Spread-spectrum communication unit

Abstract

A set of spread-spectrum units is capable of operating as a base station or as a remote unit. Each spread-spectrum unit includes a base subunit or a remote subunit, each subunit having a receiver for receiving spread-spectrum signals at a first frequency transmitted from the spread-spectrum units; a signal despreader for despreading the spread-spectrum; a demodulator for demodulating the despread-spread-spectrum signals; a combiner for combining the demodulated signals, and a local signal; a converter for converting the combined signal to a base-data signal; a spread-spectrum circuit for processing the base-data signal; and a transmitter for transmitting at a second frequency the processed base-data signal as a base-spread-spectrum signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control device in a mobile communication unit comprising:
 circuitry configured to enable the mobile communication unit to operate in a first mode; wherein in the first mode, the mobile communication unit receives first data from a first communication unit and outputs the received data to a user of the mobile communication unit;   the circuitry is further configured to enable the mobile communication unit to operate in a second mode; wherein in the second mode, the mobile communication unit receives second data from a second communication unit and transmits the received second data to at least one of a plurality of third mobile communication units; and   the circuitry is further configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode in response to an input from the user of the mobile communication unit.   
     
     
         2 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 1  wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit are a same communication unit. 
     
     
         3 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 1  wherein the received data from the first communication unit is in a code division multiple access signal. 
     
     
         4 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 1  wherein the received data from the first communication unit includes voice data. 
     
     
         5 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 1  wherein the second data is transmitted at a same time to the at least one of the plurality of third mobile communication units. 
     
     
         6 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 1  wherein in the second mode, the antenna and circuitry is configured to broadcast data to the at least one of the plurality of third stations. 
     
     
         7 . The control device in the mobile communication unit of  claim 9  wherein in the second mode, the circuitry is configured to further output received data from the at least one second communication unit to the user of the mobile communication unit. 
     
     
         8 . A method of enabling a mobile communication unit using a control device comprising:
 configuring the mobile communication unit to operate in a first mode; wherein in the first mode, the mobile communication unit receives first data from a first communication unit and outputs the received data to a user of the mobile communication unit;   configuring the mobile communication unit to operate in a second mode; wherein in the second mode, the mobile communication unit receives second data from a second communication unit and transmits the received second data to at least one of a plurality of third mobile communication units; and   switching from the first mode to the second mode in response to an input from the user of the mobile communication unit.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit are a same communication unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the received data from the first communication unit is in a code division multiple access signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the received data from the first communication unit includes voice data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the second data is transmitted at a same time to the at least one of the plurality of third mobile communication units. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein in the second mode, the antenna and circuitry is configured to broadcast data to the at least one of the plurality of third stations. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  wherein in the second mode, the circuitry is configured to further output received data from the at least one second communication unit to the user of the mobile communication unit.