System and method for wireless communication in a backplane fabric architecture

• US 9,537,794 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vubiq Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vubiq Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Pettus, Michael Gregory, Bardeen, James Robert Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US14/235,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/15 Backplane arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of wirelessly communicating in a backplane mesh network is disclosed. A data message received from a first network device is handled at a first antenna system located in a first network device cabinet via a first network interface. The data message is wirelessly transmitted from a first millimeter wave antenna coupled to the first antenna system over a high speed backplane network to a second network device in a second device cabinet using emitted millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation. The data message is wirelessly received at a second millimeter wave antenna over the high speed backplane network using emitted millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation, wherein the received data message is handled by a second antenna system coupled to the second millimeter wave antenna. The received data message is sent, via a second network interface, from the second antenna system to the second network device.

Claims

1. An antenna device for wireless backplane network communication comprising:

a device base configured to be located at least partially in a network device cabinet housing a network device;

an antenna pedestal coupled to the device base and configured to be located external to the network device cabinet;

a pedestal base configured to be coupled to the device base;

a plurality of antenna housings coupled to the pedestal base, the plurality of antenna housings configured to house one or more millimeter waveguide antennas therein, the one or more antenna housings radially positioned about the antenna pedestal; and

a millimeter wave antenna positioned in the antenna pedestal and communicatively coupled to the network device, the millimeter wave antenna configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data messages over a high speed wireless backplane using millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation.

2. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna housings are removably coupled to the base.

3. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein the one or more waveguide antennas further comprise:

a flange shaped antenna having an antenna aperture facing a distal end of an antenna housing of the plurality of antenna housings;

a communication device;

a launch transducer coupled to the communication device, wherein the launch transducer emits millimeter wave electromagnetic energy configured to propagate from the antenna aperture as millimeter wave radiation.

4. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna housings include a plurality of millimeter waveguide antennas, at least one of the millimeter waveguide antennas configured to transmit data.

5. The antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna housings include a plurality of millimeter waveguide antennas, at least one of the millimeter waveguide antennas configured to receive data.

6. The antenna device of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to operate an executable data handler stored in a memory, wherein the processor, when executing the executable data handler, causes the processor to select a transmission path for the data messages to another antenna device.

7. The antenna device of claim 6, wherein the antenna device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the another antenna device without using a central switch.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the antenna device is configured to communicate with the another antenna device using time division multiplexing access and frequency division multiplexing access.