System and method for broadband millimeter wave data communication

• US 6,748,240 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BWA Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Harris Broadband Wireless Access Incorporated
• Inventors: Schafer, David C., Foster, Robert B. Jr., Baugh, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/434,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/277.1, 455/550, 455/561, 455/434, 320/332, 342/374, 342/373
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0682 by delay compensation, e.g. by compensation of propagation delay or variations thereof, by ranging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for information communication between physically separated processor-based systems. Disclosed is a centralized communication array providing point to multipoint information communication between processor-based systems utilizing communication nodes. Such information communication may be between two processor-based systems, each utilizing communication nodes or may be between a processor-based system utilizing a communication node and a processor-based system coupled to the centralized communication array through a backbone.

Claims

1. A system for providing an information communication link between a plurality of processor-based systems, said system comprising:

a tier including at least one radio frequency antenna element, said antenna element of said tier providing communication in a substantially directional predetermined pattern;

a radio frequency modem adapted to demodulate information communication received at said plurality of antenna element into discrete data sets;

a switch for temporarily coupling said antenna element of said tier to said modem;

an electronic memory adapted to store said discrete data sets, said electronics memory further adapted to store a control algorithm; and

a processor, said processor being coupled to said electronic memory and said switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said tier comprises a plurality of said antenna elements, each antenna element of said plurality being disposed such that said substantially directional predetermined pattern does not substantially overlap.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said tiers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein antenna elements of said plurality of tiers are disposed such that said predetermined communication patterns of ones of said antenna elements substantially overlap to provide increased information communication capacity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor controls the operation of said switch according to said control algorithm stored in said electronic memory.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is adapted for coupling to at least one information communication backbone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein ones of said plurality of antenna elements comprise a communication module adapted for converting said radio frequency to an intermediate frequency, said intermediate frequency being suitable for information communication between said ones of said plurality of antenna elements and said radio frequency modem.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein information communication received at ones of said plurality of antenna elements is routed within said system by said processor, said route being indicated by information contained within said information communication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein information communication received at ones of said plurality of antenna elements is routed within said system by said processor, said route being indicated by routing information contained within said electronic memory, said routing information comprising antenna element correlation data sets indicating a route for information communication received by a particular one of said plurality of said antenna elements.

10. A system for providing an information communication link between a plurality of processor-based systems, said system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency antenna elements, said antenna element providing communication in a substantially directional predetermined pattern, wherein ones of said antenna elements of said plurality are disposed such that said substantially directional predetermined pattern does not substantially overlap;

a radio frequency modem adapted to modulate/demodulate information communicated through ones of said antenna elements between discrete data sets and radio frequency signals;

a circuit temporarily coupling ones of said antenna elements to said modem in a predetermined order;

an electronic memory adapted to store a control algorithm at least in part defining said predetermined order; and

a processor, said processor being coupled to said electronic memory and said switch to control said temporarily coupling of ones of said antenna elements to said modem in said predetermined order according to said control algorithm.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an antenna base apparatus, wherein said plurality of antenna elements are removable antenna modules adapted for interchangeable mounting on said base such that mounting at a particular location on said base at least in part determines an area serviced by said substantially directional pattern.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said antenna element modules comprise a communication module adapted for converting said radio frequency to an intermediate frequency, said intermediate frequency being suitable for information communication between said ones of said plurality of antenna elements and said radio frequency modem.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said base is adapted to provide mounting locations associated with a plurality of tiers of antenna elements.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein ones of said antenna elements mounted to said base are disposed to provide substantially overlapping substantially directional patterns and other ones of said antenna elements mounted to said base are disposed to provide said substantially directional predetermined patterns which do not substantially overlap.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said system is adapted for coupling to at least one information communication backbone to thereby provide information communication of at least a portion of said data sets via said information communication backbone.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein information communication received at ones of said plurality of antenna elements is routed within said system by said processor, said route being indicated by information contained within said information communication.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein information communication received at ones of said plurality of antenna elements is routed within said system by said processor, said route being indicated by routing information contained within said electronic memory, said routing information comprising antenna element correlation data sets indicating a route for information communication received by a particular one of said plurality of said antenna elements.

18. A method for providing an information communication link between a plurality of processor-based systems, said method comprising the steps of:

disposing a plurality of antennas to provide communication in a desired service area, wherein each said antenna provides a directional radiation pattern;

coupling controllable circuitry to ones of said plurality of antenna elements, wherein said controllable circuitry is adapted to communicate a signal via a select one of said ones of said plurality of antenna elements in response to a control signal;

coupling a modem to said controllable circuitry to provide at least one of signal modulation and signal demodulation of a signal associated with said select one of said ones of said plurality of antenna elements;

coupling a controller to said controllable circuitry to provide intelligent operation of said controllable circuitry; and

operating said controllable circuitry under control of said controller to provide communication between said modem and alternating ones of said ones of said plurality of antenna elements to thereby place said modem in communication with ones of said plurality of processor-based systems disposed in different portions of said service area according to a selected order.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

deploying an antenna base in an orientation determined to provide antenna radiation beam coverage of at least a portion of said service area; and

wherein said step of disposing a plurality of antennas comprises the step of mounting ones of said antennas on said base such that mounting at a particular location on said base at least in part determines an area serviced by said substantially directional pattern.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said base is adapted to provide mounting locations associated with a plurality of tiers of antenna elements.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein ones of said antennas mounted to said base are disposed to provide substantially overlapping directional patterns and other ones of said antennas mounted to said base are disposed to provide said substantially non-overlapping directional patterns.