Wireless communications systems employing free-space optical communications links
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wireless communication method comprising:
- a) communicating information between a communication network and a central location;
b) communicating at least some of said information between said central location and each of a plurality of remote locations via substantially unguided light passing between said central location and each of said remote locations; and
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c) communicating at least some of said information between each of said remote locations and wireless communication devices in the vicinity of said remote location via radio signals broadcast between said remote location and said wireless communication devices;
wherein said communicating of information between said communication network and said central location is via optical communication; and
wherein said information includes message information and control information.
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Abstract
The cells of a wireless communications system can be subdivided into smaller subcells, in each of which the available radio frequencies can be re-used to allow denser use of the system. To avoid having to run hard-wired communications links to broadcast antennas of the subcells, substantially unguided, free-space, optical communication is used between the antenna that formerly served the cell and the subcell antennas. The existing hard-wired connection from the central antenna to the remainder of the wireless communications system infrastructure continues to be used for communication to and from the cell.
43 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A wireless communication method comprising:
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a) communicating information between a communication network and a central location; b) communicating at least some of said information between said central location and each of a plurality of remote locations via substantially unguided light passing between said central location and each of said remote locations; and
;c) communicating at least some of said information between each of said remote locations and wireless communication devices in the vicinity of said remote location via radio signals broadcast between said remote location and said wireless communication devices; wherein said communicating of information between said communication network and said central location is via optical communication; and wherein said information includes message information and control information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A wireless communications system comprising:
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a plurality of central optical transceivers associated with a cell; a plurality of remote optical transceivers, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of subcells within said cell, each of said remote optical transceivers being adapted to communicate with a respective one of said central optical transceivers via substantially unguided light passing between said remote optical transceiver and the associated central optical transceiver; and electronic circuitry associated with each of said remote optical transceivers for converting between radio frequency signals in the associated subcell and light communicated by said remote optical transceiver; wireless communications control circuitry remote from said central and remote optical transceivers; and a communications link between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers.
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10. A wireless communications system comprising:
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a plurality of central optical transceivers associated with a cell; a plurality of remote optical transceivers, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of subcells within said cell, each of said remote optical transceivers being adapted to communicate with a respective one of said central optical transceivers via substantially unguided light passing between said remote optical transceiver and the associated central optical transceiver; and electronic circuitry associated with each of said remote optical transceivers for converting between radio frequency signals in the associated subcell and light communicated by said remote optical transceiver; wireless communications control circuitry remote from said central and remote optical transceivers; a communications link between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers; and wherein said communication link comprises optical fiber between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless communications system comprising:
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a plurality of central optical transceivers associated with a cell; a plurality of remote optical transceivers, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of subcells within said cell, each of said remote optical transceivers being adapted to communicate with a respective one of said central optical transceivers via substantially unguided light passing between said remote optical transceiver and the associated central optical transceiver; and electronic circuitry associated with each of said remote optical transceivers for converting between radio frequency signals in the associated subcell and light communicated by said remote optical transceiver; wherein light having a first unique wavelength is used for communicating information to each subcell and wherein light having a second unique wavelength is used for communicating information from each subcell; and wherein light having a further unique wavelength is used for communicating control information to all of said subcells. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A wireless communications system comprising:
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a plurality of central optical transceivers associated with a cell; a plurality of remote optical transceivers, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of subcells within said cell, each of said remote optical transceivers being adapted to communicate with a respective one of said central optical transceivers via substantially unguided light passing between said remote optical transceiver and the associated central optical transceiver; and electronic circuitry associated with each of said remote optical transceivers for converting between radio frequency signals in the associated subcell and light communicated by said remote optical transceiver; wireless communications control circuitry remote from said central and remote optical transceivers; and a communications link between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers; wherein said communication link comprises optical fiber between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers; and wherein said optical fiber transmits light from said wireless communications control circuitry to said central optical transceivers, each of which passes a portion of said light on to the associated remote optical transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A wireless communications system comprising:
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a plurality of central optical transceivers associated with a cell; a plurality of remote optical transceivers, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of subcells within said cell, each of said remote optical transceivers being adapted to communicate with a respective one of said central optical transceivers via substantially unguided light passing between said remote optical transceiver and the associated central optical transceiver; and electronic circuitry associated with each of said remote optical transceivers for converting between radio frequency signals in the associated subcell and light communicated by said remote optical transceiver; wireless communications control circuitry remote from said central and remote optical transceivers; a communications link between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers; wherein said communication link comprises optical fiber between said wireless communications control circuitry and said central optical transceivers; and wherein said optical fiber transmits to said wireless communications control circuitry light received by each of said central optical transceivers from the associated remote optical transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A wireless communication method comprising:
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a) communicating information between a communication network and a central location; b) communicating at least some of said information between said central location and each of a plurality of remote locations via substantially unguided light passing between said central location and each of said remote locations; and
;c) communicating at least some of said information between each of said remote locations and wireless communication devices in the vicinity of said remote location via radio signals broadcast between said remote location and said wireless communication devices; wherein said information includes message information and control information; and wherein said control information includes radio frequency assignment information for controlling selection of radio frequencies to be used for said communicating between said remote locations and said wireless communication devices.
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27. A wireless communication method comprising:
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a) communicating information between a communication network and a central location; b) communicating at least some of said information between said central location and each of a plurality of remote locations via substantially unguided light passing between said central location and each of said remote locations; and
;c) communicating at least some of said information between each of said remote locations and wireless communication devices in the vicinity of said remote location via radio signals broadcast between said remote location and said wireless communication devices; wherein said communicating between said communication network and said central location is via optical communication; wherein said communicating between said communication network and said central location is bi-directional, and wherein light of different wavelengths is used for communicating in each direction; and wherein said information includes message information and control information, and wherein light of different wavelengths is used for communicating said message information and said control information from said communication network to said central location. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A wireless communication method comprising:
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a) communicating information between a communication network and a central location; b) communicating at least some of said information between said central location and each of a plurality of remote locations via substantially unguided light passing between said central location and each of said remote locations; and
;c) communicating at least some of said information between each of said remote locations and wireless communication devices in the vicinity of said remote location via radio signals broadcast between said remote location and said wireless communication devices; wherein said communicating between said communication network and said central location is bi-directional; wherein light of different wavelengths is used for communicating in each direction; and wherein said information includes message information and control information, and wherein light of different wavelengths is used for communicating said message information and said control information from said central location to said remote locations. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification