Wireless cellular network architecture

• US 20050059342A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (IMEC International)
• Original Assignee: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (IMEC International)
• Inventors: Erreygers, Jan, Op't Eynde, Frank, Engels, Marc
• Application Number:
  US10/884,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20050059342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A system for cellular wireless communication is described comprising a repeater having one or more directional antennas. Signal communication can be made between one directional antenna of the repeater and a base station. Signal communication can be made between the same one directional antenna of the repeater with at least one remote terminal. Another system for wireless communication is disclosed. The system comprises at least one repeater having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, wherein the at least one repeater is adapted to substantially simultaneously communicate signals with each of a plurality of remote terminals using a same frequency.

Claims

1. A system for cellular wireless communication, comprising:

a repeater having one or more directional antennas, wherein the system is adapted for;

signal communication between one directional antenna of the repeater with a base station; and

signal communication between the same one directional antenna of the repeater with at least one remote terminal.

2. A system for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein the one or more directional antennas have an azimuth of about 3 dB beamwidth less than or equal to 120 degrees.

3. A system for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein the one or more directional antennas have an azimuth of about 3 dB beamwidth less than or equal to 90 degrees.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the repeater comprises at least a first and a second radio, and wherein the first radio transmits signals via at least one of the directional antennas and the second radio transmits signals via another one of the directional antennas.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

5. A system for wireless communication between a transmitter and a receiver, the system comprising:

a base station having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver;

at least one repeater having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver; and

at least two remote terminals each having a transmitter, a receiver and antenna, with a front-to-back directivity;

wherein the system is adapted to obtain information as to whether the antenna of each of the remote terminals is oriented towards or away from the base station, and wherein the system is further adapted for simultaneous signal transmissions by selecting transmitters and receivers dependent upon the orientations of the antennas of the at least two remote terminals so as to control co-channel interference between the simultaneous communications.

6. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted for:

signal transmissions between the base station and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station; and

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and a second remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station.

7. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted for:

signal transmissions between the base station and a first repeater; and

signal transmissions between a second repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station.

8. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted for:

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station; and

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and a second remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

9. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted for:

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and the base station; and

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

10. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted for:

signal transmissions between the base station and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station; and

signal transmissions between the at least one repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

11. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein a frequency division duplexing (FDD) is used for duplex transmission from and towards the base station.

12. A system for wireless communication according to claim 11, wherein a transmission from the at least one repeater in a direction away from the base station is done using the same frequency that is used for a transmission from the at least one repeater towards the base station.

13. A system for wireless communication according to claim 11, wherein a transmission from a remote terminal towards the at least one repeater in a direction towards the base station is done using the same frequency that is used for a transmission by the base station to a repeater or a remote terminal.

14. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein a time division duplexing (TDD) is used for duplex transmission from and towards the base station.

15. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, further comprising means for scheduling the transmission from the base station of data packets in frames to repeaters and for ordering the sequence of transmitting data packets within a frame according to a decreasing amount of time that is required by the repeaters to transmit data packets of the frame towards remote terminals in a direction towards the base station.

16. A system for wireless communication according to claim 15, wherein the transmission from the base station of data packets towards a repeater is delayed during the time period in which the repeater is scheduled to transmit to remote terminals in a direction towards the base station.

17. A system for wireless communication according to claim 15, further comprising means for consulting a database storing selected ones of communication paths between any two of remote terminals, base stations and repeaters and means for deciding whether simultaneous transmission by different repeaters is to be enabled based on data retrieved from the database.

18. A system for wireless communication according to claim 15, wherein the transmission of at least one uplink data packet towards a repeater from at least one remote terminal whose antenna is oriented in a direction away from the base station, is scheduled before an uplink transmission from the repeater towards the base station.

19. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, further comprising means for using multiple antennas to set up parallel simultaneous communications at the same frequency between the base station and a plurality of repeaters or remote terminals

20. A system according to claim 19, further comprising means for scheduling the transmission of data packets from the base station to repeaters or remote terminals wherein data packets for the same repeater or remote terminal can be transmitted alternatingly on the plurality of parallel simultaneous communications provided by the multiple antennas.

