Systems and methods for modifying antenna radiation patterns of peripheral base stations of a terrestrial network to allow reduced interference

• US 7,558,568 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addy; Anthony S
• Application Number:
  US10/880,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/13.3, 455/63.4, 455/101, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/427, 455/430, 455/443, 455/444, 455/447, 455/448
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells

Abstract

A wireless communications system may include a terrestrial network including a plurality of base stations providing communications service for radioterminals over a terrestrial network coverage area. The plurality of base stations may include interior base stations providing communications service for radioterminals in an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area and peripheral base stations providing communications service for radioterminals at a peripheral portion of the terrestrial network coverage area. At least one of the peripheral base stations provides transmissions directed toward an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area with greater power than transmissions directed away from interior portions of the terrestrial network coverage area. Related methods are also discussed.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a terrestrial network including a plurality of base stations providing communications service for radioterminals over a terrestrial network coverage area, the plurality of base stations including interior base stations providing communications service for radioterminals in an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area and peripheral base stations providing communications service for radioterminals at a peripheral portion of the terrestrial network coverage area, wherein at least one of the peripheral base stations provides transmissions directed toward an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area with greater power than transmissions directed away from interior portions of the terrestrial network coverage area; and

a space based network comprising at least one satellite, the space based network providing communications service for radioterminals in a first satellite coverage area using a first frequency of a satellite frequency band and providing communications service for radioterminals in a second satellite coverage area using a second frequency of the satellite frequency band, wherein at least a portion of the terrestrial network coverage area is within the first satellite coverage area, wherein an entirety of the terrestrial network coverage area is outside the second satellite coverage area, and wherein at least one of the base stations provides communications service using the second frequency of the satellite frequency band, and refrains from providing communications service using the first frequency of the satellite frequency band.

2. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral base stations define a portion of a perimeter of the terrestrial network coverage area such that interior base stations of the terrestrial network are located on one side of the perimeter and not on the other side of the perimeter.

3. A wireless communications system according to claim 2 wherein the perimeter surrounds interior portions of the terrestrial network coverage area.

4. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein an interior base station comprises a plurality of sectors and transmits communications over the plurality of sectors in a 360 degree pattern.

5. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein a peripheral base station transmits over a sector thereof that is directed substantially toward an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area with greater power than a power used to transmit over another sector thereof that is directed substantially away from an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area.

6. A wireless communications system according to claim 5 wherein the peripheral base station includes a transmission antenna for a sector thereof that is directed substantially toward an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area and does not include a transmission antenna for a sector thereof that is directed substantially away from an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area.

7. A wireless communications system according to claim 6 wherein the peripheral base station includes a receive antenna for each sector thereof.

8. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein a peripheral base station comprises fewer transmit sectors, fewer transmit antenna elements, different transmit antenna elements, and/or different transmit gain patterns than at least one interior base station.

9. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a second terrestrial network including a second plurality of base stations providing communications service for radioterminals over a second terrestrial network coverage area, wherein a no-service region separates the first and second terrestrial network coverage areas such that communications services are not provided by base stations of either of the first or the second terrestrial networks in the no-service region.

10. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the space based network transmits communications to radioterminals in the first satellite coverage area using the first frequency, wherein the space based network transmits communications to radioterminals in the second satellite coverage area using the second frequency, and wherein the at least one of the base stations transmits communications to radioterminals using the second frequency.

11. A wireless communications system according to claim 10 wherein the space based network receives communications from radioterminals in the first satellite coverage area using a third frequency, wherein the space based network receives communications from radioterminals in the second satellite coverage area using a fourth frequency, and wherein the at least one of the base stations receives communications using the fourth frequency, and refrains from using the third frequency to receive communications.

12. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the terrestrial network includes a base station comprising a receive-only sector so that communications service for a radioterminal is provided by the receive-only sector receiving communications from the radioterminal and by another sector transmitting communications to the radioterminal.

13. A wireless communications system comprising:

a terrestrial network including a plurality of base stations providing communications service for radioterminals over a terrestrial network coverage area, the plurality of base stations including interior base stations providing communications service for radioterminals in an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area and peripheral base stations providing communications service for radioterminals at a peripheral portion of the terrestrial network coverage area, wherein at least one of the peripheral base stations is a receive-only base station that does not transmit; and

a space based network comprising at least one satellite, the space based network providing communications service for radioterminals in a first satellite coverage area using a first frequency of a satellite frequency band and providing communications service for radioterminals in a second satellite coverage area using a second frequency of the satellite frequency band, wherein at least a portion of the terrestrial network coverage area is within the first satellite coverage area, wherein an entirety of the terrestrial network coverage area is outside the second satellite coverage area, and wherein at least one of the base stations provides communications service using the second frequency of the satellite frequency band, and refrains from providing communications service using the first frequency of the satellite frequency band.

14. A wireless communications system according to claim 13 wherein the space based network transmits communications to radioterminals in the first satellite coverage area using the first frequency, wherein the space based network transmits communications to radioterminals in the second satellite coverage area using the second frequency, and wherein the at least one of the base stations transmits communications using the second frequency.

15. A wireless communications system according to claim 14 wherein the space based network receives communications from radioterminals in the first satellite coverage area using a third frequency, wherein the space based network receives communications from radioterminals in the second satellite coverage area using a fourth frequency, and wherein the at least one of the base stations receives communications using the fourth frequency, and refrains from using the third frequency to receive communications.

16. A wireless communications system according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the interior base stations is a transmit and receive base station.

17. A wireless communications system comprising:

a terrestrial network including a plurality of base stations providing communications service for radioterminals over a terrestrial network coverage area, the plurality of base stations including interior base stations providing communications service for radioterminals in an interior portion of the terrestrial network coverage area and peripheral base stations providing communications service for radioterminals at a peripheral portion of the terrestrial network coverage area, wherein at least one of the peripheral base stations is substantially disabled for transmission away from interior portions of the terrestrial network coverage area; and

a space based network comprising at least one satellite, the space based network providing communications service for radioterminals in a first satellite coverage area using a first frequency of a satellite frequency band and providing communications service for radioterminals in a second satellite coverage area using a second frequency of the satellite frequency band, wherein at least a portion of the terrestrial network coverage area is within the first satellite coverage area, wherein an entirety of the terrestrial network coverage area is outside the second satellite coverage area and wherein at least one of the base stations provides communications service using the second frequency of the satellite frequency band, and refrains from providing communications service using the first frequency of the satellite frequency band.

18. A wireless communications system according to claim 17 wherein at least one of the interior base stations is enabled for transmission in a 360 degree pattern surrounding the at least one of the interior base stations.