US 6,005,884 AGranted

Distributed architecture for a wireless data communications system

AssigneeEMS Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJoel Powell Cook, Randolph Raymond Beebe, Thomas Edward Sharon

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Abstract

A data communications system characterized by the combination of a base station connected to a plurality of repeaters for communicating with remote terminals in response to outgoing data from a host computer and for communicating with the host computer in response to incoming data from the remote terminals. Each repeater is assigned a coverage area with in a predetermined communications area to support data communications with the remote terminals located within its coverage area. In response to incoming data, a repeater conducts a signal amplification operation and outputs amplified incoming data to the base station via a first communications link. The base station processes the amplified incoming data and, in turn, generates processed incoming data for distribution to the host computer via a second communications link. The base station also processes the outgoing data from the host computer to generate processed outgoing data, and sends transmitted outgoing data to each repeater via the first communications link. Each repeater connected to the base station can amplify the transmitted outgoing data, and outputs amplified outgoing data to the remote terminals within its coverage area.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a communications system characterized by a plurality of remote terminals within a predetermined area, a host computer for controlling the communications system, and an improved access point for communicating with the remote terminals in response to outgoing data from the host computer and for communicating with the host computer in response to incoming data from the remote terminals, the improved access point comprising:

a plurality of repeaters, each repeater having one of a plurality of coverage areas in the predetermined area to communicate with the remote terminals located within its coverage area, each repeater including an antenna system and operative to amplify the incoming data received via the antenna system to output amplified incoming data;
a base station, connected to each of the repeaters via a first wired communications link and to the host computer via a second communications link, for receiving the amplified incoming data from the repeaters via the first wired communications link and, in response, outputting processed incoming data to the host computer via the second communications link,
the base station further operative for accepting the outgoing data from the host computer via the second communications link and, in response, sending transmitted outgoing data to each repeater via the first wired communications link,
each repeater further operative to amplify the transmitted outgoing data to output amplified outgoing data via the antenna system to the remote terminals within its coverage area each repeater comprising:
an up-converter, connected to the first wired communications link, for converting the IF signal of the outgoing data to the RF signal of the outgoing data;
a transmit amplifier, connected between the up-converter and the antenna system, for amplifying the RF signal of the outgoing data to generate amplified outgoing data for transmission via the antenna system to the remote terminals within the coverage area of the repeater;
a receive amplifier, connected to the antenna system, for amplifying the RF signal of the incoming data supplied via the antenna system to generate amplified incoming data;
and
a down-converter, connected between the first wired communications link and the receive amplifier, for converting the amplified incoming data to the IF signal of the incoming data.

6 more elements

In a spread spectrum communications system characterized by a plurality of remote terminals within a predetermined area, a host computer for controlling the communications system, and an improved access point for communicating with the remote terminals in response to outgoing data from the host computer and for communicating with the host computer in response to incoming data from the remote terminals, the improved access point comprising:

a plurality of repeaters, each repeater having one of a plurality of coverage areas in the predetermined area to communicate with the remote terminals located within its coverage area, each repeater including an antenna system and operative to amplify the incoming data received via the antenna system to output amplified incoming data;
and
a base station, comprising:
a radio transceiver, operating in a spread spectrum communications mode and connected to each of the repeaters via a first wired communications link, for receiving the amplified incoming data from the repeaters via the first wired communications link and, in response, outputting detected incoming data;
and
a communications interface, located outside of the predetermined area and connected to the host computer via a second communications link and to the transceiver, for processing the detected incoming data from the transceiver to generate processed incoming data and for processing the outgoing data from the host computer to generate processed outgoing data, the communications interface further operative to forward the processed incoming data to the host computer via the second communications link and to forward the processed outgoing data to the transceiver,
wherein the transceiver is further operative to send transmitted outgoing data to each repeater via the first wired communications link in response to the processed outgoing data, and
each repeater is further operative to amplify the transmitted outgoing data to output amplified outgoing data via the antenna system to the remote terminals within its coverage area.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.