Patent Publication Number: US-7583239-B2

Title: Wireless communications device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a wireless system; and, more particularly, to a wireless system for use in a low power data communications in a sub-millimeter wave zone whose effective channels are increased in number within a limited frequency range. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Low power data communications systems capable of non-licensed wireless communications are already in practical use. Such systems do not need any license and are convenient to use. However, when such systems are being used, it is difficult to find out who are using them and how they are being used. Therefore, conventionally, such systems try to detect an interference, and if an interference is found, communications are performed through other channels or stopped until the interference disappears (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Applications No. 2001-45538, No. H5-300047 and No. H5-206942). Therefore, additional communications become practically impossible to be performed with such systems when the number of users thereof reaches a certain level. 
     This is inevitable in that, since any non-occupied channels can be used by anybody, users of the wireless systems for non-licensed communications, unlike ones for licensed communications, cannot secure specific communications channels for their exclusive use, causing inconveniences to the users thereof. 
     The conventional wireless systems for non-licensed communications has a drawback in that, even if a new user thereof has all the apparatuses for implementing such systems installed, there exists a possibility that non-occupied channels may not be available for the new user&#39;s use depending on the channel situation. Therefore, there have been demands for a method for increasing the number of effective channels within a limited frequency range. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wireless system whose effective channels are increased in number. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a wireless system for use in a low power data communications in a sub-millimeter wave zone, including at least one wireless communications device having a directional antenna whose cross-polarization discrimination is not less than 24 dB, wherein the wireless system uses a plurality of planes of polarization selectively. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  show graphs illustrating antenna gains of an exemplary antenna in a wireless system with respect to H plane and E plane, respectively; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a wireless system; 
         FIG. 3  provides another exemplary arrangement of the wireless system; 
         FIG. 4  represents a range where a wireless communications device can be installed in relation to another wireless communications device; 
         FIG. 5  offers a configuration diagram of a wireless communications device in a low power data communications system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are rear views of exemplary arrangements of the wireless communications device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  present rear views of other exemplary arrangements of the wireless communications device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  provides a rear perspective view of a wireless communications device and compartments fixed thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a front perspective view of a wireless communications device and compartments fixed thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  shows a left side view of a wireless communications device and compartments fixed thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 11A to 11D  respectively describe a plane view, a front view, a side view and a rear view of the wireless communications device and compartments attached thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a hood and a fixing metallic part are removed from the wireless communications device, and a pole is fixed to the wireless communications device; 
         FIG. 12A  offers a simplified rear view of the wireless communications device and compartments attached thereto in accordance with a first modification of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12B  shows a rear perspective view of an antenna fixing part separated from the wireless communications device in accordance with the first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12C  depicts a simplified rear perspective view of the wireless communications device in a state where the antenna fixing part is removed therefrom in accordance with the first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13A  offers a partial rear view of the wireless communications device and compartments attached thereto in accordance with a second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13B  shows a partial rear view of an antenna fixing part separated from the wireless communications device in accordance with the second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13C  depicts a simplified rear perspective view of the wireless communications device in a state where an antenna fixing part is removed therefrom in accordance with the second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention makes use of a feature of the electromagnetic wave that two electromagnetic waves whose planes of polarization are mutually orthogonal can be used without influencing each other. Thus, it is possible to increase the number of effective channels for a wireless system for a non-licensed communications in a sub-millimeter wave zone by using an antenna having an improved polarization characteristic. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  show graphs illustrating antenna gains of an exemplary antenna in a wireless system with respect to H plane and E plane, respectively. The antenna is a beam antenna of a sharp directivity, having an absolute gain of 31 dBi and a half power angle of 4 degrees.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  represent normalized antenna gains with respect to H plane and E plane, respectively, when an antenna is set to be orthogonal to a plane of polarization of the wireless system, wherein the normalized antenna gains are obtained by normalizing the antenna gains by a maximum of the antenna gain on the plane of polarization, i.e., the antenna gain at the center of the beam. The targeted value of the antenna gain, which is represented by line segments between −20 dB and −30 dB, can be achieved easily, since the antenna cross-polarization discrimination of 30 dB or more can be secured easily by using current technologies. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a wireless system. The wireless system  1  includes wireless communications devices  11  and  12  respectively having an antenna and arranged in a direction opposite to each other to perform wireless communications therebetween. Additionally, another wireless system  2  including wireless communications devices  21  and  22  is arranged in parallel with the wireless system  1  in a manner that the wireless communications devices  12  is in line with the wireless communications devices  22 , wherein the wireless system  2  uses a channel of a same frequency as that of the wireless system  1 . In this case, since the wireless communications devices  11  and  21  are arranged to confront the wireless communications devices  12  and  22 , respectively, a considerable degree of interference occurs therebetween. However, by setting the plane of polarization for the wireless system  2  to be different from that for the wireless system  1 , interference can be reduced by the cross-polarization discrimination. 
