Wireless home LAN system using multiple antennas

• US 20060009208A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Jang, Kyung-Hun, Hwang, Pil-Yong, Lee, Choong-Hun, Chang, Jin-Bong
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Disclosed herein is wireless home LAN system using multiple antennas, and a wireless access point (AP) apparatus in a communication system for providing a plurality of terminals contained in a closed specific area with a wireless access service that includes a plurality of wireless modules arranged in the closed specific area at intervals of a predetermined distance, that are selectively activated, and a control module connected to the wireless modules by wire, for controlling communication performed in the area of the terminals and connection to an external network using the activated wireless modules. The apparatus selectively activates antennas in only a specific area requesting a communication service using a single controller and a plurality of antennas connected to the controller, such that it can solve performance anomalies and inter-cell frequency interference problems. Also, the apparatus controls propagation beams to concentrate on a minimum area, resulting in improved security.

Claims

1. A wireless access point apparatus in a communication system for providing a plurality of terminals contained in a closed specific area with wireless access service, comprising:

a plurality of wireless modules arranged in the closed specific area at intervals of a predetermined distance, and selectively activated; and

a control module connected to the wireless modules by wire, for controlling communication performed in the closed specific area and controlling connection to an external network using the activated wireless modules.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless modules are fixed to a ceiling or wall defining the closed specific area.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wireless modules form a plurality of cells indicative of communication enabled closed specific areas when the plurality of cells are activated, and the fixed wireless modules are arranged to overlap each other.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control module assigns a same channel or different channels to the wireless modules according to distribution of the terminals contained in the area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control module assigns a same or different channels to the wireless modules according to distribution of the terminals contained in the area, and assigns a default channel to a neighboring cell when traffic load is concentrated on a cell of a wireless module assigned a specific channel, to provide uniform traffic distribution.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless modules each include:

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal received from a terminal into a digital signal; and

a signal processing unit for generating a control signal including Reception Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the terminal, an assigned channel index, and an antenna index, and transmitting the control signal to the control module.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control module includes:

a plurality of Medium Access Control (MAC) units for managing a plurality of antennas assigned the same channel; and

a switch module for processing a control signal received from each wireless module, and transmitting the processed result to the MAC units.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless modules each include:

a plurality of wall outlet modules fixed to a ceiling or wall defining the area; and

a plug-type antenna module connected to the wall outlet modules.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the antenna module is connected to the wall outlet modules, and is activated by exchanging a signal with the control module.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wall outlet modules each form cells indicative of communication enabled areas when the wall out modules are connected to the plug-type antenna modules, and are arranged to enable the cells to overlap with each other.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control module assigns a same channel or different channels to the wireless modules according to distribution of the terminals contained in the closed specific area, and assigns a default channel to a neighboring cell when traffic load is concentrated on a cell of a wireless module assigned a specific channel, to provide uniform traffic distribution.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control module assigns a same channel or different channels to the wireless modules according to distribution of the terminals contained in the closed specific area.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of wireless modules each include:

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal received from each terminal into a digital signal when connected to the antenna module; and

a signal processing unit for generating a control signal including Reception Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the terminal, an assigned channel index, and an antenna index, and transmitting the control signal to the control module.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control module includes:

a plurality of Medium Access Control (MAC) units for managing a plurality of antenna modules assigned the same channel; and

a switch module for processing a control signal received from each wall-outlet module, and transmitting the processed result to the MAC units.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the antenna module includes:

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal received from a terminal into a digital signal when connected to the antenna module; and

a signal processing unit for generating a control signal including Reception Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the terminal, an assigned channel index, and an antenna index, and transmitting the control signal to the control module.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control module includes:

a plurality of Medium Access Control (MAC) units for managing a plurality of antenna modules assigned the same channel; and

a switch module for processing a control signal received from the antenna modules, and transmitting the processed result to the MAC units.

17. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control module further includes:

a plurality of MAC units for managing a plurality of antennas assigned the same channel.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a switch module for processing a control signal received from the wireless modules, and transmitting the processed result to the control module.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the switch module is integrated in the control module.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the switch module is separated from the control module, is connected to the control module via a data bus, and is connected to the plurality of wireless modules via individual data buses.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of switch modules connected to the control module via individual data buses, and connected to a predetermined number of wireless modules via only one data bus branch.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the number of the MAC units increases or decreases according to the number of wireless modules.