Wireless network communication apparatus, methods, and integrated antenna structures

• US 20090274130A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COMS IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: DragonWave Incorporated
• Inventors: Boch, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Wireless mesh network communication apparatus and methods are disclosed. Directional antennas are respectively operatively coupled to dedicated communication devices to provide multiple independent wireless communication links. Exchange of communication traffic through the wireless communication links provided by the communication devices and the antennas is controlled by a switch. Any or all of the antennas may be adjustable so as to provide for flexibility in antenna beam alignment. Beam alignment may be physically or electronically adjustable. Radio units including the communication devices and the antennas, and possibly also the switch, may be enclosed in a single housing. The housing may be shared with other components such as wireless communication network base station antennas.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a plurality of directional antennas;

a plurality of dedicated communication devices respectively operatively coupled to the plurality of antennas; and

a switch, operatively coupled to the plurality of communication devices, for controlling exchange of communication traffic through wireless communication links that are provided by the plurality of communication devices and the plurality of antennas.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas comprises an antenna arranged for a predetermined alignment of its antenna beam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas comprises an adjustable antenna for which beam alignment is adjustable to any of a plurality of directions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a mounting structure for carrying the plurality of antennas,

wherein the mounting structure comprises an adjustable mount for the adjustable antenna, the adjustable mount enabling the adjustable antenna to be physically oriented to align its antenna beam in any of the plurality of directions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adjustable mount comprises a plurality of pivots, each pivot allowing the adjustable antenna to be physically oriented relative to a respective axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adjustable antenna is carried by its dedicated communication device, and wherein the adjustable mount carries the dedicated communication device to thereby indirectly carry the adjustable antenna.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the adjustable antenna comprises a steerable array of antenna elements, the steerable array allowing the antenna beam of the adjustable antenna to be steered to any of a plurality of directions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas comprises an adjustable antenna for which antenna beam alignment is adjustable to any of a plurality of directions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas has an associated operating beam width of about 10°

or less.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas has an associated operating beam width, and wherein a total of the operating beam widths of the plurality of antennas is less than 360°

.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch is operatively coupled to a further communication link, and wherein the switch is operable to switch communication traffic between the further communication link and the plurality of wireless communication links.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communication links comprises a backhaul communication link in a wireless communication network, and wherein the switch is further operatively coupled to an access communication link and is operable to switch communication traffic between the access communication link and the backhaul communication link.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises an Ethernet switch.

14. A wireless communication network node comprising:

the apparatus of claim 1.

15. A wireless mesh network comprising:

a plurality of wireless communication network nodes as claimed in claim 14.

16. The wireless mesh network of claim 15, wherein the plurality of antennas of each of the plurality of wireless communication network nodes comprises at least one antenna having its antenna beam aligned with an antenna beam of an antenna of another node of the plurality of wireless communication network nodes.

17. A communication method comprising:

receiving a communication signal at a communication apparatus over a first communication link of a plurality of communication links, the plurality of communication links comprising dedicated communication devices respectively operatively coupled to a plurality of directional antennas;

determining a second communication link of the plurality of communication links over which the received communication signal is to be transmitted from the communication apparatus; and

switching the received communication signal from the first communication link to the second communication link.

18. The communication method of claim 17, implemented at a wireless communication network node, the method further comprising:

aligning an antenna beam of at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas with an antenna beam of an antenna of another wireless communication network node.

19. The communication method of claim 18, wherein aligning comprises physically orienting the at least one antenna.

20. The communication method of claim 18, wherein aligning comprises electronically steering the antenna beam.

21. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of radio units, each radio unit comprising a directional antenna and a dedicated communication device operatively coupled to the antenna;

orienting each radio unit to align an antenna beam of the antenna of the radio unit in a desired direction; and

operatively coupling the plurality of radio units to a switch, the switch being for controlling exchange of communication traffic through wireless communication links that are provided by the communication devices and the antennas of the radio units.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

at least partially enclosing the radio units in a housing.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein enclosing comprises at least partially enclosing the radio units and the switch in the housing.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the housing comprises a multi-part housing, and wherein enclosing comprises assembling parts of the multi-part housing.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein enclosing comprises installing the plurality of radio units in a shared housing, the shared housing being for housing the radio units and further communication equipment.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the further communication equipment comprises a base station antenna for a base station in a wireless communication network.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

mounting the plurality of radio units to an adjustable mounting structure, the adjustable mounting structure enabling each radio unit of the plurality of radio units to be physically oriented to align its antenna beam in any of a plurality of directions.

