Handling transfer of management data to and from a telecommunications unit of a telecommunications system

• US 20050186903A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airspan IP Holdco LLC (Airspan Networks Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airspan Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Rowe, Jeremy M.T., Powell, Junior C., Forbes, Nicolas J. D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

A telecommunications unit (for example a subscriber terminal or a base station) is arranged to communicate over a wireless link with a further telecommunications unit of a telecommunications system in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the telecommunications unit and the further telecommunications unit. The telecommunications unit comprises a management processor operable to handle management data, and inductive loop logic coupled to the management processor and operable to allow management data to be passed between the management processor and a portable management unit via a separate wireless link between the inductive loop logic and external inductive loop logic associated with the portable management unit. This provides a particularly efficient technique for the transmission of management data between the telecommunications unit and the portable management unit, without the need for a physical contact to be provided on the exterior surface of the telecommunications unit.

Claims

1. A telecommunications unit for communicating over a wireless link with a further telecommunications unit of a telecommunications system in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the telecommunications unit and the further telecommunications unit, the telecommunications unit comprising:

a management processor operable to handle management data; and

inductive loop logic coupled to the management processor and operable to allow management data to be passed between the management processor and a portable management unit via a separate wireless link between the inductive loop logic and external inductive loop logic associated with the portable management unit.

2. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications unit is a subscriber terminal and the further telecommunications unit is a base station, the subscriber terminal being operable to communicate over the wireless link with the base station in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the base station and an item of equipment connected to the subscriber terminal.

3. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications unit is a base station and the further telecommunications unit is a subscriber terminal, the base station being operable to communicate over the wireless link with the subscriber terminal in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the base station and an item of equipment connected to the subscriber terminal.

4. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications unit has a housing associated with a traffic data antenna used to communicate over the wireless link, and the inductive loop logic is provided within the housing.

5. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the housing is arranged to be mounted outdoors.

6. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the traffic data antenna is a flat panel antenna located within the housing.

7. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the management processor is operable to derive as the management data signal strength data for signals received by the traffic data antenna, and to output that management data via the separate wireless link to the portable management unit, whereby the management data can be used during an alignment procedure of the traffic data antenna.

8. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the management data comprises set-up data passed between the management processor and the portable management unit via the separate wireless link.

9. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising one or more processing units operable to perform processing of the traffic data within the telecommunications unit, and wherein the management processor is responsive to receipt of set-up data from the portable management unit to cause appropriate set-up control signals to be issued to the one or more processing units.

10. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more processing units operable to perform processing of traffic data within the telecommunications unit, the management processor being operable to derive as the management data diagnostic data relating to operation of the one or more processing units or the management processor, and to output that management data via the separate wireless link to the portable management unit, whereby the management data can be used during a diagnostic procedure performed externally to the telecommunications unit.

11. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a moulding provided on an external surface of the telecommunications unit in the vicinity of the inductive loop logic to define a receiving location for the external inductive loop logic associated with the portable management unit.

12. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inductive loop logic comprises:

a transmission logic unit operable to modulate management data received from the management processor prior to output of the modulated management data to an inductive loop antenna provided within the telecommunications unit.

13. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmission logic unit comprises an On Off Keying (OOK) modulator with a preset modulation frequency.

14. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inductive loop logic comprises:

a reception logic unit operable to process management data received from the portable management unit via the separate wireless link prior to output of that management data to the management processor.

15. A telecommunications unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the reception logic unit comprises:

detection logic operable to detect an analogue signal containing the management data, the analogue signal being received by an inductive loop antenna provided within the telecommunications unit; and

conversion logic operable to convert the detected analogue signal into a digital signal prior to output to the management processor.

16. A method of interfacing with a telecommunications unit used to communicate over a wireless link with a further telecommunications unit of a telecommunications system in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the telecommunications unit and the further telecommunications unit, the telecommunications unit having a management processor operable to handle management data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing inductive loop logic within the telecommunications unit, the inductive loop logic being coupled to the management processor;

(b) providing external inductive loop logic associated with a portable management unit; and

(c) passing management data between the portable management unit and the management processor of the telecommunications unit via a separate wireless link between the inductive loop logic and the external inductive loop logic.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the telecommunications unit is a subscriber terminal and the further telecommunications unit is a base station, the subscriber terminal communicating over the wireless link with the base station in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the base station and an item of equipment connected to the subscriber terminal.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the telecommunications unit is a base station and the further telecommunications unit is a subscriber terminal, the base station being operable to communicate over the wireless link with the subscriber terminal in order to allow traffic data to be passed between the base station and an item of equipment connected to the subscriber terminal.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16, the telecommunications unit has a housing associated with a traffic data antenna used to communicate over the wireless link, and the inductive loop logic is provided within the housing.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the housing is mounted outdoors.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the traffic data antenna is a flat panel antenna located within the housing.

22. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

deriving as the management data signal strength data for signals received by the traffic data antenna; and

at said step (c), outputting that management data from the management processor via the separate wireless link to the portable management unit, whereby the management data can be used during an alignment procedure of the traffic data antenna.

23. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the management data comprises set-up data passed between the management processor and the portable management unit via the separate wireless link.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the telecommunications unit further comprises one or more processing units operable to perform processing of the traffic data within the telecommunications unit, the method further comprising the step of:

responsive to receipt by the management processor of set-up data from the portable management unit, issuing appropriate set-up control signals to the one or more processing units.

25. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the telecommunications unit further comprises one or more processing units operable to perform processing of traffic data within the telecommunications unit, the method further comprising the steps of:

deriving as the management data diagnostic data relating to operation of the one or more processing units or the management processor; and

at said step (c), outputting that management data from the management processor via the separate wireless link to the portable management unit, whereby the management data can be used during a diagnostic procedure performed externally to the telecommunications unit.

26. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

placing the external inductive loop logic associated with the portable management unit in a receiving location defined by a moulding provided on an external surface of the telecommunications unit in the vicinity of the inductive loop logic.

27. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

for management data to be issued from the management processor to the portable management unit, modulating within the inductive loop logic management data received from the management processor prior to output of the modulated management data to an inductive loop antenna provided within the telecommunications unit.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said modulating step is performed by an On Off Keying (OOK) modulator with a preset modulation frequency.

29. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

for management data to be received by the management processor from the portable management unit, processing within the inductive loop logic management data received from the portable management unit via the separate wireless link prior to output of that management data to the management processor.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said processing step comprises the steps of:

detecting an analogue signal containing the management data, the analogue signal being received by an inductive loop antenna provided within the telecommunications unit; and

converting the detected analogue signal into a digital signal prior to output to the management processor.