Radio frequency communications system

• US 5,212,830 A
• Filed: 05/31/1991
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Mobile Machines Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US07/708,694
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/33.3, 455/33.3, 455/34.1, 455/34.2, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures

Abstract

An RF communications system for providing wireless telecommunication service to sixteen contiguous geographic sectors or cells. The system includes an antenna array having a plurality of antenna sites located at the corners of contiguous geographic sectors. The central antenna site has four directional antennas. The four corner towers each have three directional antennas. Each directional antenna illuminates an entire sector. The location of the antenna sites and the allocation of a frequency group for each sector minimizes RF interference.

Claims

1. An RF communications system for communicating between a plurality of base stations and subscriber units within a plurality of contiguous geographic sectors comprising:

a plurality of frequency groups, each group being utilized for communication in a selected sector between a selected base station and a plurality of subscriber units;

a primary base station having first, second, third and fourth primary directional antennas for servicing first, second, third and fourth separate primary geographic sectors, respectively;

said primary antennas being disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the primary sectors which they service;

said primary antennas being directed at substantially 90°

intervals from each other such that the first and third primary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other and such that the second and fourth primary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other;

a first of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and third primary sectors between said primary base station and a plurality of subscriber units such that a single frequency of said first group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between the primary base station and a subscriber unit in each of the first and third primary sectors;

a second of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said second and fourth primary sectors between said primary base station and a plurality of subscriber units such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between the primary base station and a subscriber unit in each of the second and fourth primary sectors;

a plurality of secondary base stations, each having first, second and third secondary directional antennas for servicing a separate first, second and third secondary geographic sectors;

a first of said secondary base stations having its secondary antennas disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and said first primary sector;

said first secondary base station having its said secondary antennas being directed at substantially 90°

intervals from each other such that its first and third secondary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other and such that its second secondary antenna is directed at substantially 180°

from the location of said primary antennas;

a third of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and third secondary sectors serviced by said first secondary base station such that a single frequency of said third group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between said first secondary base station and a subscriber unit in each of its said first and third secondary sectors;

`said second frequency group being utilized for communication in said second secondary sector serviced by said first secondary base station such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications, one between said first secondary base station and a subscriber unit in said second secondary sector and the second between said primary base station and a subscriber unit in said second or fourth primary sectors;

a second of said secondary base stations having its secondary antennas disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and said second primary sector;

said second secondary base station having its said secondary antennas being directed at substantially 90°

intervals from each other such that its first and third secondary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other and such that its second secondary antenna is directed at substantially 180°

from the location of said primary antennas;

a fourth of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and third secondary sectors serviced by said second secondary base station such that a single frequency of said fourth group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between said second secondary base station and a subscriber unit in each of its said first and third secondary sectors;

said first frequency group being utilized for communication in said second secondary sector serviced by said second secondary base station such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications, one between said second secondary base station and a subscriber unit in its said second secondary sector and the second between said primary base station and a subscriber unit in said first or third primary sectors;

a third of said secondary base stations having its secondary antennas disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and said third primary sector;

said third secondary base station having its said secondary antennas being directed at substantially 90°

intervals from each other such that its first and third secondary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other and such that its second secondary antenna is directed at substantially 180°

from the location of said primary antennas;

said third frequency group being utilized for communication in both said first and third secondary sectors serviced by said third secondary base station such that a single frequency of said third group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between said third secondary base station and a subscriber unit in each of its said first and third secondary sectors;

said second frequency group being utilized for communication in said second secondary sector serviced by said third secondary base station such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications, one between said third secondary base station and a subscriber unit in its said second secondary sector and the second between said primary base station and a subscriber unit in said second or fourth primary sectors;

a fourth of said secondary base stations having its secondary antennas disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and said fourth primary sector;

said fourth secondary base station having its said secondary antennas being directed at substantially 90°

intervals from each other such that its first and third secondary antennas are directed at substantially 180°

from each other and such that its second secondary antenna is directed at substantially 180°

from the location of said primary antennas;

said fourth frequency group being utilized for communication in both said first and third secondary sectors serviced by said fourth secondary base station such that a single frequency of said fourth group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between said fourth secondary base station and a subscriber unit in each of its said first and third secondary sectors; and

said first frequency group being utilized for communication in said second secondary sector serviced by said fourth secondary base station such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications, one between said fourth secondary base station and a subscriber unit in its said second secondary sector and the second between said primary base station and a subscriber unit in said first or third primary sectors.

2. An RF communications system according to claim 1 wherein each frequency group has an equal number of transmit and receive frequency pairs.

3. An RF communications system comprising a plurality of super-cells according to claim 1.

4. An RF communications system according to claim 3 wherein adjacent super-cells have frequency groups having different frequencies.

5. An RF communications system for communicating between a plurality of base stations and subscriber units within a plurality of contiguous geographic sectors comprising:

a plurality of frequency groups, each group being utilized for communication in a selected sector between a selected base station and a plurality of subscriber units;

a primary base station having a plurality of primary directional antennas, each for servicing a separate primary one of the geographic sectors;

said primary antennas being disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the primary sectors which they service;

a first of said primary antennas for servicing a first of said primary sectors being directed substantially away from the direction of a second of said primary antennas which services a second of said primary sectors;

a first of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and second primary sectors between said primary base station and a plurality of subscriber units such that a single frequency of said first group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between the primary base station and a subscriber unit in each of the first and second primary sectors;

a plurality of secondary base stations, each having a plurality of secondary directional antennas, each for servicing a separate secondary one of the geographic sectors;

said secondary antennas of each secondary base station being disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and one of said primary sectors;

the locations of said secondary antennas being substantially concentric about the location of said primary antennas;

at least a first of said secondary base stations having a first secondary antenna for servicing a first of said secondary sectors being directed substantially away from the direction of a second secondary antenna which services a second of said secondary sectors;

a second of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and second secondary sectors between said secondary base station and a plurality of subscriber units such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between said first secondary base station and a subscriber unit in each of the first and second secondary sectors.

6. An RF communications system according to claim 5 wherein said first primary antenna is directed substantially 180°

from the direction of said second primary antenna and said first secondary antenna is directed substantially 180°

from the direction of said second secondary antenna.

7. An RF communications system according to claim 5 wherein each frequency group has an equal number of transmit and receive frequency pairs.

8. An RF communications system for communicating between a plurality of base stations and subscriber units within a plurality of contiguous geographic sectors comprising:

a plurality of frequency groups, each group being utilized for communication in a selected sector between a selected base station and a plurality of subscriber units;

a primary base station having a plurality of primary directional antennas, each for servicing a separate primary one of the geographic sectors;

said primary antennas being disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the primary sectors which they service;

a first of said primary antennas for servicing a first of said primary sectors being directed substantially away from the direction of a second of said primary antennas which services a second of said primary sectors;

a first of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first and second primary sectors between said primary base station and a plurality of subscriber units such that a single frequency of said first group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications between the primary base station and a subscriber unit in each of the first and second primary sectors;

a plurality of secondary base stations, each having a plurality of secondary directional antennas, each for servicing a separate secondary one of the geographic sectors;

said secondary antennas of each secondary base station being disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner of the secondary sectors which they service and one of said primary sectors;

the locations of said secondary antennas being substantially concentric about the location of said primary antennas;

at least a first of said secondary base stations having its secondary antennas disposed together at a fixed location proximate a common corner with said first primary sector;

said first secondary base station having a first secondary antenna for servicing a first of said secondary sectors being directed substantially away from the location of said primary antennas;

a second of said frequency groups being utilized for communication in both said first secondary sector and a third primary sector such that a single frequency of said second group can be simultaneously utilized for two separate communications, one between said first secondary base station and a subscriber unit in said first secondary sector and the second between said primary base station and a subscriber unit in said third primary sector.

9. An RF communications system according to claim 8 wherein said first primary antenna is directed substantially 180°

from the direction of said second primary antenna and said first secondary antenna is directed substantially 180°

from the location of said primary antennas.

10. An RF communications system according to claim 8 wherein each frequency group has an equal number of transmit and receive frequency pairs.