Patent Application
20090258652
This invention relates to cellular communication systems and in particular to such systems utilizing distributed antennas.
Local wireless communication services represent a very rapidly growing industry. These services include paging and cellular telephone services and wireless internet services such as WiFi and WiMax. WiFi refers to communication systems designed for operation in accordance with IEEE 802.11 standards and WiMax refers to systems designed to operate in accordance with IEEE 802.16 standards. Communication under these standards is typically in unlicensed portions of the 2-11 GHz spectral range although the original IEEE 802.16 standard specifies the 10-66 GHz range. Use of these WiFi bands does not require a license in most parts of the world provided that the output of the system is less than 100 milliwatts, but the user must accept interferences from other users of the system. Additional up-to-date descriptions of these WiFi and WiMax systems are available on the Internet from sources such as Google.
The cellular telephone industry currently is in its third generation with several types of cellular telephone systems being promoted. The cellular market in the United States grew from about 2 million subscribers and $2 billion in revenue in 1988 to more than 60 million subscribers and about $30 billion in revenue in 1998 and the growth is continuing in the United States and also around the world as the services become more available and prices decrease. Wireless computer networking and internet connectivity services are also growing at a rapid rate.
Most wireless communication, at least in terms of data transmitted, is one way, point-to-multi-point, which includes commercial radio and television. However, there are many examples of point-to-point wireless communication. Cellular telephone systems, discussed above, are examples of low-data-rate, point-to-point communication. Microwave transmitters on telephone system trunk lines are another example of prior art, point-to-point wireless communication at much higher data rates. The prior art includes a few examples of point-to-point laser communication at infrared and visible wavelengths.
Analog techniques for transmission of information are still widely used; however, there has recently been extensive conversion to digital, and in the foreseeable future transmission of information will be mostly digital with volume measured in bits per second. To transmit a typical telephone conversation digitally utilizes about 5,000 bits per second (5 Kbits per second). Typical personal computer modems connected to the Internet operate at, for example, 56 Kbits per second. Music can be transmitted point to point in real time with good quality using MP3 technology at digital data rates of 64 Kbits per second. Video can be transmitted in real time at data rates of about 5 million bits per second (5 Mbits per second). Broadcast quality video is typically at 45 or 90 Mbps. Companies (such as line telephone, cellular telephone and cable companies) providing point-to-point communication services build trunk lines to serve as parts of communication links for their point-to-point customers. These trunk lines typically carry hundreds or thousands of messages simultaneously using multiplexing techniques. Thus, high volume trunk lines must be able to transmit in the gigabit (billion bits, Gbits, per second) range. Most modern trunk lines utilize fiber optic lines. A typical fiber optic line can carry about 2 to 10 Gbits per second and many separate fibers can be included in a trunk line so that fiber optic trunk lines can be designed and constructed to carry any volume of information desired virtually without limit. However, the construction of fiber optic trunk lines is expensive (sometimes very expensive) and the design and the construction of these lines can often take many months especially if the route is over private property or produces environmental controversy. Often the expected revenue from the potential users of a particular trunk line under consideration does not justify the cost of the fiber optic trunk line.
Very high data rate communication trunk lines, such as optical fiber trunk lines or high data rate cable communication systems, currently provide very broad geographical coverage and they are expanding rapidly throughout the world, but they do not go everywhere. Access points to the existing high data rate trunk lines are called “points of presence”. These points of presence are physical locations that may also house servers, routers, ATM switches and digital/analog call aggregators. For Internet systems, these locations may be the service provider's own equipment or part of the facilities of a telecommunications provider that an Internet service provider rents.
Digital microwave communication has been available since the mid-1970's. Service in the 18-23 GHz radio spectrum is called “short-haul microwave” providing point-to-point service operating between 2 and 7 miles and supporting between four to eight T1 links (each carrying data at 1.544 Mbps). Recently, microwave systems operating in the 11 to 38 Ghz band have been designed to transmit at rates up to 155 Mbps (which is a standard transmit frequency known as “OC-3 Standard”) using high order modulation schemes.
Bandwidth-efficient modulation schemes allow, as a general rule, transmission of data at rates of about 1 to 8 bits per second per Hz of available bandwidth in spectral ranges including radio wavelengths to microwave wavelengths. Data transmission requirements of 1 to tens of gbps thus would require hundreds of MHz of available bandwidth for transmission. Equitable sharing of the frequency spectrum between radio, television, telephone, emergency services, military, and other services typically limits specific frequency band allocations to about 10% fractional bandwidth (i.e., range of frequencies equal to about 10% of center frequency). AM radio, at almost 100% fractional bandwidth (550 to 1650 KHz) is an anomaly; FM radio, at 20% fractional bandwidth, is also atypical compared to more recent frequency allocations, which rarely exceed 10% fractional bandwidth.
Reliability typically required for trunkline wireless data transmission is very high, consistent with that required for hard-wired links including fiber optics. Typical specifications for error rates are less than one bit in ten billion (10−10 bit-error rate), and link availability of 99.999% (5 minutes of down time per year). This necessitates all-weather link operability, in fog and snow, and at rain rates up to 100 mm/hour in many areas. On the other hand, cellular telephone systems and wireless internet access systems do not require such high reliability. As a matter of fact cellular users (especially mobile users) are accustomed to poor service in many regions.
In conjunction with the above availability requirements, weather-related attenuation limits the useful range of wireless data transmission at all wavelengths shorter than the very long radio waves. Typical ranges in a heavy rainstorm for optical links (i.e., laser communication links) are 100 meters, and for microwave links, 10,000 meters.
Atmospheric attenuation of electromagnetic radiation increases generally with frequency in the microwave and millimeter-wave bands. However, excitation of rotational modes in oxygen and water vapor molecules absorbs radiation preferentially in bands near 60 and 118 GHz (oxygen) and near 23 and 183 GHz (water vapor). Rain attenuation, which is caused by large-angle scattering, increases monotonically with frequency from 3 to nearly 200 GHz. At the higher, millimeter-wave frequencies, (i.e., 30 GHz to 300 GHz corresponding to wavelengths of 1.0 centimeter to 1.0 millimeter) where available bandwidth is highest, rain attenuation in very bad weather limits reliable wireless link performance to distances of 1 mile or less. At microwave frequencies near and below 10 GHz, link distances to 10 miles can be achieved even in heavy rain with high reliability, but the available bandwidth is much lower.
The cost associated with setting up an additional cell in a new location or creating a micro cell within an existing cell with prior art techniques is in the range of about $650,000 to $800,000. (See page 895 Voice and Data Communication Handbook, Fourth Edition, published by McGraw Hill.) These costs must be recovered from users of the cellular system. People in the past have avoided use of their cellular equipment because the cost was higher that their line telephones. Recently, costs have become comparable.
Distributed antenna systems (DAS) is a broad term that can include cellular systems with base stations at least one of which provide support (usually through a fiber link) for one or more simplified remote cellular station having substantially less equipment than a standard base station. These remote cellular stations are sometime referred to as remote radio heads (RRH) or RF over Fiber (RFoF). The fiber link in prior art systems is typically an optical fiber or coaxial cable. This allows for a relatively simple station to be placed near users, instead of a complex cell site. The equipment in these remote cellular stations may be limited to an antenna for low frequency communication with user cellular equipment such as cell phones and other electronic communication equipment including PDA's and laptop computers and equipment for conversion of low frequency cellular signals typically in the range of 800 to 2000 megahertz into a high data rate signal which is transmitted to the supporting base station via the optical fiber or the coaxial cable.
A typical cell site approaches the size of a trailer, has several hundred thousand dollars of equipment, and prodigious power and telecom requirements. It often is not feasible or prudent to locate these everywhere where a cell site is required. All equipment needs to be located very close to the antennas on a tower because of transmission losses. By centralizing the “smarts” of a cell site, a location well suited to these requirements can be selected, while the remote cellular stations with their low frequency antennas can be independently located in their ideal location. An illustration of a typical cell site is shown in
Cell carriers are being driven to DAS by a number of factors including a desire to minimize capital expenditures as well as operating expenses and the need for densely spaced cell sites.
Typical capital expenses include base site equipment, site acquisition and construction. All of these are positively affected by the DAS architecture. A single base site can typically support a dozen or more antenna sites using the DAS architecture, versus a one-to-one relationship with a traditional architecture. The ability to have small remote footprints adds to the number of spots suitable to host a site, and reduces acquisition and development costs. This savings is often more than a linear relationship between the differences in size.
Operating expenses include electrical expenses, telecom lines, lease costs, and system maintenance. Electrical costs consist of radio frequency (RF) equipment, and climate control. RF signal losses can be significant in a traditional cell site, with 50% or more power lost through cables and a resultant increase in electrical costs. Remote antenna systems are outdoor mounted and require no additional cooling. Lease costs share the same advantage as the capital acquisition costs due to the reduced footprint of remote units. Since all of the intelligence of the equipment is located at a single point a dozen or more antenna sites can be upgraded, managed or maintained by working at one base.
The pressure for more cell sites is driven by the increased prevalence of third generation cellular type services, increased number of subscribers, and in some cases extension of service footprints. Third generation services demand more sites because of saturating a maximum aggregate data rate of a cell site, and distance limitations of these services. The high data rate services (i.e. at 300 kbps or greater) are typically only available within 1.5 km of a cell site. These factors in combination require a re-planning of cell sites to a cell diameter of 200-500 meters in urban areas and 1.5 km in suburban areas.
The case for cellular operators to migrate to a distributed antenna architecture system is strong, but the mechanism isn't in place in all markets. The data rates of these systems almost always exceed 1 gigabit per second (gbps), and thus require dedicated fiber. However, new site density requirements may mean that a square km in an urban area may require more than a dozen remote sites. As a result, available fiber with gigabit per second capability is often not available. The cost of new fiber is typically very high.
What is needed is a better technique for providing high data rate communication between cellular base stations and their remote antenna sites.
The present invention provides a communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations, each including at least transport management equipment and broadband equipment, at least one of which supports at least one remote cellular station including RF equipment for communication with users of cellular devices. The system includes at lease one wireless narrow beam communication link operating at millimeter wave frequencies in excess of 60 GHz connecting a remote cellular station with a cellular base station equipped with broad band conversion electronic equipment and transport management equipment. In a preferred embodiment the communication system includes a large number of remote cellular stations with each remote cellular station serving a separate communication cell. Each remote cellular station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz and a narrow beam millimeter wave wireless transceiver operating at a millimeter wave frequency higher than 60 GHz for communicating with another millimeter wave transceiver at another remote cellular station or a millimeter wave transceiver at a base station. The base stations are also equipped with data transfer means for transferring data communicated through the low frequency wireless transceiver to the millimeter wave wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through the millimeter wave wireless transceiver to the low frequency wireless transceiver. In preferred embodiments the system is a part of a telephone system, an Internet system or a computer network.
The millimeter wave transceivers at the base stations are equipped with antennas providing beam divergence small enough to ensure efficient spatial and directional partitioning of the data channels so that an almost unlimited number of point-to-point transceivers will be able to simultaneously use the same millimeter wave spectrum. In preferred embodiments the millimeter wave trunk line interfaces with an Internet network at an Internet point of presence. In a preferred embodiment the trunk line communication link operates within the 71-76 and 81-86 GHz portions of the millimeter wave spectrum. A large number of base stations are each allocated a few MHz portion of the 5 GHz bandwidths of the millimeter wave trunk line in each direction. A first transceiver transmits at 71-76 GHz and receives at 81-86 GHz, both within the above spectral range. A second transceiver transmits at 81-86 GHz and receives at 71-76 GHz.
High frequency antennas are described to maintain beam directional stability to less than one-half the half-power beam width. In the preferred embodiment where the spectral ranges are 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz, the half power beam width is about 0.4 degrees or less for a 2-foot antenna. The millimeter wave trunk line bandwidth is efficiently utilized over and over again by using transmitting antennae that are designed to produce very narrow beams directed at receiving antennae. The low frequency wireless internet access bandwidth is efficiently utilized over and over again by dividing a territory into small cells and using low power antennae. In preferred embodiments wireless internet access base stations are prepackaged for easy, quick installation at convenient locations such as the tops of commercial buildings. In other embodiments the base stations may be mounted on trucks that can be moved quickly to a location to provide emergency or temporary high data rate communication.
The present invention provides millimeter wave communication links to quickly, easily and effectively provide high data rate communication between cellular base stations and their remote antenna sites. The present invention offers:
(1) Quick access to revenue streams with quick provisioning of service. For example, the average cell site in the US produces $1 million in revenue a year, or $2,700/day. Communication links utilizing the present invention can be installed in a day, quickly starting this revenue stream
(2) Access to sites that are difficult or impossible to get to with fiber. (For example, many sites are not accessible because of environmental or regulatory difficulty getting fiber in place. Many municipalities have moratoriums on permits to dig up streets.)
(3) Dramatically reduced cost. (For example a link according to the present invention is almost always going to be a lower cost option than leased or installed fiber.)
(4) Flexibility. (For example, temporary events like sports or cultural activities have large impacts on cellular networks. Links according to the present invention can be quickly employed to accommodate these needs.)
In a first preferred of the present invention described in detail in this application millimeter wave transceivers are used both as links to connect base stations to remote cellular station, referred to as “front-haul” communication and also to connect the base stations to a point of presence in an optical fiber communication network, referred to as “back-haul”.
In preferred embodiment of the present invention millimeter wave transceivers are used both as links to connect base stations to remote cellular stations, referred to as “front-haul” communication and also to connect the base stations to a point of presence in an optical fiber communication network, referred to as “back-haul”. A first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a system of linked millimeter-wave radios which take the place of wire or fiber optic links between the cells of a cellular telephone network or between cellular base stations and remote cellular stations. Other preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise a system of linked millimeter wave radios which take the place of wire or fiber optic links between wireless Internet access base stations or wireless computer networking base stations and between cellular base stations and remote cellular stations. The millimeter-wave links can eliminate the need to lay cable or fiber, can be installed relatively quickly, and can provide high bandwidth normally at a lower cost than standard telecom-provided wires or cable. Since the millimeter-wave links simply up and down convert the signal for point-to-point transmission, the data and protocols used by the original signals are preserved, making the link ‘transparent’ to the user. These links can support a conventional system operating at standard cellular telephone frequencies, but it are equally applicable to other, newer technologies such as 1.8 GHz to 1.9 GHz PCS systems, wireless internet frequencies, computer networking frequencies and systems operating at frequencies such as 2.4 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz.
A typical prior art cell phone base station transmits in the 824-851 MHz band and receives in the 869-901 MHz band and is connected to a mobile telephone switching office by wire connections which is in turn connected to a central office via a high speed wired connection. The central office performs call switching and routing. It is possible to replace both wired links with a millimeter-wave link, capable of carrying the signals from several cellular base stations to the central office for switching and routing, and then back out again to the cellular base stations for transmission to the users' cellular phones and other communication devices. A millimeter-wave link with 1 GHz of bandwidth will be capable of handling approximately 30 to 90 cellular base stations, depending on the bandwidth of the base stations. Since the cellular base stations are typically within a few miles (or less for micro cells) of each other, the millimeter-wave link would form a chain from base station to base station, then back to the central office.
Cell phone calls are received in the 824-851 MHz band at each group of base stations, and up-converted to a 27 MHz slot of frequencies in the 71-76 GHz band for transmission over the link back to the central office. Each group of base stations is allocated a 27 MHz slice of spectrum in the 71-76 GHz band as follows:
At the telephone company central switching office, each 27 MHz slot of frequencies in the 71-76 GHz band is down-converted to the cellular telephone band. If a spread-spectrum local oscillator was used on the millimeter-wave link, the appropriate pseudo random code must be used again in the down-converter's local oscillator to recover the original information. Once the millimeter-wave signals are down-converted to the cell phone band, standard cellular equipment is used to detect, switch, and route the calls.
Cell phone calls leave the central office on a millimeter-wave link and each group of cellular base stations down converts a 32 MHz slice of the spectrum to the cell phone band for transmission to the individual phones. The cellular base stations transmit (to the phones) in the 869-901 MHz band so each group of base stations requires a 32 MHz slice of the spectrum in the 81-86 GHz range on the millimeter wave link. The 5 GHz bandwidth will easily support 32 base stations. Each group of base stations is allocated a 32 MHz slice of spectrum in the 81-86 GHz band as follows:
At the telephone company central switching office calls are detected, switched, and routed between the various cellular base stations and the landline network. Each group of cellular base stations is represented at the central office by a 32 MHz wide slot of spectrum, which is up-converted to the 81-86 GHz band and sent out over a point-to-point link to the chain of several base stations. The local oscillator used to up-convert the signals may be spread-spectrum to provide additional security to the millimeter-wave link.
Most wireless computer networking equipment on the market today is designed according to IEEE standards 802.11a and 802.11b that describe a format and technique for packet data interchange between computers. In this equipment the 802.11b formatted data is transmitted and received on one of eleven channels in the 2.4-2.5 GHz band and uses the same frequencies for transmit and receive. Therefore, in preferred embodiments the cellular stations all operate on a slice of the 2.4 to 2.5 GHz band using equipment built in accordance with the above IEEE standards. An up/down converter is provided to up and down convert the information for transmittal on the millimeter wave links. The up/down converter is described below. Typically, base stations are organized in generally hexagonal cells in groups of 7 cells (similar to cellular phone networks) as shown in
A typical prior art wireless internet access base station, or access point, providing wireless computer networking, transmits and receives in one of a few designated bands. These bands include the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band, with typical operation between 2.4 and 2.4835 GHz (radios using IEEE standards 802.11b or 802.11g operate in this band), the 3.5 GHz licensed band, with typical operation between 3.4 and 3.6 GHz (radios using IEEE standards 802.16c and 802.16d operate in this band), and the license exempt 5.8 GHz band, with typical operation between 5.725 and 5.85 GHz (this band is part of the FCC designated U-NII band intended for community networking communications devices operating over a range of several kilometers). The 802.16 standards for wireless computer networking are sometimes referred to as WiMax. The 802.11 standards are sometimes referred to as WiFi. These standards can be used in many different frequency bands as specified in the IEEE standards. In the specifications which follow, specific implementation examples have been given in the 5.725 GHz to 5.85 GHz band, but this is not to be taken as any limitation.
Wireless computer networking communications traffic is received in the 5725-5850 MHz band at each base station, and up-converted to a 125 MHz slot of frequencies in the 81-86 GHz band for transmission over the millimeter wave link back to the fiber point of presence. Each base station is allocated a 125 MHz slice of spectrum in the 81-86 GHz band as follows, with appropriate guard bands (in this case with 50 MHz width):
At the fiber point of presence, each 125 MHz slot of frequencies in the 81-86 GHz band is down-converted to the wireless internet access band, where standard equipment is used to recover the original wireless user traffic. This user traffic is then combined digitally for switching or routing onto the internet backbone, and then on to the desired recipient location.
Internet or wireless computing traffic with user destinations served by the wireless base stations is separated from the rest of the internet traffic on the backbone at the internet or fiber Point of Presence. The traffic destined for each base station is formatted for the appropriate low frequency wireless channel (for example, 5725-5850 GHz) and then upconverted to a 125 MHz slot in the 71-76 GHz spectrum, with each base station being allocated a different slot. At each base station the appropriate slice of spectrum is then down-converted for transmission to individual users in the 5725 to 5850 GHz band. Since each base station requires less than 125 MHz of bandwidth, the 71-76 GHz millimeter wave spectral band (5,000 MHz) will easily support 20 different base stations, even allowing for 50 MHz guard bands. Each base station is allocated a 125 MHz slice of spectrum in the 71-76 GHz band as follows:
In addition to serving wireless internet or WiMax base stations through a millimeter wave trunk line, individual wireless hotspots (WiFi hotspots) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard can be served by a millimeter wave backhaul link as described in
In the preferred embodiments for the use of a millimeter wave trunk line serving a series of cellular base stations or wireless computer networking (or internet) base stations discussed thus far, the architecture has been discussed in terms of an analog system wherein low frequency radio or microwave bands associated with each base station were upconverted to specific slots in a high frequency millimeter wave band for transmission back to a central office or to the internet backbone. Different base stations were allocated different slots in the high frequency millimeter wave spectrum. One millimeter wave band (say 71-76 GHz in the case of wireless internet access) was used for transmission from the central network to the base stations, and a different band (say 81-86 GHz in the case of wireless internet access) was used for transmission from the base stations back to the central network. In an alternate preferred embodiment, all of the information received from the low frequency microwave broadcast systems is digitized at the base stations, and combined in a digital fashion for backhaul transmission across the high frequency millimeter wave links. Similarly, the information destined for users of the wireless network is sent from the central office or internet point of presence in a digital format across the high frequency millimeter wave links, and then separated out at each appropriate base station and converted to the appropriate analog waveforms for transmission by the low frequency microwave systems. Standard digital switches and routers can be used for the combination and separation of the digital data, based on user destination addresses embedded in individual data packets.
Digital data at a data rate of 2.488 Gbps (corresponding to fiber optic communications standard OC-48) is incident through a fiber optic cable as indicated at 401 to the Demark (Demarcation) box 400 on the left. Power is also supplied to this box, either at 48 V DC, or 110 or 220 V AC. This power is first converted to 48 V DC, and then the power is converted to low voltage DC power of various values such as +/−5V and +/−12 V by DC to DC power supplies for use by the various modules in the transceiver. The incoming 2.488 Gbps data then enters the Encoder module 402 where it is encoded in a format appropriate for QPSK modulation. If no error correction or auxiliary channel bits are desired, the incoming data is de-multiplexed (on alternate bits) into two data streams at 1.244 Gbps. If error correction, encryption, or the addition of auxiliary channel bits is desired, these are added at this point resulting in two data streams at a slightly higher data rate. Bits from each data stream are then combined to form a dibit, and subsequent dibits are compared (essentially through a 2 bit subtraction process) to form an I and Q data stream which differentially encodes the incoming data. The I and Q data streams (at 1.244 Gbps if extra bits have not been added) drive a 4 phase modulator 404 which changes the phase of a 13.312 GHz oscillator signal. The output of the 4 phase modulator is a signal at 13.312 GHz as indicated at 404 which has its phase changed through 4 different possible phase values separated by 90 degrees at a baud rate of 1.244 Gbps. The amount of rotation from the previous state depends on the incoming digital dibit. (A 00 corresponds to no phase change, 01 to 90 degree phase change, 10 to 180 degree phase change and 11 to 270 degree phase change). The 13.312 GHz modulated oscillator signal is then combined with a 60.188 GHz local oscillator signal in mixer 406 to form a signal centered at 73.5 GHz. As indicated at 408 the local oscillator utilizes a phase locked dielectric resonant oscillator (PLDRO) signal at 10.031 which has been multiplied in frequency by a factor of 6. The 73.5 GHz signal is then amplified to a power near 20 dBm (100 mW) by a first amplifier module 410, and then (optionally) amplified to a power near 2 W by a power amplifier 412. The amplified signal enters a frequency division diplexer 414 which routes the 73.5 GHz frequency band to an output waveguide, past a power detector 416 (to measure the transit power) and then to a parabolic 2 foot diameter antenna 418 for transmission along a line of sight through free space to the paired transceiver.
At the same time, incoming millimeter wave radiation centered at 83.5 GHz transmitted by a paired transceiver (not shown) is received at the two foot parabolic antenna 418 and passes through the waveguide to the frequency division diplexer. The 83.5 GHz radiation is passed by the diplexer to the lower arm of the diagram in
The present invention includes at lease one wireless narrow beam communication link operating at millimeter wave frequencies in excess of 60 GHz connecting a remote cellular station with a cellular base station equipped with broad band conversion electronic equipment and transport management equipment. In preferred embodiments the communication system includes a large number of these remote cellular stations with each remote cellular station serving a separate communication cell. The remote cellular stations may each communicate directly through a single millimeter wave wireless link with a cellular base station or they may communicate with the base station through a series of millimeter wave wireless links involving utilizing transceivers located at intermediate locations. These intermediate locations may be at other remote cellular stations. The remote cellular stations (RH) may be configured in a ring as shown in
The millimeter wave transceivers at the remote cellular stations are equipped with millimeter wave antennas providing beam divergence small enough to ensure efficient spatial and directional partitioning of the data channels so that an almost unlimited number of point-to-point transceivers will be able to simultaneously use the same millimeter wave spectrum. Transport management equipment located at the base station to which the remote cellular stations are provide controls of the equipment at the remote stations in order to coordinate millimeter wave communications into and out of the remote stations. The base stations may communicate with a telephone central office or an Internet point of presence through a variety of high speed connections such as fiber optic or coaxial cable. Alternately the base station may provide this back haul with one or more wireless millimeter wave links as described above. In a preferred embodiment the back haul trunk line communication link operates within the 71-76 and 81-86 GHz portions of the millimeter wave spectrum. A large number of base stations are each allocated a few MHz portion of the 5 GHz bandwidths of the millimeter wave trunk line in each direction. A first transceiver transmits at 71-76 GHz and receives at 81-86 GHz, both within the above spectral range. A second transceiver transmits at 81-86 GHz and receives at 71-76 GHz.
High frequency antennas are described to maintain beam directional stability to less than one-half the half-power beam width. In the preferred embodiment where the spectral ranges are 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz, the half power beam width is about 0.4 degrees or less for a 2-foot antenna. The millimeter wave trunk line bandwidth is efficiently utilized over and over again by using transmitting antennae that are designed to produce very narrow beams directed at receiving antennae. The low frequency wireless Internet access bandwidth is efficiently utilized over and over again by dividing a territory into small cells and using low power antennae. In preferred embodiments wireless Internet access base stations are prepackaged for easy, quick installation at convenient locations such as the tops of commercial buildings. In other embodiments the base stations may be mounted on trucks that can be moved quickly to a location to provide emergency or temporary high data rate communication.
The present invention provides millimeter wave communication links to quickly, easily and effectively provide high data rate communication between cellular base stations and their remote antenna sites. The present invention offers:
(1) Quick access to revenue streams with quick provisioning of service. For example, the average cell site in the US produces $1 million in revenue a year, or $2,700/day. Communication links utilizing the present invention can be installed in a day, quickly starting this revenue stream
(2) Access to sites that are difficult or impossible to get to with fiber. (For example, many sites are not accessible because of environmental or regulatory difficulty getting fiber in place. Many municipalities have moratoriums on permits to dig up streets.)
(3) Dramatically reduced cost. (For example a link according to the present invention is almost always going to be a lower cost option than leased or installed fiber.)
(4) Flexibility. (For example, temporary events like sports or cultural activities have large impacts on cellular networks. Links according to the present invention can be quickly employed to accommodate these needs.)
A dish antenna of two-foot diameter projects a half-power beam width of about 0.4 degrees in the range of 71 to 86 GHz. The full-power beam width (to first nulls in antenna pattern) is narrower than 0.9 degrees. This suggests that up to 400 independent beams could be projected azimuthally around an equator from a single transmitter location, without mutual interference, from an array of 2-foot dishes. At a distance of five miles, two receivers placed 400 feet apart can receive independent data channels from the same transmitter location. Conversely, two receivers in a single location can discriminate independent data channels from two transmitters ten miles away, even when the transmitters are as close as 400 feet apart. Larger dishes can be used for even more directivity.
During severe weather conditions data transmission quality will deteriorate at millimeter wave frequencies. Therefore, in preferred embodiments of the present invention a backup communication link is provided which automatically goes into action whenever a predetermined drop-off in quality transmission is detected. A preferred backup system is a microwave transceiver pair operating in the 10.7-11.7 GHz band. This frequency band is already allocated by the FCC for fixed point-to-point operation. FCC service rules parcel the band into channels of 40-MHz maximum bandwidth, limiting the maximum data rate for digital transmissions to 45 Mbps full duplex. Transceivers offering this data rate within this band are available: off-the-shelf from vendors such as Western Multiplex Corporation (Models Lynx DS-3, Tsunami 100 BaseT), and DMC Stratex Networks (Model DXR700 and Altium 155). The digital radios are licensed under FCC Part 101 regulations. The microwave antennas are Cassegrain dish antennas of 24-inch diameter. At this diameter, the half-power beamwidth of the dish antenna is 3.0 degrees, and the full-power beamwidth is 7.4 degrees, so the risk of interference is higher than for MMW antennas. To compensate this, the FCC allocates twelve separate transmit and twelve separate receive channels for spectrum coordination within the 10.7-11.7 GHz band. Sensing of a millimeter wave link failure and switching to redundant microwave channel is an existing automated feature of the network routing switching hardware available off-the-shelf from vendors such as Cisco, Foundry Networks and Juniper Networks.
The reader should understand that in many installations the provision of a backup system will not be justified from a cost-benefit analysis depending on factors such as costs, distance between transmitters, quality of service expected and the willingness of customers to pay for continuing service in the worse weather conditions.
