Ground-Level Telecom Housing for Urban Dead Zone Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dead zones in urban areas, created by shadows of surrounding buildings, are not reached by conventional signal masts, resulting in areas where user devices cannot connect to telecommunications networks, causing disruptions in services like mobile phone calls, internet connectivity for smart vehicles, and smart meter communications.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a housing with multiple user compartments and at least one host compartment, equipped with an optical fibre device, an antenna, and a power supply device, which enables user equipment to connect to shared resources and extend network coverage into dead zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If signal masts are positioned on roof tops to maximise antenna reach, then signal coverage area is improved, but dead zones are created in low elevation areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the signal coverage function into two segments: high-elevation signal masts for broad area coverage and ground-level apparatus for dead zone coverage. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromise, with the ground-level apparatus specifically targeting areas inaccessible to elevated masts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by placing signal transmission apparatus at ground level rather than only at elevated positions. This dimensional change creates a complementary coverage layer that reaches into low-elevation dead zones that traditional elevated masts cannot access.
2Reliability
If conventional street side cabinets are used for telecommunication equipment, then security and access control are improved, but deployment in dead zones is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal apparatus that combines multiple functions: it provides secure equipment housing like traditional cabinets while simultaneously serving as a signal transmission point for dead zone coverage. The apparatus can be deployed in various locations (ground level, street furniture, buildings) and supports multiple network functions, making it adaptable to diverse dead zone scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic deployment system where the apparatus can be flexibly positioned in various locations rather than being fixed to traditional cabinet sites. The modular design allows adaptation to different environments and can be relocated or reconfigured as network requirements change, providing versatility in dead zone deployment.
3Reliability
If multiple user equipment are deployed in dead zones, then network connectivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple previously separate components into a single integrated apparatus: user equipment housing, optical fibre interface, antenna system, and power supply are combined into one unified structure. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity while enabling multiple functions to be deployed together in dead zones, improving connectivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where user equipment units are housed within compartments of the apparatus, which itself is contained within a protective external housing. This nested organization allows multiple devices to be integrated efficiently, sharing common resources like power supply and antenna systems, thereby reducing overall complexity compared to separate deployments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus allows multiple users to deploy user equipment in dead zones, connecting them to optical fibre networks and data centres, providing stable and reliable connectivity, and enabling easy scalability and efficient operation as a discrete mobile tower.
Implementation Method 1
an antenna configured to receive wireless communication signals and to communicate the received wireless communication signals to the one or more user equipment
Implementation Method 2
an optical fibre device for receiving input signals from the user equipment and to output corresponding signals for transmission over one or more optical fibres connected thereto
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an apparatus for a telecommunications network, comprising a housing having a plurality of user compartments and at least one host compartment; wherein each of the plurality of user compartments is configured to house one or more user equipment; wherein the at least one host compartment is configured to house an optical fibre device for receiving input signals from the user equipment and to output corresponding signals for transmission over one or more optical fibres connected thereto; wherein the apparatus is configured to house an antenna to be communicatively coupled with the one or more user equipment housed in one or more of the plurality of user compartments, the antenna being configured to receive wireless communication signals and to communicate the received wireless communication signals to the one or more user equipment; wherein the apparatus is configured to house a power supply device for providing power to the antenna, the optical fibre device, and the one or more user equipment.