WIRELESS BIDIRECTIONAL INTERFACE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a terminal product for a broadband wireless access network, and more particularly, to a wireless bi-directional interface using low power radio frequency distribution.
2. Discussion
A typical terminal product for a broadband wireless access network has an exterior antenna, the outdoor unit (ODU), and an electronic appliance similar to a cable-TV receiver, the indoor unit (IDU), connected to one another via cabling appropriate to a developed or planned product such as local multipoint distribution services (LMDS) and other broadband distribution systems. A typical cabling arrangement includes some coaxial lines for carrying radio-frequency (RF) or intermediate-frequency (IF) signals between the two, and a method for supplying power to the ODU either via a separate wire-pair or on the coaxial lines.
This arrangement is not unique to bi-directional internet-access services such as that contemplated for an LMDS system. Essentially, it was inherited from experience with television antenna installations, both regular television and satellite television. This arrangement is also similar to the cabling used for wired television services, such as "cable TV". Coaxial cable is now installed inside most houses built during the last couple of decades, located most commonly inside the walls.
However, there remain a significant number of buildings, especially commercial and some residential, in which no such wiring exists. In many buildings which have been prewired for cable TV, the wires are not in locations appropriate for use with external antenna systems. Additionally, the cost of adding wiring between the preferred locations of an ODU and its associated IDU are high enough that alternatives may be less expensive. There are also sites at which a single ODU
must serve multiple IDUs. In these cases the economics of new wiring may even be cost prohibitive.
It is therefore desirable to provide a wireless alternative for linking the ODU to the IDU, where a wireless bi-directional interface uses low power radio frequency (RF) distribution as a communications medium between the ODU and the IDU. It is further desirable that the radio-frequency or intermediate-frequency signals would be carried on a separate radio channel from the wireless access system. A frequency may be chosen so that the signal would penetrate walls at very low power levels. As a result, no wires would be required, and other users nearby would experience no interference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The various advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and sub-joined claims and by referencing the following drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention having a single IDU site as compared to a typical site;
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with multiple IDU sites as compared to a typical multiple IDU site formation;
Figs. 3A-3C are schematic diagrams comparing a preferred embodiment, an alternative preferred embodiment, and a typical conventional terminal site;
Fig. 4 is a block diagram of frequency down-conversion circuitry for transforming a LMDS signal into UHF channels; and
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of frequency up-conversion circuitry for transforming a LMDS signal into UHF channels
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention relates to a remote outdoor unit (ODU), the exterior antenna, of the ODU adapted to receive a wireless access link signal from a central communications platform. There is a remote indoor unit (IDU) component of the
IDU which is adapted to communicate with the ODU via a wireless communications medium.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus of the present invention includes an ODU with a remote ODU component adapted to receive a wireless access link signal from a central communications platform. The remote ODU component is further adapted to communicate with the IDU. A remote IDU component, included in the IDU, is adapted to communicate with the ODU. A wireless communications medium links the remote ODU component to the remote IDU component via a wireless remote link. A wireless bi-directional interface is afforded by using low power radio frequency distribution which includes unused TV channels. One channel is used for transmission from remote IDU to remote ODU and the other channel is used for transmission from remote ODU to remote IDU. The ODU and IDU components are integrated within their constituent parent terminal products and include frequency up/down conversion circuitry for converting the wireless access link signal to the wireless remote signal, and vice-versa.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a wireless bi-directional interface including a remote ODU component and a remote IDU component linked with a wireless, communications medium including both the remote ODU and IDU components as adjunct devices. A wireless interface is maintained between the ODU and the IDU.
Fig. 1 depicts a broadband wireless access network 30 in a conventional design and in a design of the preferred embodiment. A typical terminal product 18 for the broadband wireless access network 30 has an exterior antenna, the outdoor unit (ODU) 12, and an electronic receiver, the indoor unit (IDU) 14, connected to one another via cabling 24 appropriate for the terminal products design. A wireless access link signal 20 is transmitted from a central communications platform 22 and received by the ODU 12. The signal is then transmitted from the ODU 12 via the cabling 24 to the IDU 14. In turn, transmission may be received from the IDU 14, transmitted along the cabling 24 to the ODU 12, which then communicates with the central communications platform 22 via the wireless access link 20. A typical cabling arrangement includes some coaxial lines for carrying radio frequency (RF) or intermediate frequency (IF) signals between the ODU 12 and the IDU 14.
