Multiple basestation communication system having adaptive antennas

• US 7,929,984 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Donald C. D., Lim, Wah L., Chang, Ming U.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US11/652,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 455/524, 455/560, 455/68, 455/63.1, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 455/431, 455/422.1, 455 111- 138, 455/63.4, 455/420, 455/501, 455/550.1, 455/533.1, 455/88, 455/554.2, 455561-5612, 455/5, 455/306, 455/307, 455/303, 455/266, 455/254, 455/445, 455/448, 455/447, 455/7, 455/12.1, 455/3.2, 370/342, 370/324, 370/325, 370/326, 370/319, 370/320, 370/321, 370/322, 370/310, 370/315, 370/394, 370/323, 370/316, 370/466, 370/535, 370/469, 370/401, 370/474, 370/343, 370/338, 370/317, 370/331, 370/511, 370/358, 370353-355, 370/481, 375/347, 342350-3752, 342/375.21, 342/375.22, 342/384, 379/88.13, 709/227, 704/270.01, 725/39, 725/143, 725 74- 79, 725/81, 725/62, 725/63, 725/105, 725/86, 725/121, 725/123, 725/134
• US Class Current: 455/524
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A communication system has a first plurality of wireless basestations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams. The system further includes a gateway station coupled to the first plurality of wireless basestations. The gateway station forms a plurality of beams commands by communicating plurality of a control signals to the first plurality of wireless basestations to form the communication beams. A second plurality of wireless base stations having a second plurality of adaptive antennas with a second plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with said mobile user. A gateway station coupled to said first plurality of wireless base stations and said second plurality of wireless base stations through a plurality of multiple dynamic links, said gateway station forming a plurality of beams with a plurality of data packets by communicating plurality of a control signals to the base station to form the communication beams using at least one link from a first base station and a second link through a second of the base station.

Claims

1. A communication system for communicating with a user terminal comprising:

a plurality of wireless base stations each having a directional antenna and an adaptive antenna having a plurality of panels with a plurality of reconfigurable antenna elements, said plurality of wireless base stations generating a plurality of dynamic links, wherein a first base station of the plurality of wireless base stations generates a first link and a second base station of the plurality of wireless base stations generates a second link to communicate with said user terminal; and

a gateway station coupled to said plurality of wireless base stations through the directional antenna and a feeder link, said gateway station controlling a plurality of dynamic links at the plurality of wireless base stations by communicating a plurality of control signals to the plurality of wireless base stations through the directional antenna so that the first link from the first base station and the second link from the second base station are directed to the user terminal.

2. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of wireless base stations generates at least two dynamic links into a same cell using a same channel.

3. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of base stations comprises a plurality of auxiliary elements for canceling interference between the plurality of dynamic links.

4. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said gateway station is rf coupled to said plurality of wireless base stations.

5. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first plurality of reconfigurable elements is modular.

6. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first plurality of reconfigurable elements is coupled to a bus and a bus controller.

7. A method of operating a communication system having a user terminal comprising:

generating a plurality of dynamic links from a plurality of wireless base stations having a directional antenna and adaptive antenna having a plurality of panels with a plurality of reconfigurable antenna elements wherein a first base station of the plurality of wireless base stations generates a first link and a second base station of the plurality of wireless base stations generates a second link;

generating a wireless feeder link for coupling a gateway station to said first plurality of wireless base stations and through the directional antenna; and

wirelessly communicating a plurality of control signals to the first base station and second base station to form the first link and the second link toward the user terminal.