REUSING FREQUENCIES OF A FIXED AND/OR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100015971A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Kundra, Monish, Good, Alexander H., King, Charlene J., Swank, Eric A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A communications system includes a first wireless communications system configured to provide wireless communications over a first frequency band, and a second wireless communications system configured to provide wireless communications using at least a portion of the first frequency band. The system includes an inter-system communications link between the first wireless communications system and the second wireless communications system. The inter-system communications link is used to coordinate the use of the first frequency band. The system further includes an interference reducer configured to reduce interference between the first wireless communications system and the second wireless communications system. Related methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a first wireless communications system configured to provide wireless communications over short range wireless communications links using a first frequency band; and

a second wireless communications system configured to provide wireless communications using at least a portion of the first frequency band;

wherein the first wireless communications system is a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system that is configured to provide information to/from transportation vehicles;

wherein the DSRC system comprises one or more road-side access points configured to exchange information with transceivers that are installed in vehicles such that frequencies used by the DSRC system are used at or near roads/highways by the DSRC system and remain substantially unused by the DSRC system at a distance from the roads/highways; and

wherein the second wireless communications system comprises at least one base station that is configured to use at least some frequencies that are also used by the DSRC system.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein an antenna of the at least one base station is configured to transmit in a direction that does not include transmitters and/or receivers of the first wireless communications system.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications system employs a first air interface protocol and the second wireless communications system employs a second air interface protocol.

4. The communications system of claim 3, wherein the first air interface protocol is different compared to the second air interface protocol.

5. The communications system of claim 3, wherein the first and second air interface protocols are substantially the same.

6. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising an interference reducer that is configured to reduce interference in the second and/or first wireless communications system.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications system and/or the second wireless communications system is/are configured to coordinate the use of communications resources.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the communications resources comprise spreading codes, channels, sub-channels, carriers, sub-carriers, time intervals and/or time slots.

9. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communications system and/or the second wireless communications system is/are configured to allocate and/or de-allocate at least one communications resource of the communications resources to the first wireless communications system and/or to the second wireless communications system, and wherein the first wireless communications system and/or the second wireless communications system is/are configured to notify the first wireless communications system and/or the second wireless communications system of the allocation and/or de-allocation of the at least one communications resource.

10. A wireless communications method comprising:

providing short range wireless communications from a first wireless communications system using a frequency band;

providing wireless communications from a second wireless communications system using at least a portion of the frequency band;

wherein the first wireless communications system is a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system that is configured to provide information to/from transportation vehicles;

wherein the DSRC system comprises one or more road-side access points configured to exchange information with transceivers that are installed in vehicles such that frequencies used by the DSRC system are used at or near roads/highways by the DSRC system and remain substantially unused by the DSRC system at a distance from the roads/highways; and

wherein the second wireless communications system comprises at least one base station that is configured to use at least some frequencies that are also used by the DSRC system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first wireless communications system employs a first air interface protocol and the second wireless communications system employs a second air interface protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first air interface protocol is different compared to the second air interface protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second air interface protocols are substantially the same.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

coordinating the use of at least one communications resource, of a plurality of communications resources, between the first and second wireless communications systems.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communications resources comprises spreading codes, channels, sub-channels, carriers, sub-carriers, time intervals and/or time slots.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

allocating and/or de-allocating at least one communications resource of the plurality of communications resources to the first wireless communications system and/or to the second wireless communications system, and

notifying the first wireless communications system and/or the second wireless communications system of the allocation and/or de-allocation of the at least one communications resource.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing space-based wireless communications from the second wireless communications system.

18. A wireless communications system comprising:

at least one base station that is configured to provide wireless communications using at least some frequencies that are also used by a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system that is configured to provide wireless communications over short range wireless communications links to/from transportation vehicles;

wherein the DSRC system comprises one or more road-side access points configured to exchange information with transceivers that are installed in vehicles such that frequencies used by the DSRC system are used at or near roads/highways by the DSRC system and remain substantially unused by the DSRC system at a distance from the roads/highways; and

wherein the at least one base station is not part of the DSRC system.

19. The wireless communications system of claim 18, further comprising a space-base network, comprising at least one satellite.

20. A wireless communications system comprising:

at least one transmitter/receiver that is/are configured to transmit/receive information using at least some frequencies that are also used by a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system that is configured to provide wireless communications over short range wireless communications links to/from transportation vehicles;

wherein the DSRC system comprises one or more road-side access points configured to exchange information with transceivers that are installed in vehicles such that frequencies used by the DSRC system are used at or near roads/highways by the DSRC system and remain substantially unused by the DSRC system at a distance from the roads/highways and

wherein the at least one transmitter/receiver is/are not part of the DSRC system.

21. A wireless communications method comprising:

transmitting/receiving information via at least one transmitter/receiver using at least some frequencies that are also used by a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system that is configured to provide wireless communications over short range wireless communications links to/from transportation vehicles;

wherein the DSRC system comprises one or more road-side access points configured to exchange information with transceivers that are installed in vehicles such that frequencies used by the DSRC system are used at or near roads/highways by the DSRC system and remain substantially unused by the DSRC system at a distance from the roads/highways;

wherein the at least one transmitter/receiver is not part of the DSRC system.