Method and apparatus for band-to-band translation in a wireless communication system
View Patent ↗A translator for translating RF signals from one wireless frequency band to another wireless frequency band in a wireless communications system including a base station, a remote antenna, and remote customer premises equipment. The base station is an existing legacy base station, such as a PCS base station, modified to include a translator for translating RF signals in a first wireless frequency band to RF signals in a second wireless frequency band. The base station transmits RF signals in the second band to a remote antenna, which includes a translator for translating the RF signals in the second band back to RF signals in the first band. The remote antenna may be located in a building or neighborhood with a coverage area as small as a picocell. A CPE (such as a mobile phone) communicates with the antenna in a first wireless frequency band, and the antenna communicates with the base station in a second wireless frequency band.
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
a base station with an antenna, the base station configured to predominantly communicate with customer equipment in a first wireless frequency band;
a first translator system having as an input first RF signals located in the first wireless communication frequency band and having as an output second RF signals located in a second wireless communication frequency band;
the antenna coupled for transceiving the second RF signals associated with the translator system;
a remote system including a remote antenna for transceiving the second RF signals associated with the base station, the remote system having a first path and a second path, the first path including a second translator system having as an input the second RF signals, and operable to translate the frequency of the second RF signals to output RF signals located back in the first wireless communication frequency band for communicating with the customer equipment, the second path operable for outputting the second RF signals directly in the second wireless communication frequency band without frequency translation for communicating with additional customer equipment not operating in the first wireless communication frequency band.
2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the remote system further comprises a distribution antenna coupled to the translator system for transceiving the RF signals of the remote antenna system located in the first wireless communication frequency band.
3. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are predetermined bands of a frequency spectrum allocated by an authorized entity for wireless communications.
4. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are selected from a group of bands comprising: Cellular 800, DCS 900, unlicensed 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, unlicensed PCS, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, MDS 2100, MMDS 2500, WCS 2300, unlicensed 2400, MMDS 3500, UNII 5.1 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.1 GHz, UNII 5.8 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.8 GHz, and LMDS.
5. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication frequency band is a PCS band and the second wireless communication frequency band is an MMDS band.
6. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein said remote system is incorporated within a picocell and propagates the signals in the first wireless communication frequency band in an area bounded by said picocell.
7. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the translator associated with the remote antenna system is located inside a building.
8. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the remote antenna system is located inside a building.
9. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein said remote antenna includes multiple arrays of antenna elements for defining multiple beams for the remote antenna.
10. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein said remote system includes a wireless hub for communicating with customer premises equipment.
11. A wireless communication system comprising:
a first transceiving system including an antenna and a translator system having as an input first RF signals located in a first wireless communication frequency band and having as an output second RF signals located in a second wireless communication frequency band;
the antenna coupled for transceiving the second RF signals associated with the translator system;
a second transceiving system, remote from the first transceiving system and including a remote antenna for transceiving the second RF signals associated with the base station, the second transceiving system having a first path and a second path, the first path including a second translator system having as an input the second RF signals, and operable to translate the frequency of the second RF signals to output RF signals located back in the first wireless communication frequency band for communication with the customer equipment, the second path operable for outputting the second RF signals directly in the second wireless communication frequency band without frequency translation for communication with additional customer equipment not operating in the first wireless communication frequency band.
12. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the second transceiving system further comprises a distribution antenna coupled to the translator system for transceiving the RF signals of the remote antenna system located in the first and second wireless communication frequency bands.
13. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are predetermined bands of a frequency spectrum allocated by an authorized entity for wireless communications.
14. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein at least one of said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are selected from a group of bands comprising: Cellular 800, DCS 900, unlicensed 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, unlicensed PCS, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, MDS 2100, MMDS 2500, WCS 2300, unlicensed 2400, MMDS 3500, UNII 5.1 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.1 GHz, UNII 5.8 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.8 GHz, and LMDS.
15. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the first wireless communication frequency band is a PCS band and the second wireless communication frequency band is an MMDS band.
16. The wireless communications system of claim 11 wherein said second transceiver system is incorporated within a picocell and propagates the signals in the first wireless communication frequency band in an area bounded by said picocell.
17. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the second transceiver system is located inside a building.
