System for and method of for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network

• US 7,844,273 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LGC Wireless Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Scheinert, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US11/486,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20080014948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/466, 4554561-4565, 455/62, 455/446, 455/423, 455/424, 455/436, 455/439, 455/426.2, 455/445, 455/508, 455/418, 455/552.1, 455/404.1, 455/417, 455/554.2, 455/458, 455/422.1, 455/564, 455/444, 455/408, 455/462, 455/448, 455/15, 370/347, 370/329, 370/328, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

The present invention comprises systems for and methods of providing dedicated capacity in a wireless cellular network. In an embodiment, a system for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network comprises: a first base station positioned at a first location and being communicatively coupled to a telephone network, the first base station having an outdoor cellular antenna for forming a local coverage area, a second base station positioned at the first location and being communicatively coupled to the telephone network; and an indoor cellular antenna for forming a coverage area at a second location. The second location is geographically remote from the first location and the indoor cellular antenna is communicatively coupled to the second base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area at the second location are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the indoor cellular antenna and the second base station.

Claims

1. A system for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network, comprising:

a first base station positioned at a first location and being communicatively coupled to a telephone network, the first base station having an outdoor cellular antenna for forming a local coverage area;

a second base station positioned at the first location and being communicatively coupled to the telephone network; and

an indoor cellular antenna for forming a coverage area at a second location, the second location being geographically remote from the first location and the indoor cellular antenna being communicatively coupled to the second base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area at the second location are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the indoor cellular antenna and the second base station.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an outdoor antenna and a frequency converter at the second location wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the second base station via wireless communications and wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the indoor antenna via the frequency converter.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more additional indoor antennas at the second location communicatively coupled to the second base station.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the first base station via wireless communications in a 2500 MHz frequency band and wherein the mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area of the indoor cellular antenna are communicatively coupled to the indoor cellular antenna using 850 MHz or 1900 MHz frequency band wireless communications.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an outdoor antenna at the second location that is communicatively coupled to the second base station via wireless communications in a 850 MHz or 1900 MHz frequency band and wherein the mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area of the indoor cellular antenna are communicatively coupled to the indoor cellular antenna using the same frequency band wireless communications as are used to communicatively coupled the outdoor antenna at the second location to the second base station.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the same channel is used for communications between outdoor antenna at the second location and the second base station and for communications between the indoor cellular antenna and the mobile communications equipment.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein different channels are used for communications between outdoor antenna at the second location and the second base station and for communications between the indoor cellular antenna and the mobile communications equipment.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coverage area at the second location is within a first building and further comprising an second indoor cellular antenna for forming a coverage area at a third location within a second building, the third location being geographically remote from the first location and the indoor cellular antenna at the third location being communicatively coupled to the second base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area at the third location are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the indoor cellular antenna and the base station.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second base station is a low-power base station having a single transceiver.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second base station is coupled to the telephone network via a backhaul using Internet protocol (IP) in which voice data is communicated in IP packets.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein first base station is a high-power base station having one or more transceivers.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first base station is coupled to the telephone network via a T1 or E1 backhaul.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second base stations share site infrastructure.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the indoor cellular antenna is communicatively coupled to the second base station via the outdoor antenna thereby the outdoor antenna is shared by the first and second base stations.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coverage area of the outdoor cellular antenna overlaps the coverage area of the indoor cellular antenna.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area of the outdoor cellular antenna are communicatively coupled to the outdoor cellular antenna using 850 MHz frequency band or 1900 MHz frequency band wireless communications.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein a remote system at the second location comprises the indoor antenna and wherein the remote system is communicatively coupled to the second base station via a first communication link and further comprising an auxiliary communication link for communicating administrative information between the remote system and the first base station.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first coverage area comprises a first number, n, of sectors and the second coverage area comprises a second number, m, of sectors.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the n sectors are each 120-degrees.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the m sectors are each 120-degrees.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the m sectors are omni-directional.

18. A system for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network, comprising:

a base station positioned at a first location and being communicatively coupled to a telephone network, the base station having one or more transceiver units dedicated to providing a first coverage area for direct communication with mobile communications equipment and one or more transceiver units dedicated to providing a second coverage area; and

a remote system within the second coverage area, the remote system being communicatively coupled to the base station via the one or more transceiver units dedicated to providing the second coverage area and the remote system comprising an indoor cellular antenna for forming a third coverage area at a remote location, the remote location being geographically remote from the first location and the indoor cellular antenna being communicatively coupled to the base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the third coverage area are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the indoor cellular antenna and the base station.

23. A system for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network, comprising:

a pico base station positioned at a first location and being communicatively coupled to a telephone network, the pico base station being a low-power base station having a single transceiver;

a first indoor cellular antenna for forming a first coverage area at a second location within a first building, the second location being geographically remote from the first location and the first indoor cellular antenna being communicatively coupled to the pico base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the first coverage area are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the first indoor cellular antenna and the base station; and

a second indoor cellular antenna for forming a second coverage area at a third location within a second building, the third location being geographically remote from the first location and the second indoor cellular antenna being communicatively coupled to the pico base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the second coverage area are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the second indoor cellular antenna and the pico base station.

24. The system according to claim 23, further comprising:

an outdoor antenna and a frequency converter at the second location wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the pico base station via wireless communications and wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the first indoor antenna via the frequency converter; and

an outdoor antenna and a frequency converter at the third location wherein the outdoor antenna at the third location is communicatively coupled to the pico base station via wireless communications and wherein the outdoor antenna at the third location is communicatively coupled to the second indoor antenna via the frequency converter.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location and the outdoor antenna at the third location are communicatively coupled to the base station via wireless communications in a 2500 MHz frequency band and wherein the mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area of the first and second indoor cellular antennas are communicatively coupled to the respective indoor cellular antenna using 850 MHz or 1900 MHz frequency band wireless communications.

26. The system according to claim 23, further comprising one or more additional indoor antennas at the second location communicatively coupled to the pico base station.

27. The system according to claim 23, further comprising a macro base station at the first location, the macro base station being a high-power base station having multiple transceivers and being communicatively coupled to the telephone network and the macro base station having an outdoor cellular antenna for forming a coverage area.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the pico base station is coupled to the telephone network via a backhaul using Internet protocol (IP) in which voice data is communicated in IP packets.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the macro base station is coupled to the telephone network via a T1 or E1 backhaul.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the pico and macro base stations share site infrastructure.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the coverage area of the outdoor cellular antenna overlaps the coverage area of the indoor cellular antenna at the second location.

32. A method for providing dedicated capacity in a cellular network, the cellular network including a high-power base station at a first location communicatively coupled to a telephone network and having multiple transceivers and having at least one outdoor antenna forming a coverage area at the first location, the method comprising:

adding a low-power base station at the first location; and

adding an indoor cellular antenna for forming a coverage area at a second location, the second location being geographically remote from the first location and the indoor cellular antenna being communicatively coupled to the low-power base station such that mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area are communicatively coupled to the telephone network via the indoor cellular antenna and the low power base station.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising adding an outdoor antenna and a frequency converter at the second location wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the low-power base station via wireless communications and wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the indoor antenna via the frequency converter.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising adding one or more additional indoor antennas at the second location communicatively coupled to the low-power base station.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the outdoor antenna at the second location is communicatively coupled to the low-power base station via wireless communications in a 2500 MHz frequency band and wherein the mobile communications equipment located within the coverage area of the indoor cellular antenna are communicatively coupled to the indoor cellular antenna using 850 MHz or 1900 MHz frequency band wireless communications.