28. An antenna structure comprising:

a housing;

a wide-beam antenna in the housing for enabling wireless communications for a first coverage area associated with an antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna; and

a narrow-beam antenna in the housing for enabling wireless communications for a second coverage area associated with an antenna beam of the narrow-beam antenna, the antenna beam of the narrow-beam antenna having a beam width that is less than a beam width of the antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna.

29. The antenna structure of claim 28, wherein the first coverage area comprises an access area in a wireless communication network, the wide-beam antenna being for enabling access communications with access communication equipment located in the first coverage area.

30. The antenna structure of claim 28, wherein the wide-beam antenna comprises a panel antenna.

31. The antenna structure of claim 28, wherein the narrow-beam antenna is for enabling communications with a fixed site in a wireless communication network over a dedicated wireless communication link.

32. The antenna structure of claim 31, wherein the fixed site comprises a network element of the wireless communication network, and wherein the dedicated wireless communication link comprises a wireless backhaul communication link.

33. The antenna structure claim 28, wherein the narrow-beam antenna comprises an antenna of a radio unit, the radio unit comprising a dedicated communication device that is operatively coupled to the narrow-beam antenna and is at least partially enclosed by the housing.

34. The antenna structure of claim 28, wherein the narrow-beam antenna comprises an adjustable antenna for which beam alignment is adjustable to any of a plurality of directions.

35. The antenna structure of claim 28, further comprising:

one or more further narrow-beam antennas in the housing, each further narrow-beam antenna being for enabling wireless communications for a respective further coverage area associated with its antenna beam, the antenna beam of each further narrow-beam antenna having a beam width that is less than the beam width of the antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna.

36. The antenna structure of claim 35, wherein the narrow-beam antenna and the one or more further narrow-beam antennas comprise narrow-beam antennas having different beam widths.

37. The antenna structure of claim 28, wherein the housing comprises respective housing sections for at least partially enclosing the wide-beam antenna and the narrow-beam antenna, the respective housing sections differing from each other in at least one physical dimension.

38. A network element for a wireless communication network, the network element comprising:

the antenna structure of claim 28.

39. A network element for a wireless communication network, the network element comprising:

a plurality of antenna structures, each antenna structure of the plurality of antenna structures comprising;

a housing; and

a wide-beam antenna in the housing for enabling wireless communications for a respective one of a plurality of first coverage areas,

at least one antenna structure of the plurality of antenna structures further comprising a narrow-beam antenna at least partially enclosed by the housing in an antenna structure as claimed in claim 28.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein providing a wide-beam antenna comprises providing a panel antenna as the wide-beam antenna.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein providing a narrow-beam antenna comprises providing a radio unit comprising the narrow-beam antenna and a dedicated communication device that is operatively coupled to the narrow-beam antenna.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

providing one or more further narrow-beam antennas in the housing, each further narrow-beam antenna being for enabling wireless communications for a respective further coverage area associated with its antenna beam, the antenna beam of each further narrow-beam antenna having a beam width that is less than the beam width of the antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna.

40. A method comprising:

providing a housing;

providing a wide-beam antenna in the housing for enabling wireless communications for a first coverage area associated with an antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna; and

providing a narrow-beam antenna in the housing for enabling wireless communications for a second coverage area associated with an antenna beam of the narrow-beam antenna, the antenna beam of the narrow-beam antenna having a beam width that is less than a beam width of the antenna beam of the wide-beam antenna.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the housing comprises a multi-part housing, and wherein providing a housing comprises assembling parts of the multi-part housing.

45. The method of claim 40,

wherein providing a wide-beam antenna comprises providing a plurality of wide-beam antennas for enabling wireless communications for a plurality of first coverage areas, and

wherein providing a housing comprises at least partially enclosing each wide-beam antenna in a respective housing, and at least partially enclosing the narrow-beam antenna in the housing of one of the wide-beam antennas.