Universal Wireless Station for Multiple Simultaneous Wireless Services

• US 20180084596A1
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwengler, Thomas, Barnett, Jr., Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,687,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing wireless communications, and, more particularly, for implementing multiple simultaneous wireless services using a universal wireless station. In various embodiments, a universal wireless station (and/or a computing system(s)) might determine a first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications with a second device and might determine a second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications with a third device. The universal wireless station might establish a first communications channel between the universal wireless station and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, establish a second communications channel between the universal wireless station and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and concurrently send and receive both a first communications signal over the first communications channel and a second communications signal over the second communications channel.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, with a computing system, a first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by a first device with a second device;

establishing, with a wireless communications system, a first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols;

determining, with the computing system, a second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the first device with a third device;

establishing, with the wireless communications system, a second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols;

concurrently sending and receiving, with the wireless communications system, a first communications signal over the first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and a second communications signal over the second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the computing system and the wireless communications system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device is at least one of a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, an enterprise gateway device, or a network gateway device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device is external to any gateway device, and is communicatively coupled to at least one of a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, an enterprise gateway device, or a network gateway device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the wireless communications system, and wherein the computing system comprises one of a gateway device, a server computer, a network node, or a cloud computing system, each of which is separate from the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a universal wireless station that is located within one of a residential customer premises, a business customer premises, an enterprise customer premises, a service provider facility, or a government facility, and wherein the second device and the third device each comprises one of a user device associated with a user, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) capable device, an IoT-capable sensor device, or telecommunications equipment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user device comprises at least one of a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a telephone handset, a telephone base station, a facsimile machine, a household appliance, a kitchen appliance, a television, a set-top box, or a gaming console, wherein the telecommunications equipment comprises at least one of a telecommunications relay system, a satellite, a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, or customer premises equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the computing system, a third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the first device with a fourth device;

establishing, with the wireless communications system, a third communications channel between the first device and the fourth device using the determined third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols; and

concurrently sending and receiving, with the wireless communications system, a first communications signal over the first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, a second communications signal over the second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and a third communications signal over the third communications channel between the first device and the fourth device using the determined third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications system comprises at least one antenna and at least one of a software-defined radio (“

SDR”

) communications system or one or more physical layer wireless communications chipsets.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one antenna each transmits and receives wireless communication signals according to a set of protocols comprising at least one of IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11ay, IEEE 802.11af, or IEEE 802.15.4, wherein the set of protocols are based at least in part on the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and based at least in part on the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one antenna each transmits and receives wireless communication signals according to a set of protocols comprising at least one of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“

UMTS”

), Code Division Multiple Access (“

CDMA”

), Time Division Multiple Access (“

TDMA”

), Global System for Mobile Communication (“

GSM”

), Long Term Evolution (“

LTE”

), Personal Communications Service (“

PCS”

), Advanced Wireless Services (“

AWS”

), Emergency Alert System (“

EAS”

), Citizens Band Radio Service (“

CBRS”

), Broadband Radio Service (“

BRS”

), 6LowPAN, IEEE 802.11af, or LoRa, wherein the set of protocols are based at least in part on the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and based at least in part on the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one antenna each comprises at least one of a plurality of lateral patch antennas, a plurality of arrays of patch antennas, one or more micro-strip patch antennas, a two-dimensional (“

2D”

) leaky waveguide antenna, or a three-dimensional (“

3D”

) array of antenna elements.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing system, comprising;

at least one first processor; and

a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the computing system to;

determine a first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the apparatus with a second device; and

determine a second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the apparatus with a third device; and

a wireless communications system, comprising;

at least one antenna;

at least one second processor; and

a second non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one second processor, the second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the wireless communications system to;

establish a first communications channel between the apparatus and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols;

establish a second communications channel between the apparatus and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols; and

