Wireless communication network

• US 20060098609A1
• Filed: 11/11/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VenKee Communications LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martinez, Dennis Michael, Henderson, Gregory Newell
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A wireless communication network is provided that includes a plurality of access points. A plurality of the access points are configured as local access points that are each configured to operate at one of a set of frequencies and within a communication range. The local access points may communicate with a mobile device within the corresponding local access point communication range. The wireless network further includes an access point configured as a master access point to communicate with each of the plurality of local access points at a frequency that is outside the set of frequencies of the local access points.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of local access points each configured to operate at one of a set of frequencies for communicating with a mobile device within a local access point communication range; and

a master access point configured to communicate with each of the plurality of local access points at a frequency distinct from the set of frequencies of the plurality of local access points.

2. A wireless network in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a wireless access coverage area corresponding to each of the plurality of access points and defined by the communication range.

3. A wireless network in accordance with claim 2 wherein the wireless access coverage areas are configured in a tessellated configuration.

4. A wireless network in accordance with claim 3 wherein the tessellated configuration comprises one of a plurality of (i) hexagon and (ii) square wireless access coverage areas.

5. A wireless network in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of local access points comprises a first radio and a second radio, the first radio configured to communicate with the mobile device and the second radio configured to communicate with the master access point.

6. A wireless network in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of the first radios are configured at a single frequency within the set of frequencies and each of the second radios are configured at the frequency distinct from the set of frequencies.

7. A wireless network in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of the first radios are configured at a different frequency within the set of frequencies and each of the second radios are configured at the frequency distinct from the set of frequencies.

8. A wireless network in accordance with claim 5 wherein at least two of the first radios are configured having different frequencies within the set of frequencies and each of the second radios are configured at the frequency distinct from the set of frequencies.

9. A wireless network in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of local access points and the master access point together form a communication cell.

10. A wireless network in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a plurality of communication cells forming a backhaul macro-communication cell.

11. A wireless network in accordance with claim 10 wherein each of the master access points define a backhaul access point having a different communication channel.

12. A wireless network in accordance with claim 1 wherein the master access point comprises a wired connection to a network.

13. A wireless network in accordance with claim 1 wherein the communication is wireless and provided via one of an IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.16 standard.

14. A wireless network architecture comprising:

a plurality of local access points each defining a wireless access coverage area and each having a local communication channel to communicate with mobile devices within the wireless coverage area, one of the plurality of local access points configured as a master access point to provide communication between the plurality of local access points and a wired network and having a master communication channel distinct from the local communication channels;

a first communication device corresponding to each of the plurality of local access points to communicate between the local access point and mobiles devices, the first communication devices configured to communicate using at least one of the local communication channels; and

a second communication device corresponding to each of the plurality of local access points to communicate between each of the local access points and the master access point, the second communication devices configured to communicate using the master communication channel which is distinct from the local communication channel of the first device.

15. A wireless network architecture in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a wired communication link between each of the master access points and the network.

16. A wireless network architecture in accordance with claim 14 wherein the wireless access coverage areas are configured in a tessellated pattern.

17. A wireless network architecture in accordance with claim 14 wherein the first and second communication devices are configured to provide simultaneous communication between (i) the access points and the mobile devices and (ii) the access points and the master access point.

18. A wireless network architecture in accordance with claim 14 wherein the plurality of access points are configured as a plurality of communication cells forming a backhaul macro-communication cell, each of the plurality of communication cells having a different backhaul communication channel.

19. A wireless network architecture in accordance with claim 14 wherein the wireless access coverage areas are configured in a tessellated configuration.

20. A method for wirelessly communicating in a network, the method comprising:

configuring a plurality of access points to communicate with mobile devices within a wireless access coverage area corresponding to each of the plurality of access points using at least one of a plurality frequencies; and

configuring one of the plurality of access points as a master access point to provide communication between the access points and a wired network using a frequency different than the plurality of frequencies of the access points.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising configuring the plurality of access points in a tessellated arrangement.