     Let us assume that demodulations can be carried out with a carrier to noise ratio (C/N) of 16 dB in a 16 QAM (16-Quardrature Amplitude Modulation) scheme theoretically, and that the C/N reduction due to the interfering wave is 1 dB. Then, the C/N of the wireless system  1  would be 16 dB with an installation of the wireless system  2 , but would be 17 dB if it were not for the wireless system  2 . Therefore, the interference level with respect to the carrier can be obtained by the following:
 
0-10log(10 −1.6 -10 −1.7 )=24 dB  Eq. (1)
 
Thus, if signals of the wireless system  1  propagate a substantially same distance as those of the wireless system  2  as shown in  FIG. 2 , and if the signal level of the wireless system  1  is substantially same as that of the wireless system  2 , the interference level is lower than the cross-polarization discrimination by 6 dB.
 
       FIG. 3  provides another exemplary arrangement of the wireless system. As shown therein, the wireless communications device  11  and  21  are arranged to be opposite to the wireless communications devices  12  and  22  and distanced therefrom by l 1 , respectively. Further, the wireless system  2  is arranged in parallel with the wireless system  1 , and the wireless communications device  22  is positioned farther along the signal path by l 2  compared to the wireless communications device  21  such that a distance between the wireless communications device  21  and  22  is approximately l 2 . With this arrangement, the interference is increased because the distance between the wireless communications devices  11  and  22  is reduced by approximately l 2 . However, since the interference level is lower than the cross-polarization discrimination by 6 dB as can be seen by Eq. (1), the demodulation can be properly performed as long as the length l 2  does not exceed to a length equivalent to a propagation loss of 6 dB. 
     In general, a propagation loss in the sub-millimeter wave zone, e.g., 24.75 to 25.25 GHz or 27 to 27.5 GHz, in accordance with this embodiment amounts to a free space loss obtained by 20log d, wherein d is a propagation distance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the length equivalent to a propagation loss of 6 dB is l 1 /2. 
       FIG. 4  represents a range where the wireless communications device  12  can be installed in relation to the wireless communications device  11 . A fan shaped region abc represents a range where communications can be performed between the wireless communications devices  11  and  12 , and. an angle θ is a half power angle. 
     If the wireless communications device  22  is installed in the region abc to be arranged opposite to the wireless communications device  11 , the interference level is allowable in a region dbce where a distance to the wireless communications device  11  is longer than l 3 , but is not allowable in a region ade where a distance to the wireless communications device  11  is shorter than l 3 , wherein l 3  is equal to l 1 /2. 
     Since an area of the region dbce is ¾ of that of the region ade, the ratio of reused frequency in the region abc is equal to 75%. This is equivalent to an increase in the number of effective channels by 7/4 times. Considering that, in principle, the number of effective channels cannot be increased more than two times by using two types of polarization, the 7/4 times increase in the number of effective channels can be assessed as a favorable result, and the cross-polarization discrimination of 30 dB can be roughly regarded as both necessary and sufficient. If the cross-polarization discrimination is set to be 20 dB, communications cannot be performed in a same frequency even when employing the arrangement of  FIG. 2 . Since the arrangement of  FIG. 2  is expected to be used widely, the cross-polarization discrimination needs to be at least 24 dB. 
     In the description above, it was assumed that communications are performed with a maximum output power for a maximum communications distance. If a distance between the wireless communications devices  11  and  12  is shorter than the maximum communications distance, the output power of the wireless communications device  11  is attenuated to, at most, a minimum level necessary for communications, i.e., necessary for securing a C/N level of 17 dB. In this case, the interference level is allowable even when the distance between the wireless communications devices  11  and  22  is shortened to a half of the distance between the wireless communications devices  11  and  12 , if the output power of the wireless communications device  12  is increased to secure the C/N level of the wireless communications device  11 . In other words, even in a case where the wireless communications systems  1  and  2  are operated at a minimum and a maximum output power, respectively, the number of the effective channels is not less than 7/4 times that of the conventional case. Although l 1  shown in  FIG. 4  is shortened, the interference level from the wireless communications device  11  to the wireless communications device  22  is not so high as to cause problems because the output power of the wireless communications device  11  is reduced. 
     In the following, a method for selecting a plane of polarization will be described. When installing a wireless communications device, firstly, the number of non-occupied channels is detected with regard to a horizontal polarization and a vertical polarization, respectively. Conversions between the horizontal polarization and the vertical polarization is performed by rotating the antenna by 90°. 
     The plane of polarization having a greater number of non-occupied channels can thus be found, and the antenna is installed thereon to use the wireless communications device. This is because the communications environment is more preferable when the number of non-occupied channels is greater. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 5  offers a configuration diagram of a wireless communications device in a low power data communications system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communications device is connected to LAN by one-to-one wireless communications with another wireless communications device arranged opposite thereto by using TDD in a range of 25 GHz. A maximum communications distance thereof is about 1 km, and a maximum communications rate thereof is about 150 Mbps. The wireless communications device includes an antenna, an RF unit, a modulation/demodulation LSI, a frame processing unit, a memory transmission unit, a LAN control unit, and a controller unit. In the configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , the antenna is included therein and incorporated thereto. Further, the RF unit includes a mixer, a local oscillator, and a band pass filter (all not shown) to perform a frequency conversion. Furthermore, it may be configured such that information on, e.g., non-occupied channels can be obtained by, e.g., a proper command by a remote login to an IP address of the wireless communications device through telnet. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are rear views of exemplary arrangements of the wireless communications device  11  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a plane of polarization of the antenna shown in  FIG. 6A  differs from that shown in  FIG. 6B  by 90°. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the wireless communications device  11  is of a box shape and looks like a square when seen from a front thereof. An antenna and/or the like are accommodated therein at a front thereof, and a wireless circuit and/or the like are installed therein at a back side thereof. Used as the antenna is a planar antenna, e.g., a waveguide slot array, of a square shape. 
     A receiving terminal  111  is a contact plug through which an electric power is supplied and electric signals are inputted or outputted. A LAN cable (100 BASE-Tx), for example, is employed therein as a signal line, and a power supply can be also provided therefor by using a product of, e.g., Power Over Ethernet (registered trademark). The receiving terminal  111  is, for example, a “capcon”, which is a waterproof cable clamp. 
     A pole  13  is usually installed in a vertical or horizontal direct with respect to a ground plane, i.e., a horizontal plane. Further, the wireless communications device  11  is fixed to the pole  13  by means of a fixing metallic part  16  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) in a manner that four sides of the wireless communications device  11  are inclined at 45° with respect to the pole  13  when viewed from a front. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , when changing a plane of polarization, the wireless communications device  11  is installed to be rotated by 90°. Therefore, the introduction terminal  111  is arranged at a central portion of a side edge on the rear surface of the wireless communications device  11  in order for the pole  13  not to block or obstruct the introduction terminal  111  and/or a cable extended therefrom even when changing the plane of polarization. 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  present rear views of other exemplary arrangements of the wireless communications device  11  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown therein, in accordance with these exemplary arrangements, an introduction terminal  112  is arranged at a central portion of a side surface of the wireless communications device  11 . Also in this case, the pole  13  can be made not to block or obstruct the introduction terminal  111  and/or a cable extended therefrom. 
