Method and apparatus for high throughput multiple radio sectorized wireless cell

• US 7,308,270 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Rotani, Inc.
• Inventors: Lastinger, Roc, Spenik, John, Woodbury, Brian C
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/160,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/466, 455/562.1, 455/447, 455/452.1, 455/419, 370/352, 370/328, 370/330
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for high throughput wireless cells, capable of functioning as access points, are described. The wireless cells may be equipped with multiple radios to increase the amount of throughput available through a single wireless cell. Multiple antennas attached to the radios through RF switches may enable the wireless cell to service multiple clients simultaneously. The physical sectors of the antennas may overlapped to form virtual sectors that provide greater flexibility in client load management and in simultaneously servicing multiple clients. Attenuators may reduce interference from foreign wireless cells or clients. Systems and methods for assigning minimally interfering channels to either physical sectors or to radios to reduce interference between adjacent sectors and overlapping sectors are also disclosed. An antenna horn may also allow any antenna to be used as a directional antenna and may enable the antenna'"'"'s angle of coverage to be adjusted. The use of multiple antennas on a client to reduce interferences is also described.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless cell for reducing interference, wherein the wireless cell simultaneously communicates with a first wireless client and a second wireless client, the method comprising:

detecting a signal quality through each one of a plurality of antennas for each one of a plurality of channels;

selecting, in accordance with detecting, a first antenna and a second antenna of the plurality of antennas for communicating with the first client and the second client respectively;

assigning, in accordance with detecting, a first channel and a second channel of the plurality of channels to the first antenna and the second antenna respectively; and

communicating simultaneously with the first client and the second client using the first antenna and the second antenna respectively;

wherein;

the wireless cell comprises the plurality of antennas and the plurality of channels;

the first antenna comprises a first physical sector having an angle of coverage less than about 270 degrees;

the second antenna comprises a second physical sector having an angle of coverage less than about 270 degrees;

the first physical sector overlaps at least 30 percent of the second physical sector thereby forming a virtual sector;

the first channel and the second channel comprise different channels;

a first client and a second client are positioned inside the virtual sector;

the first antenna provides a first signal quality;

the second antenna provides a second signal quality; and

the first signal quality and second signal quality are respectively greater than a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting an attenuation of at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna to improve at least one of the first signal quality and the second signal quality respectively.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein adjusting comprises increasing the attenuation of an incoming signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting comprises detecting at least one of signal strength, noise level, and error rate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting comprises detecting an amount of traffic transmitted by a foreign wireless cell.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting further comprises receiving from at least one of a first client and a second client at least one of a desired minimum throughput, a desired maximum throughput, a desired channel assignment, a signal quality detected, and a storage capacity.

7. The method of claim 1 fUrther comprising detecting at least one of a lapse of time, a loss of signal, and a deterioration of the signal quality then repeating detecting, selecting, and communicating.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second antenna comprises a MIMO antenna.

9. A method performed by a first wireless cell for reducing interference, wherein the first wireless cell simultaneously communicates with a first wireless client and a second wireless client, the method comprising:

associating with the first wireless client and the second wireless client;

receiving an information from at least one of the first wireless client and the second wireless client;

assigning, in accordance with receiving, a first channel and a second channel of a plurality of channels respectively to a first antenna and a second antenna of a plurality of antennas; and

communicating simultaneously with the first client and the second client using the first antenna and the second antenna respectively;

wherein;

the first wireless cell comprises the plurality of channels and the plurality of antennas;

the first antenna comprises a first physical sector having an angle of coverage less than about 270 degrees;

the second antenna comprises a second physical sector having an angle of coverage less than about 270 degrees;

the first physical sector overlaps at least 30 percent of the second physical sector thereby forming a virtual sector;

the first channel and the second channel comprise different channels;

the first client and the second client are positioned inside the virtual sector; and

the information comprises a signal quality detected by at least one of the first client and the second client for each one of the plurality of channels.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the information further comprises at least one of an error rate, a number of dropped frames, a desired throughput, an actual throughput, a local storage capacity, an available communication protocol, and a second wireless cell detected.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein assigning comprises selecting, in accordance the receiving, the first antenna and the second antenna of the plurality of antennas.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the first antenna provides a first signal quality;

the second antenna provides a second signal quality; and

the first signal quality and second signal quality are respectively greater than a threshold.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein associating comprises detecting a signal quality through each one of the plurality of antennas for each one of the plurality of channels.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein

the first wireless client comprises at least one antenna;

the second wireless client comprises at least one antenna; and

associating comprises detecting a signal quality through at least one of the at least one antenna of at least one of the first client and the second client.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting an attenuation of at least one antenna of at least of the first wireless cell, the first client, and the second client to reduce an interference.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first and the second antenna comprises a MIMO antenna.