Cellular communication system

• US 20060141929A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gigabeam Corp.
• Original Assignee: Gigabeam Corp.
• Inventors: Sturza, Mark Alan, Lockie, Douglas Gene
• Application Number:
  US11/024,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for improving the performance of a conventional cellular telephone system. In a conventional system, a base station (12) located in a cell (10) both sends and receives signals to and from handheld phones (14). In one embodiment, the present invention employs a relay transceiver (18) located in the cell (10) to relay signals (20) from handheld phones (14) to the a base station (12). The handheld (14) still receives signals (16) directly from the base station (12), but the return signal (22) back to the base station (12) is accomplished through the relay transceiver (18).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a base station in a cell;

a terminal located in said cell;

said terminal for communication with said base station;

said terminal receiving a first signal from said base station;

said cell including a microcell;

said terminal being located in said microcell;

said microcell including a relay transceiver for receiving a second signal from said terminal and for transmitting said second signal from said relay receiver to said base station using a relay signal.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said base station is generally located on the ground.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said base station is generally located above the ground.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, in which said base station is located on a sub-orbital platform.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, in which said base station is located on a satellite.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said base station and said terminal both operate generally within the frequency below 6 GHz.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said relay transceiver operates generally within the frequency band above 3.5 GHz.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

an inner cell;

said base station being located generally in said inner cell; and

said terminal communicating directly with said base station when said terminal is located in said inner cell.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, in which said base station is located generally in the center of said inner cell.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, in which said base station is located generally on the edge of said inner cell.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, in which said base station uses a shaped beam to define the shape of said inner cell.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said cell is generally circular.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, in which said inner cell is generally circular.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said cell is a member of a group of cells in a honeycomb pattern.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said microcell is generally circular.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said cell is formed in a non-circular to optimize performance.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said microcell is formed in a non-circular to optimize performance.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said relay transceiver 18 provides point-to-point communications.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said relay transceiver 18 is generally located at the periphery of a cell.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which millimeter waves are utilized for communications.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which microwave frequencies are utilized for communications.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first signal from a base station;

receiving said first signal from said base station using a terminal;

transmitting a second signal from said terminal to a relay transceiver; and

relaying said second signal from said relay transceiver to said base station.

23. A propagated signal comprising:

a first signal transmitted from a base station;

said first signal from said base station being received by a terminal;

a second signal transmitted from said terminal to a relay transceiver; and

a third signal transmitted from said relay transceiver back to said base station.