Method and system for connecting cells and microcells in a wireless communications network
First Claim
1. A transmission system for use in a wireless communications network, said system comprisingat least one cluster of repeaters wherein each one of said repeaters receives a) wireless signals from wireless end-user devices via respective wireless links to produce communications signals destined for a networking device of said communications network;
- and b) information signals from said networking device to deliver wireless signals to at least one of said wireless end-user devices; and
at least one hub wherein each hub communicates with a) said networking device via a transmission link, and b) repeaters that are associated with a single cluster, and that are within line-of-sight of each hub, said communication with said associated repeaters being carried out via respective radio links which provide respective communications paths for said communications signals and said information signals to be exchanged between said associated repeaters, said each hub and said networking device, said hub further including a polarization duplexer which uses orthogonal polarization to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater which transmitted thereto said communication signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communications system includes a number of clusters of repeaters wherein all repeaters within a cluster arc connected to a common hub via respective millimeter-wave radio links. Wireless signals received by the repeaters from end-user devices are transparently carried by the millimeter-wave radio links to respective hubs that act as concentrators for the repeaters. The hubs may be linked to a wireless network base station (in an outdoor setting) or alternatively to a server or a PBX (in an indoor environment) via a high-speed transmission facility, such as a fiber optic cable that is thus shared by all the repeaters.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A transmission system for use in a wireless communications network, said system comprising
at least one cluster of repeaters wherein each one of said repeaters receives a) wireless signals from wireless end-user devices via respective wireless links to produce communications signals destined for a networking device of said communications network; - and b) information signals from said networking device to deliver wireless signals to at least one of said wireless end-user devices; and
at least one hub wherein each hub communicates with a) said networking device via a transmission link, and b) repeaters that are associated with a single cluster, and that are within line-of-sight of each hub, said communication with said associated repeaters being carried out via respective radio links which provide respective communications paths for said communications signals and said information signals to be exchanged between said associated repeaters, said each hub and said networking device, said hub further including a polarization duplexer which uses orthogonal polarization to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater which transmitted thereto said communication signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- and b) information signals from said networking device to deliver wireless signals to at least one of said wireless end-user devices; and
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14. A wireless communications network comprising
at least one repeater which a) receives at least one wireless signal from at least one nearby wireless end-user device, b) converts said at least one received wireless signal to an intermediate frequency signal, and c) frequency-modulates said intermediate frequency signal onto a carrier for transmission over a radio link operative at a selected frequency range; - and
at least one hub which a) receives via said radio link said frequency-modulated signal from said at least one repeater that is placed within line-of-sight of said at least one hub, and b) demodulates said frequency-modulated signal to produce a demodulated near baseband signal that is subsequently up converted to a selected carrier frequency for communication to a transceiver which terminates a transmission link connected to a communications device of said wireless communications network, said hub including a polarization duplexer that uses orthogonal polarizations to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater which transmitted thereto said communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A transmission system for wireless communications network comprising
a plurality of hubs wherein each one of said hubs a) receives communications signal from an associated networking device and b) converts said communications signal to a near baseband signal that is subsequently frequency-modulated for transmission over a radio link operative at a selected frequency range, each of said hubs including a polarization duplexer that uses orthogonal polarizations to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater which transmitted thereto said communications signal; - and
a plurality of repeaters grouped into clusters wherein repeaters within a cluster are located with line-of-sight of an associated one of said hubs and wherein said repeaters within a cluster a) receive said frequency-modulated signal from said associated hub via said radio link and b) demodulate said respective frequency-modulated signal to produce a demodulated signal that is subsequently frequency-translated to at least one wireless carrier frequency for transmission to at least one nearby wireless end-user device operative at one or more air interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of communicating wireless information in a wireless communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving in at least one repeater a wireless signal from a wireless end-user device at a first frequency range, and a communications signal at a second frequency range; processing in said at least one repeater a) said wireless signals to produce frequency-modulated signals that are transmitted over a radio link operative at said second frequency range, and b) said communications signals to produce said wireless signal that is transmitted to said wireless end-user devices at said first frequency range; receiving in a hub located within line-of-sight of said at least one repeater a) a data signal from a networking device of said wireless communications network, and b) said frequency-modulated signal from said at least one repeater, said hub including a polarization duplexer that uses orthogonal polarizations to associate such received communications signal to a particular repeater that transmitted thereto said communications signal; processing at said hub a) said data signal to generate said commnications signal that is transmitted to said at least one repeater via said radio link, and b) said frequency-modulated signal that is demodulated to be subsequently modulated at a selected carrier frequency for communication to a transceiver which terminates a wired transmission link connected to said communications device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for communicating wireless information in a wireless communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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at least one repeater which a) receives a wireless signal from a wireless end-user device at a first frequency range, and a communications signal at a second frequency range, and b) processes i) said wireless signal to produce a frequency-modulated signal that is transmitted over a radio link operative at said second frequency range, and ii) said communications signal to produce said wireless signal that is transmitted to said wireless end-user device at said first frequency range; a hub that is located within line-of-sight of said at least one repeater and a) receives a data signal from a networking device of said wireless communications network, and said frequency-modulated signal from said at least one repeater b) processes i) said data signal to generate said communications signals that are transmitted to said at least one repeater via said radio link, and ii) said frequency-modulated signal that is demodulated to be subsequently modulated at a selected carrier frequency for communication to a transceiver which terminates a wired transmission link connected to said communications device, said hub including a polarization duplexer that uses orthogonal polarizations to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater that transmitted hereto said communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A wireless communications network comprising
at least one cluster of repeaters wherein each one of said repeaters within said cluster simulcasts a respective individual version of a common wireless information signal received from a wireless end-user device, and destined for a networking device; a hub which a) receives at first frequency range said common wireless signal from said wireless end-user device, and at a second frequency range each said individual version of said common wireless signal from each one of said repeaters via respective radio links b) adds said common wireless signal received therein to a total of each said received individual version received from each one of said repeaters to generate a composite signal which is transmitted to said networking device, and c) transmits to each one of said repeaters a common wireless communications signal that is received from said networking device in order to allow each repeater to act as a different port of a distributed antenna. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A hub for use in a wireless communications network, said hub comprising
an antenna which a) a receives modulated communications signals as a block of spectrum from a plurality of repeaters via respective radio links, said repeaters being placed within line-of-sight of said hub, and arranged to receive from nearby mobile end-users devices wireless end-user signals that are processed in said repeaters to produce said modulated communications signals, and b) transmits to said repeaters via said radio links information signals received from a networking device of said wireless communications network; -
a polarization duplexer that uses orthogonal polarizations to associate each received communications signal to a particular repeater that transmitted thereto said communications signal; a first processor which converts said information signals into a format suitable for transmission over said respective radio links; and a second processor which demodulates said modulated communications signals to produce demodulated near baseband signals that are subsequently up converted to a selected carrier frequency for communication to a transceiver which terminates a transmission link connected to said networking device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification