Wireless indoor data relay system

• US 5,218,356 A
• Filed: 05/31/1991
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guenther Knapp
• Original Assignee: Guenther Knapp
• Inventors: Knapp, Guenther
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US07/708,433
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 342/350, 359/118, 359/145
• US Class Current: 342/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This invention removes the requirement of cable interconnections to local area network (LAN) nodes with wireless optical relay stations suitable for high data rates. Relay sections are equipped with IR transmitters, receivers and narrow beam optics. Manual beam alignment during the LAN installation is aided by a visible light beam of equal beam width and direction. Rotational freedom of the optical antenna systems provide precise aiming. Structure couplers extend, by low-power RF coupling through nonmetallic wall and ceilings, the wireless data transmission from a single room to rooms and building floors. Shielding and wall gaskets of the structure couplers eliminate RF radiation penetration and leakage, and therefore prevent eavesdropping and jamming.

Claims

1. A portable indoor wireless optical communication relay system to relay local area network (LAN) inbound and outbound data of at least 1 Mbps from optical relay stations to optical relay stations by means of narrow light beams serving a plurality of infrared (IR) transponders by a plurality of relay station, each relay station comprising:

at least two optical receiver systems for receiving modulated light signals, wherein one said receiver system is receiving said signals representative of the inbound data, and wherein one said receiver system is receiving said signals representative of the outbound data;

each said optical receiver system comprising;

a light collecting means with tubular incidental light beam shielding means for protection of photo detecting means from direct and indirect, light rays of room illuminating sources and for protection from interfering data modulated light beams, a photo detecting means responsive to the light signals received from said light collecting means, and receiving means for data recovery and reconditioning of said modulated light signals;

at least two optical transmitter systems for transmitting said light modulated signals, wherein one said transmitter system is transmitting signals representative of the received and reconditioned inbound data, and wherein one said transmitter system is transmitting signals representative of the received and reconditioned outbound data;

each said optical transmitter system comprising;

light beam emitting means with narrow beam width to illuminate the receiver light collecting aperture of the recipient relay station, transmitting means for driving said light beam emitter with amplified signals representative of the inbound or outbound signals;

an interface means for connection of received inbound to transmitted inbound data and received outbound to transmitted outbound data signal lines of two equally constructed optical relay sections forming an optical relay station, each said relay section comprising at least one said optical receiver system and at least one optical transmitter system.

2. An indoor wireless relay system according to claim 1 wherein the said tubular incidental light beam shielding means is a cylindrical tube extending at least one aperture diameter in length beyond the said aperture of the said light collecting means with the same diameter, and an optical filter to block the undesirable frequencies from other beams and incidental light frequencies.

3. An indoor wireless communication relay system according to claim 2 wherein coarse aiming means are supporting at least one said receiver system and at least one said transmitter system to aim said narrow light beams parallel and in orthogonally projection from at least two of m polygonally mounted surfaces.

4. An indoor wireless communication relay system according to claim 3 wherein said coarse aiming means include visible spotlight guided fine aiming means for directional control of the said narrow light beams by angles of at least 360°

/m projecting light patterns of approximately equal or smaller dimensions to that of the said narrow light beams.

5. An indoor wireless communication relay system according to claim 1 wherein inbound data and outbound data are modulated on light of different frequencies.

6. An indoor wireless communication relay system according to claim 1 wherein each said optical transmitter and each said optical receiver is connected by a terminal means to the LAN interface controller thereby providing separate data signal connections from the said interface controller to and from said optical transmitter and said optical receiver.

7. An indoor wireless communication relay system according to claim 1 wherein a LAN interface controller is included with the said communication relay system to establish network connection and network protocol adaptation with an IR transponder or other light modulated data distributing means constructed without a LAN interface controller.

