Intelligent backhaul radio with multi-interface switching

• US 9,226,315 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COMS IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: CBF Networks, Inc. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Negus, Kevin J., Duffy, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Preval, Lionel
• Application Number:
  US13/632,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20130089041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/338, 455/500, 455/444, 455/422.1, 455/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0469 taking special antenna structures, e.g. cross polarized antennas into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A intelligent backhaul system is disclosed to manage and control multiple intelligent backhaul radios within a geographic zone. The intelligent backhaul system includes multiple intelligent backhaul radios (IBRs) that are able to function in both obstructed and unobstructed line of sight propagation conditions, one or more intelligent backhaul controllers (IBCs) connecting the IBRs with other network elements, and an intelligent backhaul management system (IBMS). The IBMS may include a private and/or public server and/or agents in one or more IBRs or IBCs.

Claims

1. An apparatus having an intelligent backhaul radio combined with a managed switch, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces;

the managed switch coupled to the plurality of network interfaces;

a plurality of receive RF chains;

one or more transmit RF chains;

an antenna array comprising a plurality of directive gain antenna elements, wherein each directive gain antenna element is couplable to at least one receive RF or transmit RF chain;

a modem comprising one or more modulator cores and comprising one or more demodulator cores, wherein each of the one or more modulator cores is coupled to at least one of the one or more transmit RF chains and each of the one or more demodulator cores is coupled to at least one of the plurality of receive RF chains;

a media access controller coupled to the modem and an interface bridge;

the interface bridge specifically coupled to the managed switch via at least one of the plurality of network interfaces or via at least one of one or more internal ports of the managed switch; and

one or more wireless adapters,

an agent configured to communicating with at least the managed switch,

wherein at least one of the one or more wireless adapters is specifically coupled to the managed switch via at least one of the plurality of network interfaces or via at least one of the one or more internal ports of the managed switch, and

wherein the managed switch determines parameters based upon at least one policy, the parameters associated with an exchange of traffic between the at least one wireless adapter specifically coupled to the managed switch and at least one other of the plurality of network interfaces or the one or more internal ports of the managed switch not otherwise specifically coupled to said at least one wireless adapter coupled to the managed switch,

wherein the agent is configured to exchanging the at least one policy associated with the managed switch by communication with any of a server, at least one other agent associated with an intelligent backhaul system, or a wireless device that exchanges traffic with at least one of the one or more wireless adapters, and

wherein the managed switch operates at least as a layer 2 switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one other of the plurality of network interfaces or the one or more internal ports of the managed switch not otherwise specifically coupled to said at least one wireless adapter coupled to the managed switch but available to the managed switch for the exchange of traffic between the at least one wireless adapter specifically coupled to the managed switch and at least one other of the plurality of network interfaces or the one or more internal ports of the managed switch not otherwise specifically coupled to said at least one wireless adapter coupled to the managed switch is one of the at least one interface or port specifically coupled to the interface bridge.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless adapter specifically coupled to the managed switch is interoperable with other wireless devices based on one or more standard specifications of IEEE 802.11.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one wireless adapter specifically coupled to the managed switch is configured as a public or private access point.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one wireless adapter specifically coupled to the managed switch exchanges traffic with one or more wireless devices within a wireless access network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wireless devices include one or more of smartphones, tablets, or laptop computers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agent is an intelligent backhaul management system agent.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of the couplings between each of the one or more modulator cores and the one or more transmit RF chains and each of the one or more demodulator cores and the plurality of receive RF chains comprise a channel multiplexer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a radio resource controller, the radio resource controller configured to set or cause to be set a certain RF carrier frequency or channel bandwidth for at least one of the receive RF or transmit RF chains or to select or cause to be selected at least one mapping between one or more of the directive gain antenna elements and one or more of the receive RF or transmit RF chains.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

an intelligent backhaul management system agent coupled to at least the radio resource controller, the intelligent backhaul management system agent configured to set or cause to be set certain operational parameters, wherein at least one of said certain operational parameters relates to said certain RF carrier frequency or channel bandwidth for at least one of the receive RF or transmit RF chains or to said mapping between one or more of the directive gain antenna elements and one or more of the receive RF or transmit RF chains;

and wherein the intelligent backhaul management system agent can exchange the at least one of said certain operational parameters by communication with any of a server, at least one of other intelligent backhaul management system agents, or a wireless device that exchanges traffic with at least one of the one or more wireless adapters.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one policy associated with the managed switch is based upon or derived from at least one service level agreement stored at or accessible from any of the server, at least one of the other intelligent backhaul management system agents, or the wireless device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one of said certain operational parameters is based upon or derived from at least one service level agreement stored at or accessible from any of the server, at least one of the other intelligent backhaul management system agents, or the wireless device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one policy associated with the managed switch affects at least one of access control, security key management, traffic shaping or prioritization, load balancing, VLAN segmentation, routing paths, port mirroring, port redundancy, failover procedures, synchronization methodologies and port mappings, or power management modes.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one policy associated with the managed switch affects at least one of access control, security key management, traffic shaping or prioritization, load balancing, VLAN segmentation, routing paths, port mirroring, port redundancy, failover procedures, synchronization methodologies and port mappings, or power management modes.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the intelligent backhaul management system agent reports operational parameters or statistics comprising information related to at least one of active sessions, connected device identifiers, MAC addresses, packet counts associated with particular MAC addresses or physical ports, packet or frame error rates, transfer rates, latencies, or link availability status for certain ports of the managed switch to any of the server, at least one of the other intelligent backhaul management system agents, or the wireless device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of network interfaces, the managed switch, the plurality of receive RF chains, the one or more transmit RF chains, the antenna array, the modem, the media access controller, the interface bridge, and the one or more wireless adapters are all comprised within a single physical entity.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of network interfaces, the managed switch, the plurality of receive RF chains, the one or more transmit RF chains, the antenna array, the modem, the media access controller, the interface bridge, and the one or more wireless adapters are comprised within multiple separate physical enclosures, each respective enclosure comprising a subset of the plurality of network interfaces, the managed switch, the plurality of receive RF chains, the one or more transmit RF chains, the antenna array, the modem, the media access controller, the interface bridge, and the one or more wireless adapters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least two of the multiple separate physical enclosures are capable of direct attachment to each other without separate mounting.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of the multiple separate physical enclosures comprises multiple physical network interface ports for connection to one or more access networks.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein at least one of the one or more access networks is a wireless access network.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein at least one of the multiple physical network interface ports is at least one antenna comprised within or connected to the at least one wireless adapter coupled to the managed switch.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein at least one of the one or more access networks provides for the exchange of traffic between the at least one wireless adapter coupled to the managed switch and other wireless devices based on one or more standard specifications of IEEE 802.11.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless adapter is directly coupled to at least one of the plurality of network interfaces.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless adapter is directly coupled to at least one of one or more internal ports of the managed switch.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface bridge is directly coupled to at least one of the plurality of network interfaces.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface bridge is directly coupled to at least one of one or more internal ports of the managed switch.