Method and apparatus for providing redundant coverage within a cellular communication system
US5861844A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jan 19, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 29, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B1/74
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for using a sectored antenna arrangement within a cellular base station to provide redundant coverage within the surrounding cell is disclosed herein. An antenna feed network connects elements of the sectored antenna arrangement to a set of communication transceivers, wherein the feed network includes a combiner array for combining selected ones of the antenna beams upon failure of one of the communication transceivers. A switch network serves to provide the resultant combined beam to an operative one of the communication transceivers. Alternately, the sectored antenna arrangement includes an antenna array having a plurality of switchable antenna elements, each connected to one of the communication transceivers. The switchable antenna elements project a set of variable-width antenna beams over the plurality of cell sectors. Upon one of the communication transceivers becoming inoperative, an antenna control network operates to adjust beam width of a selected one of the variable-width antenna beams by switching configuration of an associated one of the switchable antenna elements. In another approach each antenna within a primary array is disposed to project a bea…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.