Wireless communications cellular architecture for improving communications resource allocation

• US 6,002,935 A
• Filed: 05/22/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Li-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US08/862,095
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455/447, 455/423
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communications resource allocation in a wireless communications system having a total system bandwidth. A service area is divided into a plurality sectors. A first set of base station antennas are positioned within a first set of sectors. The first set of antennas have main beams set at a first set of angles, and each antenna corresponds to a sector within the first set of sectors. A second set of base station antennas are positioned within a second set of sectors adjacent to the first set of sectors. The second set of antennas have main beams set at a second set of angles, and each antenna corresponds to a sector within the second set of sectors. Each sector is assigned a portion of the total system bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for allocating communications resources in a communications system, comprising the steps of:

dividing a service area into four cells, with each cell having three sectors;

providing a first set of antennas for said first cell, said first set of antennas having main beams set at a first set of angles with beamwidths of fifty to seventy degrees;

providing a second set of antennas for said second cell, said second set of antennas having main beams set at a second set of angles with beamwidths of fifty to seventy degrees, with said second set of angles rotated fifty to seventy degrees from said first set of angles; and

separating said communications resources into six channel sets;

assigning to each sector a portion of the communications resources by;

assigning channel sets one, two and three to sectors one, two and three of cell one, respectively;

assigning channel sets two, one and six to sectors one, two and three of cell two, respectively;

assigning channel sets three, four and five to sectors one, three and two of cell three, respectively; and

assigning channel sets six, five and four to sectors one, three and two of cell four, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of angles are 30 degrees, 150 degrees and 270 degrees, and said second set of angles are 90 degrees, 210 degrees and 330 degrees.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said system has a frequency reuse factor of K=2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of assigning comprises:

determining a quality of service requirement; and

assigning each sector a portion of the communications resource in accordance with said quality of service requirement.

5. A communications system, said system having a service area divided into at least a first and second cell, with each cell having at least three sectors, comprising:

a switching network to provide switching for a plurality of base stations;

a plurality of base stations each operably coupled to said switching network to receive signals over said network, each base station having a set of antennas defining at least three sectors for the cell, said set of antennas having main beams set at a set of angles with beadwidths of fifty to seventy degrees the set of angles of each base station rotated fifty to seventy degrees with respect to the set of angles of a neighboring base station,

wherein channel resources of the service area include at least six channel sets and, for four of the base stations;

channel sets one, two and three are associated with the three sectors of a first base station,

channel sets two, one and six are associated with the three sectors of a second base station,

channel sets three, four and five are associated with the three sectors of the third base station, and

channel sets six, five and four are associated with the three sectors of the fourth base station; and

a transceiver for each base station, said transceiver operably coupled to each antenna for communicating said signals over said main beams of said antennas.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first set of angles are 30 degrees, 150 degrees and 270 degrees, and said second set of angles are 90 degrees, 210 degrees and 330 degrees.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said system has a frequency reuse factor of K=2.

8. A communication system, the system having a service area populated by at least four cell sites each having at least three sectors, the system comprising

a transceiver at each cell site, the transceiver including a set of antennae providing communications at the respective cells using main beams at a first set of angles with beamwidths of fifty to seventy degrees,

wherein channel resources of the service area include at least six channel sets and, for four of the base stations,

channel sets one, two and three are associated with the three sectors of a first base station,

channel sets two, one and six are associated with the three sectors of a second base station,

channel sets three, four and five are associated with the three sectors of the third base station, and

channel sets six, five and four are associated with the three sectors of the fourth base station.