Micro cell architecture for mobile user tracking communication system
First Claim
1. A user tracking system far a wireless communication system, comprising:
- a hub having a digital beam forming network for forming a plurality of beams with different shapes and sizes within a coverage area, the plurality of beams including at least one beam that is wider than the other beams of the plurality of beams to provide links supporting lower data rates, and at least one narrow beam that is narrower than the other beams of the plurality of beams for providing coverage at a center of the coverage area, the coverage area being subdivided into a plurality of microcells including a first microcell and a plurality of adjacent mircocells; and
an above-ground platform having a transceiver and a phased array antenna for using the beams formed by the digital beam forming network and directing at least a first narrow beam of said at least one narrow beam to a first microcell at which a first user is located.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for tracking a user. The system is adapted for use in a wireless communication system and creates a plurality of beams within a coverage area. A first beam is directed at a user in a first microcell and a number of additional beams illuminate microcells immediately adjacent the first microcell. The system is equipped with a mechanism for detecting movement of the user from the first microcell to one of the immediately adjacent microcells. On the detection of movement of the user, the system redirects the first beam from the first microcell to a second microcell, the second microcell being one of the adjacent microcells. In the illustrative embodiment, the system is implemented in a stratospheric platform based communication system including a hub adapted to communicate with a stratospheric platform. A transceiver and a phased array antenna are disposed on the platform to communicate with the hub and with the user. A second antenna is provided on the platform to communicate with the hub. Beamforming and direction are implemented on the hub and communicated to the platform. The user'"'"'s position is detected with a global positioning system receiver, by measuring the strength of a signal received from the user, or by other suitable means. On detection of user movement from the first microcell, the beamforming system redirects the beam to follow the user into a second microcell. Additional beams around the user'"'"'s microcell are illuminated to facilitate detection of the users movement.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A user tracking system far a wireless communication system, comprising:
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a hub having a digital beam forming network for forming a plurality of beams with different shapes and sizes within a coverage area, the plurality of beams including at least one beam that is wider than the other beams of the plurality of beams to provide links supporting lower data rates, and at least one narrow beam that is narrower than the other beams of the plurality of beams for providing coverage at a center of the coverage area, the coverage area being subdivided into a plurality of microcells including a first microcell and a plurality of adjacent mircocells; and
an above-ground platform having a transceiver and a phased array antenna for using the beams formed by the digital beam forming network and directing at least a first narrow beam of said at least one narrow beam to a first microcell at which a first user is located. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for tracking users in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:
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forming a plurality of beams with different shapes and sizes within a coverage area using a digital beam forming network, the plurality of beams including at least one beam that is wider than the other beams of the plurality of beams to provide links supporting lower data rates, and including at least one narrow beam that is narrower than the other beams of the plurality of beams for providing coverage at a center of the coverage area, the coverage area being subdivided into a plurality of microcells including a first microcell and a plurality of adjacent microcells; and
directing at least a first narrow beam of said at least one narrow beam to a first microcell at which a first user is located via an above-ground platform having a transceiver and a phased array antenna for using the plurality of beams. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of mobile user tracking using a microcell architecture, comprising the steps of:
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dividing a coverage area into a plurality of microcells with associated beam weights;
forming a first microcell having the user therein and a plurality of narrow beams to surround the first microcell;
tracking the user when the user leaves the first microcell by shifting the plurality of narrow beams by changing the associated beam weights. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification