System and method for single-point to fixed-multipoint data communication

• US 7,123,624 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arcadian Wireless, Inc. (Cape Range Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Cape Range Ltd.
• Inventors: Margon, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US09/482,054
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 370/276, 370/277, 370/278, 370/279, 370/280, 370/281, 370/282, 370/294, 370/314, 370/319, 370/321, 370/329, 370/330, 370/336, 370/337, 370/341, 370/342, 370/344, 370346-348, 370/431, 370/439, 370442-444, 370/447, 370/449, 370/450, 370/458, 370/328, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for single-point to fixed-multipoint communication. The invention dynamically allocates bandwidth based on traffic demands, thus providing efficient bandwidth utilization, particularly with bursty or time sensitive data traffic. A system includes a Base Station and a plurality of Remote Stations. The Base Station transmits information to the Remote Stations via a Forward Channel and the Remote Stations transmit information via a Reverse Channel. Before transmitting on the Reverse Channel, each of the Remote Stations listens (monitors) the Reverse Channel to ascertain whether any other Remote Station is transmitting. Remote Stations transmit data only when a Remote Station determines that the channel is clear. The Remote Stations listen in sequential order, eliminating the probability of collisions caused by simultaneous transmissions from Remote Stations. The data traffic is accordingly aggregated, thus providing efficient bandwidth utilization.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a base station that provides a forward channel signal; and

a plurality of remote stations, wherein each remote station monitors said forward channel signal, monitors a reverse channel within an assigned period of time in a clear channel assessment interval, and provides a reverse channel signal when said reverse channel is clear within said assigned period of time, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into periods of time and each of said periods of time is assigned to one of said plurality of remote stations, and said forward channel signal is provided during a predetermined forward channel interval and said reverse channel signal is provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said base station receives information encoded on said reverse channel signal and wherein each remote station receives information encoded on said forward channel signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal include data packets.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said data packets include digitized voice and data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel includes an address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each remote station is assigned a unique remote station address and wherein each remote station accepts information encoded on said forward channel signal when said address of said forward channel signal matches said assigned unique remote station address.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein a remote station address is assigned a priori to said remote station.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said address is a broadcast address.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said address is a semi-broadcast address.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said address corresponds with an Internet Protocol address.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said address is an Internet Protocol address.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein one remote station is assigned a first remote station address from a first set of addresses and a second remote station is assigned a second remote station address from a second set of addresses.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first set of addresses form a first zone and said second set of addresses form a second zone.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein each remote station is assigned a remote station address from a set of addresses and said set of addresses form an Internet sub-network.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said assigned period of time is a predetermined dwell time and wherein each of said remote stations monitor said clear assessment channel interval during said predetermined dwell time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of said dwell times is of equal duration.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each remote station is dynamically assigned a dwell time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said dwell times are assigned to said plurality of remote stations in a round robin fashion.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising guard times among said forward channel interval, said reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said guard times are positioned at the beginning and end of said forward channel interval, said reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said guard times are positioned at the beginning and end of said forward channel interval and at the end of said reverse channel interval and said clear channel assessment interval.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an Internet Protocol Multiple Access environment.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are wireless signals.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are modulated signals each having carrier signals with a frequency of approximately 2 GHz.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are each electrical signals transmitted in an electrical medium.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are each optical signals transmitted in an optical medium.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are half-duplex signals.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are full-duplex signals.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said base station synchronizes with a portion of said plurality of remote stations.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said base station uses broadcast control packets for synchronization.

31. A method for a single-point to a fixed multi-point system having a base station and a plurality of remote stations, the method comprising the step of:

transmitting from the base station a forward channel signal;

monitoring for said forward channel signal at each of the plurality of remote stations; and

monitoring a reverse channel at each of the plurality of remote stations, wherein each of the plurality of remote stations monitors said reverse channel within an assigned period of time in a clear channel assessment interval, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into periods of time and each of said periods of time is assigned to one of said plurality of remote stations, and said forward channel signal is provided during a predetermined forward channel interval and said reverse channel signal is provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval,

if said reverse channel is clear during said assigned period of time associated with one of the plurality of remote stations and said one of the plurality remote stations has information to send to the base station, transmitting a reverse channel signal from said one of the plurality of remote stations.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said forward channel signal has data information and address information.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of assigning a unique remote station address to each of the plurality of remote stations and accepting said data information at one of the plurality of remote stations when said address matches an unique address of said one of the plurality of remote stations.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of assigning unique remote addresses is done a priori.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said address information is a broadcast address.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said address information is an Internet Protocol address.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of assigning a first remote station address from a first set of addresses to one of the plurality of remote stations and assigning a second remote station address from a second set of addresses to another of the plurality of remote stations.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said first set of addresses form a first zone and said second set of addresses form a second zone.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal include data packets.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said data packets include digitized voice and data.

41. The method of claim 31, wherein each assigned period of time is a predetermined dwell time.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein each of said dwell times is of equal duration.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of dynamically assigning dwell times to each of the plurality of remote stations.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said dwell times are assigned in a round robin fashion.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of providing guard times among said forward channel interval, said reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said guard times are positioned at the beginning and end of said forward channel interval, said reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval.

47. The method of claim 31, wherein the system is used in an Internet Protocol Multiple Access environment.

48. The method of claim 31, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are wireless signals.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are half-duplex signals.

50. The method of claim 31, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are full-duplex signals.

51. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of synchronizing the base station with the plurality of remote stations.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein broadcast control packets are used for synchronization.

53. A single-point to a fixed multi-point system, comprising:

a base station for transmitting a forward channel signal; and

a plurality of remote stations, each remote station monitoring said forward channel signal, monitoring a reverse channel within an assigned dwell time in a clear channel assessment interval, and transmitting a reverse channel signal after detecting that said reverse channel is clear, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into dwell times, each dwell time assigned to one of said plurality of remote stations, said forward channel signal provided during a predetermined forward channel interval, and said reverse channel signal provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said forward channel signal has data information and address information.

55. The system of claim 53, further including guard times among said forward channel interval, said reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein the system is used in an Internet Protocol Multiple Access environment.

57. The system of claim 53, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are wireless signals.

58. The system of claim 53, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are full-duplex signals.

59. A method of communicating with a station, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a forward channel;

monitoring a reverse channel within an assigned predetermined dwell time within a clear channel assessment interval, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of dwell times, each dwell time assigned to one of a number of remote stations, said number of dwell times being equal to said number of remote stations; and

transmitting a reverse channel signal after detecting that said reverse channel is clear during said predetermined dwell time, wherein said forward channel signal is provided during a predetermined forward channel interval and said reverse channel signal is provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval.

60. A station comprising:

a monitor for monitoring a forward channel signal and monitoring a reverse channel within a clear channel assessment interval, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into at least two dwell times, one of said dwell times is assigned to said station with a remainder of said dwell times assigned to other stations, said monitor monitoring said reverse channel only within said dwell time assigned to said station; and

a transmitter for transmitting a reverse channel signal after said monitor detects that said reverse channel is clear during said dwell time, wherein said forward channel signal is provided during a predetermined forward channel interval and said reverse channel signal is provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval.

61. The station of claim 60, wherein said forward channel signal has data information and address information.

62. The station of claim 61, further comprising:

a unique station address, wherein said station accepts said data information when said address information matches said unique station address.

63. The station of claim 60, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are wireless signals.

64. The station of claim 60, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are full-duplex signals.

65. A base station comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a forward channel signal; and

a receiver for receiving a reverse channel signal from one of a number of remote stations after said remote station detects that a reverse channel is clear during a dwell time assigned to said remote station in a clear channel assessment interval, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of dwell times, said number of dwell times equal to said number of remote stations, each dwell time assigned to one remote station, said forward channel signal provided during a predetermined forward channel interval, said reverse channel signal provided during a predetermined reverse channel interval, and said clear channel assessment interval occupies a time between said forward and reverse channel intervals.

66. The base station of claim 65, wherein said forward channel signal has data information and remote station address information.

67. The base station of claim 65, wherein said forward channel signal and said reverse channel signal are wireless signals.

68. The base station of claim 65, wherein said forward channel signal and reverse channel signal are full-duplex signals.