Antennae System

• US 20110223925A1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Gale, Simon, Urquhart, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications networks, and more specifically to an antenna apparatus for cellular wireless systems. Increasing data capacity of cellular wireless systems places increasing demands on the capacity of the two way connection, known as backhaul, between a cellular base station and a telecommunications network such as the PSTN backhaul, since this is the connection that has to convey the wireless-originating traffic to its destination, often in an entirely different network. Known backhaul links include leased lines, microwave links, optical fibre links or radio resources for relaying backhaul traffic between base stations. The fixed line solutions are expensive to implement and maintain, while the radio solutions antenna configurations that are not ideal for relaying data between base stations. In embodiments of the invention, communication between base stations occurs in a first timeslot by use of a first antenna system and communication between a given base station and a user equipment occurs in a second timeslot using a second antenna system. The benefit of this method is that the first antenna system can be optimised for use in communication between base stations, whereas the second antenna system can be optimised for communication with user equipment which preferably occurs within the area of cellular wireless coverage of the sector served by the second antenna system.

Claims

1. A base station for transceiving signals in a wireless communications network, the base station comprising:

a first antenna sub-system of a first type;

a second antenna sub-system of a second type; and

a transceiver sub-system operable;

to transmit a first signal to another base station in a first time slot via the first antenna sub-system; and

to transmit a second signal to a user equipment in a second time slot via the second antenna sub-system, the second time slot being different from the first time slot.

2. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is operable:

to receive a message apportioning timeslots for transmission to the other base station and for transmission to the user equipment;

to allocate the first time slot to transmissions to the other base station in response to the received message; and

to allocate the second time slot to transmissions to the user equipment in response to the receive message.

3. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein the transceiver sub-system comprises:

a transceiver; and

a switch coupling the transceiver to the first antenna sub-system and the second antenna sub-system, the switch being operable;

to couple the transceiver to the first antenna sub-system and to decouple the antenna from the second antenna sub-system during the first time slot; and

to couple the transceiver to the second antenna sub-system and to decouple the antenna from the first antenna sub-system during the second time slot.

4. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein the transceiver sub-system comprises:

a first transceiver coupled to the first antenna sub-system; and

a second transceiver coupled to the second antenna sub-system.

5. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first antenna sub-system has a first radiation pattern;

the second antenna sub-system has a second radiation pattern; and

the first radiation pattern is narrower in azimuth than the second radiation pattern.

6. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first antenna sub-system has a first radiation pattern;

the second antenna sub-system has a second radiation pattern; and

the first radiation pattern has less downtilt than the second radiation pattern.

7. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein the second antenna system has a substantially omni-directional radiation pattern.

8. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver sub-system is operable;

to move signals received on the first antenna sub-system from the first time slot to the second time slot for transmission on the second antenna; and

to move signals received on the second antenna sub-system from the second time slot to the first time slot for transmission on the first antenna;

such that the base station is operable as a relay between the other base station and the user equipment.

9. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver sub-system is operable to transmit the first signal in a first frequency band; and

the transceiver sub-system is operable to transmit the second signal in a second frequency band, the second frequency band at least partially overlapping the first frequency band.

10. A base station as defined in claim 9, wherein the transceiver sub-system comprises a frequency switching component operable:

to switch the transceiver sub-system to operation in the first frequency band for operation with the first antenna sub-system; and

to switch the transceiver sub-system to operation in the second frequency band for operation with the second antenna sub-system.

11. A base station as defined in claim 1, wherein the signals comply with an air interface standard selected from the group consisting of WiMAX and LTE.

12. A method of operating a base station to transceive signals in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first signal to another base station in a first time slot via a first antenna sub-system; and

transmitting a second signal to a user equipment in a second time slot via a second antenna sub-system, the second time slot being different from the first time slot.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a message apportioning timeslots for transmission to the other base station and for transmission to the user equipment;

allocating the first time slot to transmissions to the other base station in response to the received message; and

allocating the second time slot to transmissions to the user equipment in response to the receive message.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein a transceiver sub-system of the base station comprises a transceiver and a switch coupling the transceiver to the first antenna sub-system and the second antenna sub-system, the method comprising operating the switch:

to couple the transceiver to the first antenna sub-system and to decouple the antenna from the second antenna sub-system during the first time slot; and

to couple the transceiver to the second antenna sub-system and to decouple the antenna from the first antenna sub-system during the second time slot.

15. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein a transceiver sub-system of the base station comprises a first transceiver coupled to the first antenna sub-system and a second transceiver coupled to the second antenna sub-system, the method comprising:

operating the first transceiver to transmit to the other base station in the first time slot; and

operating the second transceiver to transmit to the user equipment in the second time slot.

16. A method as defined in claim 12, comprising:

operating the first antenna sub-system to radiate in a first radiation pattern;

operating the second antenna sub-system to radiate in a second radiation pattern, wherein the first radiation pattern is narrower in azimuth than the second radiation pattern.

17. A method as defined in claim 12, comprising:

operating the first antenna sub-system to radiate a first radiation pattern;

operating the second antenna sub-system to radiate in a second radiation pattern, wherein the first radiation pattern has less downtilt than the second radiation pattern.

18. A method as defined in claim 12, comprising operating the second antenna system to radiate in a substantially omni-directional radiation pattern.

19. A method as defined in claim 12, comprising:

operating a transceiver sub-system;

to move signals received on the first antenna sub-system from the first time slot to the second time slot for transmission on the second antenna; and

to move signals received on the second antenna sub-system from the second time slot to the first time slot for transmission on the first antenna;

so as to operate the base station as a relay between the other base station and the user equipment.

20. A method station as defined in claim 12, comprising:

operating a transceiver sub-system to transmit the first signal in a first frequency band; and

operating the transceiver sub-system to transmit the second signal in a second frequency band, the second frequency band at least partially overlapping the first frequency band.

21. A method as defined in claim 12, comprising transmitting signals complying with an air interface standard selected from the group consisting of WiMAX and LTE.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, comprising:

switching a transceiver sub-system to operation in the first frequency band for operation with the first antenna sub-system; and

switching the transceiver sub-system to operation in the second frequency band for operation with the second antenna sub-system.