Broadband radio access method, device and system

• US 6,188,873 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telia AB (Government of Norway)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Roger, Wickman, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/328,799
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/454, 455/67.5, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/426, 455/552, 455/422, 455/500, 455/7, 455/65, 455/561, 455/562, 455/11.1, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A broadband radio access method device and system includes a first wireless communication segment that operates under 10 GHz, and a second wireless communication segment that operates over 20 GHz. Coordination between the first segment and second segment occurs when establishing links with a subscriber, such that the broader band services available from the second communication link, are assigned to the subscriber, when the communications channel is available to support line-of-sight communications with the subscriber. When the communications channel does not support the second communication segment, the subscriber is assigned to operate with the first communication segment. An integrated first and second segment terminal is provided to provide a transmodulation device for converting signaling protocols between the two different segments so as to support communications between the subscriber and the intended recipient even if the two use apparently incompatible signaling protocols.

Claims

1. A communication system for providing broadband radio access comprising:

a millimeter wave segment having a millimeterwave base station and a millimeterwave antenna configured to provide line-of-sight communications between the millimeterwave base station and a subscriber terminal when a line-of-sight communication path is present between said millimeterwave base station and said subscriber terminal;

an IMMBRA station with an IMMBRA antenna configured to communicate over another line-of-sight communications path with said millimeterwave base station; and

a microwave communication segment having said subscriber terminal with a microwave terminal antenna configured to communicate using microwaves with said IMMBRA station, wherein

said IMMBRA station being configured to close a communication link between said millimeterwave base station and a receiver coupled to said microwave terminal antenna through said IMMBRA station and said another line-of-sight communication path when the line-of-sight communication path is not present.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said subscriber terminal including a microwave terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a communications bandwidth of said millimeterwave segment being greater than that of said microwave segment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said millimeter base station antenna being positioned at a location above surrounding objects;

said IMMBRA antenna being positioned above surrounding objects; and

said microwave terminal antenna not being restricted in positional height.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said IMMBRA station including a frequency transposition mechanism con figured to retransmit a signal received from said millimeterwave segment in said microwave segment when the line-of-sight communications path is not present.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said IMMBRA station includes a transmodulation mechanism configured to change a modulation imparted on signals in said millimeterwave segment to another modulation imparted on signals in said microwave segment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

said transmodulation mechanism including

a processor, and

a computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions, said processor being programmed to implement a transmodulation function when said processor executes said computer readable instructions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said microwave segment and said millimeterwave segment being configured to use different modulation schemes, said different modulation schemes including QPSK, QAM, and OFDM.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said IMMBRA station being configured to perform at least one of a signal coding operation, a signal interleaving operation, channel equalization and channel control.

10. An integrated microwave and millimeterwave terminal for broadband radio access, comprising:

an IMMBRA antenna aligned in a line-of-sight communications path with a millimeterwave antenna of a millimeterwave base station to form a millimeterwave segment;

a processor configured to adapt a signaling format of signals transmitted over said millimeterwave segment between said IMMBRA antenna and said millimeterwave antenna;

a microwave antenna configured to receive energy from and transmit energy to a subscriber terminal in a microwave segment, wherein said IMMBRA antenna, said microwave antenna, and said processor being configured to close a communication link between said millimeterwave base station and said subscriber terminal when a direct line-of-sight communication path is not present between said millimeterwave antenna and said subscriber terminal, said subscriber terminal being configured to contain a microwave terminal.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein:

said IMMBRA antenna being positioned above surrounding objects; and

said subscriber terminal not being restricted in positional height.

12. The terminal of claim 10, wherein:

said processor including a frequency transposition mechanism configured to retransmit a signal received from said IMMBRA antenna in said microwave segment when the line-of-sight communications path is not present.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein:

said processor includes a transmodulation mechanism configured to change a modulation imparted on signals in said millimeterwave segment to another modulation imparted on signals in said microwave segment.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein:

said transmodulation mechanism including,

a computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions, said processor being programmed to implement a transmodulation function when said processor executes said computer readable instructions.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein:

said microwave segment and said millimeterwave segment being configured to use different modulation schemes, said different modulation schemes including QPSK, QAM, and OFDM.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

said processor being configured to perform at least one of a signal coding operation, a signal interleaving operation, channel equalization and channel control.

17. A method for providing broadband radio access to a subscriber terminal, comprising steps of:

determining whether the subscriber terminal is within line-of-sight coverage of an antenna for a millimeterwave base station;

directly connecting said subscriber terminal to said millimeterwave base station when it is determined in said determining step that a line-of-sight communication path is present;

connecting said subscriber terminal to the millimeterwave base station by way of an IMMBRA station having a microwave base station when said subscriber terminal is within a coverage range of said microwave base station but not within line-of-sight coverage of said millimeter wave base station.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said connecting said subscriber terminal to the millimeterwave base station step includes connecting said subscriber terminal to said millimeterwave base station if said line-of-sight coverage is available, and connecting said subscriber terminal to said IMMBRA station when said line-of-sight coverage is not available.

19. A communication system for providing broadband radio access comprising:

means for transmitting millimeterwave signals to a subscriber terminal via a millimeterwave segment when a line-of-sight communications path is present; and

means for communicating from the subscriber terminal with millimeterwave signals and microwave signals, including means for closing a communications link between said subscriber terminal and said means for transmitting by communicating with said subscriber terminal using microwave signals and communicating with said means for transmitting using millimeterwave signals.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

said subscriber terminal includes means for communicating with microwave signals.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

a communications bandwidth of said millimeterwave segment being greater than that used for said microwave signals.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein:

said means for transmitting millimeterwave signals includes means for elevating a millimeterwave antenna to a location above surrounding objects.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein:

said means for communicating with millimeterwave signals and microwave signals includes means for transposing a signal between a millimeterwave frequency and a microwave frequency.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein:

means for communicating with millimeterwave signals and microwave signals includes means for changing a modulation imparted on signals in said millimeterwave segment to another modulation imparted on microwave signals.