Hub and remote cellular telephone system

• US 5,758,287 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airtouch Communications, Inc. (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Pasquel, David Anthony, Rudokas, Ronald S., Lee, William Chien-Yeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/705,012
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 359/152, 359/172, 359/173, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/33.3, 455/33.4, 455/34.1, 455/53.1, 455/56.1, 455/103, 455/422, 455/424, 455/429, 455/436, 455/442, 455/447, 455/448, 455/449 , 455/450-454, 455/500, 455/507, 455/509, 455/514, 455/516, 455/517
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hub and remote cellular system having RF generating equipment located at a centralized hub, and RF front end equipment located at each of a plurality of remote omni-directional cell sites. The centralized hub distributes channels for the remote cell sites. The hub and remote structure provides for the efficient allocation of resources to a plurality of cell sites, lowers equipment costs, real estate costs, regulatory costs, and maintenance costs.

Claims

1. A cellular communications system for mobile telephones, comprising:

a plurality of independent cell sites having only RF front-end equipment, wherein the mobile telephones change channels as they move from one of the independent cell sites to another of the independent cell sites; and

a centralized hub coupled to each of the independent cell sites and comprised of at least one transceiver cage, the transceiver cage generating a plurality of channels for communications thereon, the transceiver cage being configured for operating a single cell site having a plurality of sectors therein, and each of the independent cell sites being treated as one of the sectors by the transceiver cage, wherein the centralized hub further comprises means for transmitting the channels from the transceiver cage to the independent cell sites and means for dynamically assigning the channels among the independent cell sites, so that the channels generated by the transceiver cage are shared by the independent cell sites, thereby increasing channel efficiency.

2. The cellular communications system as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein each of the channels is a radio frequency (RF) channel that communicates a plurality of code division multiple access (CDMA) channels thereon.

3. The cellular communications system as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the means for dynamically assigning the channels among the independent cell sites comprises a switch and site selector coupled to the transceiver cage and each of the independent cell sites.

4. The cellular communications system as set forth in claim 3 above, wherein the means for dynamically assigning the channels among the independent cell sites further comprises means for measuring communications traffic volume through the hub and each of the independent cell sites.

5. The cellular communications system as set forth in claim 4 above, wherein the means for measuring communications traffic volume through the hub and each of the independent cell sites comprises:

a traffic volume meter for measuring the communications traffic volume through the hub; and

a site traffic volume indicator, coupled to the traffic volume meter, for calculating a composite communications traffic volume at each independent cell site at a specified interval and for controlling the switch and site selector to configure the number of channels assigned to the independent cell sites in response to the calculated composite communications traffic volume.

6. A method of cellular communications for mobile telephones, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a plurality of channels for communications thereon using a transceiver cage located at a centralized hub, the transceiver cage being coupled to a plurality of independent cell sites having only RF front-end equipment, the mobile telephones changing channels as they move from one of the independent cell sites to another of the independent cell sites, the transceiver cage being configured for operating a single cell site having a plurality of sectors therein, and each of the independent cell sites being treated as one of the sectors by the transceiver cage;

(b) transmitting the channels from the transceiver cage to the independent cell sites; and

(c) dynamically assigning the channels among the independent cell sites coupled to the transceiver cage, so that the channels generated by the transceiver cage are shared by the independent cell sites, thereby increasing channel efficiency.

7. A hub for a cellular communications system, comprising:

a plurality of transceivers generating a plurality of channels for communications thereon;

means for transmitting the channels from the transceivers to a plurality of independent cell sites having only RF front-end equipment coupled to the hub, wherein mobile telephones change channels as they move from one of the independent cell sites to another of the independent cell sites;

means for measuring communications traffic volume through the hub and each of the independent cell sites; and

means for dynamically assigning the channels generated by the transceivers among the independent cell sites in response to the measured communications traffic volume, so that the channels generated by the transceiver cage are shared by the independent cell sites, thereby increasing channel efficiency.

8. The hub for a cellular communications system as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein each of the channels is a radio frequency (RF) channel that communicates a plurality of code division multiple access (CDMA) channels thereon.

9. The hub for a cellular communications system as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein the means for dynamically assigning the channels among the independent cell sites comprises a switch and site selector coupled to each of the transceivers and each of the independent cell sites.

10. The hub for a cellular communications system as set forth in claim 9 above, wherein the means for measuring communications traffic volume through the hub and each of the independent cell sites comprises;

a traffic volume meter for measuring traffic volume through the hub;

an

a site traffic volume indicator, coupled to the traffic volume meter, for calculating a composite traffic volume at each independent cell site at a specified interval and for controlling the switch and site selector to configure the number of channels assigned to the independent cell sites in response to the calculated composite traffic volume.

11. A method of cellular communications for mobile telephones, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a plurality of RF channels using transceivers located at a centralized hub;

(b) transmitting the RF channels from the centralized hub to a plurality of independent cell sites having only RF front-end equipment coupled to the centralized hub, wherein the mobile telephones change channels as they move from one of the independent cell sites to another of the independent cell sites;

(c) measuring communications traffic volume through the centralized hub and each of the independent cell sites; and

(d) dynamically assigning the RF channels among the independent cell sites in response to the measured communications traffic volume, so that the channels generated by the transceiver cage are shared by the independent cell sites, thereby increasing channel efficiency.

12. The method of cellular communications as set forth in claim 11 above, wherein each of the RF channels communicates a plurality of code division multiple access (CDMA) channels thereon.

13. The method of cellular communications as set forth in claim 11 above, wherein the dynamically assigning step is performed by a switch and site selector coupled to the transceivers and each of the independent cell sites.

14. The method of cellular communications as set forth in claim 13 above, wherein the measuring step comprises the steps of:

measuring the communications traffic volume through the centralized hub;

calculating a composite communications traffic volume at each of the independent cell sites at a specified interval; and

controlling the switch and site selector to configure the number of channels assigned to the independent cell sites in response to the calculated composite communications traffic volume.