The narrow antenna beam widths afforded at millimeter-wave frequencies allow for geographical partitioning of the airwaves, which is impossible at lower frequencies. This fact eliminates the need for band parceling (frequency sharing), and so enables wireless communications over a much larger total bandwidth, and thus at much higher data rates, than were ever previously possible at lower RF frequencies.
The ability to manufacture and deploy antennas with beam widths narrow enough to ensure non-interference, requires mechanical tolerances, pointing accuracies, and electronic beam steering/tracking capabilities, which exceed the capabilities of the prior art in communications antennas. A preferred antenna for long-range communication at frequencies above 70 GHz has gain in excess of 50 dB, 100 times higher than direct-broadcast satellite dishes for the home, and 30 times higher than high-resolution weather radar antennas on aircraft. However, where interference is not a potential problem, antennas with dB gains of 40 to 45 may be preferred.
Most antennas used for high-gain applications utilize a large parabolic primary collector in one of a variety of geometries. The prime-focus antenna places the receiver directly at the focus of the parabola The Cassegrain antenna places a convex hyperboloidal secondary reflector in front of the focus to reflect the focus back through an aperture in the primary to allow mounting the receiver behind the dish. (This is convenient since the dish is typically supported from behind as well.) The Gregorian antenna is similar to the Cassegrain antenna, except that the secondary mirror is a concave ellipsoid placed in back of the parabola's focus. An offset parabola rotates the focus away from the center of the dish for less aperture blockage and improved mounting geometry. Cassegrain, prime focus, and offset parabolic antennas are the preferred dish geometries for the MMW communication system.
A preferred primary dish reflector is a conductive parabola. The preferred surface tolerance on the dish is about 15 thousandths of an inch (15 mils) for applications below 40 GHz, but closer to 5 mils for use at 94 GHz. Typical hydroformed aluminum dishes give 15-mil surface tolerances, although double-skinned laminates (using two aluminum layers surrounding a spacer layer) could improve this to 5 mils. The secondary reflector in the Cassegrainian geometry is a small, machined aluminum “lollipop” which can be made to mil tolerance without difficulty. Mounts for secondary reflectors and receiver waveguide horns preferably comprise mechanical fine-tuning adjustment for in-situ alignment on an antenna test range.
The antenna may be a lens-based antenna as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/004,587, filed Dec. 24, 2008 which is incorporated herein by reference. The lens described in detail in that application produces a very narrow beam with a 10-inch diameter lens complying with United States Federal Communication Commission rules regulating 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz bands. These antennas may be used in either front haul or back haul.
Another preferred antenna for long-range MMW communication is a flat-panel slot array antenna such as that described by one of the present inventors and others in U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,908, issued 14 Mar. 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. That antenna is a planar phased array antenna propagating a traveling wave through the radiating aperture in a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode. A communications antenna would comprise a variant of that antenna incorporating the planar phased array, but eliminating the frequency-scanning characteristics of the antenna in the prior art by adding a hybrid traveling-wave/corporate feed. Flat plates holding a 5-mil surface tolerance are substantially cheaper and easier to fabricate than parabolic surfaces. Planar slot arrays utilize circuit-board processing techniques (e.g. photolithography), which are inherently very precise, rather than expensive high-precision machining.
Pointing a high-gain antenna requires coarse and fine positioning. Coarse positioning can be accomplished initially using a visual sight such as a bore-sighted rifle scope or laser pointer. The antenna is locked in its final coarse position prior to fine-tuning. The fine adjustment is performed with the remote transmitter turned on. A power meter connected to the receiver is monitored for maximum power as the fine positioner is adjusted and locked down.
At gain levels above 50 dB, wind loading and tower or building flexure can cause an unacceptable level of beam wander. A flimsy antenna mount could not only result in loss of service to a wireless customer; it could inadvertently cause interference with other licensed beam paths. In order to maintain transmission only within a specific “pipe,” some method for electronic beam steering may be required.
Phased-array beam combining from several ports in a flat-panel phased array could steer the beam over many antenna beam widths without mechanically rotating the antenna itself. Sum-and-difference phase combining in a mono-pulse receiver configuration locates and locks on the proper “pipe.” In a Cassegrain antenna, a rotating, slightly unbalanced secondary (“conical scan”) could mechanically steer the beam without moving the large primary dish. For prime focus and offset parabolas, a multi-aperture (e.g. quad-cell) floating focus could be used with a selectable switching array. In these dish architectures, beam tracking is based upon maximizing signal power into the receiver. In all cases, the common aperture for the receiver and transmitter ensures that the transmitter, as well as the receiver, is correctly pointed.
Any millimeter-wave carrier frequency consistent with U.S. Federal Communications Commission spectrum allocations and service rules, including MMW bands currently allocated for fixed point-to-point services at 57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-95 GHz, can be utilized in the practice of this invention. Likewise any of the several currently-allocated microwave bands, including 5.2-5.9 GHz, 5.9-6.9 GHz, 10.7-11.7 GHz, 17.7-19.7 GHz, and 21.2-23.6 GHz can be utilized for the backup link. The modulation bandwidth and modulation technique of both the MMW and microwave channels can be increased, limited again only by FCC spectrum allocations. Also, any flat, conformal, or shaped antenna capable of transmitting the modulated carrier over the link distance in a means consistent with FCC emissions regulations can be used. Horns, prime focus and offset parabolic dishes, and planar slot arrays are all included.
