METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH THROUGHPUT MULTIPLE RADIO SECTORIZED WIRELESS CELL

• US 20050282553A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Rotani, Inc.
• Inventors: Woodbury, Brian C., Spenik, John, Lastinger, Roc
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for high throughput wireless cells, capable of functioning as access points, are described. The wireless cells may be equipped with multiple radios to increase the amount of throughput available through a single wireless cell. Multiple antennas attached to the radios through RF switches may enable the wireless cell to service multiple clients simultaneously. The physical sectors of the antennas may overlapped to form virtual sectors that provide greater flexibility in client load management and in simultaneously servicing multiple clients. Attenuators may reduce interference from foreign wireless cells or clients. Systems and methods for assigning minimally interfering channels to either physical sectors or to radios to reduce interference between adjacent sectors and overlapping sectors are also disclosed. An antenna horn may also allow any antenna to be used as a directional antenna and may enable the antenna'"'"'s angle of coverage to be adjusted. The use of multiple antennas on a client to reduce interferences is also described.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the assignment of channels to at least partially overlapping physical sectors, said method comprising:

selecting a wireless cell having a first group of non-overlapping physical sectors and a second group of non-overlapping physical sectors superimposed such that each physical sector of said second group at least partially overlaps at least one physical sector of said first group;

assigning a channel to each physical sector of said first group; and

,

assigning a channel to each physical sector of said second group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each physical sector of said first group and said second group is assigned a unique channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each physical sector of said first group and said second group is assigned a same channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjacent physical sectors of said first group are assigned different channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel assigned to a physical sector of said second group is different from the channel assigned to each physical sector of said first group overlapped by said physical sector of said second group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said first group and said second group has three adjacent, non-overlapping physical sectors, an angle of coverage of each of said first group and said second group is at least one of about 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees, and each of said non-overlapping physical sectors is assigned a channel selected from the group of C1, C2, and C3.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channels assigned to the physical sectors of said first group are exclusive of the channels assigned to the physical sectors of said second group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first group and said second group each have three adjacent, non-overlapping physical sectors, an angle of coverage of each of said first group and said second group is at least one of about 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees, each of said non-overlapping physical sectors of said first group is assigned a channel selected from the group of C1, C2, and C3, and each of said non-overlapping physical sectors of said second group is assigned a channel selected from the group of C4, C5, and C6.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each physical sector of said first group is assigned the same channel and physical sectors of said second group are each assigned a channel different from the channel assigned to each physical sector of said first group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjacent physical sectors of said second group are assigned different channels.

11. A method for facilitating the assignment of channels to non-overlapping sectors, said method comprising:

selecting a wireless cell having a plurality of directional antennas, wherein physical sectors of said antennas are substantially non-overlapping; and

,

assigning a channel to each physical sector.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each sector is assigned a unique channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each sector is assigned the same channel.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein adjacent physical sectors are assigned different channels.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said wireless cell provides an angle of coverage at least one of about 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein physical sectors facing diametrically opposite directions are assigned the same channel.