USE OF COMMON WAVEFORM IN FORWARD AND REVERSE CHANNELS TO REDUCE COST IN POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT SYSTEM AND TO PROVIDE POINT-TO-POINT MODE

摘要

A method and apparatus for operating a communication system having subscriber stations (SSs) and at least one base station (BS). The communication system operates in accordance with a method that includes steps of: (a) arranging the forward link and the reverse link to operate with a common waveform; and (b) using common forward link signal processing circuitry in the BS and individual ones of the SSs. A further step provides switching circuitry for cross-connecting RF signal paths for enabling one of the SSs to function as a BS. The common waveform enables essential parameters of the forward link and the reverse link to be identical, where the essential parameters can include some or all of the following parameters: the modulation format, chip rate, symbol rate, bit rate, frame rate, superframe rate, frame structure, error control coding scheme, sync words, and control field structure. Other parameters may also be made equal between the forward link and the reverse link.