concurrently send and receive, via the at least one antenna, a first communications signal over the first communications channel between the apparatus and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and a second communications signal over the second communications channel between the apparatus and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is at least one of a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, an enterprise gateway device, or a network gateway device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is external to any gateway device, and is communicatively coupled to at least one of a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, an enterprise gateway device, or a network gateway device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is a universal wireless station that is located within one of a residential customer premises, a business customer premises, an enterprise customer premises, a service provider facility, or a government facility, and wherein the second device and the third device each comprises one of a user device associated with a user, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) capable device, an IoT-capable sensor device, or telecommunications equipment.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user device comprises at least one of a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a telephone handset, a telephone base station, a facsimile machine, a household appliance, a kitchen appliance, a television, a set-top box, or a gaming console, wherein the telecommunications equipment comprises at least one of a telecommunications relay system, a satellite, a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, or customer premises equipment.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the first set of instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further causes the computing system to;

determine a third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the apparatus with a fourth device;

the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, further causes the wireless communications system to;

establish a third communications channel between the apparatus and the fourth device using the determined third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols; and

concurrently send and receive, via the at least one antenna, a first communications signal over the first communications channel between the apparatus and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, a second communications signal over the second communications channel between the apparatus and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and a third communications signal over the third communications channel between the apparatus and the fourth device using the determined third set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless communications system further comprises at least one of a software-defined radio (“

SDR”

) communications system or one or more physical layer wireless communications chipsets.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one antenna each transmits and receives wireless communication signals according to a set of protocols comprising at least one of IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11ay, IEEE 802.11af, or IEEE 802.15.4, wherein the set of protocols are based at least in part on the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and based at least in part on the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one antenna each transmits and receives wireless communication signals according to a set of protocols comprising at least one of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“

UMTS”

), Code Division Multiple Access (“

CDMA”

), Time Division Multiple Access (“

TDMA”

), Global System for Mobile Communication (“

GSM”

), Long Term Evolution (“

LTE”

), Personal Communications Service (“

PCS”

), Advanced Wireless Services (“

AWS”

), Emergency Alert System (“

EAS”

), Citizens Band Radio Service (“

CBRS”

), Broadband Radio Service (“

BRS”

), 6LowPAN, IEEE 802.11af, or LoRa, wherein the set of protocols are based at least in part on the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and based at least in part on the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one antenna each comprises at least one of a plurality of lateral patch antennas, a plurality of arrays of patch antennas, one or more micro-strip patch antennas, a two-dimensional (“

2D”

) leaky waveguide antenna, or a three-dimensional (“

3D”

) array of antenna elements.

23. A system, comprising:

a first device, comprising;

a computing system, comprising;

at least one first processor; and

a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the computing system to;

determine a first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the first device with a second device; and

determine a second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications by the first device with a third device; and

a wireless communications system, comprising;

at least one first antenna;

at least one first transceiver;

at least one second processor; and

a second non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one second processor, the second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the wireless communications system to;

establish a first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols;

establish a second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols; and

concurrently send and receive, via the at least one antenna, a first communications signal over the first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and a second communications signal over the second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols

a second device, comprising;

at least one second antenna;

at least one second transceiver;

at least one third processor; and

a third non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one third processor, the third non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a third set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one third processor, causes the second device to;

receive and send, via the at least one second transceiver and the at least one second antenna, the first communications signal over the first communications channel between the first device and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols; and

a third device, comprising;

at least one third antenna;

at least one third transceiver;

at least one fourth processor; and

a fourth non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one fourth processor, the fourth non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a fourth set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one fourth processor, causes the third device to;

receive and send, via the at least one third transceiver and the at least one third antenna, the second communications signal over the second communications channel between the first device and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first device is a universal wireless station that is located within one of a residential customer premises, a business customer premises, an enterprise customer premises, a service provider facility, or a government facility, and wherein the second device and the third device each comprises one of a user device associated with a user, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) capable device, an IoT-capable sensor device, or telecommunications equipment.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the user device comprises at least one of a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a telephone handset, a telephone base station, a facsimile machine, a household appliance, a kitchen appliance, a television, a set-top box, or a gaming console, wherein the telecommunications equipment comprises at least one of a telecommunications relay system, a satellite, a residential gateway device, a business gateway device, or customer premises equipment.