8. An indoor wireless signal coupling relay system wherein connectivity for inbound and outbound signals are maintained through a wall or ceiling by confined electromagnetic radiation, comprising:

an inbound coupling RF transmitting antenna means placed directly on said wall or ceiling for directed transmission if inbound signals to the inbound coupling RF receiver antenna located on its opposite side of said wall or ceiling,

an inbound coupling RF transmitter for operation of said inbound coupling RF transmitter antenna, including;

an RF carrier generating means interfacing with said inbound coupling RF transmitter antenna, modulating means for modulation of an inbound RF carrier with inbound signals which are obtained from the inbound receiving means;

outbound coupling RF receiving antenna means which is placed directly on said wall or ceiling for reception of outbound signal modulated RF carrier transmissions from the opposite side of said wall or ceiling which are transmitted by the outbound coupling RF transmitter antenna;

an outbound coupling RF receiver for receiving outbound signal modulated RF from an outbound coupling RF receiver antenna, including;

low noise amplifying means for low level RF amplification, demodulating means for demodulation of received said outbound signal modulated RF, and recovery means for recovery of said outbound signals;

an interface means to provide connection of signals received from an inbound signal source to said inbound coupling RF transmitter modulating means; and

said interface means to provide connection of output signals of said outbound coupling RF receiver recovery means to an outbound signal receiver;

an outbound coupling RF transmitter antenna placed directly on said wall or ceiling for direct transmission of outbound signal modulated RF to the outbound coupling RF receiver antenna located on its opposite side of said wall or ceiling,

an outbound coupling RF transmitter for operation of said outbound coupling RF transmitter antenna, including;

RF carrier generating means interfacing with said outbound coupling RF transmitter antenna, modulating means for modulation of an outbound RF carrier with signals which are obtained from an outbound lightwave receiving means, an inbound RF receiver antenna which is placed on said wall or ceiling for reception of said inbound signal modulated RF carrier transmissions from opposite side of said wall or ceiling which are transmitted by the said inbound coupling RF transmitter antenna;

inbound coupling RF receiving antenna means which is placed directly on said wall or ceiling for reception of inbound signal modulated RF carrier transmissions from the opposite side of said wall or ceiling which are transmitted by the inbound RF transmitter antenna;

an inbound coupling RF receiver for receiving of said inbound signal modulated RF from said inbound coupling RF receiver antenna including;

low noise amplifying means for low level RF amplification, demodulating means for demodulation of received said inbound data signal modulated RF, and recovering means for recovery of said inbound signals;

an interface means to provide connection of signals received from an outbound signal source to said outbound coupling RF transmitter modulating means; and

said interface means to provide connection of output signals of said inbound coupling RF receiver recovery means to an inbound signal receiver;

RF shielding housing means to enclose and shield one coupling RF transmitter antenna, one coupling RF transmitter, one coupling RF receiver antenna and one RF receiver together for placement on one side of said wall or ceiling with its one-sided openings facing the said wall or ceiling for passage of RF radiation;

RF shielding gasket means tightly fitting between said housing means and said wall or ceiling, and said gasket means extending outside of said housing means on the said wall or ceiling to enhance confinement of RF radiation.

9. An indoor wireless signal coupling relay system according to claim 8 wherein the RF carrier power received by one RF inbound receiver antenna is measured and indicated by a signalling system, and the RF carrier power received by one outbound coupling RF receiver antenna is measured and indicated by a signalling system, each signalling system comprising:

threshold means for measurement of the detected RF carrier power to establish the best coupling location of the RF receiving antenna with respect to the RF transmitter antenna on the opposite side of said wall or ceiling by signalling the relative RF carrier power levels received to the signalling means;

signalling means for indication of RF carrier power level detected by the said threshold means indicating the highest RF carrier power level at a location for the placement of the signal coupling relay system on said wall or ceiling.

10. An indoor wireless signal coupling relay system according to claim 8, wherein:

the interface means of the said inbound coupling RF receiver and of the said outbound coupling RF transmitter is connecting the terminal of one optical relay section collocated on one side of said wall or ceiling with said optical relay section; and

the interface means of the said outbound coupling RF receiver and of the said inbound coupling RF transmitter is connecting the terminal of the other optical relay station collocated on the other side of said wall or ceiling thereby establishing a data modulated lightwave to data modulated lightwave connectivity through said wall or ceiling.