Antennae system

• US 9,136,885 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gale, Simon, Urquhart, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/317,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140302889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/552.1, 455/431, 370/342, 375/295
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications networks, and more specifically to an antenna apparatus for cellular wireless systems. Increasing data capacity of cellular wireless systems places increasing demands on the capacity of the two way connection, known as backhaul, between a cellular base station and a telecommunications network such as the PSTN backhaul, since this is the connection that has to convey the wireless-originating traffic to its destination, often in an entirely different network. Known backhaul links include leased lines, microwave links, optical fiber links or radio resources for relaying backhaul traffic between base stations. The fixed line solutions are expensive to implement and maintain, while the radio solutions antenna configurations that are not ideal for relaying data between base stations. In embodiments of the invention, communication between base stations occurs in a first timeslot by use of a first antenna system and communication between a given base station and a user equipment occurs in a second timeslot using a second antenna system. The benefit of this method is that the first antenna system can be optimized for use in communication between base stations, whereas the second antenna system can be optimized for communication with user equipment which preferably occurs within the area of cellular wireless coverage of the sector served by the second antenna system.

Claims

1. A user equipment terminal, comprising:

at least one antenna; and

a processor coupled to the antenna, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, via the at least one antenna, a first signal in a first allocated time slot and a first frequency band from a first antenna system of a transceiver system, wherein the first frequency band at least partially overlaps a second frequency band of a second signal transmitted in a second allocated time slot via a second antenna system of the transceiver system, wherein the second time slot is different from the first time slot, wherein the timeslots are apportioned via a message to the transceiver, and wherein the user equipment terminal receives the first signal in the first time slot in response to the message.

2. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the transceiver system further comprises a transceiver and a switch, wherein the switch is configured to:

couple the transceiver to the first antenna system during the first time slot; and

couple the transceiver to the second antenna system during the second time slot.

3. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the transceiver system comprises a transceiver sub-system, wherein the transceiver sub-system comprises a first transceiver coupled to the first antenna system and a second transceiver coupled to the second antenna system, and wherein the user equipment terminal receives the first signal from the first transceiver.

4. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the signals comply with an air interface standard selected from the group consisting of WiMAX and LTE.

5. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a radiation pattern having a broader azimuth than at least one radiation pattern radiating from the second antenna system.

6. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a radiation pattern having a greater downtilt than at least one radiation pattern radiating from the second antenna system.

7. The user equipment terminal of claim 1, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a substantially omni-directional radiation pattern.

8. A method of signaling in a wireless communications network, comprising:

by a user equipment terminal;

receiving a first signal in a first allocated time slot and a first frequency band from a first antenna system of a transceiver system, wherein the first frequency band at least partially overlaps a second frequency band of a second signal transmitted in a second allocated time slot via a second antenna system of the transceiver system, wherein the second allocated time slot is different from the first allocated time slot, wherein the timeslots are allocated via a message to the transceiver, and wherein the user equipment terminal receives the first signal in the first time slot in response to the message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first signal is received from a first transceiver of the transceiver system, wherein the transceiver system comprises at least two transceivers.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the signals comply with an air interface standard selected from the group consisting of WiMAX and LTE.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a radiation pattern having a broader azimuth than at least one radiation pattern radiating from the second antenna system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a radiation pattern having a greater downtilt than at least one radiation pattern radiating from the second antenna system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first antenna system radiates in a substantially omni-directional radiation pattern.