WO2022172212A1 - Ultra broadband wireless device for telecommunications and smart cities - Google Patents

Ultra broadband wireless device for telecommunications and smart cities Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022172212A1
WO2022172212A1 PCT/IB2022/051235 IB2022051235W WO2022172212A1 WO 2022172212 A1 WO2022172212 A1 WO 2022172212A1 IB 2022051235 W IB2022051235 W IB 2022051235W WO 2022172212 A1 WO2022172212 A1 WO 2022172212A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
stage
power supply
telecommunications
network
backhauling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2022/051235
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Mauro Tosi
Original Assignee
Ledcom International S.R.L.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ledcom International S.R.L. filed Critical Ledcom International S.R.L.
Publication of WO2022172212A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022172212A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/28—Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
    • H04B1/38—Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S8/00—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation
    • F21S8/08—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation with a standard
    • F21S8/085—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation with a standard of high-built type, e.g. street light
    • F21S8/086—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation with a standard of high-built type, e.g. street light with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
    • F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
    • F21W2131/10—Outdoor lighting
    • F21W2131/103—Outdoor lighting of streets or roads
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
    • H04W36/16—Performing reselection for specific purposes
    • H04W36/22—Performing reselection for specific purposes for handling the traffic
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
    • H04W84/04—Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
    • H04W84/042—Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
    • H04W84/047—Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems using dedicated repeater stations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
    • H04W84/10—Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
    • H04W84/12—WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/18—Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
    • H04W88/08—Access point devices
    • H04W88/085—Access point devices with remote components

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to the technical field of telecommunications.
  • the invention refers to a device for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus.
  • the present invention refers to a multifunctional power supply device inside which said device for implementing the telecommunications functions is integrated or integrable.
  • the herein disclosed invention refers also to a lighting apparatus, a telecommunications network, a method of providing and managing telecommunications services, enabling to imple- ment also off-loading, lighting and smart city services.
  • Mobile networks are known.
  • the cells of the existing mobile networks, including 5G, have a limited capacity.
  • the capacity of the cells is further constrained by the lim- ited spectrum allocated to the 3G/4G/LTE/5G networks. This is determining a huge problem, since the amount of data exchanged between users or downloaded from Internet is exponential- ly increasing and is congesting all the mobile networks, of any national or international operator.
  • the network congestion is compelling the operators to more and more frequently perform off-loading processes, by transferring their traffic to carrier-grade Wi-Fi networks (in other words having suitable qualities and performances), if available and under the control of the operator, and then taking it back via Internet. Even though this solution is simple inside of buildings, where a Wi-Fi router is often available, the same is not likewise simple in external environments.
  • a further problem of the electronic, electric, and mechanical apparatuses of the 5G small cells or DASs is constituted by their size which is still large even though not as much as large as the one of the macro cells, and this fact makes difficult installing them.
  • the support pole of a streetlight or its lighting body cannot be neither loaded by excessive weights, nor - especially in European cities, where even the power supply cables are underground - it is conceivable to spoil a landscape with bulky containers of mobile and/or fixed apparatuses (trasmissive appa- ratuses) hanging from each streetlight. If this is a problem in case of a single mobile operator, let alone what could happen if multiple operators wanted to mount their wireless network appa- ratuses on a same streetlight, which could have neither an available space nor the mechanical strength to support them.
  • a sec- ond problem impairing the prior art is therefore the unavailability of a sufficiently high number of locations for the apparatuses and antennas of the new mobile networks, due to the size, leasing costs and/or the difficulty in electrically supplying the antennas, because of the high costs for deploying new cables (such as for example in case of the 3G/4G/5G networks).
  • the existing mobile networks have an electromagnetic pollution, the toxicity thereof to the human body is often a highly debated subject. This does not only refer to radia- tions emitted from smartphones but also to the ones generated by the base stations in areas covered by the cells. From this point of view, the 5G-based technologies worsen the situation, because they have increased the cell density without a substantial reduction of the power emit- ted by them, rather they have even increased it. In addition, the future does not promise better solutions because the advocates of the 5G-based technologies, in order to overcome the prob- lem of insufficient capacity and transmission speed mainly due to a spectrum shortage, are considering reaching the final user by a larger spectrum provided by the millimetric wave range (in other words at frequencies of tens of GHz).
  • the fifth problem of the existing mobile networks refers also to the electromagnetic pollution, which the new 5G based technologies could even worsen.
  • the Italian patent application No. ITMI20131854A1 discloses an integrated power supply for remotely managing lighting technology parameters and a telecommunications network in a lighting apparatus; such power supply features several aspects improvable both from the struc- tural aspect, for example with reference to the integration of the device with the lighting appa- ratus, and from the operative aspect, in other words regarding the operation of the device.
  • the main object of the present invention is overcoming the inconveniences be- forehand described with reference to the prior art.
  • an object of the invention is providing a device for implementing tele- communication functions in and for a lighting apparatus and of realizing telecommunications and smart city networks capable of overcoming the inconveniences beforehand described with reference to the prior art.
  • the device according to the invention and the telecommunications network us- ing such devices integrated in lighting apparatuses are capable of simultaneously overcoming all the above cited inconveniences, by simultaneously reducing the electromagnetic pollution with respect to the cell networks 3G/4G/5G.
  • an object of the invention is solving the limits of the 5G and technologi- cally overcoming 5G, enabling to realize a mobile and/or fixed ultra broadband networks with a cost substantially lower than the one of the cell networks 3G/4G/5G.
  • An additional object of the present invention is making high speed telecommunications possible even in areas where the availability of the optical fiber is scarce or anyway minimizing the need of having expensive optical fiber connections.
  • a further object of the invention is making a telecommunications network of the “whole- sale” type possible, i.e. one at disposal of all the operators, that is unique and owned by third parties.
  • a particular case of this wholesale network is the one which enables to provide off- loading services.
  • the invention provides an alternative technical solution having a substantial ef- ficacy and better performances with respect to the solutions of the above described known prior art.
  • a device for implementing telecommunications func- tions in a lighting apparatus by a multifunctional power supply device for a lighting apparatus, by a lighting apparatus, by a use of the device for implementing the telecommunications func- tions, by a telecommunications network based on the above device and by a method of provid- ing services and managing telecommunications according to the following description, attached claims, and following aspects.
  • the present invention refers to a device, preferably based on one or more standardized or not yet standardized (under development) versions of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , possibly also modified in some parts with respect to the standard in order to make easier the integration with each other and to improve the performances, which is configured to form a node or a radio base station of fixed and/or mobile wireless external telecommunications network, having small-sized cells (micro, nano, pico or femto-cells according to the definition and coverage radius).
  • the de- vice enables to implement the telecommunications functions in an apparatus provided with a power supply, particularly in a lighting apparatus.
  • the devices according to the invention are completely or partially integrable in power sup- ply devices of lighting apparatuses, in order to share the pervasiveness, the simultaneous in- stallation procedure and different circuit elements, for example the power supply stage, the pro- cessor, the memory, etcetera, or mechanical elements, for example the container.
  • multifunctional power supply devices of or for a very high performance mobile and/or fixed wireless network are realized, which oper- ate also as power supply devices and control systems of the lighting body which houses them, or which are connected to.
  • the multifunctional power supply device combines the micro-cell functionality for offloading a mobile and/or fixed traffic, in other words the wholesale transport on behalf of the operators, with the functionality of a power supply device and a controller of the lighting body (“driver”, if the lighting elements are of LED type).
  • the invention makes available an integrated device for realizing wireless networks simul- taneously enabling a remote control of the lighting, the provision of smart city services also in the ultra broadband, and fixed and/or mobile telecommunications services.
  • integrating the wireless network functionalities with the ones as power supply device of lighting apparatuses enables to obtain, sim- ultaneously and by just one device, completely or partially included in the lighting body of the lighting apparatus: a) the realization of a mobile and/or fixed network node having a reduced cost and size (because the node is partially shared with another apparatus, the power supply, based on the technology of a low cost protocol as IEEE 802.11), which can provides mobile and/or fixed wire- less ultra broadband telecommunications services and, also, low latency ultra broadband smart services among which, for example, the management of self-driving cars, high-definition videos, etcetera and, consequently, at the same time also narrow band smart city services among which, for example but not only, the management of different sensors such as, for example, sensors for controlling the transmission of environmental data and/or regarding the lighting ap- paratuses themselves; b
  • the apparatus is formed by modular elements using communal resources, defined by a supply/control module or control gear or driver (in case of LEDs) and by one or more network modules based on any version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , and/or by using plural versions of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , also different from each other for the access stage and the backhaul- ing stage, which can be also suitably modified for facilitating the integration with each other and with the power supply and reciprocally cooperating for a simultaneous supply, management and control of a lighting system, fixed and/or mobile smart city and telecommunications services in an access/gather backhauling/transport, offloading ultra broadband wireless network.
  • smart city services are: reading meters, managing parking lots (these services can be narrow band) and communication from an infrastructure to a vehicle V2I.
  • Using a technology only based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 enables a substantial reduc- tion of cost and size, facilitating in this way the integration with the power supply inside lighting body.
  • the size reduction is particularly evident in the part of the apparatus which manages the backhauling among several micro-cells, for example by the version of the protocol 802.11 at 60 GHz, in comparison with other wireless technologies which would require large apparatuses and bulky antennas for the same capacity.
  • Device for implementing telecommunications functions in or for a lighting apparatus comprising:
  • connection section configured to associate the device to said lighting apparatus, the connection section comprising at least one interface element, for example a connector, the in- terface element being couplable with the lighting apparatus, and being structured for enabling to electrically supply the device, the device being configured to operate in an integration condition wherein the connection section is coupled to a power supply of the lighting apparatus and is electrically suppliable by said power supply, by also sharing the power supply stage;
  • a telecommunications section comprising: o an access stage configured to receive data packets from a mobile and/or fixed de- vice and to send data packets to a mobile and/or fixed device, o a backhauling stage configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus and to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of a further integrated device in another lighting appa- ratus.
  • the device comprises and input/output stage enabling the connection and routing of the traffic from/to the optical fiber; such stage can be provided with an elec- tric/optical converter, and possibly with a router, if directly connectable to the optical fiber, or with an output system with a high speed Ethernet protocol or similar if connectable to a CAT- type coaxial cable or to twisted pairs or to another type of cable for the electric transmission used for a short tract to a connection to the optical fiber in the proximity (maybe in the small chamber at the base of the streetlight).
  • Device for implementing telecommunications functions in or for a lighting apparatus comprising:
  • connection section configured to associate the device to said lighting apparatus, the connection section comprising at least one interface element, the interface ele- ment being couplable to the lighting apparatus and being structured to enable to electrically supply the device, the device being configured to operate in an integra- tion condition wherein the connection section is coupled to a power supply of a light- ing apparatus and is electrically suppliable by said power supply, o a telecommunications section comprising: an access stage configured to receive data packets from a mobile and/or fixed device and to send data packets to a mobile and/or fixed device, a backhauling stage configured to send data packets to a backhauling stage of a further integrated device in another lighting apparatus and to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of another integrated device in another lighting apparatus; optionally, if the device is installed in the presence of optical fiber, an in- put/output stage enabling the connection and routing of the traffic from/to the optical fiber.
  • the cell unit being a micro-cell or nano- cell or pico-cell or femto-cell.
  • the device further comprises a casing, wherein the micro-cell is partially housed or completely housed inside of the casing wherein the power supply of the lighting apparatus can be also housed.
  • the device further comprises a casing, the access stage and backhauling stage being partially or completely housed inside of the casing wherein the power supply of the lighting apparatus can be housed.
  • the device comprises at least one antenna for the access stage.
  • the device further comprises an antenna for the backhauling stage.
  • the antenna for the access stage being communica- tively connected to the access stage, optionally the access stage being partially (for example for the analog RF chain part) or completely positioned near the antenna outside of the casing.
  • the antenna for the backhauling stage being communicatively connected to the backhauling stage, optionally the backhauling stage being partially (for example for the analog RF chain part) or completely positioned near the antenna outside of the casing.
  • the antennas being arranged at least partially or completely outside of the casing or the lighting body.
  • the access stage and the backhauling stage are configured to send and receive data packets in wireless mode. 14. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 8 to 13, each antenna enabling the respec- tive stage to send and/or receive data packets.
  • the device being partially or com- pletely integrable in the lighting apparatus by said connecting section.
  • the device comprising hardware and software resources which can be shared between the access stage and backhauling stage.
  • the device further comprising one or more supports, for example one or more printed circuit boards, wherein the access stage, back- hauling stage and, optionally, the input/output stage to the optical fiber and several shared re- sources are positioned or defined on said supports.
  • the device comprising a single sup- port, for example a printed circuit, the access stage and backhauling stage and, optionally, the input/output stage to the optical fiber and several shared resources being positioned and de- fined on said single support.
  • the shared resources comprise at least one of: a casing of the device, one or more processors, some software and firmware (among them one for the variety of MACs, Medium Access Control), circuit arrangements.
  • the device comprising a casing, the support, the connection section and the telecommunications section being partially housed in- side of the casing.
  • the device comprises a cas- ing, the support, the connection section and the telecommunications section being completely housed inside of the casing.
  • the antennas are located outside of or protrude from the casing of the device.
  • the access stage is configured to manage, send and/or receive data packets according to a first protocol, defined for example as 802.11 ’,
  • the backhauling stage is configured to manage, send and/or receive, data packets ac- cording to a second protocol, defined for example as 802.11”,
  • the input/output stage for managing, sending and/or receiving data packets from/to the optical fiber according to a third non-wireless protocol, not falling into the standard IEEE 802.11.
  • the antenna for the access stage being configured to enable to exchange telecommunications according to the first protocol.
  • the antenna for the backhauling stage being configured to enable to exchange telecommunications according to the second pro- tocol.
  • the access stage is configured to send to a mobile and/or fixed device and/or to receive from a mobile and/or fixed device data packets according to a first protocol
  • the backhauling stage is configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus and/or to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus according to a second protocol
  • the input/output stage is configured to send and receive to/from the access or backhauling stages, data packets to/from an optical fiber cable or an intermediate coaxial cable or another suitable type according to a third protocol different from protocol IEEE 802.11.
  • the first protocol and second protocol belonging to the protocol family IEEE 802.11 for example the first protocol being based on the standard IEEE 802.11 ax (also its recent version called Wi-Fi6E, finally standardized on 1st February, 2021 , and particularly suited to implement access services) and the second protocol being based on the standard IEEE 802.11ad (formally standardized on December 2012) or 802.1 lay, both par- ticularly suited to the backhauling function).
  • the third protocol belonging to the Ethernet proto- col family or other protocols for high speed wiring for example the third protocol being an Ethernet protocol configured to operate with optical fiber.
  • the shared MAC being the upper MAC or part of it.
  • the shared MAC being obtained by a modification and/or integration of the MAC or part of it of the first protocol and the MAC or part of it of the second protocol.
  • the telecommunications section being further configured, both by hardware and software, for managing mobile and/or fixed telecom- munications in offloading mode.
  • the telecommunications section being configured to implement a vertical handover function automatically providing, i.e. without requiring an interaction by a user and without interrupting possible in progress commu- nications, to:
  • the telecommunications section being further configured to implement a horizontal handover function automatically providing, i.e. with- out requiring an interaction by a user and without interrupting possible in progress communica- tions, to transfer telecommunications to a further integrated device, this latter being another in- tegrated device object of the present invention (for example: on an adjacent streetlight) or simp- ly part of the same device leading to another antenna (for example: on a streetlight with 3 an- tennas each at 120°).
  • a horizontal handover function automatically providing, i.e. with- out requiring an interaction by a user and without interrupting possible in progress communica- tions, to transfer telecommunications to a further integrated device, this latter being another in- tegrated device object of the present invention (for example: on an adjacent streetlight) or simp- ly part of the same device leading to another antenna (for example: on a streetlight with 3 an- tennas each at 120°).
  • Supply device for a lighting apparatus the device being preferably a multifunctional power supply device, the supply device comprising:
  • a power supply coupled or couplable to said connection section and configured to per- form supply functions providing both to supply at least one lighting element of a lighting appa- ratus and supply the device, optionally, the multifunctional power supply device being configured to implement both said supply functions and, by said device, telecommunications functions.
  • the device comprising resources which can be shared between the device and the power supply.
  • the shared resources comprising a power supply stage.
  • the power supply stage being configured to supply both the device for implementing the telecommunications functions and one or more lighting ele- ments.
  • the power supply comprising a lighting management stage.
  • the supply management stage being configured to man- age at least one lighting parameter or magnitude or at least one lighting technology parameter or magnitude or at least one parameter or magnitude directly or indirectly influencing the result of the lighting or lighting technology parameters or magnitudes.
  • the lighting parameter or magnitude being for example one or more of: the power drawn by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus, the light intensity suppliable by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus, the current supplied by the power supply to the lighting apparatus, the operative temperature of the power supply.
  • the support comprises one or more printed circuits
  • the access stage, the backhauling stage, optionally the input/output stage for connecting to the optical fiber, and the lighting management stage are defined on said printed circuits.
  • the power supply comprising an electric circuitry.
  • the power supply comprising a connector configured to connect to the connection section of the device and, in a connection condition, to supply the device, also by a shared power supply stage.
  • the device for implementing the tele- communications functions comprising a connector configured to connect to a or the correspond- ing connector of the multifunctional power supply device.
  • the device for implementing the tele- communications functions comprising a connector configured to connect to the optical fiber or an electric cable which acts as a bridge between the device and the connecting apparatuses to the optical fiber.
  • the multifunctional power supply device comprising a first casing housing the device for implementing telecommunications func- tions and a second casing housing the power supply.
  • the multifunctional power supply device comprising a casing housing both the power supply and, partially or completely, the de- vice for implementing the telecommunications functions.
  • the support, the connection sec- tion, the telecommunications section, including the possible input/output stage for connecting to the optical fiber, and the lighting management stage are completely or partially housed inside of the casing of the power supply.
  • each device is integrated in a respective lighting apparatus.
  • Lighting apparatus comprising:
  • a power supply housed in the containment body and electrically connected to said one or more lighting elements, the power supply being configured to electrically supply said one or more lighting elements
  • the device for implementing the telecommunications functions being coupled to said power supply by said connection section, wherein the device is housed at least partially in the containment body.
  • Lighting apparatus comprising:
  • the power supply is electrically connected to the device for implementing the tele- communications functions by said connection section and is configured to electrically supply said one or more lighting elements, wherein the power supply is housed in the containment body, and wherein the device is at least partially housed in the containment body.
  • one or more antennas are de- fined at least partially or completely outside of the containment body and/or one or more anten- nas are housed inside of the containment body.
  • micro-cell is integrat- ed all or partially in the containment body so that it does not form or in order to reduce an exter- nal volume with respect to the containment body.
  • micro-cell is integrat- ed all or partially in the containment body so that it does not form or in order to reduce an exter- nal volume with respect to the lighting apparatus.
  • Telecommunications network comprising at least one lighting apparatus according to any- one of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus, preferably a plurality of lighting apparatuses according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus.
  • each device is integrated in a respective lighting apparatus
  • the devices are configured to communicate with each other by the respective wireless backhauling stages
  • the devices are configured to communicate by an input/output stage by optical fiber connections or other cables, the telecommunications network being configured to manage and provide telecommunica- tions services by said plurality of devices.
  • each device acting as a node of the telecommuni- cations network acting as a node of the telecommuni- cations network.
  • each device serves as a first type node of the telecommunications network.
  • At least one lighting apparatus comprising the device, being directly wired with an optical fiber, or by a joining electrical cable.
  • the telecommunications network comprising one or more points of connection to optical fiber.
  • the telecommunications network further comprising one or more second type nodes (i.e. not comprising the device).
  • each second type node being configured to receive tele- communications from and/or to exchange data packets with one or more first type nodes (i.e. those comprising the device object of the present invention).
  • each node of the second type is formed by a light- ing apparatus and/or a collector of information from different sensors.
  • each second type node comprising a client based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 .
  • the client being configured to communicate with the ac- cess stage of one or more devices of a first type node.
  • the client being reachable by data packets based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 from the first type nodes.
  • each second type node can communicate in different ways and by different protocols with sensors inside and outside its casing, both of a lighting body or a collector.
  • the telecommunications network being configured to manage mobile telecommunications and/or fixed telecommunications.
  • Method of managing and providing telecommunications services preferably of the whole- sale type, for offloading the traffic of mobile and/or fixed operators, comprising the steps of:
  • Method of managing and providing telecommunications services comprising the steps of:
  • the “fixed” user receives the signal, through the CPE having an antenna installed outside its house, by the same very high speed technology used for the backhauling of the device object of the present invention and, if of its relevance, routes it by wiring to the apparatuses inside of the house (PC, Wi-Fi router, fixed tel- ephone), and viceversa, if not of its relevance, the CPE will route it to other backhauling or ac- cess devices.
  • the device receiving the “fixed” communi- cation by the technology and protocol used for the backhauling stage by a device object of the present invention becomes itself a node of the network, increasing the extensiveness of it (for example, the CPE installed on the face of the house of the fixed user).
  • the step of exchanging data pack- ets between the access stage of at least one device and at least one mobile device comprising receiving from the access stage of at least one device telecommunications data sent from the mobile device and/or sending data packets from the access stage of at least one device to a mobile device.
  • the method comprising the step of receiving telecommunications, for example through optical fiber, from and/or send telecommu- nications, for example through optical fiber, to a mobile and/or fixed cell network which the mo- bile device is connectable or connected to (offloading).
  • the step of receiving telecommunications from, and/or sending wireless telecommunications to a mobile network which the mobile device is connectable to comprises performing one or more vertical handover operations between the network object of the present invention and a cell network which the mobile device is connecta- ble to.
  • step of predisposing a plurality of lighting apparatuses comprises integrating a plurality of devices according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 55 and/or anyone of the claims of device in a plurality of respective lighting apparatuses.
  • the cell unit is a micro- cell or nano-cell or pico-cell or femto-cell.
  • the data packets are or comprise telecommunications data packets for a larger variety of applications, comprising the smart city ones among which the controlled light, for example.
  • Infrastructure configured to implement a telecommunications network according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 87 and/or anyone of claims of telecommunications network.
  • the infrastructure comprising a minimized number of optical fiber connection points.
  • Infrastructure configured to implement a telecommunications network with redundant backhauling through mesh connections among first type nodes or pseudo-mesh connections ensuring, where is possible, that each first type node could route packets to at least other two first type nodes, i.e. having from each node at least two alternative backhauling wireless paths for reaching a final user or node connected to the optical fiber, according to the final address to be reached.
  • the following terms, and the associated acronyms, take the corresponding meaning which characterizes them in the reference technical field, i.e. the telecommunications one: fixed net- work, mobile network, wireless, backhauling, handover, data packet, mobile device, client, pro- tocol, IEEE 802.11 , offloading, macro-cell, small cells, micro-cells, nano-cells, pico-cells or femto-cells, MAC, lower MAC, upper MAC, radiofrequency chain (RF chain), transceiver, smart city, band, narrow band, wide band, ultra broadband, vendor, MIMO ( Multiple Input Multiple Output), beamforming LoRa ( Long Range), roaming, switching, tunneling, routing, dimmer, Hotspot, Hotspot 2.0, Fixed Wireless Access, CPE ( Customer Premises Equipment), POP ( Point of Presence), etc.
  • lighting apparatus means an apparatus provided with one or more lighting elements and provided with or cooperating with at least one power supply device electrically connected to the one or more lighting elements.
  • the power supply device is configured to electrically supply the one or more lighting elements, which can be of LED type.
  • An example of a power supply device is a driver for LED ( driver LED), which is configured to regulate and supply power to the LED lighting elements.
  • the lighting apparatus can be of public or private type. Examples of lighting apparatuses are: public streetlights, illuminated signs of shops or general commercial activities, digital advertising panels, lighting systems of railroad or subway stations or generally of transport means, etc.
  • the lighting apparatus can provide a lighting function (streetlights, light- ing systems) or can at least supply power to the lighting elements, for example for showing in- formation (illuminated signs, advertising panels),
  • micro-, nano-, pico- or femto-cells mean cells having a smaller coverage radius than the coverage radius of the small cells; the micro-, nano-, pico-, or femto-cells are usable for mo- bile and/or fixed communications,
  • integration condition means the condition in which the device for implementing tele- communications functions in or for a lighting apparatus is coupled at least partially with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus and is electrically suppliable by the power supply device or by a power supply stage shared with the power supply device,
  • data packets or just “data” mean any type of packet or digital datum generated for/by any type of telecommunications service or application, from voice to video to any other type of packets and/or data, strictly speaking,
  • telecommunications functions preferably mean functions for managing and providing telecommunications services, such as receiving telecommunications, sorting telecommunica- tions, sending telecommunications and similar.