       FIGS. 8 to 10  respectively provide a rear perspective view, a front perspective view and a left side view of the wireless communications device  11  and compartments fixed thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a hood  15  is optionally installed to cover an upper portion of the wireless communications device  11 . The hood  15  protects the wireless communications device  11  from snow, which causes an attenuation of communications signals by attaching to a front surface thereof, and also from rain, wind, falling objects, solar heat and so forth, thereby enhancing the reliability. The hood  15  is made of, e.g., an easy-to-fabricate metal plate, and has a shape of a triangular roof slanted at 45°. On the hood  15  or the front surface of the wireless communications device  11 , an anti-adhesion agent for preventing snow or ice attached thereto may be coated. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the fixing metallic part  16  for fixing the wireless communications device  11  to the pole  13  includes a clamping part for clamping the wireless communications device  11  to the pole  13 ; and a tilting part for adjusting a vertical tilt of an antenna beam of the wireless communications device  11 . Further, it is possible to fix the wireless communications device  11  to the pole  13  at two different fixing angles which differ from each other by 90° by, for example, arranging screw grooves of the wireless communications device  11  and the fixing metallic part  16  in a manner symmetrical with respect to 90° rotation. 
     There is provided another fixing metallic part  17  for fixing the hood  15  to the pole  13 . Since, as described above, the hood  15  is not provided as a part of the pole  13  but as a compartment independent from the pole  13  fixed thereto, the wireless communications device  11  and the antenna beam thereof can be protected from getting deformed or misaligned by external forces imposed on the hood  15 , e.g., wind pressure. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIGS. 11A to 11D  respectively describe a plane view, a front view, a side view and a rear view of the wireless communications device  11  and compartments attached thereto in a wireless system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hood  15  and the fixing metallic part  17  are removed from the wireless communications device  11 , and the pole  13  is fixed to the wireless communications device  11 . The wireless communications device  11  shown in  FIGS. 11A to 11D  has a same configuration as that shown in  FIG. 5 . Further, the introduction terminals  111  and  112  are not shown therein. When installing the wireless communications device  11  in accordance with the second embodiment, it is investigated whether a plane of horizontal polarization or a plane of vertical polarization has more non-occupied channels, and the antenna included in the wireless communications device  11  to form a single body with wireless communications device  11  is installed in a manner to use a plane of polarization having more non-occupied channels. 
     In some cases, it becomes necessary to change a plane of polarization to be used, for example, when communications fail frequently by interferences due to an increase in the number of other communications systems using the same plane of polarization. However, a lot of effort and man hours are required therefor, since antenna fixing parts  30  and  31  shown in  FIG. 11  have to be changed to change the plane of polarization to be used. 
     Therefore, there is proposed a second embodiment of the present invention, which is configured such that a plane of polarization to be used can be easily changed.  FIG. 12A  offers a simplified rear view of the wireless communications device  11  and compartments attached thereto in accordance with a first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 12B  shows a rear perspective view of an antenna fixing part  31   a  separated from the wireless communications device  11  in accordance with the first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; and  FIG. 12C  depicts a simplified rear perspective view of the wireless communications device  11  in a state where the antenna fixing part  31   a  is removed therefrom in accordance with the first modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. A plane view, a front view and a side view of the wireless communications device  11  and compartments attached thereto in accordance of a first modification of the second embodiment are same as those of the first embodiment, except that the antenna fixing part  31  is replaced by the antenna fixing part  31   a . As shown therein, on a rear surface of the wireless communications device  11  are formed two bosses, i.e., cylindrical protrusions,  33  and  34  and four screw grooves  37  for fixing therein four bolts  32 . Further, the antenna fixing part  31   a  has a hole  35  for inserting the boss  33 ; an arc hole  36  for inserting the boss  34 ; a hole  35  for inserting the boss  33 ; and four holes  38  for inserting the bolts  32 . 
