Zoned microcell with sector scanning for cellular telephone system
First Claim
1. In a cellular telephone system wherein a plurality of contiguous cells, each having an assigned set of communication channels, are arranged with handoff means for maintaining continuous communication with mobile telephones moving from cell to cell,a cell having a plurality of antenna sets, each set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a zone within the boundaries of said cell,each of said plurality of antenna sets being divided into a plurality of sub-sets, each sub-set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a sector within the boundaries of the zone served by the associated antenna set,control means including means for monitoring the strength of the signal associated with each one of the communication channels assigned to said cell and received by each of said sub-sets of each of said antenna sets,and means for switching to a selected antenna sub-set in said cell having the strongest received signal associated with a selected one of the communication channels such that communication using said selected communication channel is maintained and is limited to the sector associated with the selected antenna sub-set.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A zoned microcell system with sector scanning for cellular telephone systems has a plurality of contiguous cells, each having a different assigned set of transmission frequency channels, arranged with handoff means for maintaining continuous communication with mobile telephones moving from cell to cell. The system includes at least one cell having a plurality of transmitting and receiving antenna sets. Each set is positioned at a respective antenna sub-site within the periphery of the cell at a suitable location, and is configured so that propagation and reception of signals is limited to a transmission zone which is substantially within the boundaries of the cell and which is substantially less in area than the cell. Control means monitor the strength of the signal received by each of the antenna sets at each frequency channel in the assigned set. Transmission, at each frequency channel in the assigned set, is confined to the antenna set at one sub-site in the cell having the strongest received signal at each frequency to thus limit signal propagation to the transmission zone served by that set. In one embodiment, further signal strength monitoring is provided at each sub-site. Transmission, at each frequency channel in the assigned set, is confined to a specific sub-set of antennas at the sub-site. In this way, transmission at each frequency channel in the assigned set is confined to a limited sector within the transmission zone.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a cellular telephone system wherein a plurality of contiguous cells, each having an assigned set of communication channels, are arranged with handoff means for maintaining continuous communication with mobile telephones moving from cell to cell,
a cell having a plurality of antenna sets, each set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a zone within the boundaries of said cell, each of said plurality of antenna sets being divided into a plurality of sub-sets, each sub-set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a sector within the boundaries of the zone served by the associated antenna set, control means including means for monitoring the strength of the signal associated with each one of the communication channels assigned to said cell and received by each of said sub-sets of each of said antenna sets, and means for switching to a selected antenna sub-set in said cell having the strongest received signal associated with a selected one of the communication channels such that communication using said selected communication channel is maintained and is limited to the sector associated with the selected antenna sub-set.
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7. A cellular telephone system including a plurality of contiguous cells, each of said cells having an assigned sets of communication channels, said cells being arranged with handoff means for maintaining continuous communication with mobile telephones moving from cell to cell, at least one of said cells comprising:
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a plurality of antenna sets, each set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a zone within the boundaries of said cell, each of said plurality of antenna sets being divided into a plurality of sub-sets, each sub-set being positioned and having transmitting and receiving means directionally configured to limit propagation and reception of signals substantially to a sector within the boundaries of the zone served by the associated antenna set, control means including means for monitoring the strength of the signal associated with each one of the communication channels assigned to said cell and received by each of said sub-sets of each of said antenna sets, and means for switching to a selected antenna sub-set in said cell having the strongest received signal associated with a selected one of the communication channels such that communication using said selected communication channel is maintained and is limited to the sector associated with the selected antenna sub-set. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification