Wireless communication system
View Patent ↗An access point allows access from at least one user device, which may be a wireless device or a wired local area network device. The access point has radio frequency transceiver circuitry for communicating over a wireless link with a base station selected from a plurality of available base stations, and an antenna, having an adjustable preferred direction for transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. Control circuitry selects a preferred direction for the antenna such that the access point can establish a wireless link with one of said base stations, based on a data rate that is available over the wireless link.
1. A method of operating a wireless cellular access point in electrical communication with a cellular network configured to allow access from at least one user device, the method comprising:
(a) determining a set of acceptable cellular base stations by establishing a connection with at least one cellular base station among a plurality of cellular base stations, for a first protocol of operation;
(b) for each cellular base station where a connection is established, determining the available data rate for the connection in a first protocol of operation;
(c) repeating steps described in (a) and (b) for another protocol of operation in response to the cellular network and the cellular access point jointly supporting more than one protocol of operation;
(d) selecting the cellular base station based on a metric that takes into account data rates available over the wireless links corresponding to the plurality of cellular base stations;
(e) determining data rates available over wireless links with one or more of said plurality of cellular base stations by controlling beam direction control circuitry that is in electrical communication with an antenna having a plurality of antenna elements, the beam direction circuitry including variable amplitude adjustment devices in each of a plurality of signal paths associated with said antenna elements, the beam direction circuitry configured to adjust a direction of a beam of said antenna and to successively determine data rates available over wireless links at said beam directions; and
(f) periodically repeating steps (a)-(e) during operation.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a second wireless link.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a WiFi link.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a WiMax link.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a wired local area network.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising automatically selecting said cellular base station.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising automatically selecting said cellular base station as the cellular base station providing the highest available data rate over its respective wireless link.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising: sequentially determining an available data rate associated with each of a plurality of possible antenna beam directions; and selecting a beam direction for future use, based on said available data rates.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining an acceptable cellular base station further comprises forcing a two-way connection with a first cellular base station selected from the plurality of cellular base stations based on requirements of the cellular access point.
10. An access point in electrical communication with a cellular network, the access point comprising:
An access interface, that provides access from at least one user device communicating with the cellular;
an antenna having a plurality of antenna elements and in electrical communication with beam direction control circuitry, the antenna including variable amplitude adjustment devices in each of a plurality of signal paths associated with said antenna elements;
radio frequency transceiver circuitry to determine a set of acceptable cellular base stations by establishing a connection with at least one cellular base station among a plurality of cellular base stations, for a first protocol of operation, and to determine available data rate of the connection in a first protocol of operation for each cellular base station where a connection is established; and
control circuitry, to select the cellular base station based on a metric that takes into account data rates available over the wireless links corresponding to the plurality of cellular base stations,
wherein the radio frequency transceiver circuitry repeats each of determining a set of acceptable cellular base stations and determining an available data rate of the connection for another protocol of operation in response to the cellular network and the cellular access point jointly supporting more than one protocol of operation, and
wherein said control circuitry determines data rates available over wireless links with one or more of said plurality of available cellular base stations by controlling said beam direction control circuitry to adjust a direction of a beam of said antenna, and to successively determine data rates available over wireless links at said direction of a beam.
11. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said cellular access point is configured to automatically selects a beam direction for said antenna, in order to obtain a wireless link with one of said plurality of available cellular base stations, having an acceptable data rate.
12. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said cellular access point is further configured to automatically selects a second beam direction for said antenna, in order to obtain a reserve wireless link with another of said plurality of available cellular base stations.
13. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 10 , comprising: an antenna, having a plurality of antenna elements; and beam direction switching circuitry, for switching respective antenna elements into and out of a plurality of signal paths associated with said antenna elements.
14. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 13 , wherein at least two of said antenna elements can be switched into the respective signal paths at the same time, while at least one other antenna element is switched out of the respective signal path.
15. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the access interface accesses from a user device to make a VoIP phone call.
16. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 10 , having a solar power source.
17. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 10 , having a wind power source.