Wireless communication system

• US 20060111047A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Inventors: Korevaar, Eric, Johnson, Paul A., Louberg, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations. The system includes a connecting station with a millimeter wave wireless transceiver in communication with a fiber optic or high-speed cable communication network. The transceiver is adapted to communicate at millimeter wave frequencies higher than 60 GHz with another millimeter wave transceiver at one of the cellular base stations. Each of the base stations serves a separate communication cell. Each base station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz and a millimeter wave wireless transceiver operating at a millimeter wave frequency higher than 60 GHz for communicating with another millimeter wave transceiver at another base stations or a millimeter wave transceiver at said at the connecting station. The base stations also are equipped with data transfer means for transferring data communicated through the low frequency transceiver to the millimeter wave wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through the millimeter wave wireless transceiver to the low frequency wireless transceiver. In preferred embodiments the system a part of a telephone system, an Internet system or a computer network.

Claims

1. A communications system providing wireless communication for a plurality of cellular base stations, said system comprising:

A) at least one connecting station comprising at least one millimeter wave wireless transceiver in communication with a fiber optic or high-speed cable communication network and adapted to communicate at millimeter wave frequencies higher than 60 GHz with another millimeter wave transceiver at at least one of said cellular base stations;

B) a plurality of cellular base stations, each of said base stations serving a communication cell and each of said base stations comprising;

1) at least one low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with a plurality of users within said communication cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz;

2) at least one millimeter wave wireless transceiver operating at a millimeter wave frequency higher than 60 GHz for communicating with another millimeter wave transceiver at another base station or a millimeter wave transceiver at said at least one connecting station; and

3) a data transfer means for transferring data communicated through said at least one low frequency transceiver to said at least one millimeter wave wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through said at least one millimeter wave wireless transceiver to said at least one low frequency wireless transceiver.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein said system is a part of a telephone system.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein said system is a part of an Internet system.

4. The system as in claim 1 wherein said system is a part of a computer network.

5. The communication system as in claim 1 wherein each of said base station high frequency wireless transceivers is configured to transmit to and receive from a second site digital information at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second during normal weather, said high frequency wireless transceivers each comprising an antenna producing a beam having a half-power beam width of about 2 degrees or less.

6. The system as in claim 1 and further comprising a back-up transceiver system operating at a data transmittal rate of less than 155 million bits per second configured to continue transmittal of information between said base stations in the event of abnormal weather conditions.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein said back-up transceiver system is a microwave system.

8. The system as in claim 1 wherein said millimeter wave wireless transceivers are equipped with antennas providing a gain of greater than 40 dB.

9. The system as in claim 1 wherein said millimeter wave wireless transceivers are capable of transmitting and receiving at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second and the antennas of said high frequency wireless transceivers are configured to produce beams having half-power beam widths of about 0.36 degrees or less.

10. The system as in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said millimeter wave wireless transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 71-76 GHz.

11. The system as in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said millimeter wave wireless transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 81-86 GHz.

12. The system as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said cellular base stations comprises a vehicle on which said at least one low frequency wireless transceiver and said at least one millimeter wave wireless transceiver are mounted.

13. A communications system providing wireless communication with system users and having a wireless millimeter wave trunk line for communicating with a communication office, said system comprising:

A) a plurality of cellular base stations each of said base stations serving a communication cell, each of said base stations comprising;

1) at least one low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with users within said cell at a cell phone radio frequency lower than 3 GHz,

2) at least one high frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with other base stations as a part of said trunk line at a trunk line frequency higher than 60 GHz, and

3) a data transfer means for transferring data communicated through said at least one low frequency transceiver to said at least one high frequency wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through said at least one high frequency wireless transceiver to said at least one low frequency wireless transceiver, and

B) at least one high data rate communication link providing communication between said plurality of cellular base stations and said communication office.

14. A communication system as in claim 13 wherein each of said base station high frequency wireless transceivers is configured to transmit to and receive from a second site digital information at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second during normal weather, said high frequency wireless transceivers each comprising an antenna producing a beam having a half-power beam width of about 2 degrees or less.

15. A system as in claim 13 and further comprising a back-up transceiver system operating at a data transmittal rate of less than 155 million bits per second configured to continue transmittal of information between said base stations in the event of abnormal weather conditions.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein said back-up transceiver system is a microwave system.

