AUXILIARY ANTENNA SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM BASE STATIONS
Auxiliary antenna systems can be used to increase a link margin of a wireless communications system that includes a base station. The auxiliary antenna system is positioned within a service region of the base station and spaced apart from the base station. Related systems, methods and components are described.
1 . An auxiliary antenna system for a wireless communications system that includes a base station, the auxiliary antenna system comprising:
an antenna element that is configured to transmit information to a radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal;
wherein the auxiliary antenna system is located within a service region of the base station and is spaced apart from the base station; and
wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to a communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.
2 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal transmits information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein the antenna element that is configured to receive information from the radioterminal receives information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.
3 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is located closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.
4 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is configured to be operative in a plurality of spatial dimensions.
5 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna element that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal comprises a plurality of antenna elements.
6 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the link margin that is increased comprises a forward link margin and/or a return link margin.
7 . An auxiliary antenna system according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station by allowing the base station to diversity combine the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.
8 . A method of using an auxiliary antenna system to increase a link margin of a wireless communications system that includes a base station, the method comprising:
positioning the auxiliary antenna system within a service region of the base station; wherein positioning the auxiliary antenna system within a service region of the base station comprises positioning the auxiliary antenna system within the service region of the base station and spaced apart from the base station;
transmitting information to a radioterminal from an antenna element of the auxiliary antenna system and/or receiving information from the radioterminal at an antenna element of the auxiliary antenna system;
communicating between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station; and
increasing the link margin, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to said communicating.
9 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said transmitting information comprises transmitting information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein said receiving information comprises receiving information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.
10 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said transmitting information and/or said receiving information occurs closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.
11 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said transmitting information comprises transmitting information in a plurality of spatial dimensions and/or said receiving information comprises receiving information in a plurality of spatial dimensions.
12 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said transmitting information and/or said receiving information comprises using a plurality of antenna elements.
13 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said increasing the link margin comprises increasing a forward link margin and/or increasing a return link margin.
14 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein said communicating comprises wireless and/or wireline communicating.
15 . A method according to claim 8 wherein increasing the link margin comprises diversity combining the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communicating between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.
16 . A wireless communications system comprising:
a base station including at least one main antenna that is configured to transmit information to a radioterminal that is located within a service region of the base station and/or receive information from the radioterminal:
an auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal, wherein the auxiliary antenna is located within the service region of the base station and is spaced apart from the base station; and
wherein the auxiliary antenna is configured to increase a link margin of the base station, over at least a portion of the service region, responsive to a communication between the auxiliary antenna and the base station.
17 . A wireless communications system according to claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal transmits information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol and wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to receive information from the radioterminal receives information using an OFDM/OFDMA protocol.
18 . A wireless communications system according to claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is located closer to an edge of the service region compared to a location of the base station.
19 . A wireless communications system according to claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal is configured to be operative in a plurality of spatial dimensions.
20 . A wireless communications system according to claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radioterminal and/or receive information from the radioterminal comprises a plurality of auxiliary antenna elements.
21 . A wireless communications system according to claim 16 , wherein the link margin that is increased comprises a forward link margin and/or a return link margin.
22 . A wireless communication system according to claim 16 wherein the auxiliary antenna system is configured to increase a link margin of the base station by allowing the base station to diversity combine the information that is transmitted to the radioterminal and/or received from the radioterminal, responsive to the communication between the auxiliary antenna system and the base station.