AUXILIARY ANTENNA SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM BASE STATIONS

• US 20100054160A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Application Number:
  US12/615,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]

Abstract

Auxiliary antenna systems can be used to increase a link margin of a wireless communications system that includes a base station. The auxiliary antenna system is positioned within a service region of the base station and spaced apart from the base station. Related systems, methods and components are described.

Claims

1. An auxiliary antenna system for a wireless communications system that includes a base station, the auxiliary antenna system comprising:

an antenna element that is configured to transmit information to a radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal;

wherein the auxiliary antenna system is located within a service region of the base station and is spaced apart from the base station; and

wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to a communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.

2. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal transmits information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein the antenna element that is configured to receive information from the radioterminal receives information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.

3. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is located closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.

4. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is configured to be operative in a plurality of spatial dimensions.

5. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal comprises a plurality of antenna elements.

6. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the link margin that is increased comprises a forward link margin and/or a return link margin.

7. An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station by allowing the base station to diversity combine the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.

8. A method of using an auxiliary antenna system to increase a link margin of a wireless communications system that includes a base station, the method comprising:

positioning the auxiliary antenna system within a service region of the base station;

wherein positioning the auxiliary antenna system within a service region of the base station comprises positioning the auxiliary antenna system within the service region of the base station and spaced apart from the base station;

transmitting information to a radioterminal from an antenna element of the auxiliary antenna system and/or receiving information from the radioterminal at an antenna element of the auxiliary antenna system;

communicating between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station; and

increasing the link margin, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to said communicating.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said transmitting information comprises transmitting information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein said receiving information comprises receiving information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said transmitting information and/or said receiving information occurs closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein said transmitting information comprises transmitting information in a plurality of spatial dimensions and/or said receiving information comprises receiving information in a plurality of spatial dimensions.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein said transmitting information and/or said receiving information comprises using a plurality of antenna elements.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein said increasing the link margin comprises increasing a forward link margin and/or increasing a return link margin.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein said communicating comprises wireless and/or wireline communicating.

15. A method according to claim 8 wherein increasing the link margin comprises diversity combining the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communicating between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.

16. A wireless communications system comprising:

a base station including at least one main antenna that is configured to transmit information to a radioterminal that is located within a service region of the base station and/or receive information from the radioterminal;

an auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal, wherein the auxiliary antenna is located within the service region of the base station and is spaced apart from the base station; and

wherein the auxiliary antenna is configured to increase a link margin of the base station, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to a communication between the auxiliary antenna and the base station.

17. A wireless communications system according to claim 16, wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal transmits information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to receive information from the radioterminal receives information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.

18. A wireless communications system according to claim 16, wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is located closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.

19. A wireless communications system according to claim 16, wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is configured to be operative in a plurality of spatial dimensions.

20. A wireless communications system according to claim 16, wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal comprises a plurality of auxiliary antenna elements.

21. A wireless communications system according to claim 16, wherein the link margin that is increased comprises a forward link margin and/or a return link margin.

22. A wireless communication system according to claim 16 wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station by allowing the base station to diversity combine the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.