WO2010008902A1

WO2010008902A1 - Device and method for portable and permanent wireless network

Info

Publication number: WO2010008902A1
Application number: PCT/US2009/048526
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henry Cooper
Original assignee: Henry Cooper
Priority date: 2008-06-24
Filing date: 2009-06-24
Publication date: 2010-01-21

Abstract

A device and method for forming and operating a wireless communications network using antennas on a plurality of towers to form a communications grid. The network employs a wireless backhaul system between the towers to communicate with a single tower connected to the a network such as the internet thereby eliminating the need to hardwire each tower to a network. Antennas on each tower operate in one polarization mode for user communications and a second polarization mode on individual channels forming the backhaul system. The individual antennas on the backhaul may be increased or decreased to form more or less channels for communication on the backhaul system to increase or decrease the ability to handle communications traffic between users and with the outside network communications as needed in real time.

Description

Device and Method for Portable and Permanant Wireless Network

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Number 61/075,221 filed 06/24/2008 and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The present invention relates to wireless communications More particularly it relates to a system and method for both formation and configuration of a wireless network which may be portable and which is easily installed in a short time frame The system yields major bandwidth improvement for permanent cellular communications installations and is highly portable. In addition to a novel improvement on cellular grids formed by multiple antennas, it is also especially well suited for temporary installations such as disasters or emergencies where the cellular and radio systems for first responders are no longer functional

2. Prior Art

Conventionally, cellular wireless systems operated by telephone and wireless phone companies employ large towers or buildmg-mstalled cellular transceivers. Such transceivers with the appropriate antennas are each permanently installed at specific points in the cellular system. These points are chosen carefully to maximize coverage in a small area of the cellular grid so as to maximize communications between phones and devices in that portion of the grid, and the transceiver in the tower Each such tower operates on the FCC assigned wireless frequencies for telephones and mobile communications devices using transceivers to communicate between each tower mounted transceiver and the cellphones and radios and computers on the ground.

Conventionally, in such cellular grids, each cell tower in the grid is hard-wired to the land-based telephone and telecommunications system in its geographic area. As such, communications from users in the individual cells in the grid, to a respective cell tower, are communicated then to the hard-wired telecommunications system thereafter.

While this mode of cellular wireless operation yields a stable system in most instances, it has its drawbacks. First, the conventional cellular systems are expensive to install due to the nature of the towers and hard- wiring of each tower to the land telecommunications system. Further, such systems, due to the complexity of attaching to the hard- wired communications grid, take a long time to install. In this hard-wired and fixed installation, should a tower fail after a hurricane or tornado or other tragedy, it is not easily brought back on line. Further, because conventional cell systems operate on vary narrow frequency ranges, they are not adaptable to handle other licensed and unlicensed frequencies that may be needed without changes in their structure. This results in duplication of effort by various communications companies, each of which must install a hard- wired antenna tower to serve their customers on their frequencies, be it police communications, cellular phones, or other communications handled wirelessly to the users. Consequently, their exists a need for an easily deployed cellular type wireless communications system which provides solutions to the conventional systems above. Such a system and method should not depend upon hard wiring each individual tower to the land-based telecommunications system and in fact should be able to function with the entire grid having only one tower connected to land-based or satellite based communications. Such a system should provide the ability to operate in many licensed or unlicensed frequencies all at once to allow the system to temporarily operate in unlicensed areas should the need arise. Further, such a system should be capable of handling not only cellular frequencies, but also those frequencies employed for wireless communications of computers (WiFi), law enforcement, municipal, state, and federally specific frequencies, and to adapt to any newly available bands as they come available. Such a system should provide a means to communicate between all the towers in the grid which does not interfere with the communications of those towers with users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system and method herein disclosed and described achieves the above-mentioned objectives through the provision of a grid of individual communications towers which employ a novel intra-communication system for communications between the towers eliminating the need for land or satellite connections for each tower. The system concurrently maximizes the amount of traffic and data that each tower- based antenna and transceiver system can handle from ground-situated phones, radios, computers, and other electronic equipment using antennas adapted for a wide array of frequencies with users, and concurrent communications between the towers themselves.

Using the system and method of operation herein and towers adapted to the task with internal communications and transceiver equipment operatively engaged with exterior antennas, the system and method allow for the construction of a wireless communications grid in a matter of hours This far surpasses conventional cellular style grids which conventionally take weeks, or years to complete. As a consequence, initial deployment of a grid to provide cellular communications with users in a geographic area is less expensive even when employing the system with permanant towers for long term installations.