  • the functions for managing and providing tele- communications services are performed by corresponding techniques, software and firmware applications, protocols and/or telecommunications channels.
  • the telecommunications functions provide, in an exemplifying and non-exhaustive way; access, backhauling, (horizontal and/or vertical) handover services,
  • access services means the transmission and reception of data packets between a node of the telecommunications network and a final user (for example, in the network object of the present invention, a smartphone or a second type node),
  • backhauling means a procedure according to which, data packets are exchanged be- tween two or more nodes of a same telecommunications network (in the network object of the present invention, between two first type node, for example),
  • Handover means the procedure by which a telecommunication is transferred (for ex- ample a mobile call and/or a data session) among telecommunications channels by keeping ac- tive the telecommunication,
  • horizontal handover means the procedure which transfers, between two peer telecom- munications networks or having the same hierarchy or equivalent capacity or among two or more nodes of a same telecommunications network or between two antennas of a same node which cover different areas, a telecommunication (a mobile call and/or a data session, for ex- ample) by keeping active the telecommunication,
  • vertical handover means the procedure which transfers, between two telecommunica- tions networks having different hierarchy, a telecommunication (a mobile call and/or a data ses- sion, for example) by keeping active the telecommunication,
  • offloading means “offloading mobile data”, i.e. the download of a mobile traffic; it is the use of complementary networks for providing services formerly destined to the cell networks. Such mobile traffic download, performed by one or more optical fiber interconnection points, re- prises the amount of data transported on the cell bands, freeing up the band width for other us- ers. It is used also in situations where the local reception of the cells can be insufficient, ena- bling a user to connect by alternative networks having a better connectivity,
  • IEEE 802.11 means a family of protocols IEEE 802 for wireless local networks ( Local Area Network, aka LAN). IEEE 802.11 specifies the set of protocols for controlling the access to media ( Medium Access Control, aka MAC) and of the physical layer ( PHYsical layer, aka PHY) for implementing communications at the moment comprised in, without limitations, frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz and 60 GHz. The so-called systems Wi-Fi and WiGig belong to this protocols family. In the present dissertation, “IEEE 802.11” can be also called “802.11”.
  • the invention is suited to be used also with future standard and/or protocols (provided that these future versions are configured to enable the respective access, backhauling, and optical fiber connection stages to implement the respective functions which are made for), whether their standardization is in progress or not. Consequently, if there is one or more versions of said protocols and/or standards that are subsequent to the priority or filing date of the present patent application, their applicability cannot be a priori excluded (modi- fications and/or versions equivalent to the herein indicated specific standards and/or protocols could be devised), but their technical compatibility with the herein disclosed technical subject matter must be evaluated, particularly with reference to the technical subject matter of the claims,
  • first type node (otherwise defined as “net node”) means a node for a telecommunica- tions network provided with a device 1 according to the invention; the device provides the first type node with its own intelligence, regarding the capacity of managing and providing telecom- munications services,
  • second type node (otherwise defined as “lite node”) means a node for a telecommuni- cations network devoid of the device 1 and, therefore, devoid of intelligence; first type nodes and second type nodes can communicate with each other,
  • - expressions of the type “a first element does not form an external volume with respect to a second element” and similar mean that the first element has a volume substantially complete- ly defined inside of the second element and consequently the first element is not an additional volume with respect to the second element.
  • the first element is therefore integrated in the sec- ond element and, preferably, is neither visible nor detectable from the outside of the second el- ement.
  • the first element can be the device object of the invention and the second element can be a lighting apparatus or the power supply device of a lighting apparatus.
  • Figure 1 illustrates the transition from a conventional lighting apparatus (illustrated on the left) to a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention (illustrated on the right); this latter is provided with a device according to the invention enabling to implement tele- communications functions in the lighting apparatus, more precisely by sharing a single casing with the power supply device of said lighting apparatus;
  • Figure 2 illustrates the transition from a conventional lighting apparatus juxtaposed, on the same support, to telecommunications apparatuses (illustrated on the left and provided with ex- ternal volumes) to a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention (illustrated on the right and devoid of external volumes, save for the antennas); in this latter a device ac- cording to the invention is integrated, which enables to implement telecommunications functions in the lighting apparatus;
  • Figure 3 illustrates a plurality of types of lighting apparatuses according to the present in- vention and a telecommunications network formed by such lighting apparatuses;
  • Figure 4 illustrates a multifunctional power supply device according to the invention which provides a power supply device and a device for implementing telecommunications functions (without the casing) also according to the invention;
  • Figure 5 illustrates a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, illus- trating a possible mode of integrating the device for implementing telecommunications func- tions, also according to the invention, by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus;
  • Figure 6A illustrates a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, il- lustrating another possible mode of integrating the device for implementing the telecommunica- tions functions, also according to the invention, with the power supply device of the lighting ap- paratus and the corresponding logic integration diagram (inside the dashed rectangle);
  • Figure 6B illustrates another logic integration diagram regarding another integration mode of the device for implementing telecommunications functions according to an embodiment of the invention by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus;
  • Figure 7 illustrates a smartphone (mobile device of the final user), lighting apparatuses according to an embodiment of the invention and corresponding access and backhauling inter- actions; in the apparatus another possible integration mode of the device for implementing the telecommunications functions is schematically illustrated in the foreground, still according to the invention, with the power supply of the lighting apparatus;
  • Figure 8 illustrates two lighting apparatuses according to the invention, which form first type nodes because they comprise a respective device according to the invention and therefore can perform the backhauling function with each other and the access function towards the final user and/or towards lighting apparatuses forming the second type nodes;
  • Figure 9 illustrates an infrastructure implementing an offloading telecommunications net- work according to an embodiment of the invention
  • the bottom of Figure 10 illustrates a telecommunications network according to an embod- iment of the invention configured to prevent the problem of the single point of vulnerability shown in the top portion of the figure;
  • Figure 11 illustrates a telecommunications network according to an embodiment of the in- vention, in which the fixed communication between the lighting apparatuses and the buildings is performed by millimetric waves and by using a CPE with a corresponding antenna positioned on the facade of the final user house;
  • Figure 12 illustrates the passage from a macro-cell (in the figure on the left) to small cells (in the figure on the center) to micro-cells (in the figure on the left) provided with the device ac- cording to the invention
  • FIG 13 shows a telecommunications network according to the invention in which each device, also according to the invention, is provided with two antennas;
  • Figures 14A and 14B respectively show a side view and a top view of sets of antennas of a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; the sectorial sets of antennas are located around a support pole of the lighting apparatus, in which the device object of the invention is contained;
  • Figures 14C and 14D show diagrams of devices according to embodiments of the inven- tion (therefore first type nodes) respectively with a higher and lower latencies;
  • Figure 14D is a schematic example which shows that sharing part of the MAC in a device (first type node) for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus, provided with multiple an- tennas, can reduce the latency in routing packets;
  • Figures 15A and 15B show lighting apparatuses according to the invention provided with some possible configurations of connections to first type nodes by the optical fiber cable, when present.
  • a device according to the invention is generally indicated by numeral reference 1 in the figures.
  • the device 1 enables to implement telecommunications functions in a lighting appa- ratus; for this end, it is couplable with the power supply device of a lighting apparatus 50 in which the device 1 is apt to operate. More particularly, the device 1 is configured to operate in an integration condition in which it is coupled at least partially with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50 with which it can possibly share, among other parts, the power supply stage SPS.
  • the lighting apparatus 50 comprises a con- tainment body 51 ; in the integration condition, the device 1 is at least partially integrated inside of the containment body 51.
  • the device 1 comprises a connection section 2 configured to be associated to the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the connection section 2 comprises at least one in- terface element 2a.
  • the interface element 2a is couplable with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50 and is possibly structured to enable to electrically supply the device 1 and the multifunctional power supply device 25 (which will be described in the following) by a shared power supply stage SPS.
  • the interface element 2a enables to electrically supply the device 1 by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus.
  • the interface element can be a connector 2a apt to connect to a respective connector of the power supply device.
  • the device 1 comprises a telecommunications section 3.
  • the telecommunica- tions section 3 comprises in turn an access stage 4 and a backhauling stage 5, and optionally an E/O stage (input/output stage) for the connection to the optical fiber network (see Figures from 5 to 7, for example).
  • the stage E/O if provided, is connected to the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 and can comprise an electrical/optical converter E/O’.
  • the device 1 if provided with the stage E/O, can optionally have also a connector E/O” for enabling the connec- tion of the stage E/O to the optical fiber OF (see Figure 6A).
  • the telecommunications section 3 can share different resources with the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the access stage 4 enables the communication (access interaction A) between the device 1 and mobile devices MD of the final user, such as smartphones or tablets or other apparatuses apt to manage calls, Internet accesses, etcetera, or among the device 1 and the second type nodes, which will be described in the following. More particularly, the access stage 4 is config- ured to receive/transmit data packets from/to mobile devices and second type nodes; such ac- cess interactions are illustrated in the attached figures by arrows provided with the reference A. The access stage 4 enables such communication inside a coverage radius of the cell unit formed by the device 1 , such radius being determined by the technology used for the access stage 4; such aspect is more particularly described in the following. Sending and receiving data packets by the access stage 4 are performed in a wireless mode.
  • the backhauling stage 5 enables the device 1 to communicate with other devices integrated in respective lighting apparatuses placed in proximity of the device at a distance such to enable the communication according to a desired performance/speed (back- hauling interaction B). More particularly, the backhauling stage 5 is configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage 5 of one or more further devices 1 integrated in other lighting apparatuses 50 and for receiving data packets from the backhauling stage 5 of one or more fur- ther devices integrated in other lighting apparatuses 50; such backhauling interactions are illus- trated in the attached figures by arrows provided with reference B. Sending and receiving data packets by the backhauling stage 5 are performed in a wireless mode.
  • the device 1 If the data packets passing through the device 1 are directed to nodes, final users and/or networks which can be more easily reachable by the optical fiber OF, and the first type node housing the device 1 is reached by the optical fiber OF, the device 1 - according to switching or routing tables (Loop-up tables or LUT) - will not wirelessly route such packets, but, on the con- trary it will send them by the suitable stage E/O towards the connection to the optical fiber OF itself.
  • the optical fiber OF by suitable systems and protocols, can be directly connected to the stage E/O of the device 1 or, as shown in Figure 15B, can be indirectly connected to it by a suitable short very high speeds electric cable FIVC.
  • the devices 1 of the lighting apparatus 50 of Figures 15A and 15B comprise an electric/optical con- verter E/O’ and, optionally, a router RTR.
  • the electric/optical converter E/O’ and the router RTR are provided in the device 1 for enabling to directly connect the optical fiber OF to the stage E/O, while in the embodiment of Figure 15B, the electric/optical converter E/O’ and the router RTR are housed in an underground chamber 77, placed at the base of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the embodiment of Figure 15B enables the indirect connec- tion, by a suitable very high speed electric cable FIVC, between the optical fiber and the device 1 ; the device 1 of Figure 15B further comprises an output high speed Ethernet ETFI stage (for example: 100 GE, i.e. Giga Ethernet, which travels at a gigabit per second, or greater).
  • an output high speed Ethernet ETFI stage for example: 100 GE, i.e. Giga Ethernet, which travels at a gigabit per second, or greater).
  • the data packets managed by the device 1 can comprise telecommunications data packets, i.e. data packets regarding telecommunica- tions, such as calls or other data packets otherwise manageable by a mobile and/or fixed tele- communications network.
  • telecommunications data packets i.e. data packets regarding telecommunica- tions, such as calls or other data packets otherwise manageable by a mobile and/or fixed tele- communications network.
  • the telecommunications section 3 is further configured to implement both a horizontal handover function and a vertical handover function, by suitable software and firmware.
  • the horizontal handover function provides to automatically transfer, i.e. without requiring interaction/authorization by a user, telecommunications to a further device 1 integrated in an- other lighting apparatus 50 adjacent the lighting apparatus 50 in which is integrated the device 1 which transfers the telecommunication and better positioned with respect to the movement of the final user for managing the communication thereof.
  • a particular horizontal handover case can refer to a single first type node N1 , when the node comprises a plurality of antennas T1 , T2, T3 (for example: three antennas T1 , T2, T3 each having a coverage with an angle of 120°) and is illustrated in Figures 14A and 14B.
  • each sectorial antenna T1 , T2, T3 can substantially be an assembly of antennas comprising both an antenna 6 for access services A and an antenna 7 for backhauling services B, which are more particularly described in the following as antennas 6, 7.
  • T2 T3 can be associated a respec- tive MAC (MAC1 , MAC2, MAC3), particularly a respective lower MAC L MAC (L MAC1 , L MAC2, L MAC3) and a communal upper MAC (U_MAC), a respective RF chain (RF1 , RF2, RF3), a respective transceiver (TR1 , TR2, TR3) and other processing levels for the signal SP (such as a processor, etcetera).
  • MAC1 , MAC2, MAC3 respec- tive MAC
  • L MAC1 , L MAC2, L MAC3 a respective lower MAC L MAC
  • U_MAC communal upper MAC
  • RF1 , RF2, RF3 respective RF chain
  • TR1 , TR2, TR3 transceiver
  • other processing levels for the signal SP such as a processor, etcetera
  • the final user moves from an area covered by one of the an- tennas, for example the antenna T1 (with its own RF chain RF1) of the node N1 to another area covered by another adjacent antenna, for example the antenna T2 or T3 (with another own RF chain RF2, RF3) of the same node N1.
  • the antenna T1 with its own RF chain RF1
  • another adjacent antenna for example the antenna T2 or T3 (with another own RF chain RF2, RF3) of the same node N1.
  • the ex- changed packets could have the necessity of following longer path inside of the device 1 , for example to the processors, before being routed towards the antenna and the output RF chain. This is applied both to packets exchanged between two access stages 4 and packets ex- changed between two backhauling stages 5, and also to packets passing from the access stage 4 to the backhauling one 5, and viceversa.
  • FIG. 14D shows an outline of the device 1 , wherein the upper MAC U_MAC, having less latency than the one of the outline of the device in Figure 14C, is shared among the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11”.
  • the vertical handover function provides, without requiring any interaction/authorization by a final user, to reconnect to the mobile cell network which a mobile device MD is connectable to, without interrupting the communication/session, when the network 75 object of the present in- vention does not offer a coverage.
  • Such handover operations are performed so that the telecommunications, such as a mobile call, are neither harmed by the transfer nor the user or users involved in such telecommunications even feel the performed transfer. Further aspects and advantages of the handover are more particularly described in the following under the text section regarding the telecommunications network.
  • the device 1 mainly comprises two stages, i.e. the access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5; optionally, it can also contain the stage E/O for the connection to an opti- cal fiber OF network.
  • the device 1 advantageously enables a substantial functions integration.
  • Each stage comprises the respective circuitry enabling to perform the functions for which such stage was devised, but, as detailed in the following, the stages can share resources, such as the circuitry itself (circuits or parts of circuits) and/or electronic components, and also mechanical parts, for example the casing or a portion thereof.
  • the device 1 can comprise re- sources, for example a shared stage SS, which are shared with the power supply device; such aspect is more particularly explained in the following with reference to the multifunctional power supply device.
  • antennas T can be provided, which are more particularly de- scribed in the following.
  • the device provides at least one antenna 6 for the access stage 4 and at least one antenna 7 for the backhauling stage 5; each antenna 6, 7 enables the respective stage 4, 5 to send and re- ceive data packets.
  • the antennas 6, 7 are schematically illustrated in Figures 1 , 2 and 13, while are not illustrated in the other figures. It is understood that, in other embodiments, a plurality of antennas 6 can be provided for the access stage 4 and, additionally or alternatively, a plurality of antennas 7 for the backhauling stage 5, as illustrated in Figures 14A and 14B.
  • the number of antennas 6, 7 for each stage 4, 5 can be anyone, provided that the function of ena- bling to send and receive data packets to a respective stage is performed by such antenna/s.
  • some antennas can also be inside of the containment body 51 of the lighting apparatus 50 (known also as lighting body), other can be part of the lighting body itself.
  • the antennas 6, 7 are communicatively connected to the respective stage 4, 5 which is housed, in the integration condition, partially or completely inside the containment body 51. Par- ticularly, the antennas 6, 7 are configured to enable the telecommunications with the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 by a first and second protocols, respectively.
  • both the protocols can belong to the protocols family IEEE 802.11 .
  • the prior art does not contemplate using the protocol 802.11 for making very high speed mobile networks, howev- er the aspects of the present invention, first of all the integration with the lighting apparatus 50 or with its power supply device 26, using different protocols for the access and backhauling, sharing part of the suitably adapted/modified protocols and/or other resources between the ac- cess 4 and backhauling stages 5 with advanced beamforming techniques enable to obtain a network with better performances than the 5G.
  • the first and second protocols can be also the same, however the standard 802.11 enables to use two different protocols, one more apt for the access services A and one more apt for the backhauling B (for example for enabling the back- hauling at optimized speed and efficiency the second protocol can operate at a frequency of 60 GHz (WiGig with millimetric waves W mm ).
  • the first and second protocols can possibly and ad- vantageously share a same MAC ( Medium Access Control) or part of it, which can be suitably modified if required, as other parts of the protocol, for making easier the integration between the two protocols and/or increase the performances of the obtained system; sharing at least part of the MAC can enable to speed up the data packet delivery, reducing the latency, i.e.
  • the first and second protocols can be both of the IEEE 802.11 type but can have different operative frequencies; such aspect is better explained in the following with refer- ence to Figure 7.
  • Using millimetric waves W mm for the backhauling enables to use an antenna 7 for the backhauling stage 5, generally smaller than the size of the antenna 6 of the access stage 4.
  • the antennas 6, 7 are placed on or protrude from the outside of the containment body.
  • millimetric waves W mm which are often considered noxious to the human body
  • W mm which are often considered noxious to the human body
  • the present in- vention uses millimetric waves W mm (which are often considered noxious to the human body) only in a targeted way between cell unit and cell unit, i.e. between lighting apparatus and light- ing apparatus, with very fine directional rays due to the MIMO and beamforming techniques en- abled by the technology based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 , so that such millimetric waves W mm will never reach the final user, other than in infrequent occasional circumstances and for very short periods of time.
  • the device 1 object of the present invention can make the stage E/0 to implement a protocol apt to use the connection to the optical fiber OF at high speed, where the optical fiber OF is present and necessary.
  • the device 1 comprises at least one support; preferably the support is in the shape of one or more printed circuits PCB.
  • the access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5 can be placed or defined on the support/s PCB. Such aspect will be more specifically described with reference to Figure 4.
  • the device 1 can comprise a casing 8, and the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 can be housed inside of the cas- ing 8, as well as the possible stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF; such ar- rangement of the stages makes the device 1 compact. More particularly, the circuitry of at least two of such stages is housed inside the casing 8, the antenna 6 cooperating with the access stage 4 and the antenna 7 cooperating with the backhauling stage 5 can be placed outside of the casing 8 and, in the integration condition, outside of the containment body.
  • stages 4, 5 and the possible stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber are housed inside of the casing 8.
  • the stages 4, 5, E/O can be further defined on respective printed circuits or can share one or more printed circuits PCB or can be defined on the same printed circuit PCB; on this regard, see Figure 4.
  • this latter embodiment which comprises also a shared stage SS, the device 1 features a high integration level because the stages 4, 5, SS are integrated in a single printed circuit PCB.
  • the device according to an embodiment which has its own casing 8 and a single printed circuit PCB according to what has been just described, is provided with both a high level of integration and of a high level of compactness because the printed circuit PCB is housed in- side of the casing 8. It is understood that in possible alternative embodiments, the device 8 can be devoid of the casing 8 (in this case it could share the casing with the power supply device) or one or more stages 4, 5, E/O, SS can be also placed outside the casing 8.
  • the device 1 according to the invention can be consid- ered as a particularly advantageous optimal combination of a cell unit MCL and of at least one pair of antennas 6, 7.
  • the cell unit is provided with at least the access stage 4, backhauling stage 5 and, optionally, with a stage E/O for the connection with a possible optical fiber OF and, still optionally, with a stage SS shared with the power supply device.
  • the cell unit MCL is a micro-cell or a cell having a smaller coverage radius than the one of a micro-cell, such as a nano-cell or pico-cell or femto-cell.
  • the cell unit MCL has a smaller coverage radius than the one of a macro-cell CL’ and of the small cells CL” (such as the ones of the 5G); consequently, for the same capacity of the apparatus of the cell, the capacity of the cell unit MCL of the device 1 is simultaneously shared with less users, so that is advantageously greater for each.
  • the micro-cell MCL of the device 1 according to the in- vention which is provided with the very high speed access and backhauling functionalities ac- cording to what was hereinbefore described, enables to make a final network 75 having conse- quently better performances than any other present network.
  • the cell unit MCL is referred as micro-cell; however, the herein disclosed concept can be applied, once the nec- essary changes have been made, to the embodiments in which the cell units are nano-, pico-, or femto-cells.
  • the micro-cell MCL is completely integrat- ed inside of the containment body of the lighting apparatus and therefore is not visible from the outside of the lighting apparatus (see the right portion of Figures 1 and 2); preferably, only the antennas 6, 7 can protrude from the outside of the containment body (see Figure 1).
  • the advantages of the device 1 are huge even though it had the same capacities of a 5G cell; in spite of that, the device 1 and telecommunications network ob- tainable by a plurality of devices 1 , which will be described in the following, show substantially higher capacities and performances than the ones of a 5G cell.
  • the provided proto- cols 802.1 T, 802.11 can be also different from each other respectively for the access stage 4 and for the backhauling stage 5.
  • the device 1 does not only enable to put in communication, by a switch or tunneling or routing process, the input data packets based on a version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , with the ones exiting through a different version of the same protocol IEEE 802.11 , and viceversa, but also enables to accelerate this process of con- verting from a protocol to another one, to accelerate the data packets transmission by making the two protocols to share the resources at the most among which, for example, part of the MACs, a power supply stage SPS in order to obtain the best energy saving, the processors, one or more memories, etc.
  • the device 1 enables to create a hybrid system which is not nowadays present on the market, with the view of increasing the capaci- ty/transmission speed, reducing the latency, reducing the manufacturing costs and size of the micro-cell MCL by simultaneously managing and supplying the lighting system. This is done by a simultaneous integration with the circuitry or part of the circuitry of the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the protocol for the access stage 4 is based on and/or uses the standard IEEE 802.11 ax (first protocol, preferably using the Wi-Fi6e version), the protocol for the backhauling stage 5 (second protocol) is based on and/or uses the standard IEEE 802.11 ad, particularly the version ratified in December 2012, or 802.1 lay and, as applicable, the protocol for the connec- tion optical fiber E/O stage (third protocol) is any Ethernet protocol apt to operate with optical fi- ber (very high speed protocol).
  • the second protocol is apt to ensure a very high speed backhauling and/or fixed telecommunications.
  • the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described device 1 .
  • the use of the device 1 is destined to implement telecommunications functions in or for a lighting appa- ratus 50.
  • the use provides that the device 1 is integrated partially or completely in a lighting ap- paratus 50 or in the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50; in the integration condi- tion, the device 1 enables the lighting apparatus 50 also to manage and provide telecommuni- cations services.
  • the use of a plurality of devices 1 integrated in respective lighting apparatuses enables to make a telecommunications network 75.
  • the telecommunications network 75 is specifically de- scribed in the following.
  • the present invention refers to a multifunctional power supply device 25 apt to be used, for example, in a lighting apparatus 50.
  • the multifunctional power supply device 25 comprises the device 1 of the beforehand described type and a power supply device 26 coupled or couplable with the connection section of the device 1 .
  • the power supply device 26 acts as an interface of the multifunctional power supply device 25, which enables the connection to the de- vice 1 .
  • the power supply device 26 is configured to perform supply functions which provide both to supply at least one lighting element of a lighting apparatus 50 and to supply the device 1.
  • the power supply device 26 comprises an electrical circuitry apt to perform the just described supply functions.
  • the power supply device 26 can comprise a power supply stage SPS, which can be shared with one or more among the stages 4, 5, SS of the device 1 .
