. A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the entity to which the data payload is directed is a second base station. 
     
     
       36. A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the second base station is a base station controller. 
     
     
       37. A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the second base station is a mobile switching center. 
     
     
       38. A method according to  claim 35 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be read comprises determining whether the second base station will forward or discard the contents of the payload. 
     
     
       39. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the entity to which the data payload is directed is a mobile phone. 
     
     
       40. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the first base station of a cellular fixed network comprises at least one base station selected from a group consisting of base transceiver station, base station controller, and mobile switching center. 
     
     
       41. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a packet which includes coded digital voice signals. 
     
     
       42. A method according to  claim 33 , further comprising the step of:
   retrieving information from a header of the packet, wherein at least a portion of the retrieved information is used in determining whether the data payload will be read.     
     
     
       43. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be read is performed before forwarding any part of the packet. 
     
     
       44. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein not forwarding the entire payload of the packet if the data payload will not be read comprises not forwarding any of the packet. 
     
     
       45. A method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the step of forwarding a message in place of a plurality of packets not forwarded. 
     
     
       46. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein forwarding the payload of the packet comprises forwarding the packet along with a connection indication field. 
     
     
       47. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein forwarding the payload of the packet comprises forwarding through a tunnel used by a number of connections greater than the number of channels in the tunnel. 
     
     
       48. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein not forwarding the entire payload of the packet if the data payload will not be read comprises forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet. 
     
     
       49. A method according to  claim 48 , wherein forwarding less than the entire payload of the packet comprises forwarding only a header of the packet. 
     
     
       50. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be read comprises forwarding the entire packet. 
     
     
       51. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload will be read comprises forwarding the content of the payload of the packet. 
     
     
       52. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the initiator of the data payload is a mobile telephone. 
     
     
       53. A method according to  claim 33 , wherein determining whether the data payload will be read is performed after forwarding at least part of the packet. 
     
     
       54. A method of forwarding signals over a cellular link, comprising:
   receiving, at a first base station of a cellular fixed network, a packet of signals having a data payload, wherein the packet is directed to a second base station, wherein the data payload comprises a signal that was compressed by an initiator of the data payload;        determining whether the data payload should be discarded; and        forwarding the data payload of the packet if the data payload should not be discarded and not forwarding the entire data payload of the packet if the data payload should be discarded.     
     
     
       55. A method according to  claim 54 , wherein determining whether the data payload should be discarded comprises determining based on information retrieved from a header. 
     
     
       56. A method according to  claim 54 , wherein determining whether the data payload should be discarded comprises determining whether the data payload is defective. 
     
     
       57. A method according to  claim 54 , wherein determining whether the data payload should be discarded comprises determining whether the cellular link is discontinued. 
     
     
       58. A method according to  claim 54 , wherein determining whether the data payload should be discarded comprises determining whether the data payload includes padding needless information. 
     
     
       59. A method according to  claim 54 , wherein the initiator of the data payload is a mobile telephone.