18. A wireless communication system comprising:
a base station with an antenna;
a first translator system having as an input first RF signals located in a first wireless communication frequency band and having as an output second RF signals located in a second wireless communication frequency band;
the antenna coupled for transceiving second RF signals associated with the translator system;
a remote antenna system including a remote antenna for transceiving the second RF signals associated with the base station, the remote antenna system including a second translator system having as an input the second RF signals, and operable to output third RF signals located in third wireless communication frequency band different from the first and second wireless communication frequency bands and to also output the second RF signals directly in the second wireless communication frequency band for communicating with additional customer equipment at the remote antenna system not operating in the third wireless communication frequency band.
19. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein the remote antenna system further comprises a distribution antenna coupled to the translator system for transceiving the RF signals of the remote antenna system located in the third wireless communication frequency band.
20. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein said first, second and third wireless communication frequency bands are predetermined bands of a frequency spectrum allocated by an authorized entity for wireless communications.
21. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein at least one of said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are selected from a group of bands comprising: Cellular 800, DCS 900, unlicensed 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, unlicensed PCS, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, MDS 2100, MMDS 2500, WCS 2300, unlicensed 2400, MMDS 3500, UNII 5.1 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.1 GHz, UNII 5.8 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.8 GHz, and LMDS.
22. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein the signals in the third wireless communication frequency band output by the remote antenna system are configured to be used by customer premises equipment.
23. The wireless communication system of claim 18 wherein said remote antenna system is also operable to output RF signals located in the first wireless communication frequency band.
24. A method for increasing capacity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
translating RF signals between first RF signals located in a first wireless communication frequency band and second RF signals located in a second wireless communication frequency band;
transceiving the second RF signals at a base station, the base station configured to predominantly communicate with customer equipment in a first wireless frequency band;
transceiving the second RF signals with a remote antenna system located away from the base station;
at the remote antenna system selectively directing the second RF signals in first and second paths, in the first path, translating the frequency of RF signals between said second RF signals in the second wireless frequency band and RF signals located in the first wireless communication frequency band, and in the second path, transceiving the second RF signals directly in the second wireless communication frequency band without frequency translation for communicating with additional customer equipment not operating in the first wireless communication frequency band.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising transceiving the translated RF signals in the first wireless communication frequency band at the remote antenna system and communicating with customer premises equipment in the first wireless communication frequency band.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are predetermined bands of a frequency spectrum allocated by an authorized entity for wireless communications.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein at least one of said first and second wireless communication frequency bands are selected from a group of bands comprising: Cellular 800, DCS 900, unlicensed 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, unlicensed PCS, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, MDS 2100, MMDS 2500, WCS 2300, unlicensed 2400, MMDS 3500, UNII 5.1 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.1 GHz, UNII 5.8 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.8 GHz, and LMDS.
28. The method of claim 24 further comprising mounting the remote antenna within a premises and transceiving the translated RF signals in the first wireless communication frequency band within the premises.
29. The method of claim 24 further comprising mounting the remote antenna within a picocell and transceiving the translated RF signals in the first wireless communication frequency band within the picocell.
30. A method for increasing capacity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
translating first RF signals located in a first wireless communication frequency band to second RF signals located in a second wireless communication frequency band;
transceiving the second RF signals at a base station;
transceiving the second RF signals with a remote antenna system located away from the base station;
at the remote antenna system, translating said second RF signals to RF signals located in a third wireless communication frequency band different from the first and second wireless communication frequency bands
and also outputting the second RF signals directly in the second wireless communication frequency band for communicating with additional customer equipment at the remote antenna system not operating in the third wireless communication frequency band.
31. The method of claim 30 further comprising transceiving the translated RF signals in the third wireless communication frequency band at the remote antenna system and communicating with customer premises equipment in the third wireless communication frequency band.
32. The method of claim 30 , wherein said first, second and third wireless communication frequency bands are predetermined bands of a frequency spectrum allocated by an authorized entity for wireless communications.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one of said first, second and third wireless communication frequency bands are selected from a group of bands comprising: Cellular 800, DCS 900, unlicensed 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, unlicensed PCS, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, MDS 2100, MMDS 2500, WCS 2300, unlicensed 2400, MMDS 3500, UNII 5.1 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.1 GHz, UNII 5.8 GHz, unlicensed UNII 5.8 GHz, and LMDS.