  • the power supply device 26 can comprise a lighting management stage LMS.
  • the lighting management stage LMS is configured to manage the lighting by the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the lighting management stage LMS is configured to manage, calculate, verify, set and report one or more lighting parameters or magnitudes, in other words one or more pa- rameters or magnitudes correlated to the lighting.
  • Managing the lighting can comprise, if neces- sary, modulating the lighting parameter or magnitude.
  • Examples of lighting parameters or mag- nitudes are: the power absorbed by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus 50, the light intensity suppliable by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus 50, the current supplied by the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50, the operative tem- perature of the power supply device 25, and similar.
  • the multifunctional power supply device 25 preferably comprises a casing 27, the inside thereof houses the power supply device 26.
  • the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 and, optionally further stages, such as the stage E/O and the shared stage SS (therefore the micro-cell MCL) can be housed inside of the casing 27, which therefore is shared with the power supply device 26 and the device 1 .
  • the device 1 and the power supply de- vice 26 comprise respective casings 8, 27, possibly connected to each other and to the outside by suitable connectors and cabling.
  • the supply device 25 is multifunctional because is configured to implement the supply functions, the lighting management and telecommunications functions; these latter are imple- mented by the device 1 . More particularly, due to the lighting management stage LMS, the mul- tifunctional power supply device 25 is capable also to manage and/or measure different lighting parameters or magnitudes.
  • the multifunctional power supply device 25 comprises at least three logic stages, in other words the lighting management stage LMS, the access stage 4 and the back- hauling stage 5 (optionally, also the stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF can be provided); in this way, advantageously the device enables to have a substantial integration of the functions.
  • Each stage 4, 5, LMS, E/O comprises the associated circuitry which enables the former to perform the functions which such stage is designed for.
  • the three stages 4, 5, LMS (and possibly the stage E/O) or, more generally, the device 1 and the power supply device 26, can share resources, such as a circuitry (in other words circuits or parts of circuits) and/or electronic components, such as for example a power supply stage, the processor/s, the memory, etc., and also mechanical parts, for example the casing or a portion thereof.
  • the multifunctional power supply device 25 can comprise one or more shared stages SS in order to share the circuitry and/or electronic components.
  • the multifunctional power supply device 25 substantially provides to integrate the micro- cell of the device 1 with the power supply device 26; in the following will be described, with ref- erence to the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7, some possible integration modes be- tween the device 1 (the micro-cell) and the power supply device 26.
  • Figures 5, 6B and 7 show the device 1 in the integration condition in which is it coupled to the power supply device 26, while Figure 6A shows the device 1 in an exploded configuration with respect to the power sup- ply device 26 which is configured to be connected by sharing the power supply stage SPS.
  • Figure 5 shows a device 1 which shares with the power supply device 26 both the casing and a power supply stage SPS; this latter is supplied by supply means PSM, such as a supply cable.
  • the micro-cell MCL is positioned inside of the containment body of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the device 1 can share with the power supply device 26 also another shared stage SS which comprises shared elements (such as the memory or the processor/microcontroller, the two provide both the telecommunications functions and the lighting remote advanced man- agement function).
  • Figure 5 illustrates the backhaul/routing stage 5, the access stage 4, the optional stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF and the microprocessor MP of the device 1 and, as for the power supply device 26, a section for controlling the power factor PFC (Power Factor Control), a microcontroller MC and a DC/DC converter C with a protocol dimmer interface connected to a LED lamp of the lighting apparatus.
  • the protocol dimmer inter- face can act as a lighting management stage LMS.
  • the microcontroller MC can communicate with one or more sensors, such as one or more environmental sensors ES.
  • Figure 6A shows a device whose micro-cell MCL comprises a casing 8 separated from the casing 27 of the power supply device 26.
  • the power supply device 26 comprises one or more connectors 28 enabling the connection to one or more respective connectors of the device 1.
  • the power supply device 26 is supplied by a power supply stage SPS which receives the power supply from supply means PSM, for providing it - even though with different values and modes - both to its energy necessities and to the ones of the micro-cell MCL.
  • the power supply device 26 is connected to a LED lamp of the lighting apparatus 50 and can communicate with one or more environmental sensors ES.
  • the integration logic diagram makes the mi- croprocessor MP and/or the microcontroller MC of the micro-cell MCL to be shared between the power supply device 26 and micro-cell MCL in the integration condition of the device 1.
  • the power supply stage SPS can comprise an AC/DC converter CPS, which can comprise noise fil- ters of the supply means, a transformer, a rectifier shared between the micro-cell and power supply device.
  • the power supply device 26 comprises a power factor control section PFC.
  • the integration mode in Figure 6A shows that the micro-cell MCL and the power supply device 26 can share stages and/or components even though they do not share the same casing.
  • the integration logic diagram shows in an exemplifying way that the connect- ors 2A of the micro-cell MCL can be more than one, each with different specifications.
  • Figure 6B shows an integration logic diagram representing two alternative integration modes, in one of them the stages of the device 25 (particularly at least the access stage 4, the backhauling stage 5, the optional stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF, the light- ing management stage LMS and the power supply stage SPS) are integrated on a same printed circuit PCB, while in the other integration mode, the stages 4, 5, E/O, LMS, SPS can be defined on a respective printed circuit PCB.
  • a printed circuit PCB comprises at least two or more stages 4, 5, E/O, LMS, SPS, SS.
  • Figure 6B shows how the device 1 and the power supply device 26 are housed inside the containment body of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the device 25 herein illustrated presents similarities with the devices in Figures 5 and 6A with reference to the stages, the supply, the environmental sensors ES, the connection to the LED lamp, etc.
  • Figure 7 shows an integration mode in which the device 1 presents two different protocols.
  • the protocol for the access stage is 802.1 T, while the protocol for the backhauling stage is 802.11”; it is observed that the expressions 802.1 T, 802.11” indicate two different versions or standards for the protocols of the family IEEE 802.11 .
  • the protocol 802.11 ’ enables the access A to/from the mobile device MD of the final user (in the figure it is shown as a smartphone), and the protocol B enables the backhauling B to one or more other lighting apparatuses 50 provided with the device 1 ( Figure 7 illustrates only another lighting apparatus).
  • Each of the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11 comprises a respective lower MAC L MAC’, L MAC” and a respective radiof- requency chain RF’, RF” each of them operates at a respective frequency.
  • the stages 4, 5 which refer to the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11” share a same upper MAC U_MAC, which can be a modified and/or integrated implementation of the upper MACs of the standards 802.1 T and 802.11”, for example in order to improve the performances of the inte- grated system.
  • the access 4 and backhauling stages 5 can possibly also share a stage E/O containing the hardware and the protocol for the connection to the optical fi- ber OF.
  • the micro-cell MCL and the power supply device 26 further share a stage SS which can comprise a shared memory, a shared processor, the shared power supply stage SPS, etc.
  • stage SS which can comprise a shared memory, a shared processor, the shared power supply stage SPS, etc.
  • the block LDF shown below the shared stage SS is representative of one or more functionali- ties of LED power supply device. Use of the multifunctional power supply device
  • the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described device 25.
  • the use of the device 25 is destined to implement both the telecommunications and lighting management functions in or for a lighting apparatus 50.
  • the use is done in a lighting apparatus 50 and pro- vides that the device 1 is integrated, in other words in the integration condition, with the power supply device 26.
  • the use of a plurality of devices 1 in respective lighting apparatuses enables to make a telecommunications network 25.
  • the telecommunications network 75 is particularly described in the following.
  • the invention refers to a use of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the lighting apparatus 50 can be destined for the non-industrial or industrial use, for lighting locations of the type: roads, parking lots, parks, gardens, in advertising panels, digital panels or inside non-industrial, industrial buildings, and similar.
  • non-limiting examples of lighting ap- paratuses 50 are: public streetlights, illuminated signs of shops or businesses in general, digital advertisement panels, lighting systems, or illuminated signs of railway stations or of subway sta- tions or of stations or stops of transport means in general, etc.
  • the lighting apparatuses are shown as streetlights 50; in Figure 9, the lighting apparatus- es are shown both as streetlights 50 and as illuminated signs 50 associated to a cantilever roof.
  • the lighting apparatus 50 comprises a containment body 51 (lighting body) and one or more lighting elements 52, preferably of LED type.
  • the lighting apparatus can comprise a LED lamp 53 comprising one or more lighting elements LED 51.
  • the lighting elements 52 are engaged with the containment body 51 and, optionally, are housed inside of the containment body 51.
  • the lighting apparatus 50 comprises a multifunctional power supply device 25 of the beforehand described type, in other words comprises both a power supply device 26 and a device 1 for implementing telecommunications functions.
  • the power supply device 26 is housed in the containment body and is electrically connected to the lighting elements 52 for providing an electrical supply.
  • both the power supply device 26 and the micro-cell MCL are inside in the containment body.
  • the device 1 is coupled to the power supply device 26 by the connection section 2; as beforehand described, such cou- pling can use one or more connectors 2a.
  • the device 1 is housed at least partially in the con- tainment body 51 ; substantially, the microcell MCL is housed at least partially in the contain- ment body 51 , while the antennas 6, 7 are arranged outside the containment body 51 .
  • Advanta- geously, the micro-cell MCL is therefore integrated in the containment body 51 in order to re- cute or eliminate the external volume with respect to the containment body and consequently with respect to the lighting apparatus 50; on this regard, see for example Figure 1.
  • the integra- tion enabled by the multifunctional power supply device 25 is evident in Figures 1 and 2, where lighting apparatuses according to the prior art are illustrated on the left and lighting apparatuses 50 according to the invention are illustrated on the right.
  • the invention enables to switch from a lighting apparatus provided with a simple pow- er supply device for LED (indicated by the reference LD) which supplies one or more LED ele- ments (indicated by the reference L1) to a lighting apparatus, provided with a multifunctional power supply device 25, which enables both to supply one or more lighting elements 52 and to implement telecommunications functions (operations of access A and backhauling B and possi- bly of connection to the optical fiber OF).
  • a simple pow- er supply device for LED which supplies one or more LED ele- ments (indicated by the reference L1)
  • a lighting apparatus provided with a multifunctional power supply device 25, which enables both to supply one or more lighting elements 52 and to implement telecommunications functions (operations of access A and backhauling B and possi- bly of connection to the optical fiber OF).
  • the lighting apparatus 50 can further comprise a support 54, such as a support pole, apt to support the containment body 51.
  • the lighting apparatus 50 is therefore advantageously capable both of implementing the conventional lighting function and of managing and providing tele- communications services.
  • Managing and providing telecommunications services can be per- formed, according to the invention, by the device 1 and consequently, despite the tremendous performances, without requiring heavy or bulky loads outside the containment body 51 (expect for the antennas 6, 7, whose weight is limited and consequently they do not weigh, from the structural point of view, on the lighting apparatus); on this regard, see the lighting apparatus il- lustrated in the left portion of Figures 1 and 2.
  • the micro-cell MCL realized in this way therefore does not require mountings on the support pole 54 outside the lighting body 51 , consequently the inconveniences tied to the instal- lation costs are prevented (there are no additional costs or works with respect to the ones re- quired for installing the multifunctional power supply device 25 in the lighting apparatus 50) and installation spaces (since the micro-cell MCL is housed inside of the containment body 51 , it is not necessary to provide an additional space for it). Moreover, it is no more necessary to lease the space on each streetlight 50 because the micro-cell MCL can be contained, completely or partially, inside of the casing 27 of the power supply device 26, which is always required for lighting.
  • the invention refers also to a telecommunications network 75 made from a plurality of lighting apparatuses 50 of the beforehand described type, in each of them a respective device 1 is integrated.
  • the telecommunications network 75 is of a wireless type because it manages the telecommunications by the plurality of devices 1 in a wireless mode, but requires one or more connection points to the optical fiber OF for routing the packets destined to other areas or final users not reachable by just the wireless mode because too distant for being able to advanta- geously exploit the wireless connections among the lighting apparatuses 50 without compromis- ing the quality of the services and performances.
  • the devices 1 are configured to communicate with each other by the respective very high speed wireless backhauling stage 5; in this way, the telecommunications network 75 provides that the lighting apparatuses 50 can communicate for enabling wireless backhauling operations B with each other in order to reach the final user or the routing optical fiber point (connection/access point POF, see the following description), in order to reduce these latter at a minimum while keeping the performances.
  • the telecommunications network 75 provides that the lighting apparatuses 50 can communicate for enabling wireless backhauling operations B with each other in order to reach the final user or the routing optical fiber point (connection/access point POF, see the following description), in order to reduce these latter at a minimum while keeping the performances.
  • each device 1 acts as a node of the telecommunica- tions network 75, to which it provides a wireless coverage area for the access network side (from the node to the final user and viceversa), as shown in Figure 8.
  • Such nodes are provided with their own intelligence, with reference to the capacity of managing the beforehand described telecommunications and can be defined as first type nodes N1 ( net nodes) of the telecommuni- cations network 75.
  • the intelligence of the first type nodes N1 is provided by the device 1.
  • the telecommunications network 75 can further comprise additional lighting apparatuses, which act as second type nodes N2 (life nodes).
  • the second type nodes N2 by contrast to the first type nodes N1 , are not provided with the device 1 and therefore are devoid of intelligence.
  • Each second type node N2 can have a transmitting receptor, such as a client also reachable by transmissions based on the protocol IEEE 802.11.
  • the client can wirelessly communicate with the access stage 4 of one or more devices 1 of a first type node N1.
  • a narrow band technology could also be installed, integrated or not integrated with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus, as for example the one based on the protocol LoRa, for the management of and connections with different types of sensors inside or outside the lighting body, also from long distances from it.
  • the num- ber of first type nodes N1 can be minimized, for example by network planning software systems, ensuring at the same time an optimal wireless coverage of all the area; the other nodes of the network can be of the second type N2.
  • the telecommunications network 75 has a minimized number of connection points POF to the optical fiber OF.
  • the telecommunications net- work 75 can have a plurality (two in the figure) of points POF of connection to the optical fiber OF, each of them can be implemented by a device 1 which comprises a stage E/O for the con- nection towards the optical fiber OF provided with a suitable connector E/O” (see Figure 6A) and protocol.
  • the telecommunications network 75 can have a single connection point POF to the optical fiber OF, made by the device 1 with a suitable stage E/0 for the connection to the optical fiber OF.
  • the other adjacent first type nodes N1 can communicate by a very high speed wireless mode (by backhauling operations B according to what was beforehand de- scribed) with each other by the first type wired node N1.
  • the other first type nodes N1 of the telecommunications network 75 do not require optical fiber cabling, since they can communicate with each other by a wireless mode through the backhauling B, at least as long as the number of the successive wireless connections towards the connection point POF to the optical fiber OF is not too high in order to keep the performances.
  • the first type nodes N1 are anyway configured to reach the nearest point POF of connection to the optical fiber OF, in order to minimize the wireless con- nections.
  • the invention enables to make a fixed and/or mobile wireless telecommunications network 75, also in zones barely reached by the optical fiber due to the capacity of the micro- cells MCL of the devices 1 to connect to each other by wireless backhauling operations B, min- imizing in this way the number of the required optical fiber connection points.
  • the invention enables to wirelessly perform a series of backhauling B connections at very high speed among the first type nodes N1 of the network 75, minimizing in this way the optical fiber connections OF between the micro-cells MCL themselves, and conse- quently to reduce the costs and the possibility of making the network obtained by installing the micro-cells MCL also in urban centers or other areas without abundance of optical fiber.
  • the network 75 provides that the second type nodes N2, though not excluding such possibility, do not require optical fiber cabling because they are not part of the backhauling B network.
  • the infrastructure of Figure 9 provides that the optical fiber OF can reach a control center CC apt to control the telecommunications network and/or public lighting and pos- sibly an office of a mobile network operator MCO, which can be apt to control the telecommuni- cations network.
  • the access to Internet I can be done also directly (still by the optical fiber OF), in other words by the infrastructure of the owner of the network 75 object of the present invention without requiring to pass through the ra- dio base stations MCBS of the mobile operator.
  • This means that a user connected by a wireless access A to a first type node N1 of the network 75 can access and download from Internet I at speeds which, by using for example the protocol Wi-Fi6 or 802.11 ax for the access part, can be already as high as several tenths of Gbps (gigabits per second).
  • the access points of 802.11 based wireless networks can operate in a “client” or “ad-hoc” mode; in the first mode they provide the connection to several clients, in the second mode a plurality of points are connected to each other.
  • both the access and backhauling protocols 802.1 T, 802.11” can be used in a “client” mode. This can be applied also to the version of the protocol 802.11” used for the backhauling B, in other words the interconnection among the first type nodes N1 of the network 75, even though by suitable beamforming techniques, and consequently it is not an extended version of conven- tionally used topology for the wireless networks LAN.
  • the lighting apparatuses are not required to be provid- ed with the multifunctional power supply device 25 (i.e. the power supply device 26 with an inte- grated micro-cell MCL).
  • the aim of the network 75 is of in- stalling the smallest number of devices 25 for wirelessly cover the entire zone which the high speed mobile/fixed network 75 intends to cover, with the smallest but necessary overlap of the areas covered by each first type node N1 , offering the remaining light points (in other words, the second type nodes N2, life nodes, devoid of intelligence) to remotely control the lighting, and possible sensors connected to them by a simple star network generated by each first type node N1.
  • Figure 8 shows two first type nodes N1 which, besides communicating with each other in backhauling B mode, they can communicate with second type nodes N2 which, in turn, can communicate with respective sensors, which in the figure are indicated in an exempli- fying way by environmental sensors ES.
  • the tele- communications network 75 is a micro-cells MCL network; on this regard, see Figure 12 which illustrates the passage from a macro-cell CL’ (on the left in the figure) to a small cells CL” net- work (at the center in the figure) to the network 75 provided with a plurality of micro-cells MCL according to the invention (on the right in the figure).
  • the telecommunications network 75 is a pervasive network, because based on lighting apparatuses 50 (such as light points, illuminated panels, etc.), which uniformly thoroughly cover a region more effectively than the small cells CL” of the 5G apparatuses.
  • lighting apparatuses 50 such as light points, illuminated panels, etc.
  • the network 75 can substantially reach any place of an urban area, particularly where the 5G small cells CL” are hardly installable (due to the size and cost), barely suppliable (because they must be connected to supply cabling) and hardly supported by optical fibers (for realizing their backhauling network which connects a cell to another).
  • the developed integrated technology for the beforehand described micro-cells MCL enables to offer very high capacities both for the access A services and for the backhauling B services, therefore on all the network 75 formed by them, without requiring a large amount of optical fiber among the micro-cells MCL.
  • the telecommunications network 75 enables to implement are de- scribed in the following. Due to suitable software regarding the technology based on the proto- col IEEE 802.11 installed in the device 1 , in other words in each first type node, the final user provided with a mobile device MD such as a smartphone (see Figures 7, 8, 9, 11 , 13) or a tablet equipped with Wi-Fi or with another version of the protocol 802.11 equal to the one used by the present invention for the access part (802.11’) can start a call or receive it or can start down- loading from Internet simply by his/her SIM card, therefore without manual interventions by the user generally associated to the Wi-Fi networks, such as for example the selection of a SSID or of the corresponding network. From the point of view of the final user, the service offered by the network exactly behaves as a cell service, but with substantially better performances.
  • a mobile device MD such as a smartphone (see Figures 7, 8, 9, 11 , 13) or a tablet equipped with Wi-Fi or with another version of the protocol 802.11 equal to
  • an op- erator using the offloading on the network 75 according to the invention which the final user is subscribed to (or his/her roaming partner if the operator is not physically present in the area) is immediately identified by servers of the network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL provided by the devices 1 object of the present invention so that the final user can perform calls or connect to Internet I as if he/she did through the network of his/her operator or his/her roaming partner, which the network will transfer to all the parameters of the call or connection.
  • the network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL can be used for a hotspot service, particularly hotspot 2.0.
  • an in-progress speech and/or data communication on a cell mobile net- work (3G/4G/LTE/5G) of an operator wanting to perform offloading operations OL to the micro- cell network is intercepted and transferred to the network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL without interruption (vertical handover), in other words without the user being aware, enabling an advantageous reduction of the traffic on the network of the phone company, besides a sub- stantial improvement of the performances.
  • the network 75 obtained by installing the devices 1 in a plurality of respective urban light points 50 provides exceptional performances, better than any mobile and/or fixed wireless networks that are currently on the market, enabling the mobile operators, by the offloading OL, to use it in place of their jammed cell network and to provide smart city advanced services with a very low latency and very high speed (see Figure 9), this is not nowadays possible with other technologies.
  • the in progress (tele)communication of a final user is immediately automatically rerouted through the cell network, by the vertical handover pro- cess, which occurs without interrupting the communication.
  • the user returns into the zone covered by the micro-cells MCL, his/her communication is immediately rerouted without any notable alteration on the offloading network formed by the micro-cells MCL.
  • the features and performances of the network 75 according to the present invention ena- ble a single network to be used by a plurality of operators, even all, each for their offloading; this is a substantial advantage with respect to the provision of a distinct apparatus for each operator.
  • the most important advantage is for the virtual operators (MVNO) which, being not provided with their own network, pay very high fees to the operators with network (MNO) for us- ing the same.
  • MVNO virtual operators
  • MNO operators with network
  • a further advantage of the present invention is using the MIMO and beamforming functionalities of the version 802.11” of the protocol for the backhauling B in order to be capable of connecting at very high speed each first type node N1 to at least two other first type nodes N1 , consequently a possible failure of a first type node N1 does not prevent the network to op- erate.
  • An extreme case of this configuration is related to a mesh-type network 75, in other words a meshed network, in which each first type node N1 is connected to another reachable first type node.
  • FIG 10 illustrates just as the network 75 according to the invention is configured to prevent the problem of the single vulnerability point ( Single Point of Failure or, briefly, SPOF).
  • the problem of the single vulnerability point is shown in the top portion of Figure 10 and can oc- cur, in case of a linear network, if each first type node of the network is only connected to two adjacent first type nodes: due to the failure of the first type node, the communication is inter- rupted (the failed node is indicated by a letter X in Figure 10).
  • each first type node N1 is connected to at least two other first type nodes N1 (in case of two first type end nodes N1 in the bottom portion of Figure 10) or to at least three other first type nodes N1 (in case of the three first type central nodes N1 in the bottom portion in Figure 10).
  • the present invention is not limited to the generation of mobile telecommunications net- works; it can provide simultaneously or independently from them also fixed wireless network services.
  • the network 75 in order to reach the user houses, can employ both the access part ot the apparatus and the part at miiiimetric waves of the apparatus, based on the version of the very high speed protocol IEEE 802.11 , for example at miiiimetric waves W mm , used for the backhauling among different micro-cells (see Figure 11).
  • Figure 11 shows a multi- functional power supply device 25 provided with a further stage FWA ( Fixed Wireless Access) contigured to enable to reach a “tixed” final user by using the technology and the protocol of the backhauling stage 5, in other words at very high speed.
  • FWA Fixed Wireless Access
  • the house can be serviced by a suita- ble small apparatus CPE ( Customer Premise Equipment) having a receiving antenna exposed to the outside of the building; the apparatus CPE is apt to communicate with the stage FWA of the network first type node N1 and, on the other side, to transfer the signals to the device/s FD inside of the building by suitable cabling or wireless extensions (PC, tablet, Wi-Fi access point, etc.; the figure shows a laptop, a Wi-Fi access point, and a fixed line phone).
  • CPE Customer Premise Equipment
  • a further ad- vantage of supplying wireless fixed network services is that the apparatus CPE can comprise the same stages 4 and 5 of the first type node N1 and therefore can in turn become a first type network node N1 , by connecting to other first type networks nodes N1 in order to route the traf- fic not destined to the house itself, increasing in this way the number of possible first type nodes N1 and the pervasiveness of the network 75.
  • an apparatus CPE as hereinbefore described, near the house of the final user (such as a new customer of a fixed op- erator) simultaneously generates, in other words by the device 1 included in the just installed apparatus CPE, an additional first type node N1 of the network 75, which is configured to ena- ble both the mobile access and backhauling operations, enabling in this way to increase the ex- tension of the network 75 coverage.
