Patent ID: 6349217
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A base station having a defined geographic coverage area in a wireless communication system, comprising:a base receiver, a base transmitter, and a base antenna array coupled to the base receiver and the base transmitter; a base station beamformer associated with the base antenna array; a base station processor configured to exchange control and data signals with operating components of the base station; wherein the processor and the beamformer are configured to operate periodically in one of: a first mode wherein the base antenna array defines a broad base antenna beam during a first time interval in which the base transmitter transmits first downlink signals including beacon or acknowledgment signals to a number of subscriber stations over the coverage area wherein the beacon or ackknowledgment signals as are modulated on a base carrier having a known radio frequency, and the base receiver receives first uplink signals including random access signals from the subscriber stations at different locations within the coverage area via the broad base antenna beam, or a second mode wherein the base antenna array steers a narrow base antenna beam in the direction of an acknowledged subscriber station in the coverage area of the base station during a second time interval, in which the base transmitter transmits second downlink signals including base data or traffic signals to the acknowledged subscriber station, wherein the base data or traffic signals are modulated on the base carrier having said known radio frequency and the base receiver receives second uplink signals including subscriber data or traffic signals from the subscriber station, via the narrow base antenna beam; the base receiver is configured to receive the second uplink signals including the subscriber data or traffic signals from the acknowledged subscriber station modulated on one or more subscriber carriers that are transmitted simultaneously with one another from the acknowledged subscriber station, wherein the subscriber carriers have radio frequencies that are selected from among a number of spaced subscriber frequencies within a given frequency spectrum allotment for subscriber stations of the communication system so that the subscriber carriers define corresponding subscriber channels each of a certain bandwidth, and one or more available subscriber carriers are aggregated to meet a desired transmission bandwidth requirement for the subscriber station.