Television distribution system and method using transmitting antennas on peripheries of adjacent cells within a service area

A system for distributing broadband program data to a service area comprising:

• a plurality of groups of spaced transmitting antennas disposed substantially on the peripheries of adjacent cells within said service area;
• each of said transmitting antennas being directional and directed to propagate substantially simulcast frequency hopping signals, each carrying the broadband program data, in a first directional pattern into the cell bounded by the periphery with which the antenna is associated and in a second directional pattern into an adjacent cell;
• the propagation patterns of the transmitting antennas of a cell with whose periphery they are associated being of a shape and extent so as to overlap over substantially a major portion of the area enclosed within said periphery;
• plural receivers in each of multiple cells receiving multiple time separated versions of said frequency hopping signals and having a despreader and Rake processing device processing said versions of said signals to provide a substantially single output signal carrying said broadband program data from each such receiver;
• and
• display devices connected to receive said substantially single output signal and provide a sensorially perceptible display corresponding to at least a portion of said substantially single output signal.

In a cellular system for distributing a wireless signal to a service area the method comprising the steps of:

• a) substantially simulcasting into cells in said service area from plural transmitting antennas disposed substantially on the periphery of the cells directional signals directed from the antennas disposed on the periphery of a cell into said cell so that the propagation patterns of said antennas in said cell overlap over substantially a major portion of the area of said cell;
• b) transmitting said directional signals from said antennas into said cells as spread spectrum signals carrying broadband information;
• c) receiving said spread spectrum signals at plural receivers located in at least one of said cells in the area of overlap of said propagation patterns including receiving a time delayed version of one of the spread spectrum signals;
• d) processing at least a portion of the received signals to acquire a single copy thereof;
• and
• e) presenting the broadband information contained in the acquired signal to a user in sensorially perceptible form.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of groups of spaced directional antennas disposed substantially on the peripheries of adjacent cells within a service area, said directional antennas propagating substantially simulcast signals in a first directional pattern into at least the cell bounded by the periphery with which the antenna is associated;
• the propagation patterns of the directional antennas of a cell with whose periphery they are associated being of a shape and extent so as to overlap over substantially a major portion of the area enclosed within said periphery;
• an omnidirectional antenna disposed at a center of said service area and propagating said substantially simulcast signals in a unidirectional pattern into said cells within said service area;
• plural receivers in each of multiple cells receiving multiple time separated versions of said signals and having a signal processing device processing said versions of said signals to provide a substantially single output signal;
• and
• display devices connected to receive said substantially single output signal and provide a sensorially perceptible display corresponding to at least a portion of said substantially single output signal.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of groups of spaced transmitting antennas disposed substantially on the peripheries of adjacent cells within a service area;
• each of said transmitting antennas being directional and directed to propagate and substantially simulcast the same signals in a first directional pattern into at least the cell bounded by the periphery with which the antenna is associated, each of said cells in the service area receiving said same signals;
• the propagation patterns of the transmitting antennas of a cell with whose periphery they are associated being of a shape and extent so as to overlap over substantially a major portion of the area enclosed within said periphery;
• plural receivers in each of multiple cells receiving multiple time separated versions of said same signals and having a signal processing device processing said versions of said same signals to provide a substantially single output signal;
• and
• display devices connected to receive said substantially single output signal and provide a sensorially perceptible display corresponding to at least a portion of said substantially single output signal.