     The screw grooves  37  are respectively formed at four corners of a right square at whose center is located the boss  33 . When the wireless communications device  11  is fixed to the pole  13  via the antenna fixing parts  30  and  31   a , the wireless communications device  11  is arranged such that each side of the antenna is slanted at 45° with respect to a horizontal plane. The four holes  38  of the antenna fixing part  31   a  are arranged to coincide with the four screw grooves  37 , being positioned at the four corners of the right square at whose center is located the boss  33 . The arc hole  36  is designed such that it has a proper shape to allow the wireless communications device  11  to be rotated at 90° about the boss  33  as a rotational axis while the boss  33  is inserted in the hole  35 , and the plane of polarization of the antenna is to coincide with the horizontal plane or the vertical plane depending the 90° rotation of the wireless communications device  11 . 
     With the configurations in accordance with the first modification of the second embodiment, the plane of polarization can be changed by 90° by performing the steps of removing the four bolts  32  from the wireless communications device  11 , rotating the wireless communications device  11  by 90° about the boss  33  as the rotational axis, and reinserting the four bolts  32  into the wireless communications device  11  to be fixed thereto. In this way, the plane of polarization can be changed more efficiently compared to the case where the antenna fixing parts  30  and  31  have to be replaced to change the plane of polarization. 
       FIG. 13A  offers a partial rear view of the wireless communications device  11  and compartments attached thereto in accordance with a second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 13B  shows a partial rear view of an antenna fixing part  31   b  separated from the wireless communications device  11  in accordance with the second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention; and  FIG. 13C  depicts a simplified rear perspective view of the wireless communications device  11  in a state where the antenna fixing part  31   b  is removed therefrom in accordance with the second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     In accordance with the second modification of the second embodiment, the antenna fixing part  31   a  in the first modification of the second embodiment is replaced with the antenna fixing part  31   b , and the bosses  33  and  34 , the hole  35  and the arc hole  36  are formed on the wireless communications device  11  or the antenna fixing part  31   b  in a same manner as those shown in  FIGS. 12A to 12C . However, two pairs of screw grooves  40   a  and  41   a  are arranged such that a distance between each of the screw grooves  40   a  and the boss  33  is different from that between each of the screw grooves  41   a  and the boss  33 . Further, on the antenna fixing part  31   b  are formed a pair of arc holes  40  in a way symmetrical to each other with respect to the hole  35 , and another pair of arc holes  41  in a way symmetrical to each other with respect to the hole  35  and perpendicular to the arc holes  40 . In addition, a pair of bolts  40   c  are inserted and fixed into the screw grooves  40   a  through the arc holes  40 , and a pair of bolts  41   c  are inserted and fixed into the screw grooves  41   a  through the arc holes  41 , so that the wireless communications device  11  is fixed to the antenna fixing part  31   b.    
     In accordance with this configuration, the arc holes  40  and  41  are formed such that, in a manner similar to the arc hole  36 , the bolts  40   c  and  41   c  are to be positioned at one end of the arc holes  40  and  41  respectively, when the antenna is rotated by 90° about the boss  33 . Thus, the plane of polarization can be changed by 90° by performing the steps of releasing the two pairs of the bolts  40   c  and  41   c , rotating the antenna about the boss  33 , and reinserting to fix the two pairs of the bolts  40   c  and  41   c  to the wireless communications device  11 . In this way, the plane of polarization can be changed more efficiently. 
     Although the wireless communications device  11  was described to have a front view of a right square in the above description, the shape thereof should not be construed to be limited thereto, and may have shapes such as a circle, a rhombus, or a rectangle as its front view. Further, the antenna may not be a part of the wireless communications device  11  but a compartment independent therefrom. In addition, the plane of polarization need not be limited to the horizontal and vertical plane, and may be slanted with respect to the horizontal plane at a specific angle optimal for a specific transmission line. 
     The wireless system in accordance with the present invention, the number of effective channels can be increased by using an antenna having favorable cross-polarization characteristics. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.