  • the invention offers also the possibility of an automatic or manual remote configuration of the network 75, of an automatic identification of new available nodes and of non-operating nodes or with inadequate performances, therefore an automatic or manual reconfiguration of the network, also as a function of the traffic loads in dif- ferent wireless sections, and the remote management of lighting technology parameters, of any type of sensors, such as environmental sensors ES (also at very long Telec distances from the micro-cells) with the simultaneous management and provision of fixed and/or mobile tele- communications services.
  • any type of sensors such as environmental sensors ES (also at very long Telec distances from the micro-cells) with the simultaneous management and provision of fixed and/or mobile tele- communications services.
  • the herein disclosed technical features regarding the functions or operations of the tele- communications network 75 can be applied to the scope of a corresponding use of the devices 1 , 25 or steps of the method of managing telecommunications and providing services described in the following.
  • the present invention refers to a method of managing and providing telecom- munications services, also in offloading, which can be implemented by a telecommunications network 75 of the beforehand described type.
  • the method provides to predispose or have the availability of a plurality of lighting appa- ratuses 50 of the beforehand described type; such predisposing step can provide to integrate a plurality of devices 1 , 25 in a respective plurality of lighting apparatuses 50, consequently form- ing first type nodes N1 of the network 75.
  • the method enables to manage and of- fer telecommunications services by a plurality of lighting apparatuses 50.
  • the method provides to exchange data packets among backhauling stages 5 of respec- tive devices 1 , exchange data packets between the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 and at least one mobile device MD, exchange data packets between the connection stage E/O to the optical fiber of a device 1 and the access stage 4 of the same device 1 , exchange data packets between the connection stage E/O to the optical fiber of the device 1 and the backhaul- ing stage 5 of the same device 1 , and exchange data packets between the access stage 4 of the device 1 and the access stage 4 of the same device 1 (this latter case when the communi- cation is performed between mobile devices MD of two final users connected to the same de- vice 1 , in other words the same micro-cell, for example).
  • the steps of providing the use of the access stage 4 comprise to receive from the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 , telecommunications data sent from the mobile device MD or from different second type nodes N2 and, in addition or as an alternative, send data packets from the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 to a mobile device MD or to different second type nodes N2.
  • the method enables to provide telecommunications services on behalf of opera- tors which are connected to the interconnection points G by keeping a relation between the mo- bile device MD and the operator, particularly the phone operator, by a contract, particularly a phone contract.
  • the method provides, as a function of the necessities (as a function of the num- ber of telecommunications to be managed, including the cell traffic, for example) to implement one or more access A, backhauling B operations, the connection to the optical fiber by the stage E/O, the offloading OL, the horizontal and vertical handovers, beforehand described, also and most of all on behalf of other plural operators or their roaming partners.
  • each device 1 is electrically supplied, by the shared power sup- ply stage SPS, with the power supply device 26 of the respective lighting apparatus 50 and that the lighting of the lighting elements 52 is managed by the lighting management stage LMS of each device 25.
  • the invention makes available a device that, as beforehand described, is completely or partially integrated in the LED power supply device inside of the containment body 51 of the lighting apparatus 50, without spoiling the appearance. Also, in case of a partial integration, in other words when part of the device 1 is installed outside of the lighting body 51 or its support 54 (as in the case of the antennas 6, 7 outside of the containment body 51 , for example), the in- tegration minimizes or eliminates the visibility of these parts from the outside of the containment body 51.
  • a further advantage of the present invention consists of providing very high transmission speeds and capacities simultaneously with a reduction of the energy consumption with respect to the networks 3G/4G/5G and therefore by a smaller generation of CO2. This is due to the low consumption (low with respect to the alternatives on the market) of the telecommunications stages based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 which from the micro-cell MCL and by sharing, in the micro-cell MCL or in the multifunctional power supply device 25, circuit parts or soft- ware/firmware between the access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5 (part of the MAC, for ex- ample) and/or with the power supply device 26 (if they were completely separated, they would require more power, have a greater size and lower performances).
  • the invention Due to an optimal sharing of the beforehand cited resources, and due to technology of the beforehand described stages 4, 5 and the use of protocols that are widespread on the market, as the ones regarding the different standards 802.11 , even though they are possibly partially adapted/modified, the invention has the further advantage of a substantial reduction of the costs despite the performance increase with respect to the 5G networks and other existing networks.
  • the invention enables to realize a single mobile and/or fixed ultra- wideband network 75, which is adapted to be no more owned by the telecommunications opera- tors, to which the network is leased by offloading, the nodes N1 thereof belonging to the owner of the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • the nodes N1 thereof belonging to the owner of the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50.
  • these lighting apparatuses 50 can become a first type node N1 (“private” net node) of the net- work 75 by simply using the multifunctional power supply device 25 according to the invention.
  • the network can be progressively ex- tended with the time, becoming more and more pervasive; the “private” nodes are complemen- tary to the other “public” nodes (such the ones provided by the streetlights of the public light- ing).
  • a suitable control software can enable to detect each new potential node in real time and remotely reconfigure the network by activating new nodes (among the detected ones) or deac- tivating nodes and connections which appear redundant or which report, always to the control software, speed values of connection to the network less than the ones of the other adjacent nodes.
  • An owner of a light point by providing his/her lighting apparatus 50, where a multifunc- tional power supply device 25 object of the invention is installed, could be paid by the operators for each byte of the mobile traffic passing through the micro-cell MCL installed in his/her lighting apparatus 50.
  • the invention lends itself to a technology application having a great innovative breadth, a paradigm change, enabling to make and provide a telecommunications network 75 distributed on all an urban area, characterized by a diffused ownership, usable by each opera- tor; such solution distinguishes from the standard solution providing several telecommunications networks, each belonging to a different operator.
  • any light point 50 also for ex- ample a simple sign or a garden light, owned for example by a shop or an individual or an en- terprise, can use the device 1 object of the present invention and become part of the so-realized network, receiving royalties as a function of the mobile and/or fixed traffic passing through the device 1 partially or completely integrated in the multifunctional power supply device 25 or in the lighting apparatus 50 itself.
  • the present invention has the following advantages:
  • micro-cell MCL consumes much less en- ergy than the small cells of the cell technologies 3G/4G/5G and of the micro-cells technologies actually present on the market;
  • micro-cell MCL is automatically inserted at the installation of the lighting multifunctional power supply device 25, therefore it is not neces- sary to install many apparatuses, and because it is not necessary to install supply cables (be- cause the setup for the energy supply is already present in each light point);
  • the inven- tion prevents from paying a rent for occupying a space on the streetlight 50 because the power supply device 26 is an essential and indispensable element for lighting;
  • the very high capacities of the network 75 based on the devices 1 according to the invention enable to provide smart city advanced services (such as for example the management of the self-driving cars and other very low latency ser- vices) that the cell networks 3G/4G/5G and other micro-cells systems nowadays present on the market cannot provide;
  • the telecommunications network 75 obtained by implementing the present invention is the only uniform and pervasive network enabling the offloading OL of the mobile and/or fixed traffic with very high performances, better than the one of the cell network, which has at the same time a low cost and is easily expandable on a global level.

Abstract

The present invention refers to a device (1) for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus (50). The device (1) comprises a connection section (2) and a telecommunications section (3) and is configured to operate in an integration condition, wherein the connection section (2) is coupled to a power supply (26) of the lighting apparatus (50) which it shares with at least the power supply stage (SPS). The telecommunications section (3) comprises an access stage (4) configured to receive/send data packets from/to a mobile device (MD) or to a fixed lighting apparatus which does not contain the device (1) and a backhauling stage (5) configured to send/receive data packets to/from the backhauling stage (5) of a further device (1) integrated in another lighting apparatus (50) or, in case of a fixed network, to a CPE positioned on the house of a final user of the fixed service. Moreover, the device (1) comprises antennas (6, 7) for the access stage (4) and for the backhauling stage (5). The access stage (4) and the backhauling stage (5) of the same device (1) share several resources for reducing the costs, reducing the size and accelerating the routing of data packets, by using a technology based on several possibly modified versions of the protocol 802.11. Possibly, the device (1) comprises a connection stage to the optical fibers (E/O), which are connected to both the access stage (4) and the backhauling stage (5). The network (75) formed by the installation of several devices (1) enables the use by mobile and fixed operators through their connections at an optical fiber point (G) and suitable vertical handover functionalities towards the cellular network in case of a failed coverage by the network (75) object of the present invention.

Description

“ULTRA BROADBAND WIRELESS DEVICE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SMART CITIES”
D E S C R I P T I O N
Technical field of the invention
The present invention refers to the technical field of telecommunications.
More particularly, the invention refers to a device for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention refers to a multifunctional power supply device inside which said device for implementing the telecommunications functions is integrated or integrable.
The herein disclosed invention refers also to a lighting apparatus, a telecommunications network, a method of providing and managing telecommunications services, enabling to imple- ment also off-loading, lighting and smart city services.
Prior art
Mobile networks are known. The cells of the existing mobile networks, including 5G, have a limited capacity. In addition to that, the capacity of the cells is further constrained by the lim- ited spectrum allocated to the 3G/4G/LTE/5G networks. This is determining a huge problem, since the amount of data exchanged between users or downloaded from Internet is exponential- ly increasing and is congesting all the mobile networks, of any national or international operator.
The network congestion is compelling the operators to more and more frequently perform off-loading processes, by transferring their traffic to carrier-grade Wi-Fi networks (in other words having suitable qualities and performances), if available and under the control of the operator, and then taking it back via Internet. Even though this solution is simple inside of buildings, where a Wi-Fi router is often available, the same is not likewise simple in external environments.
The lack of a suitable capacity of the mobile networks gets worse in consideration of the fact that the more advanced smart-city services, such as managing self-driving cars or stream- ing high-definition video, require very high transmission speeds, consequently an ultra broad- band and very low latencies, even end-to-end latencies lower than 1 ms. Therefore, according to the existing mobile technologies, it is not possible to speak about “real smart-cities”, so that nowadays this term is limited to networks having a more or less narrow band for reading some sensors.
Referring now to 5G, it is noted that neither the so far developed standards nor the tech- nologies of the 5G networks can solve the above cited problem, at least due to the following reasons. It is known that the capacity of a single cell, and therefore the speed by which the data traffic moves, is strictly dependent and limited by the allocated spectrum (Shannon theorem); however, the allocated spectrum is an insufficient regulated source. Consequently, the main so- lution suggested in the past in order to solve the problem, consisted of deploying cells having a smaller coverage radius, acknowledged as “small cells” or “DAS” ( Distributed Antenna Sys- tems), each of them is shared with a smaller number of final users. In this way, the same spec- trum is reused in more cells and each user will have the availability of a greater quota.
It is also known that substantially all the existing mobile and/or fixed wireless networks with macro or small cells require the base stations, in other words the apparatuses determining the center of the single irradiating cell, to have a large size, consequently they must be mounted on specifically built or selected infrastructures, such as more or less high towers and/or roofs of buildings. This also entails the requirement of providing a supply system that, in the simpler cases, is formed by more or less long external cables in order to reach the electronic apparat- uses of a base station. What has been just described is a clear limitation, first of all in case of 5G networks, which require a large number of locations for mounting said small cells or DASs.
It is also mentioned that each mobile telecommunications operator provided with its net- work ( Mobile Network Operator or MNO) is prone to increase the competitive advantage by not sharing its infrastructure with other operators, with the exception of the virtual ones ( Mobile Vir- tual Network Operators or MVNOs), which pays the operator a fee or royalty receiving in return the use of the network. Even though in some cases there are not agreements among the opera- tors about the use of the same towers or locations, it is necessary to underline that on each structure the MNO apparatuses are still distinct. This fact multiplies the number of suitable loca- tions required for the antennas and the small cells and makes also more difficult to thoroughly distribute them on an urban area.
A further problem of the electronic, electric, and mechanical apparatuses of the 5G small cells or DASs is constituted by their size which is still large even though not as much as large as the one of the macro cells, and this fact makes difficult installing them.
With reference to solutions alternative to the 5G smaller radius cells, such as the micro cells, many parties have proposed to use the lighting infrastructure of streetlights, however only as mechanical support stands. In other words, it was suggested to mount the transmissive ap- paratuses on the pole or lighting body, however due to the dimension and quantity thereof, this is not a suitable solution. In this regard, see the streetlight illustrated in the left part of Figure 2, wherein the installation of many transmissive apparatuses to the pole increases the weight of the streetlight and consequently they certainly worsen its outer appearance. The support pole of a streetlight or its lighting body cannot be neither loaded by excessive weights, nor - especially in European cities, where even the power supply cables are underground - it is conceivable to spoil a landscape with bulky containers of mobile and/or fixed apparatuses (trasmissive appa- ratuses) hanging from each streetlight. If this is a problem in case of a single mobile operator, let alone what could happen if multiple operators wanted to mount their wireless network appa- ratuses on a same streetlight, which could have neither an available space nor the mechanical strength to support them. Therefore, besides the lack of a sufficient spectrum/capacity, a sec- ond problem impairing the prior art is therefore the unavailability of a sufficiently high number of locations for the apparatuses and antennas of the new mobile networks, due to the size, leasing costs and/or the difficulty in electrically supplying the antennas, because of the high costs for deploying new cables (such as for example in case of the 3G/4G/5G networks).
Technical solutions which suggest integrating components apt to enable telecommunica- tions in the streetlights are known; on this regard, see the international patent application W02018018083A1 which provides to hide a 4G/5G antenna in a streetlight.
Even though it were possible to suitably locate the small cells or micro cells in some lucky islands, there will be still the problem of ensuring a high speed connection among the cells themselves (also known as “backhauling”), such connection when is wirelessly made - in other words when is not performed in a wired way with an optical fiber - is very bulky and often does not have a suitable speed. However, it should be noted that the optical fiber is not always avail- able, particularly in small towns, and its installation has high costs. Even the manufacturers of microcells systems alternative to the 5G technology have found the same backhauling prob- lems, even though to a less extent with respect to the small cells, of installation in a region so that these problems have prevented them from being accepted and therefore the obstacle of a limited capacity is still present. Therefore, a third problem of the prior art consists of ensuring a wireless backhauling network having a suitable speed (therefore with an ultra broadband) among the single small or microcells.
From the point of view of the power consumption, it is observed that, based on the sug- gestions from the international bodies responsible for the environmental safety and for the anal- ysis of the consequences of the climate changes, also the telecommunications field is dedicated to the reduction of the power consumptions. The same was also formally true for the 5G opera- tors; unfortunately, they were not effectively capable of reducing the power consumptions. A fourth problem of the existent microcells networks and 5G networks is therefore the high power consumption, which in case of the 5G network apparatuses can also amount to 30% more than the equivalent apparatuses of the prior 4G technology, failing to meet the projections about an energy saving.
Moreover, the existing mobile networks have an electromagnetic pollution, the toxicity thereof to the human body is often a highly debated subject. This does not only refer to radia- tions emitted from smartphones but also to the ones generated by the base stations in areas covered by the cells. From this point of view, the 5G-based technologies worsen the situation, because they have increased the cell density without a substantial reduction of the power emit- ted by them, rather they have even increased it. In addition, the future does not promise better solutions because the advocates of the 5G-based technologies, in order to overcome the prob- lem of insufficient capacity and transmission speed mainly due to a spectrum shortage, are considering reaching the final user by a larger spectrum provided by the millimetric wave range (in other words at frequencies of tens of GHz). This solution is disturbing because the studies about the millimetric waves show a negative impact on the cardiac system, for example it in- duces dangerous fibrillations. The fifth problem of the existing mobile networks refers also to the electromagnetic pollution, which the new 5G based technologies could even worsen.
Despite the assumption of overcoming the technological and operative problems herein- before described a further problem of the existing mobile networks and of the ones based on the 5G technology is their huge costs. Even neglecting the environmental and health indirect costs, the costs of the backhauling, installation apparatuses and the ones related to the con- sumed power seem prohibitive, also because the limited capacity does not enable at the mo- ment to provide advanced services and therefore does not foster a return from the investments.
In order to complete the analysis of the existing prior art, it is remembered that in 2018 an alliance among some of the most important operators and providers of the technology commit- ted to the reduction of the network costs by developing radio apparatuses according to an “open” type communal standard, was established. This alliance, known as O-RAN ( Open Radio Access Network alliance), does not only advance the reduction of the costs of the hardware and software apparatuses by a standardization defined by the operators and technology suppliers (“vendors”), but also a simpler interoperability of the same even though they are provided by dif- ferent vendors, so that each operator can have the availability of a more rational network.
Despite the efforts made until now by the alliance O-RAN, the competitive relations among the operators and vendors prevent to obtain solutions in the near future. Further, since the networks are owned by the operators or service providers, they are not inclined in encourag- ing the competition by sharing their apparatuses.
The Italian patent application No. ITMI20131854A1 discloses an integrated power supply for remotely managing lighting technology parameters and a telecommunications network in a lighting apparatus; such power supply features several aspects improvable both from the struc- tural aspect, for example with reference to the integration of the device with the lighting appa- ratus, and from the operative aspect, in other words regarding the operation of the device.
Based on the technical problems of the beforehand described known prior art, the Appli- cant has therefore observed the possibility to introduce substantial improvements.
Objects of the invention
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is overcoming the inconveniences be- forehand described with reference to the prior art.
More specifically, an object of the invention is providing a device for implementing tele- communication functions in and for a lighting apparatus and of realizing telecommunications and smart city networks capable of overcoming the inconveniences beforehand described with reference to the prior art.
Particularly, the device according to the invention and the telecommunications network us- ing such devices integrated in lighting apparatuses are capable of simultaneously overcoming all the above cited inconveniences, by simultaneously reducing the electromagnetic pollution with respect to the cell networks 3G/4G/5G.
More particularly, an object of the invention is solving the limits of the 5G and technologi- cally overcoming 5G, enabling to realize a mobile and/or fixed ultra broadband networks with a cost substantially lower than the one of the cell networks 3G/4G/5G.
An additional object of the present invention is making high speed telecommunications possible even in areas where the availability of the optical fiber is scarce or anyway minimizing the need of having expensive optical fiber connections.
A further object of the invention is making a telecommunications network of the “whole- sale” type possible, i.e. one at disposal of all the operators, that is unique and owned by third parties. A particular case of this wholesale network is the one which enables to provide off- loading services.
Moreover, the invention provides an alternative technical solution having a substantial ef- ficacy and better performances with respect to the solutions of the above described known prior art.
These and other objects are met by a device for implementing telecommunications func- tions in a lighting apparatus, by a multifunctional power supply device for a lighting apparatus, by a lighting apparatus, by a use of the device for implementing the telecommunications func- tions, by a telecommunications network based on the above device and by a method of provid- ing services and managing telecommunications according to the following description, attached claims, and following aspects.
Summary of the invention
The present invention refers to a device, preferably based on one or more standardized or not yet standardized (under development) versions of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , possibly also modified in some parts with respect to the standard in order to make easier the integration with each other and to improve the performances, which is configured to form a node or a radio base station of fixed and/or mobile wireless external telecommunications network, having small-sized cells (micro, nano, pico or femto-cells according to the definition and coverage radius). The de- vice enables to implement the telecommunications functions in an apparatus provided with a power supply, particularly in a lighting apparatus.
The devices according to the invention are completely or partially integrable in power sup- ply devices of lighting apparatuses, in order to share the pervasiveness, the simultaneous in- stallation procedure and different circuit elements, for example the power supply stage, the pro- cessor, the memory, etcetera, or mechanical elements, for example the container. When the devices are integrated with their respective power supply, multifunctional power supply devices of or for a very high performance mobile and/or fixed wireless network are realized, which oper- ate also as power supply devices and control systems of the lighting body which houses them, or which are connected to. The multifunctional power supply device combines the micro-cell functionality for offloading a mobile and/or fixed traffic, in other words the wholesale transport on behalf of the operators, with the functionality of a power supply device and a controller of the lighting body (“driver”, if the lighting elements are of LED type).
The invention makes available an integrated device for realizing wireless networks simul- taneously enabling a remote control of the lighting, the provision of smart city services also in the ultra broadband, and fixed and/or mobile telecommunications services.
To summarize, integrating the wireless network functionalities with the ones as power supply device of lighting apparatuses (enabled by the device for implementing telecommunica- tions functions and provided by the multifunctional power supply device) enables to obtain, sim- ultaneously and by just one device, completely or partially included in the lighting body of the lighting apparatus: a) the realization of a mobile and/or fixed network node having a reduced cost and size (because the node is partially shared with another apparatus, the power supply, based on the technology of a low cost protocol as IEEE 802.11), which can provides mobile and/or fixed wire- less ultra broadband telecommunications services and, also, low latency ultra broadband smart services among which, for example, the management of self-driving cars, high-definition videos, etcetera and, consequently, at the same time also narrow band smart city services among which, for example but not only, the management of different sensors such as, for example, sensors for controlling the transmission of environmental data and/or regarding the lighting ap- paratuses themselves; b) the fast implementation of a so realized network, also at a low cost because it benefits by the presence of power supply devices inside of the lighting bodies with which it can share, for example, the power supply stage (not just the supply cable), therefore without leasing costs, and supply problems, for which it is used the one available for the lighting body; c) the realization of a pervasive network, because is based on light points, illuminated signs, illuminated panels, etcetera, which pervasively cover a region, in a more satisfying way than the small cells of 5G apparatuses; d) the minimization of a space occupied on the lighting infrastructure, making them even invisible if positioned inside of the lighting body as conventional power supply devices, also eliminating the appearance and installation space problems; e) the realization of a fixed and/or mobile wireless network with very high performances, in other words with a very high capacity and low latency, thanks to the limited dimension of the coverage radius of the microcells and to the speed of the technology selected or developed based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 for the transmission of a signal, both in access (from the mi- crocell to the final user) and in backhauling (wirelessly among microcells, to the nearest optical fiber point); f) the realization of a fixed and/or mobile wireless network, also in areas hardly serviced by optical fibers due to the capacity of the microcells to connect each other by very high speed (backhauling) wireless connections, minimizing in this way the number of the required optical fiber points; g) the realization of a fixed and/or mobile wireless network having a reduced electromag- netic pollution with respect to the 5G network, due to a less amount of radiations of the technol- ogy based on the selected protocol IEEE 802.11 and, if required, suitably modified for promot- ing the integration among different versions of the protocol and with the power supply, in order to enable both the high speed access transmission and the backhauling transmission; h) the possibility of making a so realized single network available to all the mobile and/or fixed operators, which can use it for downloading the traffic from their congested networks and for offering more advanced (offloading) services; i) the possibility, for the owners of an external lighting apparatus and of the associated power supply, among them the municipalities, the utilities, but also just the owners of an illumi- nated sign, such as for example shops, to participate to the network by their light point (network node), if is provided with the multifunctional power supply device object of the present invention, and therefore to contribute with it to the extension of the network which offers offloading ser- vices to the mobile and/or fixed operators for example by earning royalties for each mobile traf- fic byte conveyed through their node.
In the following, the present dissertation will use, for the sake of simplicity, the term “mi- cro-cell” for indicating more generally the set of micro-, nano-, pico- or femto-cells usable for mobile and/or fixed communications. The possible application of the invention object of the pre- sent patent application to other types of cells will appear clearly to a person skilled in the field of the telecommunications.
In the same way, where it is referred to a “data packet” transmission or also only to “data”, this will mean any type of digital packet for any type of telecommunications and/or smart city services or applications, from voice to video to any other type of data strictly speaking.
The apparatus is formed by modular elements using communal resources, defined by a supply/control module or control gear or driver (in case of LEDs) and by one or more network modules based on any version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , and/or by using plural versions of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , also different from each other for the access stage and the backhaul- ing stage, which can be also suitably modified for facilitating the integration with each other and with the power supply and reciprocally cooperating for a simultaneous supply, management and control of a lighting system, fixed and/or mobile smart city and telecommunications services in an access/gather backhauling/transport, offloading ultra broadband wireless network. Examples of smart city services are: reading meters, managing parking lots (these services can be narrow band) and communication from an infrastructure to a vehicle V2I.
Using a technology only based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 enables a substantial reduc- tion of cost and size, facilitating in this way the integration with the power supply inside lighting body. The size reduction is particularly evident in the part of the apparatus which manages the backhauling among several micro-cells, for example by the version of the protocol 802.11 at 60 GHz, in comparison with other wireless technologies which would require large apparatuses and bulky antennas for the same capacity.
Aspects of the invention are described in the following, which can be considered inde- pendently from each other or in any reciprocal combination and/or in combination with anyone of the attached claims. Specifically, if an aspect refers, by a specific dependence to one or more aspects and/or by words such as “the” or “said” and similar, to one or more elements or steps introduced by another aspect, such aspects can be considered in combination with each other.
