Metropolitan wide area network

• US 20050130701A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rafael Realty Holdings, Inc. (IDT Corporation)
• Original Assignee: IDT Corporation
• Inventors: Zendle, Allan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A wide area communication network includes at least two hub sites which are interconnected by a communication backbone Each hub site provides wireless coverage in at least one sector. At least two remote sites reside in each sectors and are coupled to a corresponding hub site via a point to multi point broadband wireless system. The network preferably includes at least one service node which is accessible to the remote sites via the hub sites and backbone.

Claims

1. A wide area communication network comprising:

at least two hub sites, said hub sites being interconnected by a communication backbone, each said hub site providing coverage in at least one sector;

at least two remote sites corresponding to each of said sectors;

a point-to-multi point broadband wireless system, said at least two remote sites being coupled to a corresponding hub site through said point-to-multi point broadband wireless system.

2. A wide area communication network according to claim 1, further comprising at least one service node, said service node being operatively coupled to at least one of said hub sites.

3. A wide area communication network according to claim 2, wherein said at least one service node includes at least one of an Internet service node service, a long distance telephony service node, a local telephony service node, and a video service node.

4. A wide area communication network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least two remote sites comprise:

an outdoor unit, said outdoor unit including a radio transceiver operatively coupled to an antenna;

a plurality of indoor units, said indoor units being operatively coupled to a plurality of customer premises equipment; and

an interfacility link, said interfacility link coupling said outdoor unit to said plurality of indoor units, whereby said radio transceiver supports a plurality of said customer premises equipment.

5. A wide area network according to claim 4, further comprising means for statistical multiplexing use of said radio unit among said plurality of customer premises equipment.

6. A wide area network according to claim 4, wherein said indoor units comprise:

a chassis, said chassis having receiving means for a plurality of line cards; and

a line card, said line card providing a service specific interface between said chassis and a customer premise equipment.

7. A wide area network according to claim 6, wherein said line card can support an additional indoor unit in a daisy chain configuration.

8. A wide area network according to claim 4, wherein said interfacility link is a fiber link.

9. A wide area network according to claim 4, wherein said remote site is located at a multi story dwelling and an indoor unit is installed on a plurality of floors of the dwelling.

10. A wide area network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least two remote sites comprise an integrated unit providing selected services to customer premise equipment.

11. A wide area communication network according to claim 1, wherein said point-to-multi point broad band wireless system at each said hub site comprises:

a first radio unit operating on a first selectable frequency and providing coverage in a first sector;

a second radio unit operating on a second selectable frequency and providing coverage in a second sector, said second sector being substantially adjacent to said first sector; and

means for frequency selecting said first selectable frequency and said second selectable frequency from a plurality of available frequencies such that said first and second selectable frequencies are substantially separated thereby minimizing co-channel interference.

12. A wide area communication network according to claim 11, further comprising at least a third radio unit operating on a third selectable frequency, said third radio unit providing further coverage in one of said first and second sectors, said means for selecting further selecting said third selectable frequency such that said first, second and third selectable frequencies are substantially different.

13. A wide area communication network according to claim 11, wherein said hub site includes a plurality of adjacent and non-adjacent sectors and wherein said means for frequency selecting reuses said available frequencies on said non-adjacent sectors.

14. A wide area communication network according to claim 1, wherein said communication backbone and said broad band wireless system each support a packet based data transfer protocol.

15. A wide area communication network according to claim 14, wherein said packet based transfer protocol is Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

16. A wide area communication network according to claim 14, wherein said packet based transfer protocol for backbone to hub site communication includes both Asynchronous Transfer Mode and Synchronous Transfer Mode.

17. A wide area communication network according to claim 16, wherein said packets are ATM packets including a header portion and a payload portion, said header portion including a quality of service parameter and wherein said network further comprises means for allocating system bandwidth based on said quality of service parameter.

18-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A method of obtaining enhanced effective bandwidth in a point to multi point system between a hub and a plurality of subscribers having a plurality of customers and operating on a frequency channel, comprising the steps:

dynamically allocating bandwidth among said plurality of subscribers;

communicating on the frequency channel using high order modulation; and

employing statistical multiplexing of the plurality of customers at the subscriber.