WIRELESS BACKHAUL

• US 20090323621A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DesignArt Networks Limited (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: TOUBOUL, ASSAF, BARAK, OZ
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A method and system for providing wireless backhaul in a wireless radio access network having an overall allocated access bandwidth for access communication, the system including a radio access base station designed for out-of-band backhaul, the base station including an access transceiver communicating over an allocated frequency channel within the overall allocated access bandwidth, and an in-band backhaul unit coupled to the access base station including means for in-band communication of backhaul of the access base station.

Claims

1. A system for providing wireless backhaul in a wireless radio access network having an overall allocated access bandwidth for access communication, the system comprising:

a radio access base station designed for out-of-band backhaul, said base station including an access transceiver communicating over an allocated frequency channel within the overall allocated access bandwidth; and

an in-band backhaul unit coupled to said access base station including means for in-band communication of backhaul of said access base station.

2. The system according to claim 1,

wherein said in-band backhaul unit includes a transceiver transmitting and receiving in said allocated frequency channel;

and further comprising means in said in-band backhaul unit for synchronizing transmission and reception over said in-band backhaul transceiver with transmission and reception over said access transceiver.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said in-band backhaul unit includes a transceiver transmitting and receiving in a frequency channel in the overall allocated access bandwidth which is not said allocated frequency channel of said radio access base station.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for in-band backhaul include:

at least one RF transceiver providing point to point communication;

a modem coupled to each transceiver;

an antenna array arrangement mounted in the node for providing multiple concurrent transmissions over multiple antennas, one antenna being coupled to each modem; and

a controller in each node adapted and configured for control and coordination of the transceivers and associated modems, said controller including means for adaptively allocating up to four MIMO streams to different antennas in the antenna array arrangement and for adaptively allocating modulation, depending on link conditions.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said means for in-band backhaul include:

at least one RF transceiver providing point to point communication;

a modem coupled to each transceiver;

an antenna array arrangement mounted in the node for providing multiple concurrent transmissions over multiple antennas, one antenna being coupled to each modem; and

a controller in each node adapted and configured for control and coordination of the transceivers and associated modems, said controller including means for adaptively allocating up to four MIMO streams to different antennas in the antenna array arrangement and for adaptively allocating modulation, depending on link conditions.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein said means for in-band backhaul include:

at least one RF transceiver providing point to point communication;

a modem coupled to each transceiver;

an antenna array arrangement mounted in the node for providing multiple concurrent transmissions over multiple antennas, one antenna being coupled to each modem; and

a controller in each node adapted and configured for control and coordination of the transceivers and associated modems, said controller including means for adaptively allocating up to four MIMO streams to different antennas in the antenna array arrangement and for adaptively allocating modulation, depending on link conditions.

7. A method for providing wireless backhaul in a wireless radio access network having an overall allocated access band for access communication, the method comprising:

coupling an in-band backhaul unit to a radio access base station designed for out-of-band backhaul, for communicating backhaul of said access base station;

transmitting or receiving access communications over an allocated frequency channel within the overall allocated access band; and

transmitting or receiving backhaul communications over a frequency channel in the overall allocated access band.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting includes transmitting backhaul communications over said allocated frequency channel;

and

further comprising synchronizing said transmission and reception of in-band backhaul communications with said transmission and reception of said access communications.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

designating a slot in each radio communication frame transmitted by said access transceiver during which there is no access communication; and

configuring said backhaul transceiver to communicate in said slot.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of designating includes designating a time slot.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of designating includes designating a frequency slot.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting includes transmitting backhaul communications over an allocated frequency channel within said overall allocated access band which is not said frequency channel allocated to said base station.

13. A system for providing wireless backhaul in a wireless radio access network having an overall allocated access bandwidth for access communication, the system comprising:

a radio access base station, said base station including an access transceiver communicating over an allocated frequency channel within the overall allocated access bandwidth; and

an in-band backhaul unit coupled to said access base station including a transceiver transmitting and receiving in a frequency channel in the overall allocated access bandwidth which is not said allocated frequency channel of said radio access base station, for in-band communication of backhaul of said access base station.