Some aspects of the invention are numbered in the following.
1. Device for implementing telecommunications functions in or for a lighting apparatus, the de- vice comprising:
- a connection section configured to associate the device to said lighting apparatus, the connection section comprising at least one interface element, for example a connector, the in- terface element being couplable with the lighting apparatus, and being structured for enabling to electrically supply the device, the device being configured to operate in an integration condition wherein the connection section is coupled to a power supply of the lighting apparatus and is electrically suppliable by said power supply, by also sharing the power supply stage;
- a telecommunications section comprising: o an access stage configured to receive data packets from a mobile and/or fixed de- vice and to send data packets to a mobile and/or fixed device, o a backhauling stage configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus and to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of a further integrated device in another lighting appa- ratus.
2. Aspect according to the aspect 1 wherein, if the device is installed or is to be installed in the presence of optical fiber, the device comprises and input/output stage enabling the connection and routing of the traffic from/to the optical fiber; such stage can be provided with an elec- tric/optical converter, and possibly with a router, if directly connectable to the optical fiber, or with an output system with a high speed Ethernet protocol or similar if connectable to a CAT- type coaxial cable or to twisted pairs or to another type of cable for the electric transmission used for a short tract to a connection to the optical fiber in the proximity (maybe in the small chamber at the base of the streetlight).
3. Device for implementing telecommunications functions in or for a lighting apparatus, the de- vice comprising:
- a cell unit provided with: o a connection section configured to associate the device to said lighting apparatus, the connection section comprising at least one interface element, the interface ele- ment being couplable to the lighting apparatus and being structured to enable to electrically supply the device, the device being configured to operate in an integra- tion condition wherein the connection section is coupled to a power supply of a light- ing apparatus and is electrically suppliable by said power supply, o a telecommunications section comprising: an access stage configured to receive data packets from a mobile and/or fixed device and to send data packets to a mobile and/or fixed device, a backhauling stage configured to send data packets to a backhauling stage of a further integrated device in another lighting apparatus and to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of another integrated device in another lighting apparatus; optionally, if the device is installed in the presence of optical fiber, an in- put/output stage enabling the connection and routing of the traffic from/to the optical fiber.
4. Aspect according to the aspect 1 or 2 or 3, the interface element enabling to electrically sup- ply the device.
5. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the cell unit being a micro-cell or nano- cell or pico-cell or femto-cell.
6. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the device further comprises a casing, wherein the micro-cell is partially housed or completely housed inside of the casing wherein the power supply of the lighting apparatus can be also housed.
7. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the device further comprises a casing, the access stage and backhauling stage being partially or completely housed inside of the casing wherein the power supply of the lighting apparatus can be housed.
8. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the device comprises at least one antenna for the access stage.
9. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the device further comprises an antenna for the backhauling stage.
10. Aspect according to the aspect 8 or 9, the antenna for the access stage being communica- tively connected to the access stage, optionally the access stage being partially (for example for the analog RF chain part) or completely positioned near the antenna outside of the casing.
11. Aspect according to the aspect 8 or 9 or 10, the antenna for the backhauling stage being communicatively connected to the backhauling stage, optionally the backhauling stage being partially (for example for the analog RF chain part) or completely positioned near the antenna outside of the casing.
12. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 8 to 11 , the antennas being arranged at least partially or completely outside of the casing or the lighting body.
13. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the access stage and the backhauling stage are configured to send and receive data packets in wireless mode. 14. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 8 to 13, each antenna enabling the respec- tive stage to send and/or receive data packets.
15. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device being partially or com- pletely integrable in the lighting apparatus by said connecting section.
16. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device comprising hardware and software resources which can be shared between the access stage and backhauling stage.
17. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device further comprising one or more supports, for example one or more printed circuit boards, wherein the access stage, back- hauling stage and, optionally, the input/output stage to the optical fiber and several shared re- sources are positioned or defined on said supports.
18. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device comprising a single sup- port, for example a printed circuit, the access stage and backhauling stage and, optionally, the input/output stage to the optical fiber and several shared resources being positioned and de- fined on said single support.
19. Aspect according to the aspect 16 or 17 or 18, wherein the shared resources comprise at least one of: a casing of the device, one or more processors, some software and firmware (among them one for the variety of MACs, Medium Access Control), circuit arrangements.
20. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device comprising a casing, the support, the connection section and the telecommunications section being partially housed in- side of the casing.
21. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the device comprises a cas- ing, the support, the connection section and the telecommunications section being completely housed inside of the casing.
22. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the casing defines the size of the device or part of it.
23. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the antennas are located outside of or protrude from the casing of the device.
24. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein:
- the access stage is configured to manage, send and/or receive data packets according to a first protocol, defined for example as 802.11 ’,
- the backhauling stage is configured to manage, send and/or receive, data packets ac- cording to a second protocol, defined for example as 802.11”,
- optionally, the input/output stage for managing, sending and/or receiving data packets from/to the optical fiber according to a third non-wireless protocol, not falling into the standard IEEE 802.11.
25. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 8 to 24, the antenna for the access stage being configured to enable to exchange telecommunications according to the first protocol.
26. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 9 to 25, the antenna for the backhauling stage being configured to enable to exchange telecommunications according to the second pro- tocol.
27. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 9 to 26, the antenna for the backhauling stage having a size smaller than the one of the antenna for the access stage.
28. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein:
- the access stage is configured to send to a mobile and/or fixed device and/or to receive from a mobile and/or fixed device data packets according to a first protocol,
- the backhauling stage is configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus and/or to receive data packets from the backhauling stage of a further device integrated in another lighting apparatus according to a second protocol,
- optionally, the input/output stage is configured to send and receive to/from the access or backhauling stages, data packets to/from an optical fiber cable or an intermediate coaxial cable or another suitable type according to a third protocol different from protocol IEEE 802.11.
29. Aspect according to the aspect 28, the first protocol and second protocol belonging to the protocol family IEEE 802.11 , for example the first protocol being based on the standard IEEE 802.11 ax (also its recent version called Wi-Fi6E, finally standardized on 1st February, 2021 , and particularly suited to implement access services) and the second protocol being based on the standard IEEE 802.11ad (formally standardized on December 2012) or 802.1 lay, both par- ticularly suited to the backhauling function).
30. Aspect according to the aspect 28 or 29, the third protocol belonging to the Ethernet proto- col family or other protocols for high speed wiring, for example the third protocol being an Ethernet protocol configured to operate with optical fiber.
31. Aspect according to the aspect 28 or 29 or 30, the first protocol and second protocol being different from each other.
32. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 28 to 31 , the first protocol and second pro- tocol sharing a same MAC.
33. Aspect according to the aspect 32, the shared MAC being the upper MAC or part of it.
34. Aspect according to the aspect 32 or 33, the shared MAC being obtained by a modification and/or integration of the MAC or part of it of the first protocol and the MAC or part of it of the second protocol.
35. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 28 to 34, the first protocol and second pro- tocol operating at respective frequencies different from each other.
36. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the telecommunications section being further configured, both by hardware and software, for managing mobile and/or fixed telecom- munications in offloading mode.
37. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, moreover, the telecommunications section being configured to implement a vertical handover function automatically providing, i.e. without requiring an interaction by a user and without interrupting possible in progress commu- nications, to:
- receive or transfer the traffic from/to a cell mobile network which the mobile device of the final user is connectable to, if the traffic cannot be managed by the network object of the pre- sent invention,
- manage the telecommunications received from said mobile network.
38. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the telecommunications section being further configured to implement a horizontal handover function automatically providing, i.e. with- out requiring an interaction by a user and without interrupting possible in progress communica- tions, to transfer telecommunications to a further integrated device, this latter being another in- tegrated device object of the present invention (for example: on an adjacent streetlight) or simp- ly part of the same device leading to another antenna (for example: on a streetlight with 3 an- tennas each at 120°).
39. Supply device for a lighting apparatus, the device being preferably a multifunctional power supply device, the supply device comprising:
- a device according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or attached claims of device for implementing telecommunications functions,
- a power supply coupled or couplable to said connection section and configured to per- form supply functions providing both to supply at least one lighting element of a lighting appa- ratus and supply the device, optionally, the multifunctional power supply device being configured to implement both said supply functions and, by said device, telecommunications functions.
40. Aspect according to the aspect 39, the device comprising resources which can be shared between the device and the power supply.
41. Aspect according to the aspect 39 or 40, the shared resources comprising a power supply stage.
42. Aspect according to the aspect 41 , the power supply stage being configured to supply both the device for implementing the telecommunications functions and one or more lighting ele- ments.
43. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 42, the power supply comprising a lighting management stage.
44. Aspect according to the aspect 43, the supply management stage being configured to man- age at least one lighting parameter or magnitude or at least one lighting technology parameter or magnitude or at least one parameter or magnitude directly or indirectly influencing the result of the lighting or lighting technology parameters or magnitudes.
45. Aspect according to the aspect 44, the lighting parameter or magnitude being for example one or more of: the power drawn by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus, the light intensity suppliable by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus, the current supplied by the power supply to the lighting apparatus, the operative temperature of the power supply.
46. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 45, wherein:
- the support comprises one or more printed circuits,
- the access stage, the backhauling stage, optionally the input/output stage for connecting to the optical fiber, and the lighting management stage are defined on said printed circuits.
47. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 46, wherein the access stage, the backhauling stage and the lighting management stage are positioned or defined, all or partially, on the same support or on several electrically and/or mechanically connectable supports.
48. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 47, wherein the access stage, back- hauling stage, optionally the input/output stage for connecting to the optical fiber, and the light- ing management stage share resources among which, for example, the microcontroller and/or the processor and/or the memory and/or other electric/electronic resources.
49. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 48, the power supply comprising an electric circuitry.
50. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 49, the power supply comprising a connector configured to connect to the connection section of the device and, in a connection condition, to supply the device, also by a shared power supply stage.
51. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device for implementing the tele- communications functions comprising a connector configured to connect to a or the correspond- ing connector of the multifunctional power supply device.
52. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the device for implementing the tele- communications functions comprising a connector configured to connect to the optical fiber or an electric cable which acts as a bridge between the device and the connecting apparatuses to the optical fiber.
53. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 52, the multifunctional power supply device comprising a first casing housing the device for implementing telecommunications func- tions and a second casing housing the power supply.
54. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 53, the multifunctional power supply device comprising a casing housing both the power supply and, partially or completely, the de- vice for implementing the telecommunications functions.
55. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 39 to 54, the support, the connection sec- tion, the telecommunications section, including the possible input/output stage for connecting to the optical fiber, and the lighting management stage are completely or partially housed inside of the casing of the power supply.
56. Use of a device according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or anyone of the claims of device for implementing telecommunications functions in or for a lighting apparatus.
57. Use of a device, according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or anyone of the claims of device, integrated in a lighting apparatus for managing and providing telecommunications services, including the offloading service.
58. Use of a device, according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or anyone of the claims of device, integrated in a lighting apparatus for forming a telecommunications network.
59. Aspect according to the aspect 56 or 57 or 58, the use involving a plurality of devices ac- cording to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 55 and/or anyone of the claims of device.
60. Aspect according to the aspect 59, wherein each device is integrated in a respective lighting apparatus.
61. Use of a device, according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 55 and/or to anyone of the claims of device, for implementing telecommunications functions in a power supply of lighting apparatuses or systems or of or for a supply apparatus.
62. Lighting apparatus comprising:
- a containment body,
- one or more lighting elements, optionally of LED type,
- a power supply housed in the containment body and electrically connected to said one or more lighting elements, the power supply being configured to electrically supply said one or more lighting elements,
- a device according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or anyone of the claims of device, the device for implementing the telecommunications functions being coupled to said power supply by said connection section, wherein the device is housed at least partially in the containment body.
63. Lighting apparatus comprising:
- a containment body,
- one or more lighting elements, optionally of LED type,
- a device according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or anyone of the claims of device, wherein the power supply is electrically connected to the device for implementing the tele- communications functions by said connection section and is configured to electrically supply said one or more lighting elements, wherein the power supply is housed in the containment body, and wherein the device is at least partially housed in the containment body.
64. Aspect according to the aspect 62 or 63, wherein the cell unit is housed in the containment body and the antennas are located at least partially or completely outside of the containment body.
65. Aspect according to the aspect 62 or 63 or 64, wherein the antennas are engaged with the containment body and protrude from or are located outside of the containment body.
66. Aspect according to the aspect 62 or 63 or 64 according to it one or more antennas are de- fined at least partially or completely outside of the containment body and/or one or more anten- nas are housed inside of the containment body.
67. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 65, wherein one or more lighting ele- ments are engaged with and/or are housed all or partially in the containment body.
68. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 67, wherein the micro-cell is integrat- ed all or partially in the containment body so that it does not form or in order to reduce an exter- nal volume with respect to the containment body.
69. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 68, wherein the micro-cell is integrat- ed all or partially in the containment body so that it does not form or in order to reduce an exter- nal volume with respect to the lighting apparatus.
70. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 69, wherein the power supply is struc- tured to connect to the connection section of the device.
71. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 70, wherein the power supply com- prises a connector configured to connect to the connection section of the device.
72. Telecommunications network comprising at least one lighting apparatus according to any- one of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus, preferably a plurality of lighting apparatuses according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus.
73. Aspect according to the aspect 72, wherein:
- each device is integrated in a respective lighting apparatus,
- the devices are configured to communicate with each other by the respective wireless backhauling stages,
- optionally, the devices are configured to communicate by an input/output stage by optical fiber connections or other cables, the telecommunications network being configured to manage and provide telecommunica- tions services by said plurality of devices.
74. Aspect according to the aspect 72 or 73, each device acting as a node of the telecommuni- cations network.
75. Aspect according to the aspect 72 or 73 or 74, each device serves as a first type node of the telecommunications network.
76. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 75, at least one lighting apparatus, comprising the device, being directly wired with an optical fiber, or by a joining electrical cable.
77. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 76, not all the lighting apparatuses being wired with optical fiber.
78. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 77, only one lighting apparatus being wired with optical fiber.
79. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 78, the telecommunications network comprising one or more points of connection to optical fiber.
80. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 79, the telecommunications network further comprising one or more second type nodes (i.e. not comprising the device).
81. Aspect according to the aspect 80, each second type node being configured to receive tele- communications from and/or to exchange data packets with one or more first type nodes (i.e. those comprising the device object of the present invention).
82. Aspect according to the aspect 80 or 81 , each node of the second type is formed by a light- ing apparatus and/or a collector of information from different sensors.
83. Aspect according to the aspect 80 or 81 or 82, each second type node comprising a client based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 .
84. Aspect according to the aspect 83, the client being configured to communicate with the ac- cess stage of one or more devices of a first type node.
85. Aspect according to the aspect 83 or 84, the client being reachable by data packets based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 from the first type nodes.
86. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 80 to 85, wherein each second type node can communicate in different ways and by different protocols with sensors inside and outside its casing, both of a lighting body or a collector.
87. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 86, the telecommunications network being configured to manage mobile telecommunications and/or fixed telecommunications.
88. Method of managing and providing telecommunications services, preferably of the whole- sale type, for offloading the traffic of mobile and/or fixed operators, comprising the steps of:
- predisposing a plurality of lighting apparatuses according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus or a telecommunications network ac- cording to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 87 and/or anyone of the claims of telecommunica- tions network,
- electrically supplying each device and the power supply device of the respective lighting apparatus by a power supply stage shared between them,
- gathering the traffic from at least one mobile or fixed operator through one or more ac- cess points wherein the optical fiber of the operator and of the telecommunications network of the present invention converge,
- routing the traffic on the telecommunications network,
- sending the traffic from the telecommunications network to at least one mobile or fixed operator through one or more access points wherein the optical fiber of the operator and of the telecommunications network object of the present invention converge.
89. Method of managing and providing telecommunications services comprising the steps of:
- predisposing a plurality of lighting apparatuses according to anyone of the aspects from 62 to 71 and/or anyone of the claims of lighting apparatus or a telecommunications network ac- cording to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 87 and/or to anyone of the claims of telecommuni- cations network,
- electrically supplying each device by the power supply of the respective lighting appa- ratus or the power supply stage shared with the power supply of the respective lighting appa- ratus,
- exchanging data packets among backhauling stages of respective devices, also included the devices comprised in the CPEs (Customer Premises Equipment) of the fixed network,
- exchanging data packets between the access stage of at least one device and at least one mobile device and a fixed second type node,
- optionally, exchanging data packets with the optical fiber infrastructure if this is in prox- imity of the location where the device is.
90. Aspect according to the aspect 89 according to it the “fixed” user receives the signal, through the CPE having an antenna installed outside its house, by the same very high speed technology used for the backhauling of the device object of the present invention and, if of its relevance, routes it by wiring to the apparatuses inside of the house (PC, Wi-Fi router, fixed tel- ephone), and viceversa, if not of its relevance, the CPE will route it to other backhauling or ac- cess devices.
91. Aspect according to the aspect 89 according to it the device receiving the “fixed” communi- cation by the technology and protocol used for the backhauling stage by a device object of the present invention, becomes itself a node of the network, increasing the extensiveness of it (for example, the CPE installed on the face of the house of the fixed user).
92. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 88 to 91 , wherein the method comprises the step of managing the lighting by the lighting management stage.
93. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 88 to 92, the step of exchanging data pack- ets between the access stage of at least one device and at least one mobile device comprising receiving from the access stage of at least one device telecommunications data sent from the mobile device and/or sending data packets from the access stage of at least one device to a mobile device.
94. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 88 to 93, the method comprising the step of receiving telecommunications, for example through optical fiber, from and/or send telecommu- nications, for example through optical fiber, to a mobile and/or fixed cell network which the mo- bile device is connectable or connected to (offloading).
95. Aspect according to the aspect 94, wherein the step of receiving telecommunications from, and/or sending wireless telecommunications to a mobile network which the mobile device is connectable to comprises performing one or more vertical handover operations between the network object of the present invention and a cell network which the mobile device is connecta- ble to.
96. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 88 to 95, wherein the method comprises the step of managing and offering wireless telecommunications services received from said cell network by the point interconnecting to optical fiber (offloading).
97. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 88 to 96, wherein the step of predisposing a plurality of lighting apparatuses comprises integrating a plurality of devices according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 55 and/or anyone of the claims of device in a plurality of respective lighting apparatuses.
98. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 97, wherein the device forms a node or a radio base station of a mobile and/or fixed telecommunications network.
99. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 98, wherein the device is substantially a micro-cell for a wireless telecommunications network.
100. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 99, wherein the device provides a cell unit apt to form a cell of a wireless telecommunications network.
101. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 100, wherein the cell unit is a micro- cell or nano-cell or pico-cell or femto-cell.
102. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 101 , wherein the data packets are or comprise telecommunications data packets for a larger variety of applications, comprising the smart city ones among which the controlled light, for example.
103. Aspect according to anyone of the aspects from 1 to 102, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telecommunications device.
104. Infrastructure configured to implement a telecommunications network according to anyone of the aspects from 72 to 87 and/or anyone of claims of telecommunications network.
105. Aspect according to the aspect 104, the infrastructure comprising a minimized number of optical fiber connection points.
106. Aspect according to the aspect 105, wherein the number of optical fiber connection points is minimized, if necessary, with respect to alternative solutions.
107. Infrastructure configured to implement a telecommunications network with redundant backhauling through mesh connections among first type nodes or pseudo-mesh connections ensuring, where is possible, that each first type node could route packets to at least other two first type nodes, i.e. having from each node at least two alternative backhauling wireless paths for reaching a final user or node connected to the optical fiber, according to the final address to be reached.
Conventions and definitions
It is observed that in the following detailed description, corresponding parts are indicated by the same numeral references. The figures could illustrate the object of the invention by not- to-scale representations; consequently, parts and components illustrated in the attached figures and regarding the object of the invention could only refer to schematic representations. Save for different specific indications, the terms “condition” or “configuration” can be interchangeably used in the context of the present dissertation.
The following terms, and the associated acronyms, take the corresponding meaning which characterizes them in the reference technical field, i.e. the telecommunications one: fixed net- work, mobile network, wireless, backhauling, handover, data packet, mobile device, client, pro- tocol, IEEE 802.11 , offloading, macro-cell, small cells, micro-cells, nano-cells, pico-cells or femto-cells, MAC, lower MAC, upper MAC, radiofrequency chain (RF chain), transceiver, smart city, band, narrow band, wide band, ultra broadband, vendor, MIMO ( Multiple Input Multiple Output), beamforming LoRa ( Long Range), roaming, switching, tunneling, routing, dimmer, Hotspot, Hotspot 2.0, Fixed Wireless Access, CPE ( Customer Premises Equipment), POP ( Point of Presence), etc.
Particularly, in the context of the present dissertation, one or more of the following defini- tions and conventions can be applied when required and unless otherwise stated:
- “lighting apparatus” means an apparatus provided with one or more lighting elements and provided with or cooperating with at least one power supply device electrically connected to the one or more lighting elements. The power supply device is configured to electrically supply the one or more lighting elements, which can be of LED type. An example of a power supply device is a driver for LED ( driver LED), which is configured to regulate and supply power to the LED lighting elements. The lighting apparatus can be of public or private type. Examples of lighting apparatuses are: public streetlights, illuminated signs of shops or general commercial activities, digital advertising panels, lighting systems of railroad or subway stations or generally of transport means, etc. The lighting apparatus can provide a lighting function (streetlights, light- ing systems) or can at least supply power to the lighting elements, for example for showing in- formation (illuminated signs, advertising panels),
- “micro-, nano-, pico- or femto-cells” mean cells having a smaller coverage radius than the coverage radius of the small cells; the micro-, nano-, pico-, or femto-cells are usable for mo- bile and/or fixed communications,
- “integration condition” means the condition in which the device for implementing tele- communications functions in or for a lighting apparatus is coupled at least partially with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus and is electrically suppliable by the power supply device or by a power supply stage shared with the power supply device,
- “data packets” or just “data” mean any type of packet or digital datum generated for/by any type of telecommunications service or application, from voice to video to any other type of packets and/or data, strictly speaking,
- “telecommunications functions” preferably mean functions for managing and providing telecommunications services, such as receiving telecommunications, sorting telecommunica- tions, sending telecommunications and similar. The functions for managing and providing tele- communications services are performed by corresponding techniques, software and firmware applications, protocols and/or telecommunications channels. The telecommunications functions provide, in an exemplifying and non-exhaustive way; access, backhauling, (horizontal and/or vertical) handover services,
- “access services” means the transmission and reception of data packets between a node of the telecommunications network and a final user (for example, in the network object of the present invention, a smartphone or a second type node),
- “backhauling” means a procedure according to which, data packets are exchanged be- tween two or more nodes of a same telecommunications network (in the network object of the present invention, between two first type node, for example),
- “handover” means the procedure by which a telecommunication is transferred (for ex- ample a mobile call and/or a data session) among telecommunications channels by keeping ac- tive the telecommunication,
- “horizontal handover” means the procedure which transfers, between two peer telecom- munications networks or having the same hierarchy or equivalent capacity or among two or more nodes of a same telecommunications network or between two antennas of a same node which cover different areas, a telecommunication (a mobile call and/or a data session, for ex- ample) by keeping active the telecommunication,
- “vertical handover” means the procedure which transfers, between two telecommunica- tions networks having different hierarchy, a telecommunication (a mobile call and/or a data ses- sion, for example) by keeping active the telecommunication,
- “offloading” means “offloading mobile data”, i.e. the download of a mobile traffic; it is the use of complementary networks for providing services formerly destined to the cell networks. Such mobile traffic download, performed by one or more optical fiber interconnection points, re- duces the amount of data transported on the cell bands, freeing up the band width for other us- ers. It is used also in situations where the local reception of the cells can be insufficient, ena- bling a user to connect by alternative networks having a better connectivity,
- “offloading” applied to the fixed networks means the distribution and/or termination of “fixed” services of an operator performed by an alternative fixed or mobile network from an opti- cal fiber interconnection point,
- “IEEE 802.11” means a family of protocols IEEE 802 for wireless local networks ( Local Area Network, aka LAN). IEEE 802.11 specifies the set of protocols for controlling the access to media ( Medium Access Control, aka MAC) and of the physical layer ( PHYsical layer, aka PHY) for implementing communications at the moment comprised in, without limitations, frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz and 60 GHz. The so-called systems Wi-Fi and WiGig belong to this protocols family. In the present dissertation, “IEEE 802.11” can be also called “802.11”. In addition to the versions of standards and/or protocols that are indicated in the present text and preceding the claimed priority date, the invention is suited to be used also with future standard and/or protocols (provided that these future versions are configured to enable the respective access, backhauling, and optical fiber connection stages to implement the respective functions which are made for), whether their standardization is in progress or not. Consequently, if there is one or more versions of said protocols and/or standards that are subsequent to the priority or filing date of the present patent application, their applicability cannot be a priori excluded (modi- fications and/or versions equivalent to the herein indicated specific standards and/or protocols could be devised), but their technical compatibility with the herein disclosed technical subject matter must be evaluated, particularly with reference to the technical subject matter of the claims,
- “first type node” (otherwise defined as “net node”) means a node for a telecommunica- tions network provided with a device 1 according to the invention; the device provides the first type node with its own intelligence, regarding the capacity of managing and providing telecom- munications services,
- “second type node” (otherwise defined as “lite node”) means a node for a telecommuni- cations network devoid of the device 1 and, therefore, devoid of intelligence; first type nodes and second type nodes can communicate with each other,
- expressions of the type “a first element does not form an external volume with respect to a second element” and similar mean that the first element has a volume substantially complete- ly defined inside of the second element and consequently the first element is not an additional volume with respect to the second element. The first element is therefore integrated in the sec- ond element and, preferably, is neither visible nor detectable from the outside of the second el- ement. The first element can be the device object of the invention and the second element can be a lighting apparatus or the power supply device of a lighting apparatus.
