Wireless communication system with detectors for extraneous received signals

A base station configured for use in a wireless communications system having a plurality of the base stations;

• and a plurality of remotely located terminal units;
• the base stations and the remotely located terminal units having respective communication modules for transmitting and receiving data over operational wireless communication links between at least the base stations and the terminal units, the communication modules including respective in-channel receiver elements for signals received over the operational communication links;
• and at least one base station controller configured to control channel parameters used by the base stations for the respective communication links, the channel parameters including allocations of frequencies for use in the communication links;
• wherein the base station comprises:
• at least one in-channel detector and at least one out-of-channel detector for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the in-channel detector is configured to analyse signals from the communication modules in the base station received over channels corresponding to respective operational communication links for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the out-of-channel detector includes out-of-channel receiver elements that are configured to monitor possibly available channels alternative to the respective operational communication link channels for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the base station is configured to send to the base station controller reports of detection of extraneous received signals from the in-channel detectors and out-of-channel detectors, and to register whether channels are available or not for communication links, and to allocate to the base station target channel parameters including frequencies available for operational and alternative communication links;
• wherein the base station is configured to store the respective target channel parameters that have been checked successfully to be available for alternative communication links;
• and
• wherein the base station is configured to change channel parameters used for the respective operational communication links as a function of the stored target channel parameters without further previous availability checking of the alternative communication link channel.

A base station for a wireless communications system having one or more of the base stations;

• and a plurality of remotely located terminal units;
• wherein the base stations and the remotely located terminal units have respective communication modules configured for transmitting and receiving data over operational wireless communication links between at least the base stations and the terminal units, the communication modules including respective in-channel receiver elements for signals received over the operational communication links;
• wherein the base station comprises:
• at least one in-channel detector and at least one out-of-channel detector for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the in-channel detector is configured to analyse signals from the communication modules in the base station received over channels corresponding to respective operational communication links for detecting extraneous received signals;
• and
• wherein the out-of-channel detector includes out-of-channel receiver elements that are configured to monitor possibly available channels alternative to the respective operational communication link channels for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the base station is configured to store respective target channel parameters including frequencies that have been checked successfully to be available for alternative communication links;
• and
• wherein the base station is configured to change channel parameters used for the respective operational communication links as a function of the stored target channel parameters without further previous availability checking of the alternative communication link channel.

A wireless communication system. comprising:

• a plurality of base stations;
• a plurality of remotely located terminal units;
• the base stations and the remotely located terminal units having respective communication modules configured for transmitting and receiving data over operational wireless communication links between at least the base stations and the terminal units, the communication modules including respective in-channel receiver elements for signals received over the operational communication links;
• wherein at least a plurality of base stations include respective in-channel detectors and out-of-channel detectors for detecting extraneous received signals;
• and
• at least one detection node including an out-of-channel detector for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the in-channel detectors are configured to analyse signals from the communication modules in the base stations received over operational communication links;
• wherein the out-of-channel detectors include respective out-of-channel receiver elements that are configured to monitor possibly available channels alternative to the respective operational communication link channels for detecting extraneous received signals;
• wherein the base stations and the detection node are configured to provide reports of detection of extraneous received signals from the in-channel detectors and out-of-channel detectors;
• wherein the base stations are configured to register whether channels are available or not for communication links and store respective target channel parameters including frequencies that have been checked successfully to be available for alternative communication links with respect to extraneous received signals;
• and
• wherein the base stations are configured to change channel parameters used for the respective operational communication links as a function of the stored target channel parameters without further previous availability checking of the alternative communication link channel.