Wireless-Wireline Architecture for Indoor Signal Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face challenges in managing channels effectively, especially in dense cities where physical barriers like buildings degrade wireless signals, particularly for higher frequency spectra, leading to poor indoor coverage and increased costs for infrastructure expansion.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless and wireline architecture that leverages pre-existing copper within buildings to transmit signals, using wireless portions for outdoor communication and wireline portions to traverse physical barriers, thereby reducing signal degradation and infrastructure costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wireless signals are used to traverse physical barriers such as buildings, then wireless communication coverage can be extended, but signal degradation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireline infrastructure (copper wiring) as an intermediary medium to carry wireless signals through physical barriers. Instead of attempting to propagate wireless signals directly through buildings, the system converts signals to wireline format for traversal through structures, then converts back to wireless format for indoor distribution, thereby maintaining signal quality while extending coverage area
Solution Approach 2:
The communication channel is segmented into wireless segments (outdoor transmission) and wireline segments (indoor transmission through buildings). This segmentation allows each segment to use the most appropriate transmission medium for its specific function, with wireline handling the challenging indoor penetration and wireless handling outdoor mobility
2Reliability
If small cell towers are deployed to extend wireless signal range into buildings, then indoor coverage is improved, but infrastructure cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repurposes existing copper wiring infrastructure (originally installed for telephone or data services) to carry wireless communication signals. This multi-functional use of existing infrastructure eliminates the need for dedicated small cell towers in buildings, reducing deployment cost while maintaining indoor coverage reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The existing copper wiring infrastructure within buildings serves dual purposes: its original function (telephone/data) and the new function of carrying wireless signals. This self-service approach leverages already-deployed infrastructure to solve the indoor coverage problem without requiring additional expensive infrastructure
3Productivity
If higher frequency spectra are used for wireless communication, then bandwidth and performance improve, but sensitivity to physical barriers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireline infrastructure acts as a protective intermediary that shields high-frequency wireless signals from the harmful effects of physical barriers. By converting high-frequency signals to wireline format for indoor transmission, the system preserves the bandwidth benefits of high-frequency spectra while avoiding their sensitivity to building structures
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, devices and methods for improving the performance and range of wireless communication systems. In various embodiments, a wireless and wireline architecture is implemented to allow a channel to more efficiently span physical barriers within the channel. The wireline portion of the channel may leverage pre-existing copper deployed within a building by interfacing copper with north and south transceiver nodes that allow the signal to propagate through a physical structure on the wire itself resulting in significantly less signal degradation compared to the signal having to traverse the physical structure wirelessly.