Brief description of the drawings
In order to better understand the invention and appreciate the advantages, some embod- iments thereof will be described in an exemplifying and non-limiting way with reference to the attached figures, wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates the transition from a conventional lighting apparatus (illustrated on the left) to a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention (illustrated on the right); this latter is provided with a device according to the invention enabling to implement tele- communications functions in the lighting apparatus, more precisely by sharing a single casing with the power supply device of said lighting apparatus;
Figure 2 illustrates the transition from a conventional lighting apparatus juxtaposed, on the same support, to telecommunications apparatuses (illustrated on the left and provided with ex- ternal volumes) to a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention (illustrated on the right and devoid of external volumes, save for the antennas); in this latter a device ac- cording to the invention is integrated, which enables to implement telecommunications functions in the lighting apparatus;
Figure 3 illustrates a plurality of types of lighting apparatuses according to the present in- vention and a telecommunications network formed by such lighting apparatuses;
Figure 4 illustrates a multifunctional power supply device according to the invention which provides a power supply device and a device for implementing telecommunications functions (without the casing) also according to the invention;
Figure 5 illustrates a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, illus- trating a possible mode of integrating the device for implementing telecommunications func- tions, also according to the invention, by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus;
Figure 6A illustrates a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, il- lustrating another possible mode of integrating the device for implementing the telecommunica- tions functions, also according to the invention, with the power supply device of the lighting ap- paratus and the corresponding logic integration diagram (inside the dashed rectangle);
Figure 6B illustrates another logic integration diagram regarding another integration mode of the device for implementing telecommunications functions according to an embodiment of the invention by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus;
Figure 7 illustrates a smartphone (mobile device of the final user), lighting apparatuses according to an embodiment of the invention and corresponding access and backhauling inter- actions; in the apparatus another possible integration mode of the device for implementing the telecommunications functions is schematically illustrated in the foreground, still according to the invention, with the power supply of the lighting apparatus;
Figure 8 illustrates two lighting apparatuses according to the invention, which form first type nodes because they comprise a respective device according to the invention and therefore can perform the backhauling function with each other and the access function towards the final user and/or towards lighting apparatuses forming the second type nodes;
Figure 9 illustrates an infrastructure implementing an offloading telecommunications net- work according to an embodiment of the invention; the bottom of Figure 10 illustrates a telecommunications network according to an embod- iment of the invention configured to prevent the problem of the single point of vulnerability shown in the top portion of the figure;
Figure 11 illustrates a telecommunications network according to an embodiment of the in- vention, in which the fixed communication between the lighting apparatuses and the buildings is performed by millimetric waves and by using a CPE with a corresponding antenna positioned on the facade of the final user house;
Figure 12 illustrates the passage from a macro-cell (in the figure on the left) to small cells (in the figure on the center) to micro-cells (in the figure on the left) provided with the device ac- cording to the invention;
Figure 13 shows a telecommunications network according to the invention in which each device, also according to the invention, is provided with two antennas;
Figures 14A and 14B respectively show a side view and a top view of sets of antennas of a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; the sectorial sets of antennas are located around a support pole of the lighting apparatus, in which the device object of the invention is contained; Figures 14C and 14D show diagrams of devices according to embodiments of the inven- tion (therefore first type nodes) respectively with a higher and lower latencies; Figure 14D is a schematic example which shows that sharing part of the MAC in a device (first type node) for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus, provided with multiple an- tennas, can reduce the latency in routing packets;
Figures 15A and 15B show lighting apparatuses according to the invention provided with some possible configurations of connections to first type nodes by the optical fiber cable, when present.
Detailed description of embodiments of the invention
Device for implementing telecommunications functions
A device according to the invention is generally indicated by numeral reference 1 in the figures. The device 1 enables to implement telecommunications functions in a lighting appa- ratus; for this end, it is couplable with the power supply device of a lighting apparatus 50 in which the device 1 is apt to operate. More particularly, the device 1 is configured to operate in an integration condition in which it is coupled at least partially with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50 with which it can possibly share, among other parts, the power supply stage SPS. As illustrated in the attached figures, the lighting apparatus 50 comprises a con- tainment body 51 ; in the integration condition, the device 1 is at least partially integrated inside of the containment body 51.
The device 1 comprises a connection section 2 configured to be associated to the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50. The connection section 2 comprises at least one in- terface element 2a. The interface element 2a is couplable with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50 and is possibly structured to enable to electrically supply the device 1 and the multifunctional power supply device 25 (which will be described in the following) by a shared power supply stage SPS. In an embodiment of the present invention, the interface element 2a enables to electrically supply the device 1 by the power supply device of the lighting apparatus. The interface element can be a connector 2a apt to connect to a respective connector of the power supply device.
Moreover, the device 1 comprises a telecommunications section 3. The telecommunica- tions section 3 comprises in turn an access stage 4 and a backhauling stage 5, and optionally an E/O stage (input/output stage) for the connection to the optical fiber network (see Figures from 5 to 7, for example). The stage E/O, if provided, is connected to the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 and can comprise an electrical/optical converter E/O’. The device 1 , if provided with the stage E/O, can optionally have also a connector E/O” for enabling the connec- tion of the stage E/O to the optical fiber OF (see Figure 6A). The telecommunications section 3 can share different resources with the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50.
The access stage 4 enables the communication (access interaction A) between the device 1 and mobile devices MD of the final user, such as smartphones or tablets or other apparatuses apt to manage calls, Internet accesses, etcetera, or among the device 1 and the second type nodes, which will be described in the following. More particularly, the access stage 4 is config- ured to receive/transmit data packets from/to mobile devices and second type nodes; such ac- cess interactions are illustrated in the attached figures by arrows provided with the reference A. The access stage 4 enables such communication inside a coverage radius of the cell unit formed by the device 1 , such radius being determined by the technology used for the access stage 4; such aspect is more particularly described in the following. Sending and receiving data packets by the access stage 4 are performed in a wireless mode.
With reference to the backhauling stage 5, it enables the device 1 to communicate with other devices integrated in respective lighting apparatuses placed in proximity of the device at a distance such to enable the communication according to a desired performance/speed (back- hauling interaction B). More particularly, the backhauling stage 5 is configured to send data packets to the backhauling stage 5 of one or more further devices 1 integrated in other lighting apparatuses 50 and for receiving data packets from the backhauling stage 5 of one or more fur- ther devices integrated in other lighting apparatuses 50; such backhauling interactions are illus- trated in the attached figures by arrows provided with reference B. Sending and receiving data packets by the backhauling stage 5 are performed in a wireless mode.
If the data packets passing through the device 1 are directed to nodes, final users and/or networks which can be more easily reachable by the optical fiber OF, and the first type node housing the device 1 is reached by the optical fiber OF, the device 1 - according to switching or routing tables (Loop-up tables or LUT) - will not wirelessly route such packets, but, on the con- trary it will send them by the suitable stage E/O towards the connection to the optical fiber OF itself. As shown in Figure 15A, the optical fiber OF, by suitable systems and protocols, can be directly connected to the stage E/O of the device 1 or, as shown in Figure 15B, can be indirectly connected to it by a suitable short very high speeds electric cable FIVC. More particularly, the devices 1 of the lighting apparatus 50 of Figures 15A and 15B comprise an electric/optical con- verter E/O’ and, optionally, a router RTR. In the embodiment of Figure 15A, the electric/optical converter E/O’ and the router RTR are provided in the device 1 for enabling to directly connect the optical fiber OF to the stage E/O, while in the embodiment of Figure 15B, the electric/optical converter E/O’ and the router RTR are housed in an underground chamber 77, placed at the base of the lighting apparatus 50. The embodiment of Figure 15B enables the indirect connec- tion, by a suitable very high speed electric cable FIVC, between the optical fiber and the device 1 ; the device 1 of Figure 15B further comprises an output high speed Ethernet ETFI stage (for example: 100 GE, i.e. Giga Ethernet, which travels at a gigabit per second, or greater).
The data packets managed by the device 1 , i.e. received and/or sent from the device 1 , can comprise telecommunications data packets, i.e. data packets regarding telecommunica- tions, such as calls or other data packets otherwise manageable by a mobile and/or fixed tele- communications network.
The telecommunications section 3 is further configured to implement both a horizontal handover function and a vertical handover function, by suitable software and firmware.
The horizontal handover function provides to automatically transfer, i.e. without requiring interaction/authorization by a user, telecommunications to a further device 1 integrated in an- other lighting apparatus 50 adjacent the lighting apparatus 50 in which is integrated the device 1 which transfers the telecommunication and better positioned with respect to the movement of the final user for managing the communication thereof.
A particular horizontal handover case can refer to a single first type node N1 , when the node comprises a plurality of antennas T1 , T2, T3 (for example: three antennas T1 , T2, T3 each having a coverage with an angle of 120°) and is illustrated in Figures 14A and 14B. As schemat- ically shown in Figures 14A and 14B, each sectorial antenna T1 , T2, T3 can substantially be an assembly of antennas comprising both an antenna 6 for access services A and an antenna 7 for backhauling services B, which are more particularly described in the following as antennas 6, 7. As illustrated in Figure 14A and 14B, to each antenna T1 , T2, T3 can be associated a respec- tive MAC (MAC1 , MAC2, MAC3), particularly a respective lower MAC L MAC (L MAC1 , L MAC2, L MAC3) and a communal upper MAC (U_MAC), a respective RF chain (RF1 , RF2, RF3), a respective transceiver (TR1 , TR2, TR3) and other processing levels for the signal SP (such as a processor, etcetera). In the outline of Figures 14C and 14D, the arrows illustrated in the right portion of the figures, entering the block “RF1 + T1” and exiting the block “RF3 + T3” schematically show respectively packets entering and packets exiting the device 1 (the input and output of packets are enabled by respective protocols 802.1 T, 802.11”); the input and out- put of packets can be performed by different protocols 802.11 , as disclosed in the present pa- tent application. It is possible that the final user moves from an area covered by one of the an- tennas, for example the antenna T1 (with its own RF chain RF1) of the node N1 to another area covered by another adjacent antenna, for example the antenna T2 or T3 (with another own RF chain RF2, RF3) of the same node N1. In this case, if the MAC or part of it, or the elements managing the base band signal or the transceivers TR1 , TR2, TR3 are not shared with the dif- ferent antennas T1 , T2, T3 and the respective sectorial RF chains RF1 , RF2, RF3, the ex- changed packets could have the necessity of following longer path inside of the device 1 , for example to the processors, before being routed towards the antenna and the output RF chain. This is applied both to packets exchanged between two access stages 4 and packets ex- changed between two backhauling stages 5, and also to packets passing from the access stage 4 to the backhauling one 5, and viceversa. Sharing for example part of the MAC (preferably the upper MAC U_MAC) among the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11”, can contribute to a reduction of the routing time and consequently to a reduction of the latency. On this regard, Figure 14D shows an outline of the device 1 , wherein the upper MAC U_MAC, having less latency than the one of the outline of the device in Figure 14C, is shared among the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11”. The vertical handover function provides, without requiring any interaction/authorization by a final user, to reconnect to the mobile cell network which a mobile device MD is connectable to, without interrupting the communication/session, when the network 75 object of the present in- vention does not offer a coverage.
Indeed, when an operator connects by optical fiber OF to a point of the network 75 formed by the devices 1 object of the present invention, it “gives” its traffic to such network 75 which consequently will completely take the place (“offloading”) of the cell network. If the coverage of the new network 75 is insufficient, or the performances thereof do not satisfy a predetermined threshold, the communications would automatically return back to the cell network to be again routed to the new network 75 if permitted by the coverage and performance parameters.
Such handover operations, and particularly the vertical handover, are performed so that the telecommunications, such as a mobile call, are neither harmed by the transfer nor the user or users involved in such telecommunications even feel the performed transfer. Further aspects and advantages of the handover are more particularly described in the following under the text section regarding the telecommunications network.
To summarize, the device 1 mainly comprises two stages, i.e. the access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5; optionally, it can also contain the stage E/O for the connection to an opti- cal fiber OF network. In this way, the device 1 advantageously enables a substantial functions integration. Each stage comprises the respective circuitry enabling to perform the functions for which such stage was devised, but, as detailed in the following, the stages can share resources, such as the circuitry itself (circuits or parts of circuits) and/or electronic components, and also mechanical parts, for example the casing or a portion thereof. The device 1 can comprise re- sources, for example a shared stage SS, which are shared with the power supply device; such aspect is more particularly explained in the following with reference to the multifunctional power supply device.
As hereinbefore introduced, antennas T can be provided, which are more particularly de- scribed in the following. In order to enable the device 1 to have the possibility to communicate, the device provides at least one antenna 6 for the access stage 4 and at least one antenna 7 for the backhauling stage 5; each antenna 6, 7 enables the respective stage 4, 5 to send and re- ceive data packets. The antennas 6, 7 are schematically illustrated in Figures 1 , 2 and 13, while are not illustrated in the other figures. It is understood that, in other embodiments, a plurality of antennas 6 can be provided for the access stage 4 and, additionally or alternatively, a plurality of antennas 7 for the backhauling stage 5, as illustrated in Figures 14A and 14B. Anyway, the number of antennas 6, 7 for each stage 4, 5 can be anyone, provided that the function of ena- bling to send and receive data packets to a respective stage is performed by such antenna/s. Moreover, in possible embodiments, some antennas can also be inside of the containment body 51 of the lighting apparatus 50 (known also as lighting body), other can be part of the lighting body itself. The antennas 6, 7 are communicatively connected to the respective stage 4, 5 which is housed, in the integration condition, partially or completely inside the containment body 51. Par- ticularly, the antennas 6, 7 are configured to enable the telecommunications with the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 by a first and second protocols, respectively. Due to the reasons hereinbefore given, in order to maximize the speed of sending/receiving the data pack- ets, reduce the costs and dimensions, reduce the power consumption and the electromagnetic pollution, both the protocols can belong to the protocols family IEEE 802.11 . The prior art does not contemplate using the protocol 802.11 for making very high speed mobile networks, howev- er the aspects of the present invention, first of all the integration with the lighting apparatus 50 or with its power supply device 26, using different protocols for the access and backhauling, sharing part of the suitably adapted/modified protocols and/or other resources between the ac- cess 4 and backhauling stages 5 with advanced beamforming techniques enable to obtain a network with better performances than the 5G. The first and second protocols can be also the same, however the standard 802.11 enables to use two different protocols, one more apt for the access services A and one more apt for the backhauling B (for example for enabling the back- hauling at optimized speed and efficiency the second protocol can operate at a frequency of 60 GHz (WiGig with millimetric waves Wmm). The first and second protocols can possibly and ad- vantageously share a same MAC ( Medium Access Control) or part of it, which can be suitably modified if required, as other parts of the protocol, for making easier the integration between the two protocols and/or increase the performances of the obtained system; sharing at least part of the MAC can enable to speed up the data packet delivery, reducing the latency, i.e. the time in which a data packet is processed between the inlet and outlet of the cell unit. In order to opti- mize the data exchange in the interaction or access operation A and in the interaction or back- hauling operation B, the first and second protocols can be both of the IEEE 802.11 type but can have different operative frequencies; such aspect is better explained in the following with refer- ence to Figure 7. Using millimetric waves Wmm for the backhauling enables to use an antenna 7 for the backhauling stage 5, generally smaller than the size of the antenna 6 of the access stage 4. Preferably, the antennas 6, 7 are placed on or protrude from the outside of the containment body. With reference to the use of the millimetric waves Wmm, it is noted that, as opposed to what was advanced by the large manufacturers of the future 5G technologies, the present in- vention uses millimetric waves Wmm (which are often considered noxious to the human body) only in a targeted way between cell unit and cell unit, i.e. between lighting apparatus and light- ing apparatus, with very fine directional rays due to the MIMO and beamforming techniques en- abled by the technology based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 , so that such millimetric waves Wmm will never reach the final user, other than in infrequent occasional circumstances and for very short periods of time.
Besides the first and second protocols for the wireless transmission, if the stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF is provided, the device 1 object of the present invention can make the stage E/0 to implement a protocol apt to use the connection to the optical fiber OF at high speed, where the optical fiber OF is present and necessary.
Moreover, the device 1 comprises at least one support; preferably the support is in the shape of one or more printed circuits PCB. The access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5 can be placed or defined on the support/s PCB. Such aspect will be more specifically described with reference to Figure 4.
In possible embodiments, as the one illustrated in Figure 6A, the device 1 can comprise a casing 8, and the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 can be housed inside of the cas- ing 8, as well as the possible stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF; such ar- rangement of the stages makes the device 1 compact. More particularly, the circuitry of at least two of such stages is housed inside the casing 8, the antenna 6 cooperating with the access stage 4 and the antenna 7 cooperating with the backhauling stage 5 can be placed outside of the casing 8 and, in the integration condition, outside of the containment body. An optimal level of compactness of the device 1 is provided in the embodiment wherein both the stages 4, 5 and the possible stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber are housed inside of the casing 8. The stages 4, 5, E/O can be further defined on respective printed circuits or can share one or more printed circuits PCB or can be defined on the same printed circuit PCB; on this regard, see Figure 4. In this latter embodiment, which comprises also a shared stage SS, the device 1 features a high integration level because the stages 4, 5, SS are integrated in a single printed circuit PCB. The device according to an embodiment which has its own casing 8 and a single printed circuit PCB according to what has been just described, is provided with both a high level of integration and of a high level of compactness because the printed circuit PCB is housed in- side of the casing 8. It is understood that in possible alternative embodiments, the device 8 can be devoid of the casing 8 (in this case it could share the casing with the power supply device) or one or more stages 4, 5, E/O, SS can be also placed outside the casing 8.
From the functional point of view, the device 1 according to the invention can be consid- ered as a particularly advantageous optimal combination of a cell unit MCL and of at least one pair of antennas 6, 7. The cell unit is provided with at least the access stage 4, backhauling stage 5 and, optionally, with a stage E/O for the connection with a possible optical fiber OF and, still optionally, with a stage SS shared with the power supply device. Preferably, the cell unit MCL is a micro-cell or a cell having a smaller coverage radius than the one of a micro-cell, such as a nano-cell or pico-cell or femto-cell. As schematically illustrated in Figure 12, the cell unit MCL has a smaller coverage radius than the one of a macro-cell CL’ and of the small cells CL” (such as the ones of the 5G); consequently, for the same capacity of the apparatus of the cell, the capacity of the cell unit MCL of the device 1 is simultaneously shared with less users, so that is advantageously greater for each. The micro-cell MCL of the device 1 according to the in- vention, which is provided with the very high speed access and backhauling functionalities ac- cording to what was hereinbefore described, enables to make a final network 75 having conse- quently better performances than any other present network. In the following, the cell unit MCL is referred as micro-cell; however, the herein disclosed concept can be applied, once the nec- essary changes have been made, to the embodiments in which the cell units are nano-, pico-, or femto-cells. In the integration condition, preferably the micro-cell MCL is completely integrat- ed inside of the containment body of the lighting apparatus and therefore is not visible from the outside of the lighting apparatus (see the right portion of Figures 1 and 2); preferably, only the antennas 6, 7 can protrude from the outside of the containment body (see Figure 1).
Some advantages obtained by the invention are indicated in the following. Thanks to an easy installation, the advantages of the device 1 (cell unit MCL) are huge even though it had the same capacities of a 5G cell; in spite of that, the device 1 and telecommunications network ob- tainable by a plurality of devices 1 , which will be described in the following, show substantially higher capacities and performances than the ones of a 5G cell. This is due to the combination of the very high capacity/speed of the technology used for the single micro-cell MCL towards the final user (access stage) with the very high capacity/speed of the wireless technology used for connecting the single micro-cell MCL towards the adjacent micro-cells MCL in order to complete the connections towards other users or towards nodes connected to the optical fiber OF which enable the connection to other networks or Internet (backhauling stage 5). The provided proto- cols 802.1 T, 802.11” can be also different from each other respectively for the access stage 4 and for the backhauling stage 5. Integrating the micro-cell MCL with the power supply device and combining by switching, tunneling, or routing technique in the micro-cell MCL a version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 apt to provide a high speed access to the final user, with a version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 apt to provide very high speed connections among the micro-cells MCL, it is possible to already obtain services for a final user at speeds greater than 1 Gbps and backhauling transmissions up to 300 Gbps, consequently greater than the performances pro- vided by the 5G technology.
Moreover, by interconnecting two or more radios/antennas 6, 7 with different MACs, both based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 , one for the access stage 4 and one for the backhauling stage 5, and by sharing between them - besides the memory systems and other circuit sections - and if required by suitably modifying part of the two MACs, for example the upper one (known also as “software MAC or “Upper MAC) or part of it, it is possible to further increase the deliv- ery speed of data packets due to the very high switching, tunneling or routing speeds of the da- ta packets from the access stage to the backhauling stage 5, with a further reduction of the la- tency.
In addition to what was discussed before, the device 1 does not only enable to put in communication, by a switch or tunneling or routing process, the input data packets based on a version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 , with the ones exiting through a different version of the same protocol IEEE 802.11 , and viceversa, but also enables to accelerate this process of con- verting from a protocol to another one, to accelerate the data packets transmission by making the two protocols to share the resources at the most among which, for example, part of the MACs, a power supply stage SPS in order to obtain the best energy saving, the processors, one or more memories, etc. In other words, advantageously the device 1 enables to create a hybrid system which is not nowadays present on the market, with the view of increasing the capaci- ty/transmission speed, reducing the latency, reducing the manufacturing costs and size of the micro-cell MCL by simultaneously managing and supplying the lighting system. This is done by a simultaneous integration with the circuitry or part of the circuitry of the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50.
Preferably, the protocol for the access stage 4 is based on and/or uses the standard IEEE 802.11 ax (first protocol, preferably using the Wi-Fi6e version), the protocol for the backhauling stage 5 (second protocol) is based on and/or uses the standard IEEE 802.11 ad, particularly the version ratified in December 2012, or 802.1 lay and, as applicable, the protocol for the connec- tion optical fiber E/O stage (third protocol) is any Ethernet protocol apt to operate with optical fi- ber (very high speed protocol). With reference to the first protocol which can be used for the ac- cess stage 4, it is observed that it can be according to the standard IEEE 802.11 ax which was formally ratified by the IEEE Standards Board on February 1 , 2021 (therefore before the claimed priority date). The second protocol is apt to ensure a very high speed backhauling and/or fixed telecommunications.
The technical features herein disclosed with reference to functions of the device can be applied to the scope of corresponding uses of the device 1 or steps of the method which will be described in the following and therefore can be used to specify such uses and method in the at- tached claims.
Use of the device for implementing telecommunications functions
Moreover, the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described device 1 . The use of the device 1 is destined to implement telecommunications functions in or for a lighting appa- ratus 50. The use provides that the device 1 is integrated partially or completely in a lighting ap- paratus 50 or in the power supply device of the lighting apparatus 50; in the integration condi- tion, the device 1 enables the lighting apparatus 50 also to manage and provide telecommuni- cations services.
