Hybrid Wired-Wireless OFDM Coverage System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current hybrid wired-wireless communication systems face challenges in providing efficient and cost-effective point-to-multipoint communication solutions that can seamlessly integrate wired and wireless mediums, particularly in overcoming multipath, noise, and interference issues while supporting high-rate applications and multiple users.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a hybrid system using OFDM or OFDMA modulation, which enables simultaneous communication over both wired and wireless mediums, employing a centralized synchronizing communication controller and hybrid converters to manage bandwidth and synchronization, thereby overcoming multipath, noise, and interference challenges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hybrid wired-wireless communication systems are implemented to provide point-to-multipoint communication, then communication coverage and accessibility are improved, but system complexity and integration challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines wired and wireless communication systems into a hybrid architecture where cable modems and wireless modems work together through a head-end system. The wired distribution network and wireless access network are merged to provide unified point-to-multipoint communication, allowing users to access services through either wired or wireless medium depending on availability and requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The head-end system is designed to perform multiple functions including managing both wired and wireless networks, performing frequency conversion, and coordinating communication across different mediums. The system can serve both cable modem users and wireless modem users through a single infrastructure, providing universal access to communication services.
2Reliability
If OFDM or OFDMA modulation is used to overcome multipath and noise issues, then communication reliability and interference resistance are improved, but signal processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs OFDM which segments the data stream into multiple parallel sub-carrier modulations. This segmentation allows the system to handle multipath interference and noise more effectively by distributing information across multiple frequency components, with each sub-carrier experiencing less severe fading conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses OFDMA which allows dynamic allocation of sub-carriers to different users based on channel conditions. By changing modulation parameters and resource allocation dynamically, the system optimizes reliability for each user while managing processing complexity through efficient resource utilization.
3Productivity
If bandwidth is increased to support high-rate applications, then data transmission speed is improved, but susceptibility to multipath and interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-carrier modulation to multi-carrier OFDM/OFDMA modulation, effectively adding a frequency dimension to the communication system. By spreading data across multiple frequency sub-carriers, the system achieves high data rates while being more resilient to multipath effects, as different sub-carriers experience different fading conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The wide bandwidth is segmented into multiple narrow sub-carriers through OFDM. Each sub-carrier operates at a lower rate individually but collectively provides high throughput. This segmentation reduces susceptibility to multipath because the narrow sub-carriers are less affected by frequency-selective fading than a single wideband signal.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for ubiquitously covering a selected area with a single wireless communication channel. At least two wireless converters are placed at different locations to provide an aggregated wireless coverage area, the wireless converters covering wirelessly only a respective portion of a selected area with least two portions at least partially overlapping. An OFDM base station transmits a sequence of OFDM signals simultaneously via at least two distribution lines, each OFDM signal modulated by sub-carriers. The wireless converters simultaneously receive, via respective distribution lines, the OFDM signals from the OFDM base station, and up-convert a respective OFDM signal into an RF band to re-transmit wirelessly the respective OFDM signal. At least two re-transmissions of each OFDM signal arrive at a wireless client device. Each sub-carrier from each OFDM signal re-transmission can combine with the respective sub-carrier of the other re-transmissions of said respective OFDM signal, thereby facilitating said ubiquitous coverage.