WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS EMPLOYING FREE-SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS LINKS

摘要

The cells of a wireless communications system can be subdivided intosmaller subcells, in each of which the available radio frequencies can be re-used to allowdenser use of the system. To avoid having to run hard-wired communications links tobroadcast antennas of the subcells, substantially unguided, free-space, opticalcommunication is used between the antenna that formerly served the cell and the subcellantennas. The existing hard-wired connection from the central antenna to the remainder ofthe wireless communications system infrastructure continues to be used for communicationto and from the cell.