The use of a plurality of devices 1 integrated in respective lighting apparatuses enables to make a telecommunications network 75. The telecommunications network 75 is specifically de- scribed in the following.
Multifunctional power supply device
Moreover, the present invention refers to a multifunctional power supply device 25 apt to be used, for example, in a lighting apparatus 50. The multifunctional power supply device 25 comprises the device 1 of the beforehand described type and a power supply device 26 coupled or couplable with the connection section of the device 1 . The power supply device 26 acts as an interface of the multifunctional power supply device 25, which enables the connection to the de- vice 1 .
The power supply device 26 is configured to perform supply functions which provide both to supply at least one lighting element of a lighting apparatus 50 and to supply the device 1. The power supply device 26 comprises an electrical circuitry apt to perform the just described supply functions. Particularly, the power supply device 26 can comprise a power supply stage SPS, which can be shared with one or more among the stages 4, 5, SS of the device 1 .
Further, the power supply device 26 can comprise a lighting management stage LMS. The lighting management stage LMS is configured to manage the lighting by the lighting apparatus 50. Particularly, the lighting management stage LMS is configured to manage, calculate, verify, set and report one or more lighting parameters or magnitudes, in other words one or more pa- rameters or magnitudes correlated to the lighting. Managing the lighting can comprise, if neces- sary, modulating the lighting parameter or magnitude. Examples of lighting parameters or mag- nitudes are: the power absorbed by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus 50, the light intensity suppliable by one or more lighting elements of the lighting apparatus 50, the current supplied by the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50, the operative tem- perature of the power supply device 25, and similar.
The multifunctional power supply device 25 preferably comprises a casing 27, the inside thereof houses the power supply device 26. According to possible modes of integrating the de- vice 1 , also the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5 and, optionally further stages, such as the stage E/O and the shared stage SS (therefore the micro-cell MCL) can be housed inside of the casing 27, which therefore is shared with the power supply device 26 and the device 1 . In other embodiments, such as the one shown in Figure 4, the device 1 and the power supply de- vice 26 comprise respective casings 8, 27, possibly connected to each other and to the outside by suitable connectors and cabling.
The supply device 25 is multifunctional because is configured to implement the supply functions, the lighting management and telecommunications functions; these latter are imple- mented by the device 1 . More particularly, due to the lighting management stage LMS, the mul- tifunctional power supply device 25 is capable also to manage and/or measure different lighting parameters or magnitudes.
To summarize, the multifunctional power supply device 25 comprises at least three logic stages, in other words the lighting management stage LMS, the access stage 4 and the back- hauling stage 5 (optionally, also the stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF can be provided); in this way, advantageously the device enables to have a substantial integration of the functions. Each stage 4, 5, LMS, E/O comprises the associated circuitry which enables the former to perform the functions which such stage is designed for. As explained in the following, the three stages 4, 5, LMS (and possibly the stage E/O) or, more generally, the device 1 and the power supply device 26, can share resources, such as a circuitry (in other words circuits or parts of circuits) and/or electronic components, such as for example a power supply stage, the processor/s, the memory, etc., and also mechanical parts, for example the casing or a portion thereof. The multifunctional power supply device 25 can comprise one or more shared stages SS in order to share the circuitry and/or electronic components.
The multifunctional power supply device 25 substantially provides to integrate the micro- cell of the device 1 with the power supply device 26; in the following will be described, with ref- erence to the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7, some possible integration modes be- tween the device 1 (the micro-cell) and the power supply device 26. Figures 5, 6B and 7 show the device 1 in the integration condition in which is it coupled to the power supply device 26, while Figure 6A shows the device 1 in an exploded configuration with respect to the power sup- ply device 26 which is configured to be connected by sharing the power supply stage SPS. The integration modes of Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7 provide that the power supply device 26 shares the power supply stage SPS with the device 1 , this means that the power supply device 26 receives an electrical supply at the shared power supply stage SPS by supply means PSM and such stage SPS provides to supply the power supply device 26 and the device 1.
Figure 5 shows a device 1 which shares with the power supply device 26 both the casing and a power supply stage SPS; this latter is supplied by supply means PSM, such as a supply cable. The micro-cell MCL is positioned inside of the containment body of the lighting apparatus 50. Further, the device 1 can share with the power supply device 26 also another shared stage SS which comprises shared elements (such as the memory or the processor/microcontroller, the two provide both the telecommunications functions and the lighting remote advanced man- agement function). Further, Figure 5 illustrates the backhaul/routing stage 5, the access stage 4, the optional stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF and the microprocessor MP of the device 1 and, as for the power supply device 26, a section for controlling the power factor PFC ( Power Factor Control), a microcontroller MC and a DC/DC converter C with a protocol dimmer interface connected to a LED lamp of the lighting apparatus. The protocol dimmer inter- face can act as a lighting management stage LMS. The microcontroller MC can communicate with one or more sensors, such as one or more environmental sensors ES.
Figure 6A shows a device whose micro-cell MCL comprises a casing 8 separated from the casing 27 of the power supply device 26. The power supply device 26 comprises one or more connectors 28 enabling the connection to one or more respective connectors of the device 1. The power supply device 26 is supplied by a power supply stage SPS which receives the power supply from supply means PSM, for providing it - even though with different values and modes - both to its energy necessities and to the ones of the micro-cell MCL. Analogously to what has been just described in Figure 5, the power supply device 26 is connected to a LED lamp of the lighting apparatus 50 and can communicate with one or more environmental sensors ES. The integration logic diagram, schematically shown inside of the dashed rectangle, makes the mi- croprocessor MP and/or the microcontroller MC of the micro-cell MCL to be shared between the power supply device 26 and micro-cell MCL in the integration condition of the device 1. The power supply stage SPS can comprise an AC/DC converter CPS, which can comprise noise fil- ters of the supply means, a transformer, a rectifier shared between the micro-cell and power supply device. Moreover, the power supply device 26 comprises a power factor control section PFC. Substantially, the integration mode in Figure 6A shows that the micro-cell MCL and the power supply device 26 can share stages and/or components even though they do not share the same casing. The integration logic diagram shows in an exemplifying way that the connect- ors 2A of the micro-cell MCL can be more than one, each with different specifications.
Figure 6B shows an integration logic diagram representing two alternative integration modes, in one of them the stages of the device 25 (particularly at least the access stage 4, the backhauling stage 5, the optional stage E/O for the connection to the optical fiber OF, the light- ing management stage LMS and the power supply stage SPS) are integrated on a same printed circuit PCB, while in the other integration mode, the stages 4, 5, E/O, LMS, SPS can be defined on a respective printed circuit PCB. Moreover, embodiments can be provided wherein a printed circuit PCB comprises at least two or more stages 4, 5, E/O, LMS, SPS, SS. Figure 6B shows how the device 1 and the power supply device 26 are housed inside the containment body of the lighting apparatus 50. As it is visible in Figure 6B, the device 25 herein illustrated presents similarities with the devices in Figures 5 and 6A with reference to the stages, the supply, the environmental sensors ES, the connection to the LED lamp, etc.
Figure 7 shows an integration mode in which the device 1 presents two different protocols. The protocol for the access stage is 802.1 T, while the protocol for the backhauling stage is 802.11”; it is observed that the expressions 802.1 T, 802.11” indicate two different versions or standards for the protocols of the family IEEE 802.11 . The protocol 802.11 ’ enables the access A to/from the mobile device MD of the final user (in the figure it is shown as a smartphone), and the protocol B enables the backhauling B to one or more other lighting apparatuses 50 provided with the device 1 (Figure 7 illustrates only another lighting apparatus). Each of the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11” comprises a respective lower MAC L MAC’, L MAC” and a respective radiof- requency chain RF’, RF” each of them operates at a respective frequency. In the embodiment of Figure 7, the stages 4, 5 which refer to the protocols 802.1 T, 802.11” share a same upper MAC U_MAC, which can be a modified and/or integrated implementation of the upper MACs of the standards 802.1 T and 802.11”, for example in order to improve the performances of the inte- grated system. As outlined in Figure 7, the access 4 and backhauling stages 5 can possibly also share a stage E/O containing the hardware and the protocol for the connection to the optical fi- ber OF. The micro-cell MCL and the power supply device 26 further share a stage SS which can comprise a shared memory, a shared processor, the shared power supply stage SPS, etc. The block LDF shown below the shared stage SS is representative of one or more functionali- ties of LED power supply device. Use of the multifunctional power supply device
Further, the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described device 25. The use of the device 25 is destined to implement both the telecommunications and lighting management functions in or for a lighting apparatus 50. The use is done in a lighting apparatus 50 and pro- vides that the device 1 is integrated, in other words in the integration condition, with the power supply device 26.
The use of a plurality of devices 1 in respective lighting apparatuses enables to make a telecommunications network 25. The telecommunications network 75 is particularly described in the following.
Lighting apparatus
Moreover, the invention refers to a use of the lighting apparatus 50. The lighting apparatus 50 can be destined for the non-industrial or industrial use, for lighting locations of the type: roads, parking lots, parks, gardens, in advertising panels, digital panels or inside non-industrial, industrial buildings, and similar. As illustrated in Figure 3, non-limiting examples of lighting ap- paratuses 50 are: public streetlights, illuminated signs of shops or businesses in general, digital advertisement panels, lighting systems, or illuminated signs of railway stations or of subway sta- tions or of stations or stops of transport means in general, etc. In Figures 1 , 2, 5, 6A, and from 8 to 11 , the lighting apparatuses are shown as streetlights 50; in Figure 9, the lighting apparatus- es are shown both as streetlights 50 and as illuminated signs 50 associated to a cantilever roof. The lighting apparatus 50 comprises a containment body 51 (lighting body) and one or more lighting elements 52, preferably of LED type. For example, the lighting apparatus can comprise a LED lamp 53 comprising one or more lighting elements LED 51. The lighting elements 52 are engaged with the containment body 51 and, optionally, are housed inside of the containment body 51.
Moreover, the lighting apparatus 50 comprises a multifunctional power supply device 25 of the beforehand described type, in other words comprises both a power supply device 26 and a device 1 for implementing telecommunications functions. The power supply device 26 is housed in the containment body and is electrically connected to the lighting elements 52 for providing an electrical supply. Particularly, as illustrated in the attached figures, both the power supply device 26 and the micro-cell MCL are inside in the containment body. The device 1 is coupled to the power supply device 26 by the connection section 2; as beforehand described, such cou- pling can use one or more connectors 2a. The device 1 is housed at least partially in the con- tainment body 51 ; substantially, the microcell MCL is housed at least partially in the contain- ment body 51 , while the antennas 6, 7 are arranged outside the containment body 51 . Advanta- geously, the micro-cell MCL is therefore integrated in the containment body 51 in order to re- duce or eliminate the external volume with respect to the containment body and consequently with respect to the lighting apparatus 50; on this regard, see for example Figure 1. The integra- tion enabled by the multifunctional power supply device 25 is evident in Figures 1 and 2, where lighting apparatuses according to the prior art are illustrated on the left and lighting apparatuses 50 according to the invention are illustrated on the right. Referring specifically to Figure 1 , it is noted that the invention enables to switch from a lighting apparatus provided with a simple pow- er supply device for LED (indicated by the reference LD) which supplies one or more LED ele- ments (indicated by the reference L1) to a lighting apparatus, provided with a multifunctional power supply device 25, which enables both to supply one or more lighting elements 52 and to implement telecommunications functions (operations of access A and backhauling B and possi- bly of connection to the optical fiber OF).
As illustrated in the attached figures, the lighting apparatus 50 can further comprise a support 54, such as a support pole, apt to support the containment body 51.
The lighting apparatus 50 according to the invention is therefore advantageously capable both of implementing the conventional lighting function and of managing and providing tele- communications services. Managing and providing telecommunications services can be per- formed, according to the invention, by the device 1 and consequently, despite the tremendous performances, without requiring heavy or bulky loads outside the containment body 51 (expect for the antennas 6, 7, whose weight is limited and consequently they do not weigh, from the structural point of view, on the lighting apparatus); on this regard, see the lighting apparatus il- lustrated in the left portion of Figures 1 and 2. Let’s consider the streetlights as lighting apparat- uses 50, the micro-cell MCL realized in this way therefore does not require mountings on the support pole 54 outside the lighting body 51 , consequently the inconveniences tied to the instal- lation costs are prevented (there are no additional costs or works with respect to the ones re- quired for installing the multifunctional power supply device 25 in the lighting apparatus 50) and installation spaces (since the micro-cell MCL is housed inside of the containment body 51 , it is not necessary to provide an additional space for it). Moreover, it is no more necessary to lease the space on each streetlight 50 because the micro-cell MCL can be contained, completely or partially, inside of the casing 27 of the power supply device 26, which is always required for lighting.
The technical features herein disclosed with reference to functions of the lighting appa- ratus can be applied to corresponding uses of one or more lighting apparatuses 50 for making a telecommunications network 75 or to steps of the method of managing telecommunications which are described in the following.
Telecommunications network
The invention refers also to a telecommunications network 75 made from a plurality of lighting apparatuses 50 of the beforehand described type, in each of them a respective device 1 is integrated. The telecommunications network 75 is of a wireless type because it manages the telecommunications by the plurality of devices 1 in a wireless mode, but requires one or more connection points to the optical fiber OF for routing the packets destined to other areas or final users not reachable by just the wireless mode because too distant for being able to advanta- geously exploit the wireless connections among the lighting apparatuses 50 without compromis- ing the quality of the services and performances. The devices 1 are configured to communicate with each other by the respective very high speed wireless backhauling stage 5; in this way, the telecommunications network 75 provides that the lighting apparatuses 50 can communicate for enabling wireless backhauling operations B with each other in order to reach the final user or the routing optical fiber point (connection/access point POF, see the following description), in order to reduce these latter at a minimum while keeping the performances.
From the structural point of view of the network 75, each device 1 , and consequently the lighting apparatus 50 which the device 1 is integrated in, acts as a node of the telecommunica- tions network 75, to which it provides a wireless coverage area for the access network side (from the node to the final user and viceversa), as shown in Figure 8. Such nodes are provided with their own intelligence, with reference to the capacity of managing the beforehand described telecommunications and can be defined as first type nodes N1 ( net nodes) of the telecommuni- cations network 75. The intelligence of the first type nodes N1 is provided by the device 1. The telecommunications network 75 can further comprise additional lighting apparatuses, which act as second type nodes N2 (life nodes). The second type nodes N2, by contrast to the first type nodes N1 , are not provided with the device 1 and therefore are devoid of intelligence. Each second type node N2 can have a transmitting receptor, such as a client also reachable by transmissions based on the protocol IEEE 802.11. The client can wirelessly communicate with the access stage 4 of one or more devices 1 of a first type node N1. In possible embodiments, in a second type node N2 a narrow band technology could also be installed, integrated or not integrated with the power supply device of the lighting apparatus, as for example the one based on the protocol LoRa, for the management of and connections with different types of sensors inside or outside the lighting body, also from long distances from it. Advantageously, the num- ber of first type nodes N1 can be minimized, for example by network planning software systems, ensuring at the same time an optimal wireless coverage of all the area; the other nodes of the network can be of the second type N2.
Moreover, the telecommunications network 75 has a minimized number of connection points POF to the optical fiber OF. As illustrated in Figure 9 with reference to an infrastructure 100 configured to implement the telecommunications network 75, the telecommunications net- work 75 can have a plurality (two in the figure) of points POF of connection to the optical fiber OF, each of them can be implemented by a device 1 which comprises a stage E/O for the con- nection towards the optical fiber OF provided with a suitable connector E/O” (see Figure 6A) and protocol. As illustrated in Figure 13, in an embodiment, the telecommunications network 75 can have a single connection point POF to the optical fiber OF, made by the device 1 with a suitable stage E/0 for the connection to the optical fiber OF. By providing a first type node N1 wired with optical fiber OF, the other adjacent first type nodes N1 can communicate by a very high speed wireless mode (by backhauling operations B according to what was beforehand de- scribed) with each other by the first type wired node N1. In such embodiment, the other first type nodes N1 of the telecommunications network 75 do not require optical fiber cabling, since they can communicate with each other by a wireless mode through the backhauling B, at least as long as the number of the successive wireless connections towards the connection point POF to the optical fiber OF is not too high in order to keep the performances. In the network 75 object of the present invention, the first type nodes N1 are anyway configured to reach the nearest point POF of connection to the optical fiber OF, in order to minimize the wireless con- nections. However, due to the possibility of having very high speed very low latency wireless connections, by providing a limited number of connection points POF or a single connection point POF, the invention enables to make a fixed and/or mobile wireless telecommunications network 75, also in zones barely reached by the optical fiber due to the capacity of the micro- cells MCL of the devices 1 to connect to each other by wireless backhauling operations B, min- imizing in this way the number of the required optical fiber connection points.
For the sake of simplicity, still referring to the embodiment in Figure 13, it must be speci- fied that, when the access stage 4 based on the version of the protocol 802.11 ’ is connected to the backhauling stage based on the version of the protocol 801.11” (for example a version op- erating at millimetric waves Wmm at 60 GHz), by suitable beamforming techniques, it is already possible to route the communications of the mobile devices MD of the users at very high speeds, as high as 300 Gbps, between a micro-cell MCL and another to the node connected to the nearest point POF of connection to the optical fiber OF, without requiring expensive optical fiber connections to each lighting apparatus 50 (in other words in each streetlight in case of a public lighting). Therefore, the invention enables to wirelessly perform a series of backhauling B connections at very high speed among the first type nodes N1 of the network 75, minimizing in this way the optical fiber connections OF between the micro-cells MCL themselves, and conse- quently to reduce the costs and the possibility of making the network obtained by installing the micro-cells MCL also in urban centers or other areas without abundance of optical fiber.
Preferably the network 75 provides that the second type nodes N2, though not excluding such possibility, do not require optical fiber cabling because they are not part of the backhauling B network.
In the further description of the infrastructure 100 illustrated in Figure 9, it is said that it fur- ther provides one or more interconnection points G (POP or Point of Presence), in which a con- nection point POF is located to which the operators OP1 , OP2, ..., OPN can connect (enabling a connection with a respective radio base station MCBS of the mobile operator; Figure 9 illus- trates that of a single operator OP1) etcetera, which want to perform offloading operations, in other words transferring the traffic from their own cell network to the network 75 of the present invention. Further, the infrastructure of Figure 9 provides that the optical fiber OF can reach a control center CC apt to control the telecommunications network and/or public lighting and pos- sibly an office of a mobile network operator MCO, which can be apt to control the telecommuni- cations network.
With reference to the network shown in Figure 9, it is noted that the access to Internet I can be done also directly (still by the optical fiber OF), in other words by the infrastructure of the owner of the network 75 object of the present invention without requiring to pass through the ra- dio base stations MCBS of the mobile operator. This means that a user connected by a wireless access A to a first type node N1 of the network 75 can access and download from Internet I at speeds which, by using for example the protocol Wi-Fi6 or 802.11 ax for the access part, can be already as high as several tenths of Gbps (gigabits per second).
Generally, the access points of 802.11 based wireless networks can operate in a “client” or “ad-hoc” mode; in the first mode they provide the connection to several clients, in the second mode a plurality of points are connected to each other. With reference to the present invention, both the access and backhauling protocols 802.1 T, 802.11” can be used in a “client” mode. This can be applied also to the version of the protocol 802.11” used for the backhauling B, in other words the interconnection among the first type nodes N1 of the network 75, even though by suitable beamforming techniques, and consequently it is not an extended version of conven- tionally used topology for the wireless networks LAN. For an optimal operation of the network 75 object of the invention, it is noted that all the lighting apparatuses are not required to be provid- ed with the multifunctional power supply device 25 (i.e. the power supply device 26 with an inte- grated micro-cell MCL). In other words, not all the light points should become first type nodes N1 ( net nodes), on the contrary, the aim of the network 75 according to the invention is of in- stalling the smallest number of devices 25 for wirelessly cover the entire zone which the high speed mobile/fixed network 75 intends to cover, with the smallest but necessary overlap of the areas covered by each first type node N1 , offering the remaining light points (in other words, the second type nodes N2, life nodes, devoid of intelligence) to remotely control the lighting, and possible sensors connected to them by a simple star network generated by each first type node N1. On this regard, Figure 8 shows two first type nodes N1 which, besides communicating with each other in backhauling B mode, they can communicate with second type nodes N2 which, in turn, can communicate with respective sensors, which in the figure are indicated in an exempli- fying way by environmental sensors ES.
Due to the provision of a plurality of devices 1 , each of them comprises a micro-cell MCL and is integrated with the power supply device of a respective lighting apparatus 50, the tele- communications network 75 is a micro-cells MCL network; on this regard, see Figure 12 which illustrates the passage from a macro-cell CL’ (on the left in the figure) to a small cells CL” net- work (at the center in the figure) to the network 75 provided with a plurality of micro-cells MCL according to the invention (on the right in the figure). Advantageously, the telecommunications network 75 is a pervasive network, because based on lighting apparatuses 50 (such as light points, illuminated panels, etc.), which uniformly thoroughly cover a region more effectively than the small cells CL” of the 5G apparatuses. Sub- stantially, since the network is pervasive because the devices 25 can be substantially distribut- ed in any lighting apparatus 50, the network 75 can substantially reach any place of an urban area, particularly where the 5G small cells CL” are hardly installable (due to the size and cost), barely suppliable (because they must be connected to supply cabling) and hardly supported by optical fibers (for realizing their backhauling network which connects a cell to another). On the contrary, the developed integrated technology for the beforehand described micro-cells MCL enables to offer very high capacities both for the access A services and for the backhauling B services, therefore on all the network 75 formed by them, without requiring a large amount of optical fiber among the micro-cells MCL.
Some operations which the telecommunications network 75 enables to implement are de- scribed in the following. Due to suitable software regarding the technology based on the proto- col IEEE 802.11 installed in the device 1 , in other words in each first type node, the final user provided with a mobile device MD such as a smartphone (see Figures 7, 8, 9, 11 , 13) or a tablet equipped with Wi-Fi or with another version of the protocol 802.11 equal to the one used by the present invention for the access part (802.11’) can start a call or receive it or can start down- loading from Internet simply by his/her SIM card, therefore without manual interventions by the user generally associated to the Wi-Fi networks, such as for example the selection of a SSID or of the corresponding network. From the point of view of the final user, the service offered by the network exactly behaves as a cell service, but with substantially better performances.
Analogously, by using specific software for the macro-cell MCL and smartphones having a protocol IEEE 802.11 based technology such as, for example, the software Passpoint®, an op- erator using the offloading on the network 75 according to the invention, which the final user is subscribed to (or his/her roaming partner if the operator is not physically present in the area) is immediately identified by servers of the network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL provided by the devices 1 object of the present invention so that the final user can perform calls or connect to Internet I as if he/she did through the network of his/her operator or his/her roaming partner, which the network will transfer to all the parameters of the call or connection. The network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL can be used for a hotspot service, particularly hotspot 2.0.
In the same way, an in-progress speech and/or data communication on a cell mobile net- work (3G/4G/LTE/5G) of an operator wanting to perform offloading operations OL to the micro- cell network is intercepted and transferred to the network 75 formed by the micro-cells MCL without interruption (vertical handover), in other words without the user being aware, enabling an advantageous reduction of the traffic on the network of the phone company, besides a sub- stantial improvement of the performances. Due to the limited coverage radius of the micro-cells MCL and to the very high capacities of the most recent versions of the protocol IEEE 802.11 (and due to possible further versions which will be developed in the future), and due to the per- vasiveness by which the device 1 lends itself, the network 75 obtained by installing the devices 1 in a plurality of respective urban light points 50 provides exceptional performances, better than any mobile and/or fixed wireless networks that are currently on the market, enabling the mobile operators, by the offloading OL, to use it in place of their jammed cell network and to provide smart city advanced services with a very low latency and very high speed (see Figure 9), this is not nowadays possible with other technologies. Should the coverage provided by the micro-cells of the devices 1 not be available, the in progress (tele)communication of a final user is immediately automatically rerouted through the cell network, by the vertical handover pro- cess, which occurs without interrupting the communication. On the contrary, if the user returns into the zone covered by the micro-cells MCL, his/her communication is immediately rerouted without any notable alteration on the offloading network formed by the micro-cells MCL.
