Method and apparatus of a multiple-input-multiple-output wireless system and components

• US 20060217093A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chuang, Wei Ping, Wang, Hui-Ming, Ting, Pang-An, Kuo, Chun-Chun
• Application Number:
  US11/194,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• 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: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A wireless system includes a base station, user equipment (UE), and at least one wireless device capable of communicating with the base station. The wireless device and the UE belong to an area network. The UE is capable of communicating with a base station directly and communicating with the base station through the wireless device. The wireless device communicates with the base station wirelessly and communicates with the UE either wirelessly or through cable.

Claims

1. A wireless system, comprising:

a base station;

user equipment (UE); and

at least one wireless device capable of communicating with the base station,

wherein the wireless device and the UE belong to an area network, and wherein the UE is capable of communicating with a base station directly and communicating with the base station through the wireless device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises a cellular base station, a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, or a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) base station.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the area network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), and the wireless device and the UE also form a wireless personal area network (WPAN) within the area network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device communicate with the base station through a first frequency band and communicate with the UE through a second frequency band, and wherein the wireless device comprises:

a first converter for converting signals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band, and

a second converter for converting signals from the second frequency band to the first frequency band.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second converters each include a controller for controlling signal phase and signal amplitudes.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second converters each include a frequency band shifter and a balancer for balancing conversion gain.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device includes a receiver for receiving control signals from the UE, a first transceiver for communicating with the base station, and a second transceiver for communicating with the UE.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the UE comprises mobile equipment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the UE coordinates the wireless device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the UE includes a chip-on-board (COB) radio access technology (RAT) transceiver, a COB RAT baseband processor, and a COB multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) coprocessor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the UE further includes a COB remote antenna-link subsystem.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the UE further includes a plug-in module remote antenna-link subsystem.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless device communicates with the UE wirelessly.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless device communicates with the UE through a cable.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless device comprises at least a first wireless device capable of communicating with the UE wirelessly and a second wireless device capable of communicating with the UE through a cable.

16. A wireless personal area network (WPAN), comprising a plurality of wireless devices, each wireless device being capable of communicating with a base station both directly and through others of the wireless devices.

17. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein one of the wireless devices is a WPAN coordinator for coordinating the communications between each wireless device and the base station.

18. The WPAN of claim 17, wherein each wireless device comprises:

a receiver for receiving control signals from the WPAN coordinator;

a first transceiver for communicating with the base station; and

a second transceiver for communicating with other ones of the wireless devices.

19. The WPAN of claim 17, wherein the WPAN coordinator includes a chip-on-board (COB) radio access technology (RAT) transceiver, a COB RAT baseband processor, and a COB multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) coprocessor.

20. The WPAN of claim 17, wherein the WPAN coordinator includes a COB remote antenna-link subsystem.

21. The WPAN of claim 17, wherein the WPAN coordinator includes a plug-in module remote antenna-link subsystem.

22. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein two of the wireless devices communicate with each other wirelessly.

23. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein two of the wireless devices communicate with each other through a cable.

24. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein two of the wireless devices communicate with each other wirelessly, and two of the wireless devices communicate with each other through a cable.

25. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein the base station comprises a cellular base station, a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, or a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) base station.

26. The WPAN of claim 16, wherein each wireless device communicates with the base station through a first frequency band and communicates with the others of the wireless devices through a second frequency band, and wherein each wireless device comprises:

a first converter for converting signals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band, and a second converter for converting signals from the second frequency band to the first frequency band, wherein the first and second converters each include a controller for controlling signal phase and signal amplitudes, a frequency band shifter, and a balancer for balancing conversion gain.