21. A system for wireless communication according to claim 5, wherein a remote terminal can communicate with a second repeater in case of loss of communication with a first repeater without need for reinitialization.

36. The method of claim 5, wherein the front-to-back directivity of each remote terminal antenna is at least 15 dB.

47. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

22. A method of cellular wireless communication for a repeater having one or more directional antennas, the method comprising:

communicating signals between one directional antenna of the repeater and a base station; and

communicating signals between the same one directional antenna of the repeater and at least one remote terminal.

48. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

23. A method of wireless communication in a network comprising a base station, a repeater and at least two remote terminals each having an antenna, a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising:

obtaining information as to whether the antenna of each of the remote terminals is oriented towards or away from the base station; and

simultaneously transmitting signals by selecting transmitters and receivers dependent upon the orientations of the antennas of the at least two remote terminals so as to control co-channel interference between the simultaneous communications.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the simultaneously transmitting comprises:

transmitting signals between the base station and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station; and

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and a second remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the simultaneously transmitting comprises:

transmitting signals between the base station and a first repeater; and

transmitting signals between a second repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the simultaneously transmitting comprises:

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from the base station; and

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and a second remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the simultaneously transmitting comprises:

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and the base station; and

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

28. A method according to claim 23, wherein the simultaneously transmitting comprises:

transmitting signals between the base station and a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station; and

transmitting signals between the at least one repeater and a remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

29. A method according to claim 23, wherein a frequency division duplexing (FDD) is used for duplex transmission from and towards the base station.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein a transmission from the at least one repeater in a direction away from the base station is done using the same frequency that is used for a transmission from the at least one repeater towards the base station.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein a transmission from a remote terminal towards the at least one repeater in a direction towards the base station is done using the same frequency that is used for a transmission by the base station to a repeater or a remote terminal.

32. A method according to claim 23, wherein a time division duplexing (TDD) is used for duplex transmission from and towards the base station.

33. A method according to claim 23, further comprising scheduling the transmission from the base station of data packets in frames to repeaters and ordering the sequence of transmitting data packets within a frame according to a decreasing amount of time that is required by the repeaters to transmit data packets of the frame towards remote terminals in a direction towards the base station.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the transmission from the base station of data packets towards a repeater is delayed during the time period in which the repeater is scheduled to transmit to remote terminals in a direction towards the base station.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein the transmission of at least one uplink data packet towards a repeater from at least one remote terminal whose antenna is oriented in a direction away from the base station, is scheduled before an uplink transmission from the repeater towards the base station.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein each remote terminal antenna has a front-to-back directivity of at least 15 dB.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein the network comprises one of the following:

CDMA, FDMA, TDMA, a combination of CDMA, FDMA and TDMA, a combination of FDMA and TDMA, and a combination of CDMA and FDMA.

49. The method of claim 23, wherein the method is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

39. A system for cellular wireless communication, comprising:

a repeater having one or more directional antennas, wherein one directional antenna of the repeater is adapted to communicate signals with a base station, and wherein the same one directional antenna of the repeater is adapted to communicate signals with at least one remote terminal.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the one or more directional antennas have an azimuth of about 3 dB beamwidth less than or equal to 120 degrees or 90 degrees.

50. The system of claim 39, wherein the system is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

41. A system for cellular wireless communication, comprising:

at least one repeater having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, wherein the at least one repeater is adapted to substantially simultaneously communicate signals with each of a plurality of remote terminals using the same frequency.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one repeater is further adapted to communicate signals with a first remote terminal having its antenna oriented away from a base station, and to communicate signals with a second remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one repeater is further adapted to communicate signal with a base station, and to communicate signals with a remote terminal having its antenna oriented towards the base station.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one repeater comprises at least one adjustable selective antenna that can be electronically or mechanically pointed towards the different remote terminals.

51. The system of claim 41, wherein the system is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.

45. A system for cellular wireless communication, comprising:

means for communicating signals between one directional antenna of the repeater and a base station; and

means for communicating signals between the same one directional antenna of the repeater and at least one remote terminal.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein the system is associated with a cellular wireless network used with terrestrial mobile transceivers.