Wireless access system and associated method using multiple modulation formats in TDD frames according to subscriber service type

• US 6,891,810 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Access Solutions, Ltd. (LOXAM SAS)
• Original Assignee: Raze Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: McKown, Russell C., Nelson, Robert R., Struhsaker, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US09/839,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/276, 370/294, 370/336, 370/347, 370/333, 370/330, 370/332, 375/261, 375/279, 714/758
• US Class Current: 370/294
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0005 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/007 Unequal error protection for format H04L1/0078; for codes per se H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0098 Unequal error protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

There is disclosed a radio frequency (RF) modem shelf for use in a fixed wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of bidirectional time division duplex (TDD) communication with wireless access devices disposed at a plurality of subscriber premises. The radio frequency (RF) modem shelf comprises: 1) a first RF modem capable of communicating with a plurality of the wireless access devices using TDD frames, each TDD frame having an uplink for receiving data and a downlink for transmitting data; and 2) a modulation controller associated with the RF modem shelf capable of determining an optimum modulation configuration for each of the plurality of wireless access devices communicating with the first RF modem, wherein the modulation controller causes the first RF modem to transmit first downlink data to a first wireless access device in a first data block having a first optimum modulation configuration and to transmit second downlink data to the first wireless access device in a second data block having a different second optimum modulation configuration.

Claims

1. For use in a fixed wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of bidirectional time division duplex (TDD) communication with wireless access devices disposed at a plurality of subscriber premises, a radio frequency (RF) modem shelf comprising:

a first RF modem capable of communicating with a plurality of said wireless access devices using TDD frames, each TDD frame having an uplink for receiving data and a downlink for transmitting data; and

a modulation controller associated with said RF modem shelf capable of determining an optimum modulation configuration for each of said plurality of wireless access devices communicating with said first RF modem, wherein said modulation controller causes said first RF modem to transmit first downlink data to a first wireless access device in a first data block having a first optimum modulation configuration and to transmit second downlink data to said first wireless access device in a second data block having a different second optimum modulation configuration.

2. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 1 wherein said modulation controller determines said first and second optimum modulation configurations based on 1) channel conditions associated with a first channel used to communicate with said first wireless access device and 2) a first service type associated with said first downlink data and a second service type associated with said second downlink data.

3. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first modulation configuration comprises a first modulation format and said second modulation configuration comprises a different second modulation format.

4. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second modulation format is more complex than said first modulation format if said first service type requires a lower bit error rate than said second service type.

5. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first and second modulation formats comprise one of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

6. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first modulation configuration comprises a first forward error correction code level and said second modulation configuration comprises a different second forward error correction code level.

7. The RF modem shelf as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first error correction code level is more complex than said second error correction code level if said first service type requires a lower bit error rate than said second service type.

8. A fixed wireless access network comprising:

a plurality of base stations capable of bidirectional time division duplex (TDD) communication with wireless access devices disposed at a plurality of subscriber premises; and

a radio frequency (RF) modem shelf comprising;

a first RF modem capable of communicating with a plurality of said wireless access devices using TDD frames, each TDD frame having an uplink for receiving data and a downlink for transmitting data; and

a modulation controller associated with said RF modem shelf capable of determining an optimum modulation configuration for each of said plurality of wireless access devices communicating with said first RF modem, wherein said modulation controller causes said first RF modem to transmit first downlink data to a first wireless access device in a first data block having a first optimum modulation configuration and to transmit second downlink data to said first wireless access device in a second data block having a different second optimum modulation configuration.

9. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 8 wherein said modulation controller determines said first and second optimum modulation configurations based on 1) channel conditions associated with a first channel used to communicate with said first wireless access device and 2) a first service type associated with said first downlink data and a second service type associated with said second downlink data.

10. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first modulation configuration comprises a first modulation format and said second modulation configuration comprises a different second modulation format.

11. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 10 wherein said second modulation format is more complex than said first modulation format if said first service type requires a lower bit error rate than said second service type.

12. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first and second modulation formats comprise one of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

13. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first modulation configuration comprises a first forward error correction code level and said second modulation configuration comprises a different second forward error correction code level.

14. The fixed wireless access network as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first error correction code level is more complex than said second error correction code level if said first service type requires a lower bit error rate than said second service type.