Wireless access unit utilizing adaptive spectrum exploitation

A communications system comprising:

• a plurality of terrestrial user devices distributed within a service region, each of said plurality of terrestrial user devices including a wireless transceiver for use in communicating with other wireless entities within said geographic region;
• a communications platform, located outside said service region, that is capable of providing high data rate information services;
• and
• a wireless access unit (WAU) for use in providing a communications connection between said plurality of terrestrial user devices and said communications platform, said WAU including:
• a spectrum scan unit for scanning a spectral environment about said WAU;
• a multi-channel transceiver, coupled to said spectrum scan unit, for use in communicating with said plurality of terrestrial user devices via a plurality of terrestrial wireless links, said multi-channel transceiver determining transmit signal parameters for said plurality of terrestrial wireless links based on information related to said spectral environment;
• and
• an interface device, coupled to said multi-channel transceiver, for use in communicating with said communications platform.

A wireless access unit (WAU) for use in providing high data rate information services to a plurality of terrestrial user devices via a plurality of terrestrial wireless links, said plurality of terrestrial user devices being distributed within a coverage region, said WAU comprising:

• a spectrum scan unit for scanning a spectral environment about said WAU;
• a spectrum allocation unit for allocating spectrum to each of the plurality of terrestrial wireless links based upon information related to said spectral environment, said spectrum allocation unit generating an allocation control signal;
• and
• a radio channel, coupled to said spectrum allocation unit, for use in generating a transmit signal for delivery to a first terrestrial user device in the plurality of terrestrial user devices, said radio channel being responsive to said allocation control signal for setting a frequency of said transmit signal.

A communications system comprising:

• a plurality of wireless access units (WAU) distributed within a terrestrial coverage region, each of said plurality of WAUs for use in providing high data rate information services to other WAUs in said plurality of WAUs, at least one of said plurality of WAUs comprising:
• a spectrum scan unit for scanning a spectral environment about said at least one WAU;
• an environment understanding processor, coupled to said spectrum scan unit, for assembling and providing signal information related to signal emitters in proximity to said at least one WAU;
• and
• a multi-channel transceiver, coupled to said environment understanding processor, for use in communicating with other WAUs via a plurality of terrestrial wireless links, said multi-channel transceiver determining transmit signal parameters for said plurality of terrestrial wireless links using said signal information.