Patent ID: 6708032
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
For use with a cellular wireless communication system having a plurality of geographically distributed cells containing respective base stations with which one or more mobile transceivers communicate over assigned communication channels, a communication infrastructure for controlling the transfer of a mobile transceiver, communicating over a first communication channel with a first base station of a first cell, to a second communication channel through which said mobile transceiver communicates with a second base station of a second cell, in the course of said mobile transceiver moving from said first cell to said second cell, comprising:a first communication subsystem installed at said first base station, and being operative to determine the direction of said mobile transceiver relative to said first base station, and to convey to said second base station first steering vector information representative of the direction of said mobile transceiver relative to said first base station; and a second communication subsystem installed at said second base station, and being operative to generate a second steering vector, representative of the direction of said mobile transceiver relative to said second base station, in accordance with said first steering vector information conveyed thereto from said first base station, and to transmitting energy on said second communication channel at a confined beam width in said direction of said mobile transceiver relative to said second base station, and wherein said second base station contains a phased array antenna, by way of which communication with said mobile transceiver is conducted, and wherein said second communication subsystem is operative to transmit energy on said second communication channel at a confined beam width obtained by said phased array antenna, in said direction of said mobile transceiver relative to said second base station, and wherein said second communication subsystem is operative to transmit an omnidirectional energy burst from a single antenna element of a phased array antenna at a transmission power level of NP, where N is ratio of the average gain of said phased array antenna to the gain of one antenna element of said phased array antenna, and P is the power required for said omnidirectional energy burst to establish a communication link with said mobile transceiver at a boundary of said second cell at the full gain of said phased array antenna.