Broadband wireless system and network architecture providing broadband/narrowband service with optimal static and dynamic bandwidth/channel allocation

• US 5,592,470 A
• Filed: 12/21/1994
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Schroeder, Robert E., Miller, Robert R. II, Rudrapatna, Ashok N., Russell, Jesse E., Jaisingh, Gopal K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/361,355
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 370/18, 370/26, 370/32, 370/35, 370/38, 370/45, 370/50, 370/91, 370/85.13, 370/85.14, 370/95.1, 370/95.3, 370/118, 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 375/200, 375/201, 375/202, 375/205, 375/211, 375/212, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/5.5
• US Class Current: 370/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5608 Satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/907 Synchronous optical network, SONET

Abstract

A wireless broadband communication system architecture is structured to provide an array of narrowband and broadband services to an end user on demand. The bandwidth of delivery is dynamically adjusted to deliver and satisfy service requirements by utilizing the appropriate bandwidth on demand. Bandwidth-on-demand is provided in accord with the invention by rearranging spectrum allocations so that a particular band spectrum is convertibly used to accomplish different purposes depending on present allocations and active applications of the system. The communications system is designed to utilize wireless communication for end point delivery to both fixed and potable terminals. The system supplies basic telephone service, wireless ISDN service, wireless data service, wireless multimedia service and various other wireless broadband service including types of interactive and broadcast video.

Claims

1. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system;

comprising the steps of;

coupling end user equipment to the communication system by wireless transmission media utilizing a combination of spread spectrum and time division multiplex transmission to an access antenna;

at the end user premises re-transmitting a down link spread spectrum and time division transmission from the access antenna and transmitting up link spread spectrum and time division transmission to the access antenna;

partitioning available spectrum into specific channel/conduit components aligned to specific services to the end user and allocating sub channels and conduits to provide needed bandwidth for a particular application by the steps of defining asymmetrical broadband channels and bidirectional symmetrical narrowband channels by assigning channels into specific service categories; and

subdividing the channels into conduits of specified bandwidth each of which may be combined to be assigned to a specific service.

2. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the step of partitioning further includes the step of selecting conduits within channels to match bandwidth requirements of services to be provided.

3. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the step of partitioning further includes the step of mapping of a single service onto several conduits selected to match bandwidth requirements of that single service.

4. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 3,

wherein conduits are assigned based on modulation requirements of a service by selecting CDMA modulation for narrowband and TDM for broadband service.

5. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 4,

wherein channels are assigned to service classes to match static and variability in demand.

6. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 5,

wherein a channel is encoded by a modulation schema by utilizing CDMA for optimizing narrow band frequency reuse;

and

optimizing broadband applications by means of compression and by using TDM schema.

7. In a wireless broadband communication system, a method of delivering a variety of broadband/narrowband services to an end user of the system, as claimed in claim 6,

maximizing channel utilization while providing uniform service quality by varying conduit bit rate to match program requirements while maintaining an average bit rate for all conduits in a channel.

8. In a communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users;

a method of allocating frequency spectrum to satisfy service bandwidth requirements of a plurality of services;

comprising the steps of;

periodically setting a re-allocation time;

static allocating of channels to meet service demand on a known predetermined allocation basis supported by time and date records at a periodic reallocation time to meet anticipated demand at that time and date;

dynamic allocating of channels to meet service demand on immediate service requests in real time by determining an idle capacity of channels, measuring a number of channels assigned to incumbent service classes, determining if a number of idle channels exceeds the channels assigned to incumbent service classes by a block number, determining channels to be assigned to a different service class; and

the dynamic allocating having precedence over the static allocating.

9. In a communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, a method of allocating frequency spectrum to satisfy service bandwidth requirements of a plurality of services, as claimed in claim 8:

determining if there is blocking on channels to be assigned to a different service class; and

reassigning unused channels to a different service class.

10. In a communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, a method of allocating frequency spectrum to satisfy service bandwidth requirements of a plurality of services, as claimed in claim 9:

establishing a waiting period before a subsequent dynamic allocation.

11. In a communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, a method of allocating frequency spectrum to satisfy service bandwidth requirements of a plurality of services, as claimed in claim 9:

reallocations of channels from one service class to another service class are in incremental integer numbers of channels.

12. In a communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users;

a method of allocating frequency spectrum in both spread spectrum and TDM transmissions to satisfy service bandwidth requirements in providing end users with a plurality of services;

comprising the steps of;

periodically setting a re-allocation time;

statically allocating channels to meet service demand on a known predetermined allocation basis supported by time and date records at the reallocation time;

dynamically allocating channels to meet service demand on immediate service requests in real time;

statically and dynamically allocating channels by partitioning of the available frequency spectrum, and

the dynamic allocating having precedence over the static allocating.

13. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, comprising:

an asynchronous transport mode network and a synchronous transport mode network;

a service node connected to the asynchronous transport mode network and the synchronous transport mode network and an access node which is in turn connected to a microport including an antenna for radiating radio signals to a receiving antenna of an end user;

a channel allocation server, connected to the service node, for estimating blocking probabilities across service chases and for identifying channels to be moved from one service class to another to accommodate service demands;

communication circuitry for communicating and for providing communication network routing control;

wherein the communication network apportions communication channels and conduits to specific communication services;

and wherein the service node measures channel occupancy of the channels controlled by the communication system and assigns network trunks to operate as access trunks;

the access node combining and splitting channels to conform with the mapping of services onto channels;

the microport having radiant apparatus to transmit and receive signals over air media and associating wired channels of the networks to a RF channel; and

the access port connecting received wireless signals to wired and wireless equipment of the end user and transmitting wireless signals from the end user to the microport.

14. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a signaling server for providing signaling services to end user devices.

15. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a billing operations, administration, maintenance and provision server for providing integrated billing across all broadband and narrowband services to end users.

16. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a security server for providing security authentication and fraud prevention services.

17. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a customer profile server for storing end user data including subscriber preferences.

18. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a user registration server for maintaining real time data concerning a users location and service area related data.

19. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

a signaling server, an Interactive Video On Demand (IVOD) server, a security server, a billing operations, administration, maintenance and provision server server, a customer service profile server and a location and user registration server, and a channel allocation server;

all integrated within the system to provide integrated service across end-to-end of the network to end users across an entire portfolio of services.

20. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

the access node dividing channels into a fixed plurality of conduits, the plurality of conduits each being variable in bandwidth, with the plurality of conduits having a fixed overall bandwidth and the average bandwidth of the each conduit of the plurality of conduits remaining fixed.

21. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a radiant apparatus comprises a sectored antenna with three sectors and radiating three levels of channels for interactive broadcast video services, interactive video on demand services and narrowband services; and

the channel allocation server controlling transfers of channel assignments from one level to another.

22. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node being connected to the service node with a SONET ring.

23. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

antenna means for accepting satellite signals to support broadcast video, multimedia, and information services.

24. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node being connected to the service node with a point-to-point microwave connection.

25. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node being connected to the service node with a point-to-point infrared connection.

26. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node being connected to the service node with a star connection.

27. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node extending available services by adding interactive services by providing interactive uplink channels.

28. A communication network for providing broadband and narrowband services with a wireless connection between the network and end users, as claimed in claim 20 or 21, further comprising:

the access node adding new services by utilizing compression techniques to pack existing services into a subset of channels to free channels for new services.