27. A wireless system, comprising

a plurality of base stations;

a plurality of wireless personal area networks (WPANs) each comprising a plurality of wireless devices capable of communicating with one of the base stations; and

a mobile device communicating with the base stations,

wherein, when the mobile device is in an area of one of the WPANs, the mobile device acts as a WPAN coordinator for the one of the WPANs, and the mobile device communicates with the base stations both directly and through the wireless devices of the one of the WPANs.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the base stations include one or more of a cellular base station, a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) base station.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein each of the wireless devices communicates with the UE wirelessly.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein each of the wireless devices communicates with the UE through a cable.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of wireless devices comprise a first wireless device capable of communicating with the UE wirelessly and a second wireless device capable of communicating with the UE through a cable.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein each wireless device comprises

a receiver for receiving control signals from the mobile device;

a first transceiver for communicating with the base stations; and

a second transceiver for communicating with the mobile device.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the mobile device includes a chip-on-board (COB) radio access technology (RAT) transceiver, a COB RAT baseband processor, and a COB multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) coprocessor.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the mobile device includes a COB remote antenna-link subsystem.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the mobile device includes a plug-in module remote antenna-link subsystem.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein each wireless device communicates with the base station through a first frequency band and communicates with the mobile device through a second frequency band, and wherein each wireless device comprises:

a first converter for converting signals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band, and

a second converter for converting signals from the second frequency band to the first frequency band,

wherein the first and second converters each include a controller for controlling signal phase and signal amplitudes, a frequency band shifter, and a balancer for balancing conversion gain.

37. User equipment (UE) located in a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the WPAN including a plurality of wireless devices capable of relaying communication between the UE and a base station, the UE comprising

means for directly communicating with the base station;

and

means for communicating through the wireless devices with the base station.

38. The UE of claim 37, wherein the means for directly communicating comprises at least one antenna.

39. The UE of claim 37, wherein the means for directly communicating comprises a first antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is cellular based, a second antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is a WLAN (wireless local area network) access point, and a third antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is a WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network) base station.

40. The UE of claim 37, the means for directly communicating comprising:

a cellular-based RAT (radio access technology) transceiver;

a WLAN (wireless local area network) based transceiver; and

a WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network) based transceiver.

41. The UE of claim 37, further comprising:

an RAT baseband processor; and

an multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) coprocessor.

42. The UE of claim 37, further comprising an RA-link (remote antenna link) network transceiver and an antenna for communicating through the wireless devices with the base station.

43. The UE of claim 37, the means for communicating through the wireless devices comprising a plug-in module an RA-link (remote antenna link) network transceiver.

44. The UE of claim 37, further comprising an antenna both for directly communicating with the base station and for communicating through the wireless devices with the base station.

45. The UE of claim 37, wherein the means for communicating through the wireless devices comprises a means for communicating with the wireless devices wirelessly.

46. The UE of claim 37, wherein the means for communicating through the wireless devices comprises a means for communicating with the wireless devices through a cable.

47. The UE of claim 37, wherein the means for communicating through the wireless devices comprises a first means for communicating with the wireless devices wirelessly and a second means for communicating with the wireless devices through a cable.

48. A wireless device within a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the WPAN including a WPAN coordinator, wherein the wireless device is capable of relaying communication between one other wireless device located in the WPAN and a base station, the wireless device comprising:

a first means for communicating with the base station through a first frequency band; and

a second means for communicating with the other wireless device through a second frequency band.

49. The wireless device of claim 48,

wherein the first means comprises a first converter for converting signals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band,

wherein the second means comprises a second converter for converting signals from the second frequency band to the first frequency band, and

wherein the first and second converters each include a frequency band shifter and a balancer for balancing conversion gain.

50. The wireless device of claim 48, further comprising a receiver for receiving control signals from the WPAN coordinator.

51. The wireless device of claim 48, wherein the first means comprises an antenna.

52. The wireless device of claim 48, wherein the first means comprises a first antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is cellular based, a second antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is a WLAN (wireless local area network) access point, and a third antenna for communicating with the base station when the base station is a WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network) base station.

53. The wireless device of claim 48, further comprising an antenna both for directly communicating with the base station and for communicating through the other wireless device with the base station.

54. The wireless device of claim 48, wherein the second means comprises an antenna for communicating with the other wireless device wirelessly.

55. The wireless device of claim 48, wherein the second means comprises a means for communicating with the other wireless device through a cable.