Hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio

• US 8,385,305 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COMS IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: CBF Networks, Inc. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Negus, Kevin J., Proctor, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US13/448,294
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/328, 370/338, 370/252, 370/254, 370/310, 709/224, 709/228, 455/73, 455/461, 455/462.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/00 Frequency-division multiplex systems H04J14/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio (HB-IBR) is disclosed that is a combination of two radios operating in different bands. Embodiments include a dual radio configuration wherein a first radio operates in a non-line of sight (NLOS) radio link configuration and a second ancillary radio operates in a near line of sight or line of sight configuration (n)LOS. For example, the HB-IBR may have an Intelligent Backhaul Radio (IBR) operating in the non-line of sight mode of operation within the 5.8 GHz unlicensed band, and have an ancillary radio link operating in the FCC part 101E band of operation at 60 GHz. A common medium access control (MAC) block may be utilized between the dual radios.

Claims

1. A hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio comprising:

a first radio, wherein the first radio is configured to operate in a first frequency band utilizing first radio parameters to provide a first communications link;

a second radio, wherein the second radio is configured to operate in a second frequency band utilizing second radio parameters to provide a second communications link, said second frequency band being different from said first frequency band; and

a controller in communication with the first radio and the second radio, the controller to control functions associated with the first and second radio parameters and the first and second communication links, wherein performance metrics of the first communications link is enhanced utilizing said second communications link,

wherein said first radio is a conventional cellular back haul radio, and wherein said second radio is an intelligent backhaul radio, the intelligent backhaul radio comprising;

one or more demodulator cores, wherein each demodulator core demodulates one or more receive symbol streams to produce a respective receive data interface stream,

a plurality of receive radio frequency (RF) chains to convert from a plurality of receive RF signals to a plurality of respective receive chain output signals;

a frequency selective receive path channel multiplexer, interposed between the one or more demodulator cores and the plurality of receive RF chains, to produce the one or more receive symbol streams provided to the one or more demodulator cores from the plurality of receive chain output signals;

one or more modulator cores, wherein each modulator core modulates a respective transmit data interface stream to produce one or more transmit symbol streams;

a plurality of transmit RF chains to convert from a plurality of transmit chain input signals to a plurality of respective transmit RF signals;

a transmit path channel multiplexer, interposed between the one or more modulator cores and the plurality of transmit RF chains, to produce the plurality of transmit chain input signals provided to the plurality of transmit RF chains from the one or more transmit symbol streams;

an antenna array comprising;

a plurality of directive gain antenna elements;

a plurality of RF connections to couple at least certain of the plurality of directive gain antenna elements to the plurality of receive RF chains; and

a plurality of RF connections to couple at least certain of the plurality of directive gain antenna elements to the plurality of transmit RF chains.

2. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein the intelligent backhaul radio further comprises:

an interface bridge configured to couple the hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio to a data network, the interface bridge comprising one or more Ethernet interfaces to couple the interface bridge to the data network, the interface bridge multiplexing and buffering the one or more Ethernet interfaces;

a media access controller to exchange data to and from the data network via coupling to at least the interface bridge and to and from at least one other intelligent backhaul radio; and

a radio link controller, wherein the radio link controller sets or causes to be set certain modulation mapping or forward error correction encoding parameters for the one or more modulator cores

wherein the controller comprises one or more of the media access controller and the radio link controller, or portions thereof.

3. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 2, further comprising:

a motorized assembly to control the position of the dish antenna associated with the conventional cellular back haul radio, wherein the position of the dish antenna is controlled by the controller based on the enhancement of the performance metrics of said first communications link based on the second radio link.

4. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 3, wherein enhancing performance metrics of said first communications link utilizing said second communications link comprises:

establishing the second communications link;

performing a scan to collect first radio link performance metrics associated with first radio parameter settings;

utilizing the second communications link to adjust first radio link parameters;

performing an additional scan to collect first radio link performance metrics associated with said adjusted first radio parameter settings;

selecting second radio link parameters to provide enhanced performance metrics of said first communications link.

5. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 3, wherein the motorized assembly comprises a servo motor.

6. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1,

wherein the first communications link is a line of sight communications link, and the second communications link is one of a non-line of sight or line of sight communications link, and wherein the spatial radiation pattern of the first radio is effected by one or more of said first radio parameters.

7. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 6,

wherein a retransmission of data received in error on the first communications link is requested to be retransmitted utilizing the second communications link and is subsequently retransmitted utilizing said first communications link.

8. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 6,

wherein a retransmission of data received in error on the first communications link is requested to be retransmitted utilizing the second communications link, and is subsequently retransmitted utilizing said second communications link.

9. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 6, further comprising:

a motorized assembly to control the orientation of an antenna array, electronically controllable utilizing adaptive antenna array electronics allowing for a course and a fine antenna pattern adjustment.

10. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 9, wherein the motorized assembly comprises a servo motor.

11. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 6, wherein a retransmission of data received in error on the first communications link is retransmitted utilizing the second communications link.

12. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 6, wherein enhancing performance metrics of said first communications link utilizing said second communications link comprises:

establishing the second communications link;

performing a scan to collect first radio link performance metrics associated with first radio parameter settings;

utilizing the second communications link to adjust first radio link parameters;

performing an additional scan to collect first radio link performance metrics associated with said adjusted first radio parameter settings;

selecting second radio link parameters to provide enhanced performance metrics of said first communications link.

13. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein said performance metrics include a packet latency time metric.

14. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein the controller causes data packets to be transmitted over one of either said first communications link or said second communications link based upon properties of said data packets.

15. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 14, wherein said properties of said data packets include one or more of MPLS, DSCP, TOS, 802.1p, COS, IntServ, DiffServ, or other QOS or GOS requirements.

16. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein the first radio comprises a dish antenna operating in the millimeter wave band.

17. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein the first radio comprises a dish antenna operating in the E Band.

18. The hybrid band intelligent backhaul radio of claim 1, wherein the controller is shared.