Fully photonic wireless broadband base station
The invention relates to base stations in communication networks. In more particular the invention relates to cellular base stations such as 3G/4G and WLAN base stations. Some or all of the aforementioned advantages of the invention are accrued with a fully photonic base station ( 200 ) that powers itself with solar photons, provides radio network access and relays an optical photonic beam ( 220, 221, 230, 231 ) through air encoded with the data from radio signals of computer users and mobile phone users to the Internet and the global telecommunication network. A system engineer can build a network with the inventive base stations in a matter of days. He simply walks to the roof of houses and points the optical beams to other base stations in adjacent houses.
1. A method of providing communication network access by operating at least one base station ( 200 ) offering communication network access to a plurality of subscriber terminals ( 250 , 251 ) via a radio and/or microwave connection, comprising the following steps:
powering said at least one base station with at least one tandem solar cell in the same location as the base station ( 120 ),
connecting said base station to a communication network with at least one laser data communication link through free space ( 110 , 220 , 221 ),
the base station is transmitting data from mobile handsets to the Internet without using a power chord to connect to the power grid and without using a data cable to access the communication network.
2. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, said free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 , 221 ) is realised with a photodiode laser and/or a quantum cascade laser, and/or said link ( 220 , 221 ) radiates directional photons in the visible to 100,000 nm wavelength range or in the visible to 1 mm wavelength range.
3. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, the said base station receives at least one free space laser and/or photodiode data communication signal from another first base station and/or optical transceiver and transmits said received free space laser and/or photodiode data communication signal to a second base station and/or optical transceiver through free space.
4. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, said free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 , 221 ) is a backhaul connection, communicating simultaneously a plurality of signals exchanged with the said base station ( 200 ) and a plurality of subscriber terminals ( 250 , 251 ) to destinations within the communication network beyond the said free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 , 221 ) via the optical core network and/or other communication network.
5. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, at least one solar cell ( 240 ) is arranged to power said base station ( 200 ) and/or store energy to a battery that is arranged to power the base station.
6. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, said base station ( 200 ) does not have an electric socket for an external power cord and/or does not have an optical communication socket for an optical fibre connection.
7. A communication method as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that, said solar cell ( 240 ) is on the top face of the said base station and at least one said free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 , 221 ) is arranged to the side of the said base station, and/or
at least one movable waveguide points the said at least one free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 , 221 ) to the line of sight direction of another base station and/or optical transceiver.
8. A communication method as claimed in claim 3 , characterised in that, the said incoming free space laser and/or photodiode data communication signal from said another first base station and/or optical transceiver is received and amplified and sent to said another second base station and/or optical transceiver through free space and/or,
the said incoming free space laser and/or photodiode data communication signal from said another first base station and/or optical transceiver is received with a first free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 221 ) and sent with a second free space laser and/or photodiode data communication link ( 220 ) or the same first free space laser and/or,
photodiode data communication link ( 221 ) or both said links ( 220 , 221 ) to said another second base station and/or optical transceiver through free space.