Communication system having a community wireless local area network for voice and high speed data communication

Abstract

One embodiment of a system comprises a community WLAN comprising fixed equipment that includes a centralized base transceiver station (CBTS) coupled to a public network and a plurality of remote transceiver stations (RTSs) each coupled to a number of a plurality of UEs, and, via a radio link, to the CBTS. Respective cellular radio frequency signals transmitted by the CBTS to the RTSs and by each RTS to the CBTS are frequency converted from respective first frequencies within conventional cellular frequency bands to respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands. The respective frequency-converted cellular radio frequency signals received by the CBTS from the RTSs and by each RTS from the CBTS are frequency converted from respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands to respective first frequencies within the conventional cellular frequency bands.

1 . A system for communicating between a public network and a plurality of user equipment terminals (UEs) at a plurality of locations, the system comprising:
 a community wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising fixed equipment that includes:
 a centralized base transceiver station (CBTS) coupled to the public network; and 
 a plurality of remote transceiver stations (RTSs) each coupled to a number of the plurality of UEs, and, via a radio link, to the CBTS; 
   wherein at least one of the RTSs is located at each of the plurality of locations; and   wherein the CBTS and each RTS comprises a respective cellular transceiver to communicate therebetween in order to provide communication between the public network and the plurality of UEs;   wherein respective cellular radio frequency signals transmitted by the CBTS to the RTSs and by each RTS to the CBTS are frequency converted from respective first frequencies within conventional cellular frequency bands to respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands; and   wherein the respective frequency-converted cellular radio frequency signals received by the CBTS from the RTSs and by each RTS from the CBTS are frequency converted from respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands to respective first frequencies within the conventional cellular frequency bands.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conventional cellular frequency bands comprise conventional licensed cellular frequency bands. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the public network comprises a public switched telephone network and an Internet, and wherein the CBTS is coupled to the public network via a trunk. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the CBTS and each RTS further comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to provide voice communication between the public network and the plurality of UEs. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the WLAN transceiver is compatible with an open standard protocol selected from a group consisting of: High Performance Local Area Network (HiperLAN/1); High Performance Local Area Network (HiperLAN/2); and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 (IEEE 802.11). 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the CBTS and each of the plurality of RTSs includes a respective frequency converter. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the public network comprises a public switched telephone network and the Internet, and wherein the CBTS is coupled to the public network via a public wireless network. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a centralized base transceiver station (CBTS) coupled to a public network; and   a plurality of remote transceiver stations (RTSs), each coupled to a plurality of user equipment terminals (UEs) at a plurality of locations, and, via a radio link, to the CBTS;   wherein at least one of the RTSs is located at each of the plurality of locations; and   wherein the CBTS and each RTS comprises:
 a respective cellular transceiver that transmits and receives cellular radio frequency signals at frequencies within conventional cellular frequency bands; and 
 a respective frequency converter; 
   wherein respective cellular radio frequency signals transmitted by the CBTS to the RTSs and by each RTS to the CBTS are frequency converted by the respective frequency converter from respective first frequencies within conventional cellular frequency bands to respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands; and   wherein the respective frequency-converted cellular radio frequency signals received by the CBTS from the RTSs and by each RTS from the CBTS are frequency converted by the respective frequency converter from respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands to respective first frequencies within the conventional cellular frequency bands.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the conventional cellular frequency bands comprise conventional licensed cellular frequency bands. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each cellular transceiver is adapted to communicate at a frequency band within a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) specification. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each cellular transceiver is adapted to communicate at a frequency band of at least about 3.5 Ghz. 
     
     
         12 . In a communication system including a community wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising fixed equipment that includes a centralized base transceiver station (CBTS) coupled to a public network, and a plurality of remote transceiver stations (RTSs) each coupled to a number of a plurality of User Equipment terminals (UEs) located at a plurality of locations, and, via a radio link, to the CBTS, a method of communicating between the plurality of UEs and the public network, the method comprising:
 receiving call information in the community WLAN;   providing subscriber identification and security information for the UE to the community WLAN using at least one of the RTSs; and   coupling the UE to the public network over the community WLAN, wherein coupling the UE to the public network comprises coupling the CBTS to the RTS via a radio link using a cellular standard;   wherein at least one of the RTSs is located at each of the plurality of locations;   wherein the CBTS and each RTS comprises a respective cellular transceiver to communicate therebetween;   wherein respective cellular radio frequency signals transmitted by the CBTS to the RTSs and by each RTS to the CBTS are frequency converted from respective first frequencies within conventional cellular frequency bands to respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands; and   wherein the respective frequency-converted cellular radio frequency signals received by the CBTS from the RTSs and by each RTS from the CBTS are frequency converted from respective second frequencies above the conventional cellular frequency bands to respective first frequencies within the conventional cellular frequency bands.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conventional cellular frequency bands comprise conventional licensed cellular frequency bands. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the public network comprises a public switched telephone network and an Internet, and wherein coupling the UE to the public network comprises coupling the CBTS to the public network via a trunk. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the CBTS and each RTS further comprises a WLAN transceiver, and wherein coupling the UE to the public network comprises coupling the CBTS to the RTS using a WLAN standard to provide voice communication between the public network and the plurality of UEs. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the WLAN standard is an open standard protocol selected from a group consisting of: High Performance Local Area Network (HiperLAN/1); High Performance Local Area Network (HiperLAN/2); and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 (IEEE 802.11). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the public network comprises a public switched telephone network and the Internet, and wherein coupling the UE to the public network comprises coupling the CBTS to the public network via a public wireless network.