High capacity sectorized cellular communication system

• US 5,432,780 A
• Filed: 04/19/1993
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wanat, Ronald J., Smith, John M., Kobrinetz, Anthony, Long, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Application Number:
  US08/048,916
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 370/69.1, 370/38, 370/40, 370/37, 370/95.1, 370/95.3, 455/33.1, 455/33.3, 455/33.4, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/55.1, 455/56.1, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63, 379/56
• US Class Current: 370/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment is provided. The cell site equipment includes a radio frequency transmitter operating as one signal frequency source. In addition, the cell site equipment includes a first and a second signal combiner device tuned to a first and a second signal frequency, respectively. Further, the cell site equipment includes a radio frequency switching mechanism, operatively coupled to the radio frequency transmitter, the first signal combiner device, and the second signal combiner device, for coupling the radio frequency transmitter to either of the first and the second signal combiner devices. In one embodiment, each signal combiner device includes a resonant cavity for isolating a signal frequency source from other signal frequency sources and a coupling for coupling the isolated signal frequency source to a common transmitter output. In an alternative embodiment, each signal combiner device includes a resonant cavity for isolating a signal frequency source from other signal frequency sources and a coupling for coupling the isolated signal frequency source of the first and the second signal combiner device to a first and a second common transmitter output, respectively.

Claims

1. A cellular radiotelephone communication system, including:

base site equipment for communicating with subscriber units in a plurality of regions including at least two sectorized regions, said sectorized regions being at least part of a geographic communication area served by said base site equipment; and

means for assigning at least one floating communication channel for communication between the base site equipment and a subscriber unit at at least two of said plurality of regions.

2. A cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment, comprising:

(a) a radio frequency transmitter operating as one signal frequency source;

(b) a first and a second signal combiner device coupled to a first and a second signal frequency source, respectively, each signal combiner device comprising coupling means for coupling the first and second signal frequency sources, respectively, to a first and second common transmitter output devices, respectively; and

(c) a radio frequency switching means, operatively coupled between the radio frequency transmitter and the first and second signal combiner devices for coupling the radio frequency transmitter to either of the first and the second signal combiner devices.

3. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 2 further comprising controlling means, operatively coupled to the radio frequency transmitter and the radio frequency switching means, for assigning the radio frequency transmitter to one of the first and the second common transmitter output device and dynamically switching the radio frequency transmitter to the first signal combiner device when the first common transmitter output device is assigned and to the second signal combiner device when the second common transmitter output device is assigned by the controlling means.

4. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 2 wherein the one of the first and second common transmitter output devices coupled to the radio frequency transmitter is selected from the group consisting of a sectorized antenna and an omni-antenna.

5. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 2 wherein the one of the first and second common transmitter output devices coupled to the radio frequency transmitter serves a geographic region selected from the group consisting of a sectorized antenna region and an omni-antenna zone.

6. A cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment comprising:

(a) a first and a second signal combiner coupling first and second signal transmitters, respectively, with first and second output devices, respectively; and

(b) a switch, operatively coupled between a floating channel transmitter and the first and second signal combiners for coupling the floating channel transmitter to either of the first and the second signal combiners.

7. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 6 further comprising a signal processor, operatively coupled to the floating channel transmitter and the switch for dynamically switching the floating channel transmitter to one of either the first and the second signal combiners while maintaining the floating channel transmitter at a same signal frequency.

8. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 6 wherein each of the first and second transmitter output devices is selected from the group consisting of a sectorized antenna and an omni-antenna.

9. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 6 wherein the first transmitter output device serves a geographic region different from a geographic region served by the second transmitter output device.

10. The cellular radiotelephone communication system cell site equipment of claim 9 wherein the first and the second transmitter output devices serve geographic regions selected from the group consisting of:

(i) the first transmitter output device serving one sectorized antenna region within a first cell and the second transmitter output device serving another sectorized antenna region of the first cell;

(ii) the first transmitter output device serving one sectorized antenna region within the first cell and the second transmitter output device serving omni-antenna zone of the first cell;

(iii) the first transmitter output device serving one sectorized antenna region within the first cell and the second transmitter output device serving a sectorized antenna region of another cell; and

(iv) the first transmitter output serving one sectorized antenna region within the first cell and the second transmitter output device serving a omni-antenna zone of another cell.

11. A method of transmitting floating and dedicated channels in a cellular radiotelephone system comprising the steps of:

(a) coupling a first dedicated signal transmitter with a first output device via a first signal combiner;

(b) coupling a second dedicated signal transmitter with a second output device via a second signal combiner;

(c) coupling a floating channel switch between a floating channel signal transmitter and each of the first and second combiners; and

(d) switching the floating channel switch to operatively couple the floating channel transmitter to one of the first and second signal combiners.