System for efficiently covering a sectorized cell utilizing beam forming and sweeping

• US 20050026562A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cuffaro, Angelo, Goldberg, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A primary station for a wireless communication system transmits and receives communications within a sectorized cell with at least one secondary station. The primary station transmits and receives signals within a beam; and directs the signal transmission and reception as a shaped beam. The shaped beam is directed at a plurality of predetermined directions; either continuously or discretely.

Claims

1. A primary station configured for transmitting and receiving communications with a plurality of user equipment units (UEs) in a sectorized cell using at least one beam, the primary station comprising:

a circuit for generating and shaping a plurality of beams in an array;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving communication signals within said beams;

a beam directing circuit for directing said beams;

whereby said beam directing circuit selectively directs at least one of the shaped beams at a plurality of directions; and

a signal identification circuit for sending an identifier to identify the shaped beam in accordance with at least a subset of said plurality of directions.

2. The primary station of claim 1 wherein said shaping circuit shapes the beams into one of a plurality of selectable widths, from a wide width to a narrow width.

3. The primary station of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of directions coincide with the sectors of the cell, the cell sectors having different sizes; and

said shaping circuit shapes the beams to cover the cell sectors.

4. The primary station of claim 1 wherein said beam directing circuit selectively directs the shaped beams at the plurality of directions in a predetermined consecutive sequence.

5. The primary station of claim 1 wherein said beam directing circuit selectively directs the shaped beams at the plurality of directions in a predetermined non-consecutive sequence.

6. The primary station of claim 5 wherein said non-consecutive sequence causes the beam directing circuit to selectively direct the beam toward at least one of the plurality of directions more frequently than the other plurality of directions.

7. The primary station of claim 5 wherein said non-consecutive sequence causes the beam directing circuit to selectively direct the beam at some of the plurality of directions for a longer duration than others of the plurality of directions.

8. The primary station of claim 5 wherein said non-consecutive sequence causes the beam directing circuit to selectively direct the beam toward at least one of the plurality of directions more frequently than the other plurality of directions, and causes the beam directing circuit to selectively direct the beam at some of the plurality of directions for a longer duration than others of the plurality of directions.

9. The primary station of claim 1 wherein said beam directing circuit sweeps the shaped beams thereby directing the shaped beams to at least a subset of said plurality of directions.

10. The primary station of claim 9 wherein the cell sectors are different sizes and said circuit for shaping shapes the beams to cover the cell sectors.

11. The primary station of claim 9 wherein said beam directing circuit selectively directs the beams toward at least one of the plurality of directions more frequently than the other plurality of directions.

12. The primary station of claim 9 wherein said beam directing circuit selectively directs the beams at some of the plurality of directions for a longer duration than others of the plurality of directions.

13. The primary station of claim 9 wherein the signal identification circuit identifies the beams by use of a time reference accessed by both the primary station and a secondary station with which the primary station is communicating.

14. The primary station of claim 1 wherein the signal identification circuit identifies the beams in accordance with at least a subset of said plurality of directions by providing a unique identifier.

15. The primary station of claim 1 wherein the signal identification circuit identifies the beams by use of a time reference accessed by both the primary station and a secondary station with which the primary station is communicating.

16. The primary station of claim 1, further comprising a position reporting circuit which provides a position location of the secondary station, the primary station using the position location to identify at least one beam direction for a secondary station with which the primary station is communicating.

17. In a cellular telecommunications system, a method of operating a primary station for transmitting and receiving communications between said primary station and at least one secondary station, the method comprising:

providing a sectorized cell by using a smart antenna, the sectorized cell using at least one beam;

selectively shaping and directing said beam to a plurality of directions coinciding with the sectors of the cell;

identifying the beam in accordance with at least a subset of said plurality of directions.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising shaping the beam into a plurality of selectable widths.

19. The method of claim 17 comprising directing the beam toward least one of the plurality of directions more frequently than the other plurality of directions.

20. The method of claim 17 comprising directing the beam to some of the plurality of directions for a longer duration than do other plurality of directions.

21. The method of claim 17 comprising identifying the beam in accordance with at least a subset of said plurality of directions.