High bit rate communication system for overcoming multipath
First Claim
1. For use in a RF communication system having a first terminal and a second terminal for communicating data therebetween, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference caused by the reception of multiple signals having differential path delays exceeding a substantial fraction of the data symbol duration, at least a first terminal, comprising:
- a plurality of directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors;
receiver means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for receiving RF signals via each of said plurality of directional antennas; and
selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting a communication path between the second terminal and one of said plurality of directional antennas, based at least partly on received RF signal integrity, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system for relatively high data bit rate RF communication overcomes multipath interference by employing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors and by selecting the best communication path established between two terminals, at least one of which has narrow beam antenna sectors. The communication path selection process includes determining the signal integrity of data communicated between the terminals. One implementation includes the narrow beam antenna sectors at each terminal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. For use in a RF communication system having a first terminal and a second terminal for communicating data therebetween, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference caused by the reception of multiple signals having differential path delays exceeding a substantial fraction of the data symbol duration, at least a first terminal, comprising:
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a plurality of directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors; receiver means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for receiving RF signals via each of said plurality of directional antennas; and selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting a communication path between the second terminal and one of said plurality of directional antennas, based at least partly on received RF signal integrity, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 19, 20)
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5. A communication system for RF communication, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference, comprising:
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a first terminal including; an antenna, and transmitter means, coupled to said antenna, for transmitting an RF signal containing first terminal sector identifying information; and a second terminal including; a plurality of directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, receiver means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for receiving digital RF signals via each of said plurality of directional antennas, and selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting from among various antenna combinations, a communication path between the antenna of the first terminal and a second terminal sector, based at least partly on received RF signal integrity, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A communication system for RF communication, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference, comprising:
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a first terminal including; a plurality of first terminal directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, and transmitter means, coupled to said plurality of first terminal directional antennas, for transmitting, from a plurality of said first terminal directional antennas, an RF signal containing first terminal sector identifying information; and a second terminal including; a plurality of second terminal directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, receiver means, coupled to said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, for receiving RF signals via each of said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, and selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting, from among various antenna combinations, a communication path between a first terminal sector and a second terminal sector, based at least partly on the received RF signal'"'"'s integrity, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A communication system for relatively high data bit rate RF communication, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference, comprising:
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a first terminal including; a plurality of first terminal directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, and receiver means, coupled to said plurality of first terminal directional antennas, for receiving a first terminal designated digital RF signal via at least one of said plurality of first terminal directional antennas, transmitter means, coupled to said plurality of first terminal directional antennas, for transmitting, at a plurality of said first terminal directional antennas, a second terminal designated digital RF signal containing first terminal sector identifying information; and a second terminal including; a plurality of second terminal directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, receiver means, coupled to said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, for receiving said second terminal designated digital RF signals via at least one of said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, transmitter means, coupled to said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, for transmitting a digital RF signal from said plurality of second terminal directional antennas, selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting, from among various antenna combinations, a communication path between a first terminal sector and a second terminal sector, based at least partly on the received RF signal'"'"'s integrity, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference, and means for transmitting a message to the first terminal to indicate said selected communication path; whereby both the first terminal and the second terminal use data from respectively received RF signals which are communicated via the selected communication path.
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17. For use in a digital RF communication system having a first terminal and a second terminal for communicating data therebetween, the second terminal having a plurality of antennas for communicating digital RF signals, such communication being subject to multipath interference, the first terminal comprising:
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a plurality of directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors; receiver means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for receiving a first terminal designated digital RF signal via at least one preselected one of said plurality of directional antennas; and transmitter means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for transmitting, at a plurality of said directional antennas, a second terminal designated digital RF signal containing first terminal sector identifying information to enable the second terminal to select, from among various antenna combinations, a communication path between a first terminal sector and a second terminal sector, based at least partly on the received RF signal'"'"'s integrity, so as to minimize reception errors caused by multipath interference.
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18. For use in a digital RF communication system having a first terminal and a second terminal for communicating data therebetween, the second terminal having a plurality of antennas for communicating digital RF signals, such communication being subject to substantial multipath interference caused by the reception of multiple signals having differential path delays exceeding a substantial fraction of the data symbol duration, at least the second terminal, comprising:
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a plurality o directional antennas for providing relatively narrow beam antenna sectors, receiver means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for receiving said second terminal designated digital RF signal via each of said plurality of directional antennas, transmitter means, coupled to said plurality of directional antennas, for transmitting a digital RF signal at a plurality of said directional antennas, selection means, coupled to said receiver means, for selecting, from among various antenna combinations, a communication path between a first terminal sector and a second terminal sector, based at least partly on the integrity of the second terminal designated digital RF signal, so as to overcome reception errors caused by multipath interference, and means for transmitting a message to the first terminal to indicate said selected communication path.
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Specification