Staggered cells for wireless coverage

• US 8,965,385 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Busche, Greg, Shima, Lori, Li, Becky Xiao-Chun, Feria, Ying J, Veysoglu, Murat E, Sullivan, John M
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US13/734,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/431, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/443, 455/444, 455446-449
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning

Abstract

A relay and distribution apparatus is provided for a cellular communication system. The relay and distribution apparatus includes an antenna system configured to lay down beams in overlapping first and M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns. The first frequency reuse pattern may be for communication of control channels of a cellular communication system, and the second frequency reuse patterns may be for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system. The second frequency reuse patterns may be staggered with one another. And cells of the second frequency reuse patterns may have a size only a fraction of which is for transmission of traffic channels any of which may be assignable through a control channel of the first reuse frequency pattern.

Claims

1. A relay and distribution apparatus comprising:

a communication platform; and

an antenna system carried by the communication platform and including at least one array of antenna feeds, the antenna system being configured to lay down beams covering respective cells of a cellular communication system,

wherein the antenna system is configured to lay down beams in overlapping P-cell and Q-cell frequency reuse patterns, Q being different in number than P, each cell of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlapping one or more cells of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern, the P-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of control channels of the cellular communication system, and the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system,

wherein any traffic channel of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern is assignable through a control channel of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

2. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 1, wherein Q is greater than P, and cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern are smaller in size than those of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

3. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least some of the cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlap one cell of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern, and other cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlap more than one cell of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

4. A relay and distribution apparatus comprising:

a communication platform; and

an antenna system carried by the communication platform and including at least one array of antenna feeds, the antenna system being configured to lay down beams covering respective cells of a cellular communication system,

wherein the antenna system is configured to lay down beams in overlapping first and M≧

2 second N-cell frequency reuse patterns, the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of control channels of the cellular communication system, and the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns being for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system, and

wherein the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns are staggered with one another, and cells of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns have a size only a fraction of which is for transmission of traffic channels any of which is assignable through a control channel of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlapping one or more cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

5. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one, two or three cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

6. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 5, wherein when M is an even number, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one or two cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern, and when M is an odd number, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one or three cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

7. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 4, wherein cells of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns have a size only 1/M of which is for transmission of traffic channels.

8. The relay and distribution apparatus of claim 4, wherein the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns are staggered such that the fractions of the cells for transmission of traffic channels form an effective M×

N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

9. A method comprising:

laying down beams of an antenna system covering respective cells of a cellular communication system, the beams being laid down in overlapping P-cell and Q-cell frequency reuse patterns, Q being different in number than P, each cell of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlapping one or more cells of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern, the P-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of control channels of the cellular communication system, and the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system,

wherein any traffic channel of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern is assignable through a control channel of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein Q is greater than P, and cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern are smaller in size than those of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least some of the cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlap one cell of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern, and other cells of the Q-cell frequency reuse pattern overlap more than one cell of the P-cell frequency reuse pattern.

12. A method comprising:

laying down beams of an antenna system covering respective cells of a cellular communication system, the beams being laid down in overlapping first and M≧

2 second N-cell frequency reuse patterns, the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern being for communication of control channels of the cellular communication system, and the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns being for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system,

wherein the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns are staggered with one another, and cells of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns have a size only a fraction of which is for transmission of traffic channels any of which is assignable through a control channel of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlapping one or more cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one, two or three cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when M is an even number, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one or two of cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern, and when M is an odd number, the fraction of each cell of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns overlaps one or three cells of the first N-cell frequency reuse pattern.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein cells of the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns have a size only 1/M of which is for transmission of traffic channels.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns are staggered such that the fractions of the cells for transmission of traffic channels form an effective M×

N-cell frequency reuse pattern.