Time division duplex wireless network and associated method using connection modulation groups

• US 9,014,030 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Access Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: General Access Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Struhsaker, Paul F., Griffin, Kirk J., McKown, Russell C., Eckert, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US13/437,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/280, 370/329, 370/328, 370/392, 370/311, 370/312, 370/345
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0005 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/004 by using forward error control H04L1/0618 takes precedence; coding, decoding or code conversion, for error detection or correction H03M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0042 Encoding specially adapted to other signal generation operation, e.g. in order to reduce transmit distortions, jitter, or to improve signal shape H04L1/0067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/007 Unequal error protection for format H04L1/0078; for codes per se H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0098 Unequal error protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1453 : of modulation type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 : using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 : composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 : for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 : Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 : Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 : using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 : adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless network is provided that includes a base station and subscriber stations that communicate with the base station using radio frequency (RF) time division duplex (TDD) signaling. The base station may establish medium access control (MAC) connections with each station. The base station monitors communications with the stations and, in accordance, assigns stations or MAC connections to modulation groups. The base station transmits signals on MAC connections or to stations in a modulation group in adjacent TDD slots within a TDD frame. The base station may receive access requests from the stations, evaluate traffic requirements for the stations, and determine a longest downlink portion for the stations. The base station then allocates downlink and uplink portions of a TDD frame according to the length of the longest downlink portion.

Claims

1. A method for use in a wireless network comprising a base station and a plurality of subscriber stations in wireless, radio frequency (RF), time division duplex (TDD) communication with the base station, the method comprising:

for each of the subscriber stations, establishing, by a set of one or more hardware processors, a plurality of associated medium access control (MAC) connections on a RF communication link between the base station and the subscriber station;

assigning a connection identifier (CID) to each of the MAC connections using the set of one or more hardware processors;

monitoring communication traffic on the MAC connections by the set of one or more hardware processors;

setting, by the set of one or more hardware processors, for each of the MAC connections a modulation format of the RF communication link from the base station to the associated subscriber station based upon the monitored communication traffic;

assigning, by the set of one or more hardware processors, each of the MAC connections to at least one of a plurality of modulation groups based on a combination of at least the modulation format for the MAC connection and a beam forming for the MAC connection;

causing transmission of signals by the set of one or more hardware processors on MAC connections assigned to a first of the plurality of modulation groups in a first group of adjacent TDD slots within a TDD frame; and

causing transmission of signals by the set of one or more hardware processors on MAC connections assigned to a second of the plurality of modulation groups in a second group of adjacent TDD slots within the TDD frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting, by the base station, for each of the MAC connections the beam forming for the MAC connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting, by the base station, for each of the MAC connections a forward error correction for the MAC connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for use in a wireless network comprising a base station and a plurality of subscriber stations in wireless, radio frequency (RF), time division duplex (TDD) communication with the base station, the method comprising:

for each of the subscriber stations, establishing a plurality of associated medium access control (MAC) connections on a RF communication link between the base station and the subscriber station;

assigning a connection identifier (CID) to each of the MAC connections;

monitoring communication traffic on the MAC connections;

setting, by the set of one or more hardware processors, for each of the MAC connections a modulation format of the RF communication link from the base station to the associated subscriber station based upon the monitored communication traffic;

assigning, by the set of one or more hardware processors, each of the MAC connections to at least one of a plurality of modulation groups based on a combination of at least the modulation format for the MAC connection and a beam forming for the MAC connection;

causing transmission of signals by the set of one or more hardware processors on MAC connections assigned to a first of the plurality of modulation groups in a first group of adjacent TDD slots within a TDD frame; and

causing transmission of signals by the set of one or more hardware processors on MAC connections assigned to a second of the plurality of modulation groups in a second group of adjacent TDD slots within the TDD frame.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises setting, by the base station, for each of the MAC connections the beam forming for the MAC connection.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises setting, by the base station, for each of the MAC connections a forward error correction for the MAC connection.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.

15. A system for use in a wireless network comprising a base station and a plurality of subscriber stations in wireless, radio frequency (RF), time division duplex (TDD) communication with the base station, the system comprising:

a set of one or more hardware processors configured to;

for each of the subscriber stations, establish a plurality of associated medium access control (MAC) connections on a RF communication link between the base station and the subscriber station;

assign a connection identifier (CID) to each of the MAC connections;

monitor communication traffic on the MAC connections;

set for each of the MAC connections a modulation format of the RF communication link from the base station to the associated subscriber station based upon the monitored communication traffic;

assign each of the MAC connections to at least one of a plurality of modulation groups based on a combination of at least the modulation format for the MAC connection and a beam forming for the MAC connection;

cause transmission of signals on MAC connections assigned to a first of the plurality of modulation groups in a first group of adjacent TDD slots within a TDD frame; and

cause transmission of signals on MAC connections assigned to a second of the plurality of modulation groups in a second group of adjacent TDD slots within the TDD frame.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more hardware processors are further configured to set for each of the MAC connections the beam forming for the MAC connection.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the beam forming for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more hardware processors are further configured to set for each of the MAC connections a forward error correction for the MAC connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon the monitored communication traffic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the forward error correction for each of the MAC connections is set based upon error rates detected in the monitored communication traffic.