Included in the cabling arrangement is a method for supplying power to the ODU 12 either via separate wire pair (not shown) or on the coaxial lines 24.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wireless bidirectional interface 10 is situated between the ODU 13 and the IDU 15 of the terminal product 19 of the present invention. The wireless access link signal 20 is transmitted by the central communications platform 22 to the ODU 13 and is received by a remote ODU component 17, which is adapted to relay the wireless access link signal 20. The wireless access link signal 20 is then transmitted to the IDU 15 via a wireless communications medium 16 to a remote IDU component 21 situated at the IDU 15 of the terminal product 19 of the present invention. As referred to in the conventional arrangement, the reverse signal may also be transmitted by the IDU 15 through the IDU remote component 21 of the terminal product 19 via the wireless communications medium 16 to the remote ODU component 17 of the ODU 13 to the central communications platform 22 via the wireless access link signal 20.
The wireless communications medium 16 carries the RF or IF signals on two separate radio channels, one for each direction. The frequency is chosen so that the signal penetrates walls within the building at very low power levels. This insures no wires are required, and other users nearby experience no interference. It is assumed that a power source is available at the site of the ODU 13. The ideal spectrum for the radio channel pair (one for transmit, one for receive) is found in unused television channels from the VHF or UHF bands. These channels can be used very effectively in a low power (<100 mW) application, thereby not requiring an FCC license. The specific channels can be chosen automatically by scanning, or selected manually during installation. Other compatible bands with unused channels can also be used, and include for example, instructional television fixed service (ITFS), microwave data systems (MDS), and wireless communications services (WCS).
As part of the present invention, it is important not to introduce remodulation or recoding of the wireless access link signal 20, as these functions increase cost. The wireless communications medium 16 must convey communication like an intermediate frequency signal, as would be used on the wired link in a conventional format, with the same modulation and coding as the wireless access link signal 20.
The remote ODU component 17 of the ODU 13 and the IDU remote component 21 of the IDU 15 comprise frequency up/down-conversion circuitry (as later described in Fig. 4).
Referring now to Fig. 2, the wireless access link signal 20 is transmitted by the central communications platform 22 to the ODU 13 of the terminal product 19, which in turn communicates via the remote ODU component 17 and the wireless communications medium 16 to a plurality of IDUs 15 of the terminal product 19 arranged in a microcell configuration. As described in Fig. 1 , the reverse direction is also applicable here. A conventional design of the terminal product 18 with the wired format 24 is also depicted in Fig. 2.
Referring now to Figs. 3A-3C, two types of terminal products 19 are depicted in accordance with the present invention. In Fig. 3A, the IDU 15 includes an integral remote IDU component 21 linked via the wireless communications medium 16 to the remote ODU component 17 of the ODU 13. Both the remote ODU component 17 and the IDU component 21 are integrated within their respective parent platforms. In Fig. 3B, the wireless interface component of the IDU 15 is an adjunct device 23, which is linked via the communications medium 16 to the IDU 13 via an adjunct wireless interface component. Fig. 3C, depicts the conventional hard wire format of the terminal product 18 for connecting the IDU 14 to the ODU 12 via cabling 24. In Fig. 4, a 6 MHz local multipoint distribution services (LMDS) channel in the
United States LMDS low A band (27.50 GHz to 28.35 GHz) can be downconverted into the UHF television band, channels 14 through 83 (475.75 to 889.75 MHz). Fig. 5 shows how the reverse channels can be upconverted from UHF television channels to the LMDS Band and A channels in the 29.10 to 29.25 GHz frequency band. Similar techniques can be used to convert between other bands and alternative LMDS sub-band plans as required.
In lieu of using intermediate frequency signals in the interface between the IDU and ODU as conventional existing technology, this invention utilizes empty UHF television channels. This invention uses UHF television components in place of cable or wiring through the building structure and IDU and ODU units. This reduces the expense of wires and can be licensed as FM radio micro-broadcasting.
The UHF signal is used bidirectionally to broadcast the LMDS data to a plurality of ODUs (microcell) of local receives and visa-versa. Since this
rebroadcast signal is in the UHF band and would have a 6 MHz bandwidth, the receivers in the microcell could be implemented with standard commercial television components.
Alternatively, a single user or microcell construction similar to the invention would require the integration of the IDU with the ODU and include a local wireless hub. But, the construction would be complex due to doubling the digital componentry and posing harsher environmental requirements on the "indoor" unit because it is now "outdoors". The invention is therefore superior to such a design, due to the lower complexity and lower cost. Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and following claims.