The features and performances of the network 75 according to the present invention ena- ble a single network to be used by a plurality of operators, even all, each for their offloading; this is a substantial advantage with respect to the provision of a distinct apparatus for each operator. Obviously, the most important advantage is for the virtual operators (MVNO) which, being not provided with their own network, pay very high fees to the operators with network (MNO) for us- ing the same. A further advantage of the present invention is using the MIMO and beamforming functionalities of the version 802.11” of the protocol for the backhauling B in order to be capable of connecting at very high speed each first type node N1 to at least two other first type nodes N1 , consequently a possible failure of a first type node N1 does not prevent the network to op- erate. An extreme case of this configuration is related to a mesh-type network 75, in other words a meshed network, in which each first type node N1 is connected to another reachable first type node. Such connection redundancy is also applied to the case of a linear lighting net- work, as illustrated in Figure 10, however, in this case, the minimum number of nodes connect- ed to each internal node N1 should be at least of three in order to prevent single vulnerability points. Figure 10 illustrates just as the network 75 according to the invention is configured to prevent the problem of the single vulnerability point ( Single Point of Failure or, briefly, SPOF). The problem of the single vulnerability point is shown in the top portion of Figure 10 and can oc- cur, in case of a linear network, if each first type node of the network is only connected to two adjacent first type nodes: due to the failure of the first type node, the communication is inter- rupted (the failed node is indicated by a letter X in Figure 10). The network 75 according to the invention enables to prevent such problem because each first type node N1 is connected to at least two other first type nodes N1 (in case of two first type end nodes N1 in the bottom portion of Figure 10) or to at least three other first type nodes N1 (in case of the three first type central nodes N1 in the bottom portion in Figure 10).
The present invention is not limited to the generation of mobile telecommunications net- works; it can provide simultaneously or independently from them also fixed wireless network services. On this regard, the network 75, in order to reach the user houses, can employ both the access part ot the apparatus and the part at miiiimetric waves
Figure imgf000043_0001
of the apparatus, based on the version of the very high speed protocol IEEE 802.11 , for example at miiiimetric waves Wmm, used for the backhauling among different micro-cells (see Figure 11). Figure 11 shows a multi- functional power supply device 25 provided with a further stage FWA ( Fixed Wireless Access) contigured to enable to reach a “tixed” final user by using the technology and the protocol of the backhauling stage 5, in other words at very high speed. The house can be serviced by a suita- ble small apparatus CPE ( Customer Premise Equipment) having a receiving antenna exposed to the outside of the building; the apparatus CPE is apt to communicate with the stage FWA of the network first type node N1 and, on the other side, to transfer the signals to the device/s FD inside of the building by suitable cabling or wireless extensions (PC, tablet, Wi-Fi access point, etc.; the figure shows a laptop, a Wi-Fi access point, and a fixed line phone). A further ad- vantage of supplying wireless fixed network services is that the apparatus CPE can comprise the same stages 4 and 5 of the first type node N1 and therefore can in turn become a first type network node N1 , by connecting to other first type networks nodes N1 in order to route the traf- fic not destined to the house itself, increasing in this way the number of possible first type nodes N1 and the pervasiveness of the network 75. Consequently, installing an apparatus CPE as hereinbefore described, near the house of the final user (such as a new customer of a fixed op- erator) simultaneously generates, in other words by the device 1 included in the just installed apparatus CPE, an additional first type node N1 of the network 75, which is configured to ena- ble both the mobile access and backhauling operations, enabling in this way to increase the ex- tension of the network 75 coverage.
Due to suitably made software and firmware, the invention offers also the possibility of an automatic or manual remote configuration of the network 75, of an automatic identification of new available nodes and of non-operating nodes or with inadequate performances, therefore an automatic or manual reconfiguration of the network, also as a function of the traffic loads in dif- ferent wireless sections, and the remote management of lighting technology parameters, of any type of sensors, such as environmental sensors ES (also at very long kilometric distances from the micro-cells) with the simultaneous management and provision of fixed and/or mobile tele- communications services.
The herein disclosed technical features regarding the functions or operations of the tele- communications network 75 can be applied to the scope of a corresponding use of the devices 1 , 25 or steps of the method of managing telecommunications and providing services described in the following.
Method of managing and providing telecommunications services
Moreover, the present invention refers to a method of managing and providing telecom- munications services, also in offloading, which can be implemented by a telecommunications network 75 of the beforehand described type.
The method provides to predispose or have the availability of a plurality of lighting appa- ratuses 50 of the beforehand described type; such predisposing step can provide to integrate a plurality of devices 1 , 25 in a respective plurality of lighting apparatuses 50, consequently form- ing first type nodes N1 of the network 75. Substantially, the method enables to manage and of- fer telecommunications services by a plurality of lighting apparatuses 50.
The method provides to exchange data packets among backhauling stages 5 of respec- tive devices 1 , exchange data packets between the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 and at least one mobile device MD, exchange data packets between the connection stage E/O to the optical fiber of a device 1 and the access stage 4 of the same device 1 , exchange data packets between the connection stage E/O to the optical fiber of the device 1 and the backhaul- ing stage 5 of the same device 1 , and exchange data packets between the access stage 4 of the device 1 and the access stage 4 of the same device 1 (this latter case when the communi- cation is performed between mobile devices MD of two final users connected to the same de- vice 1 , in other words the same micro-cell, for example).
The steps of providing the use of the access stage 4 comprise to receive from the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 , telecommunications data sent from the mobile device MD or from different second type nodes N2 and, in addition or as an alternative, send data packets from the access stage 4 of at least one device 1 to a mobile device MD or to different second type nodes N2.
Further, the method enables to provide telecommunications services on behalf of opera- tors which are connected to the interconnection points G by keeping a relation between the mo- bile device MD and the operator, particularly the phone operator, by a contract, particularly a phone contract.
Basically, the method provides, as a function of the necessities (as a function of the num- ber of telecommunications to be managed, including the cell traffic, for example) to implement one or more access A, backhauling B operations, the connection to the optical fiber by the stage E/O, the offloading OL, the horizontal and vertical handovers, beforehand described, also and most of all on behalf of other plural operators or their roaming partners.
The method provides that each device 1 is electrically supplied, by the shared power sup- ply stage SPS, with the power supply device 26 of the respective lighting apparatus 50 and that the lighting of the lighting elements 52 is managed by the lighting management stage LMS of each device 25.
The technical features herein disclosed with reference to the method steps can be applied to the scope of corresponding functions or uses of the beforehand described devices 1 , 25 and can be therefore used to specify such functions or uses of the devices 1 , 25 in the attached claims. Further advantages of the invention
The invention makes available a device that, as beforehand described, is completely or partially integrated in the LED power supply device inside of the containment body 51 of the lighting apparatus 50, without spoiling the appearance. Also, in case of a partial integration, in other words when part of the device 1 is installed outside of the lighting body 51 or its support 54 (as in the case of the antennas 6, 7 outside of the containment body 51 , for example), the in- tegration minimizes or eliminates the visibility of these parts from the outside of the containment body 51.
A further advantage of the present invention consists of providing very high transmission speeds and capacities simultaneously with a reduction of the energy consumption with respect to the networks 3G/4G/5G and therefore by a smaller generation of CO2. This is due to the low consumption (low with respect to the alternatives on the market) of the telecommunications stages based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 which from the micro-cell MCL and by sharing, in the micro-cell MCL or in the multifunctional power supply device 25, circuit parts or soft- ware/firmware between the access stage 4 and backhauling stage 5 (part of the MAC, for ex- ample) and/or with the power supply device 26 (if they were completely separated, they would require more power, have a greater size and lower performances).
Due to an optimal sharing of the beforehand cited resources, and due to technology of the beforehand described stages 4, 5 and the use of protocols that are widespread on the market, as the ones regarding the different standards 802.11 , even though they are possibly partially adapted/modified, the invention has the further advantage of a substantial reduction of the costs despite the performance increase with respect to the 5G networks and other existing networks.
Advantageously, the invention enables to realize a single mobile and/or fixed ultra- wideband network 75, which is adapted to be no more owned by the telecommunications opera- tors, to which the network is leased by offloading, the nodes N1 thereof belonging to the owner of the power supply device 26 of the lighting apparatus 50. Among these there are not only the municipalities or utilities owning the public lighting infrastructures, but also private citizens own- ing external lighting apparatuses, shops and businesses having an illuminated sign. Each of these lighting apparatuses 50 can become a first type node N1 (“private” net node) of the net- work 75 by simply using the multifunctional power supply device 25 according to the invention. Moreover, the possibility of using a power supply device of the type disclosed in patent docu- ments WO2017187309A1 in the name of the same Applicant and relevant members of the pa- tent family, among which US10652959B2, RU2730176C2, EP3449696B1 , CN109076665B and IT102016000044195 are cited, provides the multifunctional power supply device 25 with a re- markable energy efficiency, which enables to obtain an energy saving on the lighting.
By progressively adding “private” first type nodes, the network can be progressively ex- tended with the time, becoming more and more pervasive; the “private” nodes are complemen- tary to the other “public” nodes (such the ones provided by the streetlights of the public light- ing). A suitable control software can enable to detect each new potential node in real time and remotely reconfigure the network by activating new nodes (among the detected ones) or deac- tivating nodes and connections which appear redundant or which report, always to the control software, speed values of connection to the network less than the ones of the other adjacent nodes.
An owner of a light point, by providing his/her lighting apparatus 50, where a multifunc- tional power supply device 25 object of the invention is installed, could be paid by the operators for each byte of the mobile traffic passing through the micro-cell MCL installed in his/her lighting apparatus 50.
Therefore, the invention lends itself to a technology application having a great innovative breadth, a paradigm change, enabling to make and provide a telecommunications network 75 distributed on all an urban area, characterized by a diffused ownership, usable by each opera- tor; such solution distinguishes from the standard solution providing several telecommunications networks, each belonging to a different operator. Substantially, any light point 50, also for ex- ample a simple sign or a garden light, owned for example by a shop or an individual or an en- terprise, can use the device 1 object of the present invention and become part of the so-realized network, receiving royalties as a function of the mobile and/or fixed traffic passing through the device 1 partially or completely integrated in the multifunctional power supply device 25 or in the lighting apparatus 50 itself. This is just the first example of a diffused ownership network ena- bling distributed earnings.
Moreover, the present invention has the following advantages:
- reducing the costs of the transmission apparatuses of the micro-cell because it uses pro- tocols, and consequently standardized/standardizing components and characterized by a large diffusion, with remarkable scale savings, based on the protocol IEEE 802.11 (even though in some cases partially adapted/modified), both for the access stage 4 and the backhauling stage 5;
- reducing the electromagnetic pollution due to the use of the protocols IEEE 802.11 ; by comparison, it is noted that while the micro-cell MCL according to what was beforehand de- scribed emits powers of about hundreds of milliwatts, a cell tower can amount also to 50 Watts;
- reducing the costs of the apparatuses because the protocol IEEE 802.11 and the rele- vant hardware which is based on enable to obtain certifications with the lowest costs and short- est time, possibility not provided by the other proprietary technologies;
- reducing the costs of the apparatuses of the micro-cell MCL because it shares with the power supply device 26 and with its lighting management stage LMS several resources among which one or more components, a memory, circuitry, (micro)processor, the casing 27, hardware, software and firmware;
- reducing the costs for the optical fiber OF connections because the high speed wireless backhauling system among the micro-cells MCL (in other words between the NET Nodes N1) enables not to use optical fiber connections or other cables for all the first type N1 nodes or each streetlight 50, rather the invention reduces them to the smallest number;
- enabling a network architecture which does not require that all the light points/streetlights 50 should be provided with the device 25, but just only a small percentage sufficient to cover an entire area;
- reducing the energy consumption because the micro-cell MCL consumes much less en- ergy than the small cells of the cell technologies 3G/4G/5G and of the micro-cells technologies actually present on the market;
- reducing the installation costs because the micro-cell MCL is automatically inserted at the installation of the lighting multifunctional power supply device 25, therefore it is not neces- sary to install many apparatuses, and because it is not necessary to install supply cables (be- cause the setup for the energy supply is already present in each light point);
- due to the integration of the micro-cell MCL with the power supply device 26, the inven- tion prevents from paying a rent for occupying a space on the streetlight 50 because the power supply device 26 is an essential and indispensable element for lighting;
-reducing the cost/benefit ratio because the very high capacities of the network 75 based on the devices 1 according to the invention enable to provide smart city advanced services (such as for example the management of the self-driving cars and other very low latency ser- vices) that the cell networks 3G/4G/5G and other micro-cells systems nowadays present on the market cannot provide;
- the possibility to compensate by royalties on the telecommunications traffic the owners of the light points 50 which install the device 1 , 25 object of the present invention, encouraging the same to substitute their lighting apparatuses, signals, etc., with more recent LED versions, introducing a further energy saving.
Lastly it is noted that the telecommunications network 75 obtained by implementing the present invention is the only uniform and pervasive network enabling the offloading OL of the mobile and/or fixed traffic with very high performances, better than the one of the cell network, which has at the same time a low cost and is easily expandable on a global level.

Claims

C L A I M S
1. Device (1) for implementing telecommunications functions, particularly fixed and mobile ones, the device (1) being configured for implementing telecommunications functions in a light- ing apparatus (50), the device (1) comprising:
- a connection section (2) configured to associate the device (1) to a lighting apparatus (50), the connection section (2) comprising at least one interface element (2a) structured to en- able to electrically supply the device (1), the device (1) being configured to operate in an inte- gration condition wherein the device (1) is located partially or completely inside a containment body (51) of a lighting apparatus (50) and the connection section (2) is coupled to a power sup- ply device (26) of the lighting apparatus (50), preferably the device (1) being electrically suppli- able by a power supply stage (SPS) of said power supply device (26),
- a telecommunications section (3) comprising: o an access stage (4) configured to receive/send data packets from/to at least one mobile device (MD), in operative conditions of the device (1) said at least one mobile device (MD) being connected to the device (1), o a backhauling stage (5) configured to send/receive data packets to/from the back- hauling stage (5) of a further device (1) integrated in another lighting apparatus (50), o optionally, an optical fiber connection stage (E/O) configured to connect the access stage (4) and the backhauling stage (5) to optical fiber (OF),
- at least one antenna (6) for the access stage (4),
- at least one antenna (7) for the backhauling stage (5), each antenna (6, 7) enabling the respective stage (4, 5) to send and/or receive data packets, the access stage (4) being configured to send to a mobile and/or fixed device and/or to receive from a fixed and/or mobile device data packets according to a first protocol (802.11 ’), the backhauling stage (5) being configured to send data packets to a backhauling stage (5) of a further device (1) integrated in another lighting apparatus (50) and/or to receive data packets from a backhauling stage (5) of a further device (1) integrated in another lighting apparatus (50) according to a second protocol (802.11”), the first protocol (802.11 ’) and the second protocol (802.11 ”) being different from each other.
2. Device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one support (PCB), for example a printed circuit, wherein the access stage (4) and/or the backhauling stage (5) and/or the opti- cal fiber connection stage (E/O) and/or the connection section (2) and/or a shared power supply stage (SPS) and/or the power supply device (26) are located or defined all on said support (PCB).
3. Device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one support (PCB), for example a printed circuit, wherein the access stage (4) and/or the backhauling stage (5) and/or the opti- cal fiber connection stage (E/O) and/or the connection section (2) and/or a shared power supply stage (SPS) and/or the power supply device (26) are singularly located and defined on respec- tive interconnected supports (PCB).
4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a casing (8), the support (PCB), the connection section (2) and the telecommunications section (3) being at least partially housed inside the casing (8).
5. Device according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, wherein:
- the first protocol is a first wireless protocol (802.11’) belonging to the IEEE 802.11 family,
- the second protocol is a second wireless protocol (802.11”) belonging to the IEEE 802.11 family,
- the optical fiber connection stage (E/O) is configured to manage, particularly to send and/or receive, data packets according to a third non-wireless protocol, the first protocol (802.11’), the second protocol (802.11”) and the third protocol being dif- ferent from each other.
6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the first wireless protocol (802.11’) and the sec- ond wireless protocol (802.11”) are configured to share a same MAC (U_MAC) or part of it.
7. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the access stage (4) and backhauling stage (5) and, optionally, the optical fiber connection stage (E/O) share one or more hardware and software resources, among them one or more processors (MP) and/or one or more memories.
8. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the telecommunications section (3) is further configured to automatically, i.e. without requiring any interaction with a user and without interrupting possible communications in progress, to:
- receive or transfer the traffic from/to a cellular mobile network to which the mobile device (MD) is connectable,
- manage the telecommunications received by said mobile network.
9. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the telecommunications section (3) is further configured to implement a horizontal handover function which provides, au- tomatically i.e. without requiring an interaction with a user and without interrupting possible tele- communications in progress, to transfer telecommunications to a further device (1) integrated in another adjacent lighting apparatus (50), or, if the device (1) comprises a plurality of antenna assemblies (T1 , T2, T3) each of which comprises both an antenna (6) for the access stage (4) and an antenna (7) for the backhauling stage (5), to a part of the device (1) leading to another antenna assembly (T 1 , T2, T3).
10. Device according to claim 5 or 6 or to anyone of claims from 7 to 9 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the telecommunications section (3) is configured, by suitable software, so that the final user, provided with a mobile device (MD) such as a smartphone or tablet equipped with Wi-Fi or another version of the protocol IEEE 802.11 equal to the first wireless protocol (802.11’), can start a call or receive it or start a download from Internet (I) simply by his/her own SIM card, therefore without manual interventions by the final user himself/herself.
11. Multifunctional power supply device (25) for a lighting apparatus (50), the device (25) comprising:
- a device (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims,
- a power supply device (26) coupled or couplable, by the connection section (2), to the tel- ecommunications section (3) and configured to perform supply functions which provide to share a power supply stage (SPS), in condition of use of the multifunctional power supply device (25) the shared power supply stage (SPS) enabling to supply power to at least one lighting element (52) of a lighting apparatus (50) wherein the multifunctional device (25) is installed, and to the device (1), the multifunctional power supply device (25) being configured to supply power both to the lighting functions and, by the shared power supply stage (SPS) that is shared by the power supply device (26) and said device (1), to the telecommunications functions of the device (1).
12. Device according to claim 11 , comprising resources (PCB, SS, SPS, CPS, MP) which are shared between the device (1) and the power supply device (26), the shared resources (SS, SPS, CPS) comprising at least said power supply stage (SPS) configured to supply power both to the device (1) for implementing the telecommunications functions and to one or more lighting elements (52), preferably the shared resources comprising also a processor (MP) and a memory.
13. Device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the power supply device (26) comprises a lighting management stage (LMS) configured to manage at least one lighting parameter or magnitude.
14. Device according to claim 11 or 12 or 13, wherein the access stage (4), the backhaul- ing stage (5), the optional optical fiber connection stage (E/O) and the lighting management stage (LMS) are located or defined on the same support (PCB) or on respective interconnected supports (PCB).
15. Device (1 , 25) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1) provides a cell unit (MCL) apt to form a cell of a mobile and/or fixed wireless telecommunica- tions network (75), preferably the cell unit (MCL) being a micro-cell or a nano-cell or a pico-cell or a femto- cell.
16. Use of a device (1 , 25) according to anyone of the preceding claims for implementing telecommunications functions in a lighting apparatus (50).
17. Use according to claim 16 wherein the antennas (T1 , T2, T3, 6, 7) and, optionally, the respective radiofrequency chains (RF1 , RF2, RF3) are arranged outside a containment body (51) of the lighting apparatus (50) while the connection section (2) and the telecommunications section (3) are housed inside the containment body (51).
18. Lighting apparatus (50) comprising: - a containment body (51 ),
- one or more lighting elements (52), optionally of LED type,
- a multifunctional power supply device (25) according to anyone of claims from 11 to 15, wherein the power supply device (26) shares at least partially a power supply stage (SPS) with the device (1) and is configured to electrically supply said one or more lighting elements (52), wherein the power supply device (26) is housed in the containment body (51), and wherein the device (1) is at least partially housed in the containment body (51).
19. Mobile and/or fixed telecommunications network (75) comprising a plurality of lighting apparatuses according to claim 18, wherein:
- each device (1) is partially or completely integrated in a respective lighting apparatus
(50),
- the access stage (4) of each device (1) is configured to communicate with mobile de- vices (MD), for example smartphones or tablets, by a first protocol (802.11 ’) and with fixed devices (N2), such as lighting apparatuses not provided with the device (1) or other concentrators of data from sensors (ES),
- the devices (1) are configured to communicate with each other through respective backhauling stages (5) by a second protocol (802.11”) by which they can also com- municate with a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) which in turn communicate with the final devices (FD) located in the user’s house,
- one or more devices (1) of said plurality of devices (1) comprises an optical fiber con- nection stage (E/O) connected both to the access stage (4) and to the backhauling stage (5), the telecommunications network (75) comprising one or more connection points (POF) con- nected to optical fiber (OF) and being configured to manage telecommunications by said plurali- ty of devices (1) and to receive offloading traffic from other operators at one or more intercon- nection points (G).
20. Network according to claim 19, wherein, in case of services of fixed wireless network, comprising Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) equipped with the device (1), with or without the lighting apparatus (50) and therefore without necessarily sharing with it some resources, not even the power supply stage (SPS), in order to be possibly able to use each Customer Premis- es Equipment (CPE) installed as a further node (N1) of the network (75) and to expand the net- work coverage as the fixed network users increase.
21. Network according to claim 19 or 20, wherein each device (1) serves as first-type node (N1) of the telecommunications network (75), the telecommunications network (75) further comprising one or more second type nodes (N2), each second type node (N2) not comprising the device (1) for implementing telecommuni- cations functions, each second-type node (N2) being configured for exchanging data packets with one or more first-type nodes (N1).
22. Network according to claim 19 or 20 or 21 , the telecommunications network (75) being configured for managing mobile telecommunications and/or fixed telecommunications.
23. Infrastructure (100) comprising the telecommunications network (75) according to any of claims from 19 to 22, the telecommunications network (75) comprising a plurality of points of connection (POF), each point of connection (POF) being realized by a respective device (1) having a connector (E/O’) configured for connecting the optical fiber connection stage (E/O) with optical fiber (OF).
24. Method of managing and providing telecommunications services for offloading the traf- fic of mobile and/or fixed operators, comprising the steps of:
- predisposing a telecommunications network (75) according to anyone of claims from 19 to
22,
- electrically supplying each device (1) and the power supply device (26) of the respective lighting apparatus (50) by a power supply stage (SPS) shared by them,
- gathering the traffic from at least one mobile or fixed operator through one or more inter- connection points (G),
- routing the traffic on the telecommunications network (75),
- sending the traffic from the telecommunications network (75) to said at least one mobile or fixed operator through one or more points (G) interconnecting to optical fiber.
25. Method according to claim 24, comprising the steps of:
- exchanging data packets between the access stage (4) of at least one device (1) and at least one mobile device (MD) or a fixed device (N2),
- processing data packets gathered by the access stage (4) to be routed towards other de- vices (1) through the backhauling stage (5), and viceversa,
- exchanging data packets among the backhauling stages (5) of respective devices (1),
- if an optical fiber connection stage (E/O) is provided, exchanging data packets between the optical fiber connection stage (E/O) and the access (4) or backhauling stages (5).
26. Method according to claim 24 or 25, comprising, in order to manage fixed telecommu- nications, the step of exchanging data packets between the backhauling stage (5), or a further access stage configured with the same technology and protocols as the ones of the backhauling stage (5), and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) installed at the house of the final user des- tined to use the fixed telecommunications.
27. Method according to claim 24 or 25 or 26 comprising, for managing mobile telecom- munications, the steps of:
- if a mobile device (MD) associated to a mobile operator exits a coverage zone of the tele- communications network (75), performing one or more vertical handover operations in order to re-route at least one communication of said mobile device (MD), for example a call, towards the cellular network of its mobile operator without interrupting the in- progress communication,
- as the mobile device (MD) returns in said coverage zone, automatically re-routing on the network (75).
28. Method for extending the network coverage of the network of any of claims 19-22, com- prising the step of installing at least one Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) comprising one device (1) according to any claims from 1 to 10 at a house of a final user destined to use the fixed telecommunications hence simultaneously providing an additional node (N1) of the net- work (75), the additional node (N1) being configured for allowing both mobile access and back- hauling operations.
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