System and method for broadband millimeter wave data communication

• US 6,778,516 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• 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): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US09/434,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/316, 370/326, 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/336, 370/337, 370/338, 370/339, 370/345, 370/349, 455/101, 455/132, 455/272, 455/273, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 455/278.1
• US Class Current: 370/336
• 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 method for information communication between a plurality of physically separated processor-based systems utilizing a plurality of communication nodes providing directional communication in a predetermined lobe directed toward a communication hub having a plurality of antenna units, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling each one of said plurality of nodes to ones of said plurality of systems;

directing an antenna of each node to result in said predetermined lobe being operably aligned with said hub;

transmitting information from a select one of said plurality of systems through a coupled node to a predetermined antenna unit of said plurality of antenna units of said hub;

receiving said transmitted information from said select one of said plurality of systems at said hub; and

routing said received information to at least one system of said plurality of systems by said hub.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said received information comprises a signal which is time divided to include a plurality of information bursts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of information bursts comprise a set of forward channel information bursts and a set of reverse channel information bursts, wherein the duration of said forward channel and reverse channel information bursts are adjustable with respect to each other.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of information bursts comprise a set of forward channel information bursts and a set of reverse channel information bursts, said forward and reverse channel information bursts defined to comprise a percentage of said plurality of information bursts selected from the group consisting of:

approximately 94% forward channel information bursts and approximately 6% reverse channel information bursts;

approximately 50% forward channel information bursts and approximately 50% reverse channel information bursts; and

approximately 6% forward channel information bursts and approximately 94% reverse channel information bursts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting information from a select one of said plurality of systems through a coupled node comprises the substeps of:

receiving said information from said coupled one of said plurality of systems at said coupled node;

storing said received information in an electronic memory at said node; and

formatting said received information into a form suitable for transmission to said hub, said formatted information including routing information indicating at least one system of said plurality of systems to receive said information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the use of a modem adapted for variable information density modulation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said variable information density modulation includes the use of quadrature amplitude modulation.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of receiving information from a select one of said plurality of systems at said hub comprises the substep of storing said received information in an electronic memory at said hub.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of routing said received information to said at least one system indicated by said routing information comprises the substep of reading routing information from a predetermined location within said electronic memory containing said received information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of routing said received information to said at least one system indicated by said routing information further comprises the substep of transmitting said information stored in said electronic memory through an information communication backbone coupled to said hub.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of routing said received information to said at least one system indicated by said routing information further comprises the substep of transmitting said information stored in said electronic memory to a node of said plurality of nodes, said node being coupled to said at least one system indicted by said routing information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of routing said received information to said at least one system comprises the substep of determining a route from information stored within said hub.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initializing said communication hub for information communication with ones of said plurality of nodes, said initializing step comprising the substeps of:

determining communication attributes between said hub and of each of said plurality of nodes; and

assigning resources available at said hub to be utilized by each of said plurality of nodes based at least in part on said determined communication attributes.

14. A method for information communication between a plurality of physically separated processor-based systems utilizing a plurality of communication nodes providing directional communication in a predetermined lobe directed toward a communication hub having a plurality of antenna units, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling each one of said plurality of nodes to ones of said plurality of systems;

directing an antenna of each node to result in said predetermined lobe being operably aligned with said hub;

transmitting information from a select one of said plurality of systems through a coupled node to a predetermined antenna unit of said plurality of antenna units of said hub;

receiving said transmitted information from said select one of said plurality of systems at said hub, wherein said received information comprises a signal which is time divided among signals of other ones of said plurality of systems received through other antenna elements of said plurality of antenna units of said hub; and

routing said received information to at least one system of said plurality of systems by said hub.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said time divided signal comprises a set of forward channel information bursts and a set of reverse channel information bursts, wherein said forward and reverse channel information bursts are dynamically adjustable with respect to each other.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein dynamic adjustment of said forward and reverse channel information bursts are selected to comprise a percentage of said time divided signal selected from the group consisting of:

approximately 94% forward channel information bursts and approximately 6% reverse channel information bursts;

approximately 50% forward channel information bursts and approximately 50% reverse channel information bursts; and

approximately 6% forward channel information bursts and approximately 94% reverse channel information bursts.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of transmitting information from a select one of said plurality of systems through a coupled node comprises the substeps of:

receiving said information from said coupled one of said plurality of systems at said coupled node; and

formatting said received information into a form suitable for transmission to said hub, said formatted information including routing information indicating at least one system of said plurality of systems to receive said information.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the use of a radio frequency modem adapted for variable information density modulation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said variable information density modulation includes the use of quadrature amplitude modulation.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of routing said received information to said at least one system comprises the substep of determining a route from information stored within said hub.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of initializing said communication hub for information communication with ones of said plurality of nodes, said initializing step comprising the substeps of:

determining communication attributes between said hub and of each of said plurality of nodes; and

assigning resources available at said hub to be utilized by each of said plurality of nodes based at least in part on said determined communication attributes.

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

directing an antenna of a select one of said plurality of systems to result in a predetermined lobe being operably aligned with a predetermined interface of a hub;

transmitting information from said select one of said plurality of systems to said predetermined interface of said hub, wherein said predetermined interface is one of a plurality of hub antennas;

receiving said transmitted information from said select one of said plurality of systems at said hub, wherein said received information comprises a signal which is time divided to include a plurality of information bursts including a set of forward channel information bursts and a set of reverse channel information bursts, wherein the duration of said forward channel and reverse channel information bursts are adjustable with respect to each other; and

routing said received information to at least one system of said plurality of systems by said hub.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said duration of said forward channel and reverse channel information bursts is selected from the group consisting of:

approximately 94% forward channel information bursts and approximately 6% reverse channel information bursts;

approximately 50% forward channel information bursts and approximately 50% reverse channel information bursts; and

approximately 6% forward channel information bursts and approximately 94% reverse channel information bursts.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the use of a modem adapted for variable information density modulation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said variable information density modulation includes the use of quadrature amplitude modulation.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of routing said received information comprises the substep of reading routing information from a predetermined location within an electronic memory of said hub.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of routing said received information comprises the substep of determining a route from information included in said reverse channel information bursts.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of initializing said communication hub for information communication with ones of said plurality of nodes, said initializing step comprising the substeps of:

determining communication attributes between said hub and of each of said plurality of nodes; and

assigning resources available at said hub to be utilized by each of said plurality of nodes based at least in part on said determined communication attributes.