17. A system as in claim 13 wherein said high frequency transceivers are equipped with antennas providing a gain of greater than 40 dB.

18. A system as in claim 13 wherein said high frequency wireless transceivers are capable of transmitting and receiving at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second and the antennas of said high frequency wireless transceivers are configured to produce beams having half-power beam widths of about 0.36 degrees or less.

19. A system as in claim 13 wherein a plurality of said high frequency wireless transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 71-76 GHz.

20. A system as in claim 13 wherein a plurality of said high frequency transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 81-86 GHz.

21. A communications system providing wireless communication with system users and having a wireless millimeter wave trunk line for communicating with a fiber Point of Presence, said system comprising:

A) a plurality of wireless computer networking base stations each of said base stations serving a communication coverage area and each of said base stations comprising;

1) at least one low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with users within said communication coverage area at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz,

2) at least one high frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with other base stations as a part of said trunk line at a trunk line frequency higher than 60 GHz, and

3) a data transfer means for transferring data communicated through said at least one low frequency transceiver to said at least one high frequency wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through said at least one high frequency wireless transceiver to said at least one low frequency wireless transceiver, and

B) at least one high data rate communication link providing communication between said plurality of wireless computer networking base stations and said fiber point of presence.

22. A communication system as in claim 21 wherein each of said base station high frequency wireless transceivers is configured to transmit to and receive from a second site digital information at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second during normal weather, said high frequency wireless transceivers each comprising an antenna producing a beam having a half-power beam width of about 2 degrees or less.

23. A system as in claim 21 and further comprising a back-up transceiver system operating at a data transmittal rate of less than 155 million bits per second configured to continue transmittal of information between said base stations in the event of abnormal weather conditions.

24. A system as in claim 22 wherein said back-up transceiver system is a microwave system.

25. A system as in claim 21 wherein a plurality of said high frequency transceivers are equipped with antennas providing a gain of greater than 40 dB.

26. A system as in claim 21 wherein a plurality of said high frequency wireless transceivers are capable of transmitting and receiving at rates in excess of 1 billion bits per second and the antennas of said high frequency wireless transceivers are configured to produce beams having half-power beam widths of about 0.4 degrees or less.

27. A system as in claim 21 wherein a plurality of said high frequency wireless transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 71-76 GHz.

28. A system as in claim 21 wherein a plurality of said high frequency transceivers are configured to transmit at frequencies in the range of about 81-86 GHz.

29. A system as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said low frequency wireless transceivers operate according to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

30. A system as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said low frequency wireless transceivers operate at a frequency of about 2.4 GHz.

31. A system as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said low frequency wireless transceivers operate at a frequency of about 5.8 GHz.

32. A system as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said low frequency wireless transceivers is a component of a WiMax access point.

33. A system as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said low frequency wireless transceivers is a component of a WiFi access point.

35. A method as in claim 33 wherein said wireless high data rate trunk line communications operates at a millimeter wave frequency between 71-76 GHz for communications traffic from said first base station to said second base station, and operates at a millimeter wave frequency between 81-86 GHz for communications traffic from said second base station to said first base station.

36. A method as in claim 33 and further comprising the steps of distributing communications to said first set of users from said first wireless base station using said low frequency first base station transceiver and distributing communications to said second set of users from said second set of users from said second wireless base station using said low frequency second base station transceiver.

37. A method as in claim 33 wherein said low frequency first and second base station transceivers use the WiMax standard.

34. A method for providing multiple user wireless access to a backbone fiber optic communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

A) aggregating wireless communications from a first set of users at a first wireless base station through at least one low frequency first base station transceiver operating at a radio frequency of less than 6 GHz,

B) aggregating wireless communications from a second set of users at a second wireless base station through at least one low frequency second base station transceiver operating at a radio frequency of less than 6 GHz,

C) providing wireless high data rate trunk line communications between said first wireless base station and said second wireless base station utilizing high frequency wireless transceivers operating at a frequency higher than 60 GHz,

D) aggregating said wireless communications from said first set of users with said wireless communications from said second set of users and providing the resulting aggregated communications traffic to said backbone fiber optic communication system through a high data rate communication link to a fiber point of presence.