Transmit power may be generated with a Gunn diode source, an injection-locked amplifier or a MMW tube source resonating at the chosen carrier frequency or at any sub-harmonic of that frequency. Source power can be amplitude, frequency or phase modulated using a PIN switch, a mixer or a bi-phase or continuous phase modulator. Modulation can take the form of simple bi-state AM modulation, or can involve more than two symbol states; e.g. using quantized amplitude modulation (QAM). Double-sideband (DSB), single-sideband (SSB) or vestigial sideband (VSB) techniques can be used to pass, suppress or reduce one AM sideband and thereby affect bandwidth efficiency. Phase or frequency modulation schemes can also be used, including simple FM, bi-phase or quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) or 8 PSK or higher. Transmission with a full or suppressed carrier can be used. Digital source modulation can be performed at any date rate in bits per second up to eight times the modulation bandwidth in Hertz, using suitable symbol transmission schemes. Analog modulation can also be performed.
A monolithic or discrete-component power amplifier can be incorporated after the modulator to boost the output power. Linear or circular polarization can be used in any combination with carrier frequencies to provide polarization and frequency diversity between transmitter and receiver channels. A pair of dishes can be used instead of a single dish to provide spatial diversity in a single transceiver as well.
The MMW Gunn diode and MMW amplifier can be made on indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, or metamorphic InP-on-GaAs. The MMW amplifier can be eliminated completely for short-range links. The mixer/downconverter can be made on a monolithic integrated circuit or fabricated from discrete mixer diodes on doped silicon, gallium arsenide, or indium phosphide. The phase lock loop can use a microprocessor-controlled quadrature (I/Q) comparator or a scanning filter. The detector can be fabricated on silicon or gallium arsenide, or can comprise a heterostructure diode using indium antimonide.
The backup transceivers can use alternative bands 5.9-6.9 GHz, 17.7-19.7 GHz, or 21.2-23.6 GHz; all of which are covered under FCC Part 101 licensing regulations. The antennas can be Cassegrainian, offset or prime focus dishes, or flat panel slot array antennas, of any size appropriate to achieve suitable gain.
Embodiments of the present invention may utilize any of a variety of data rates and standards for communication among the various components of the systems. Particular standards contemplated for preferred embodiments include OBSAI (operating at 3.072 gbps and 1.536 gbps) and DAS (operating at 1.42 gbps). Typically, the incoming RF signals at the remote head are digitized with an analog to digital converter, sent across the millimeter wave link in digital form and then reconverted to analog form with a digital to analog converter at the base station. Similarly, the RF signals to be transmitted by the remote head are digitized with an analog to digital converter at the base station, sent across the millimeter wave link in digital form, and then reconverted to analog form with a digital to analog converter at the remote head.
In preferred embodiments prefabricated base stations or remote cellular stations are provided for quick and easy installation on commercial building roof-tops. All of the components of the base station as described above are pre-assembled in the prefabricated station. These components include the low frequency wireless transceiver for communication with users and the millimeter wave transceiver for operation as a part of the trunk line as described above.
In preferred embodiments all components of the base stations or remote cellular stations as described above are mounted on trucks that can provide emergency wireless telephone networks, wireless computer network and wireless Internet access. These truck mounted systems can also be used for temporary service to a region prior to and during the installation of fiber optic service to the region. Truck mounted systems can also be used by the military to provide wireless communication in battlefield situations.
While the above description contains many specifications, the reader should not construe these as a limitation on the scope of the invention, but merely as exemplifications of preferred embodiments thereof. For example, the 71.0-76 GHz and 81.0 to 86 GHz bands utilized for point to point trunk lines would work very well in the above applications. The present invention is especially useful in those locations where fiber optics communication is not available and the distances between communications sites are less than about 10 km but longer than the distances that could be reasonably served with free space laser communication devices. Ranges of about 0.5 km to 2 km are ideal for the application of the present invention. However, in regions with mostly clear weather the system could provide good service to distances of 5 km or more. Accordingly, the reader is requested to determine the scope of the invention by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given above.
This invention is a continuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/327,816, filed Jan. 6, 2006 which is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 10/799,225 filed Mar. 12, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,293, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/952,591 filed Sep. 14, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,800 that in turn was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/847,629 filed May 2, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,836, and Ser. No. 09/882,482 filed Jun. 14, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,546.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11327816 | Jan 2006 | US |
| Child | 12011797 | US | |
| Parent | 10799225 | Mar 2004 | US |
| Child | 11327816 | US | |
| Parent | 09952591 | Sep 2001 | US |
| Child | 10799225 | US | |
| Parent | 09847629 | May 2001 | US |
| Child | 09952591 | US |
