Patent ID: 6323980
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
A communications system, comprising:a first picocell assembly, said first picocell assembly including a first base station with a first plurality of optical transceivers that are connected to one another, at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers operating to establish an optical communication link with one of a second plurality of optical transceivers, said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers including a pointing mechanism adapted to independently align said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers of said first picocell assembly with one of said second plurality of optical transceivers, and said first picocell assembly also including a second communicating element operating to communicate with a user within an area of said first picocell assembly, said second communicating element connected with at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers and allowing communication over said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers, and said first picocell assembly also including a control element that controls communication between said second communicating element and said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers to one of said second plurality of optical transceivers; anda second picocell assembly, said second picocell assembly including a second base station with said second plurality of optical transceivers that are connected to one another, at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers operating to establish an optical communication link with said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers of said first base station of said first picocell assembly, said at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers including a pointing mechanism adapted to independently align said at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers of said second picocell assembly with said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers of said first picocell assembly, and said second picocell assembly also including a second communicating element operating to communicate with a user within an area of said second picocell assembly, said second communicating element of said second picocell assembly connected with at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers and allowing communication over said at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers, and said second picocell assembly also including a second control element that controls communication between said second communicating element of said second picocell assembly and said at least one of said second plurality of optical transceivers and to said at least one of said first plurality of optical transceivers of said first picocell assembly.