The system employing a plurality of individual towers in the grid, and only requiring one tower to have external land or satellite based communications connections, is also rendered highly adaptive If a hole in the grid becomes apparent, a new tower can simply be transported to fill the hole If a natural disaster or emergency occurs wiping out local communications systems, the system herein may be rapidly deployed by simply transporting one or a plurality of towers to the geographic point of the emergency, and turning the system on It may also be transported to locales where in emergency situations communications between emergency personnel are taxed due to fixed bandwidth of the installed local system or a broken local system. Contrary to conventional construction using dipole antennas on hard-wired towers, or individual hard- wired directional antennas on buildings, each tower in the disclosed system employs a plurality of circumferentially located antennas around a perimeter. In a preferred mode, each antenna is formed of a plurality of smaller switchable antennas which are each adapted to handle a wide variety of frequencies concurrently By employing a plurality of these sections having a plurality of antenna elements, each antenna or antenna section is thereby adapted to a wide band of frequencies.

Further, each antenna section formed of individual antennas is individually switchable. Thus each antenna section may be switched on an ongoing basis, to combine to increase gam, or to form ground patterns to match communications traffic from users in real time Additionally, the individual antenna elements of each antenna section may be switched to yield combined or independent horizontal and vertical broadcast orientations.

By employing more or less antenna elements of the plurality of vertically disposed and horizontally disposed antenna elements, the signals and reception patterns yielded by each tower are steerable to cover more or less ground area. Consequently, each tower may be set manually or automatically, using software adapted to the task, to switch on and off individual elements to form a ground footprint that is desired within the grid being formed by the plurality of towers. If the number of channels to ground based components, like phones or computers, need to be maximized, more towers may be placed with smaller footprints with each footprint having more channels. In areas where there is less traffic, fewer towers may be placed and adapted to employ larger footprints for communication by changing the switching of the antenna elements to yield the footprint

Communications between the towers of the grid and land-based communications are also particularly novel in the system Instead of hard wiring each tower to the land-based system or with a microwave or satellite connection, each tower m the grid of towers employs the disclosed system to eliminate that need. Using the same antennas as employed for ground communications, a plurality of back haul channels are created to transfer electronic traffic between the individual towers and onto one, or preferably at least two interface towers in the system. These interface towers operate as the connection between the grid of tower based transceivers and antennas, and the land-based or other telecommunication system On a large geographic area system, a center interface tower may also be employed to insure the fewest hops of each communication, between towers, and on to the outside network

The backhaul channel may also be maintained in any frequency the antenna elements and transceivers will broadcast and receive, and in a plurality of individual transmission frequencies between the individual towers as needed Network software may assign more or less individual antenna elements to form more or less individual mtra-tower communications channels for the backhaul system

In a preferred mode, the system employs a network communications channel, and network control software, to identify the exact location in the grid, of each tower and transceiver.

Also identified for location, to all towers in the grid, are the one or more interface towers which operate to communicate the tower based communications, to outside networks or to the land- based telecommunications system.

In a setup phase of the method of operation, the towers are situated, and the geographic location of each tower is determined using G P S or manual input of terrestrial coordinates, or through other means as would occur to those in the art, so that each towers' exact position is known and associated with a tower identifier

Once all the terrestrial locations are known of each tower, the network communications channel or channels, employing software adapted to control the network of towers, stores locations of each tower along with its distance from all the other towers in the system. Also determined are the locations of the one or two or more interface towers which operate to connect electronic communications to and from the backhaul system of the wireless grid of towers and ground-based telecommunications systems. With all of the towers having established a ground footprint of wireless communications providable to users, and the system control software operating, communications from each tower transceiver to a footprint-located user are first unlinked to the tower covering the footprint The user is identified using an identifier for the device they employ and the destination for their communication is also determined from conventional network IP codes or other conventional manner If the communication is intended for another user determined to be located withm the wireless grid formed by the towers, the system will ascertain which of the towers has the footprint m communication with that destination user and transfer the data to that tower using a tower-to-tower based backhaul system of communications The data will be transferred to the user in the determined footprint of the determined tower in the determined terrestrial location.

For data or communications from a user destined for a location outside the grid of towers in the system, transmission is handled differently. In such a case, the system control software, knowing the exact terrestrial location of each tower, and the exact location of the one or two or more interface towers in the grid and the status of each respective tower in the back haul system of communications system as to busy or open, will determine the shortest route, time wise, to an interface tower, for that data or communication. This determination will yield the shortest path through one or a plurality of individual towers in the grid, over the internal communications or back haul system of the network, to an interface tower, and transmit the communication in that fashion. Communications from the land-based or exterior systems, through the interface towers, to a user in a footprint of one tower will be handled in the opposite fashion.

Thus, the backhaul communications between the towers is constantly maximized for throughput to and from the interface towers by the system software constantly ascertaining the fastest path through the backhaul system for the communication to take to and from an interface tower. The number of backhaul channels available may be adjusted by adding and subtracting transceivers and antenna elements to match need The communications between towers will usually be in a polarization mode which is not being used between the towers and users. This alleviates interference problems and maximizes throughput of the tower to tower system

There are many ways for the system to relate each tower to a terrestrial location as well as its distance time wise to an interface tower Currently, the MAC addresses of network cards employed on each transceiver of each tower provide the tower identifiers which can be associated with users in the footprint and the towers terrestrial location in the grid. A network monitoring channel constantly monitors the status of each towers' backhaul transceivers to ascertain availability to take data for retransmission. Knowing the location of interface towers, and the state of the backhaul transceivers in each tower in the grid, the system sends the communication through the shortest determined path of towers to the interface towers and back again.

Using separate transceivers connected to antenna elements adapted to steer, and to form the desired footprint on the ground, for communications at the desired frequencies, each tower has the capability to shuttle communications between users in its own footprint when they are located therein. When one user is in another tower's footprint, through knowledge of each tower of each user in its footprint which is transmitted to the network control system, the communication is sent along the system backhaul communications for delivery to the user. When the destination for a user's communication from a footprint is outside the system, the network control system calculates a path for the communication to an interface tower, and outside the system, and sends the individual communication down the determined backhaul path formed between each tower and others.

This backhaul path is enabled by antennas adapted to send communications to other towers in the line of site of any tower from the tower mounted transceivers operating to transmit on elements on the backhaul frequencies. Thus, each tower in the internal grid may communicate over the backhaul channels to towers on four or more sides. Each tower on the perimeter of the grid can generally communicate in the backhaul system to three or more adjacent line of site towers. The network control system, employing software to continuously monitor backhaul traffic, thus ascertains a destination for each communication from each ground-located user, or to each ground-located user associated with an individual tower, and knowing the locations of all other towers in the grid, and all of the interface towers, and the state of backhaul receivers on each tower, assigns a path to the communication on the backhaul system calculated to reach the destination in the shortest time frame. If the communication is destined for a user in the grid then the communication is routed to the respective tower identified as communicating with the destination device. If the communication is determined to be outside the grid, then it is routed through the fastest path to an interface tower.

A communication may hop between two or ten or more tower based transceivers in the backhaul system to get to its ultimate destination. However, intra-tower traffic is maximized using this system and provides a means for easy set up of the system, once the towers are terrestrially placed and their location known to the network control.

As such, the system is easily deployable to virtually any topography for short term emergency or long term more permanant installation. Each tower, on arrival, would have a default footprint sized of ground coverage which can be adjusted by steering the antennas electronically through increasing or decreasing power to each element and/or turning elements on or off to yield horizontal, vertical, or circular polarization of the beams or steered mixtures thereof. Once situated, each tower's location and identifier would be made known to the network control system by an electronic polling of the location status and Mac Identifiers on each tower.

Once each tower's identifiers and related topographical location is known, and the backhaul system of transmission between towers becomes operational, the network control by monitoring the amount of traffic and destination of communications bursts and by monitoring the backhaul ability of each transceiver on each tower, would map paths for communications between towers constantly The backhaul map would provide a backhaul path between towers to relay data and communications either to users within the system itself, and/or to destinations outside the system through relay on the backhaul channels and towers to the interface towers for transmission out of the system

Vital to the system is a plurality of steerable antennas adapted to a wide range of frequencies and easily steerable for beam and beam width by electronic switching of elements. Each antenna has multiple switchable elements for gain and steering control capable of operating on frequencies that include 700MHz, 900MHz, 2.4GHz, 3.5GHz, 3.65GHz, 4.9GHz, 5.1GHz and 5 8GHz with bandwidth capabilities up to 1.2gbps. The large backhaul capability is provided by employing 8-16 transceivers for backhaul with each transceiver capable of 54mbps. This is multiplied by 8 to 16 transceivers and achieves the 432mbps or 864mbps levels of throughput. If changed the standard to 802.1 In or WiMAX the system can achieve 1.2gbps or 2.1gbps. Minimizing latency is achieved through the unique routing method and by transporting all of the backhaul in a Iay2 routing protocol which is similar to a wired network with multiple switches in line with each other.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the formation of a wireless mesh system and the several purposes of the present disclosed device and method. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide a wireless mesh or communications system which is deployable in a matter of hours or days for emergency communications. It is an additional object of this invention to provide such a wireless mesh system that may also be employed as inexpensive infrastructure to setup a wireless communications system for the internet, phones, WiFi, and other communications.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wireless system that employs a novel backhaul system between towers, and steerable footprint of each tower to users, to thereby maximize internal communications as well as those external to the system, with few connection points to a land based or external communications system.

These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

Figure 1 depicts an antenna tower having a radially engaged plurality of broadcast/receive antennas thereon. Figure 2 depicts a tower with a radome thereon for coverage. Figure 3 depicts the backhaul steerable frequencies enabled by the unique antenna and system having multiple horizontally and vertically switchable antenna elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings of figures 1 -3 in figure 1 is depicted the system formed by the method and device 10 herein. The plurality of individual towers 12 each communicate using a backhaul 14 system between the towers 12. The towers 12 are situated to form the grid or cellular pattern of the system with the geographic location of each tower 12 being determined such that substantially the exact position of each tower 12 is known and associated with a tower identifier for the software operating the system. With all of the towers 12 having established a ground footprint of wireless communications providable to users, and the system control software operating on a data processor engaged to one or more of the towers 12, user communications from each tower 12 are first unlinked to the tower 12 covering the footprint where the user is located. If the communication is intended for another user determined to be located within the wireless grid formed by the towers 12, the system will ascertain which of the towers has the footprint in communication with that destination user, and transfer the data to that destination tower 12 using a tower-to-tower based backhaul 14 system of communications.

For data or communications from a user, destined for a location outside the grid of towers 12 in the system, transmission is handled differently. In such a case, the system control software, knowing the terrestrial location of each tower 12, and the exact location of the one or two or more interface towers 16 in the grid, and the broadcasting load status of each respective tower 12 in the backhaul 14 system of communications system as to busy or open, will determine the shortest route timewise, to an interface tower 16. This determination will yield the shortest path through one or a plurality of individual towers 12 in the grid, over the backhaul 14 system of the network, to an interface tower 16 and to the destination out of the system.

The number of backhaul 14 channels available maybe adjusted by adding and subtracting transceivers and connected antennas 18 having individual antenna elements 20 which may be switched to operate in a horizontal or vertical polarization. The communications between towers 12 will usually be in a polarization mode which is not being used between the towers 12 and ground based users.

Using separate transceivers 22 and connected to antenna elements 20 and using switching adapted to steer, and to form the desired footprint on the ground, for communications at the desired frequencies, each tower 12 has the capability to shuttle communications between users in its own footprint when they are located therein in broadcasts of one polarization mode such as vertical, and between the towers 12 in another such as horizontal.

Using stored data about the location of each tower 12 in the grid, transmissions from and to users, are sent along the backhaul 14 communications using beams from horizontally or vertically disposed antenna elements 20 on the multiple antennas 18 surrounding the perimeter top of each tower 12, for delivery to the ultimate destination in or out of the grid. When the destination for a user's communication from a tower footprint is outside the system, the network control system calculates a path for the communication to an interface tower 16 which will yield the quickest path outside the system, and sends the individual communication down the determined backhaul 14 path, in the proper polarization scheme, between each tower 12 and others.

Since no hard- wiring of the towers 12 is required, and only the interface tower 16 or towers 16 need be connected outside the system, it is easily deployable to virtually any topography for short term emergency or long term more permanant installation. The plurality of vertically and horizontally positioned elements 20 are switchable using conventional switching means to connect them to the transceivers 22, for gain and footprint control and will each operate on all of the frequencies. Power for each tower may be through a generator or local grid power or using solar power and batteries m a conventional fashion. The plurality of transceivers 22 mside the shielded enclosure are connected to a data processor therein which uses onboard software and the network communication channel with other towers

12 and the interface towers 16 to switch each antenna element 20 to broadcast or receive communications and in the desired polarization mode for backhaul 14 or ground communications. The transceivers 22 would be connected using a bus or other well known modes of engaging multiple electronic cards such as the transceivers 22 to a data processor in the enclosure and electronic switching in any mode as would occur to those skilled in the art would be controlled by the interconnected data processor using software adapted to the task.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the device and method for a portable and permanant wireless network formation and operation have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless network system comprising: a plurality of transportable towers, each tower stationed at a position within a grid of said towers; each tower having a plurality of antennas thereon facing different directions on a perimeter surrounding an axis of said tower; each antenna having a plurality of individual horizontally disposed elements thereon; each antenna having a plurality of individual vertically disposed antenna elements thereon; each tower having at least one transceiver switchably connectable to one or a plurality of said vertically disposed elements; each tower having at least one transceiver switchably connectable to one or a plurality of said horizontally disposed elements; each said antenna facing in a direction away from said axis wherein said horizontally and said vertically disposed elements can receive and transmit RF signals in said direction away from said axis; each said tower having a user communication mode employing said transceivers operatively connect to either said vertically or horizontally disposed elements, for transmitting and receiving said RF signals as user communications to users having wireless communications devices within in a footprint adjacent to said tower; said grid having at least on interface tower operatively connected to a communications network; said grid having a wireless back haul communications network for communication of said user communications between said towers; said back haul communications network communicating said user communications having a destination within a said footprint of a said tower in said grid, over said backhaul 14 communications network between one or a plurality of said towers, to said destination; and said back haul communications network communicating said user communications having a destination outside said grid over said backhaul between one or a plurality of said towers, to a said interface tower for communication to said network, whereby a wireless communications system for said user communications can be formed by positioning said towers and said interface towers in said grid and connecting said interface towers to said network.

2 The wireless network system of claim 1 additionally comprising- said backhaul employing either said individual horizontally disposed or said individually vertically disposed elements exclusively for communications between said towers; and said user communications with said users in a said footprint being using the other of said individual horizontally disposed or said individually vertically disposed elements from that of said backhaul whereby said backhaul employs a first polarization of said RF signals and said user communications employs a second polarization of said RF signals.

3. The wireless network system of claim 2 additionally comprising: said first polarization being vertical and said second polarization being horizontal, thereby providing means to avoid interference between said backhaul and said user communications being concurrently broadcast and received.

4. The wireless network system of claim 1 additionally comprising: first means for switching, said first means for switching controllable to connect multiple of said vertically disposed elements to steer and to increase gam of said RF signals communicated with between one or a plurality of said vertically disposed elements and a said transceiver.

5. The wireless network system of claim 2 additionally comprising: first means for switching, said first means for switching controllable to connect multiple of said vertically disposed elements to steer and to increase gam of said RF signals communicated with between one or a plurality of said vertically disposed elements and a said transceiver

6 The wireless network system of claim 2 additionally comprising: first means for switching, said first means for switching controllable to connect multiple of said vertically disposed or said horizontally disposed elements employed for said user communications to adjust a size of said footprint and to increase gain of said RF signals communicated with one or a plurality of said vertically disposed elements and a said transceiver, and second means for switching, said second means for switching controllable to individually connect vertically or horizontally disposed elements employed for said backhaul, with a said transceiver, to thereby form multiple individual channels between respective individual said vertically or horizontally disposed said elements on different said towers for said backhaul

7. The wireless network system of claim 3 additionally comprising: first means for switching, said first means for switching controllable to connect multiple of said horizontally disposed elements employed for said user communications, to adjust a size of said footprint and to increase gam of said RF signals communicated with one or a plurality of said vertically disposed elements and a said transceiver; and second means for switching, said second means for switching controllable to individually connect vertically disposed elements employed for said backhaul, with a said transceiver, to thereby form multiple individual channels between respective individual said vertically disposed elements on different said towers for said backhaul as a means to continually adjust said backhaul capability in real time

8. A method for operating a wireless network for communicating with users proximate to towers in said network and remote recipient of communications from and to said users comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of towers each having antennas facing away from said tower and around a perimeter of said tower; establishing a wireless backhaul communications channel between said towers which are withm a line of site of each other; connecting at least on of said plurality of towers with a communications network to form a network tower; forming a communications footprint around each said tower for electronic communications from said tower with users in said footprint; employing transceivers on said tower to handle said electronic communications to and from said users and said tower; and communicating said user communications wirelessly on said backhaul channel to said network tower for communication to said communications network, whereby a wireless system can be formed by transporting said towers to a locale without a need to connect each said tower to said communications network directly.