Abstract: A feeder terminal comprises backhaul communication circuitry connecting a communications network via a wireless backhaul, and providing an access base station with wireless backhaul access. Backhaul information circuitry determines congestion information relating to the wireless backhaul and communication circuitry enables communication with an access base station and provides the congestion information to the access base station. In response to a demand message from the access base station comprising quality of service requirements, the communication circuitry forwards the demand message to the communications network. Additionally, an access base station comprises communication circuitry enabling communication with a feeder terminal. The communication circuitry provides a quality of service demand message to the feeder terminal based on a quality of service requirement and receives congestion information relating to the wireless backhaul from the feeder terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for performing a handover analysis. The apparatus comprises base station location identifying circuitry to obtain base station location information for a plurality of base stations that provide a wireless network for communication with a moving vehicle. In addition, moving vehicle tracking circuitry is provided to obtain position and velocity information for the moving vehicle. Handover metrics computation circuitry is then used to generate at least one handover metric computed from the position and velocity information for the moving vehicle and the base station location information, for use in determining a target base station in said plurality to be used when performing a handover procedure to transition communication with the moving vehicle from the current base station in said plurality to the target base station.

Abstract: An apparatus is described, comprising circuitry to obtain base station location information for a plurality of base stations that provide a wireless network for communication with a moving vehicle, the plurality of base stations comprising a current base station and one or more other base stations, circuitry to obtain moving vehicle tracking information for the moving vehicle, circuitry to determine, based on the moving vehicle tracking information and the base station location information, transmission adjustment control information associated with each other base station, and an interface configured to transmit, for reception by the moving vehicle, the transmission adjustment control information associated with at least a selected other base station, to enable the moving vehicle to adjust a signal transmitted to the selected other base station when a handover procedure is performed to transition communication with the moving vehicle from the current base station to the selected other base station.

Abstract: A wireless communication system for a moving vehicle, and a method of operation of a wireless communication system for a moving vehicle, are described. The wireless communication system comprises an antenna system configured to receive a received signal from a further antenna system and to transmit a transmitted signal to the further antenna system, communication control circuitry to control operation of the antenna system, and analysis circuitry. The analysis circuitry is configured to obtain at least one item of information from the received signal, and perform a Doppler adjustment process to determine, based on the at least one item of information, an adjusted transmitted frequency (ft) to be used for transmission of the transmitted signal from the antenna system, such that an observed frequency of the transmitted signal at the further antenna system is a predetermined uplink frequency (fUL).

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for performing timing adjustment within a wireless communication system for a moving vehicle. The wireless communication system has an antenna system for communicating with a further antenna system, and communication control circuitry for performing a sign-on procedure to seek to establish a communication link with the further antenna system. During the sign-on procedure, the communication control circuitry issues via the antenna system a connection setup signal for receipt by the further antenna within an identified timing window. The wireless communication system also has location specifying circuitry for identifying a current location of the wireless communication system, and distance computation circuitry for obtaining location information specifying a location of the further antenna system, and for determining a separation distance between the antenna. system and the further antenna system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided, the apparatus having a first antenna system providing a first sector of a telecommunications network, a second antenna system providing a second sector of the telecommunications network, a third antenna system for communicating with a base station of the telecommunications network to provide a first wireless backhaul path for the first and second sectors, and a fourth antenna system providing a wireless communication link to facilitate coupling of the apparatus into a mesh network of devices, the mesh network having at least one point of access into the telecommunications network, providing at least one further wireless backhaul path. Backhaul management circuitry is arranged, in at least one mode of operation, to control utilisation of the third and fourth antenna systems to provide backhaul connectivity to the telecommunications network for items of user equipment connected to the apparatus via the first and second antenna systems.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising a location receiver to receive a signal indicative of a location of the location receiver. A movement mechanism rotates the location receiver about an axis and provides an angle of the location receiver about the axis from a known point. Calculation circuitry produces an output value indicative of an absolute bearing of the known point about the axis, based on a plurality of given angles of the location receiver about the axis from the known point, and a plurality of associated locations of the location receiver indicated by the signal received when the location receiver is at each of the given angles.

Abstract: A node is provided to operate in a wireless network.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to operate in a network comprises: control circuitry configured to perform a selection operation to select a preferred base station from one or more base stations in the network, each base station having a backhaul connection; connection circuitry configured to connect to the preferred base station; and communication circuitry configured to receive characteristic data of the backhaul connection of each of the one or more base stations. The control circuitry is configured to perform the selection operation in dependence on the characteristic data.

Abstract: A node and method are described for providing more flexible access to a wireless network. The node has scanning circuitry for performing a scanning operation to detect one or more wireless backhaul nodes and a performance characteristic associated with each of the one or more wireless backhaul nodes. This scanning operation is performed for each of a plurality of antenna directions. Filter circuitry is also provided to store a reference to the one or more wireless backhaul nodes, a value of the performance characteristic associated with the one or more wireless backhaul nodes, and an antenna position during the scanning operation, which are stored in a candidate list on the basis of a condition. The node also comprises data processing circuitry to select a selected wireless backhaul node from the candidate list based on the performance characteristic.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for improving connectivity for items of user equipment in a wireless network. The apparatus has a first antenna system for providing a first sector of a telecommunications network, and a second antenna system for providing a second sector of the telecommunications network. Further, the apparatus has a third antenna system for communicating with a base station of the telecommunications network to provide a first wireless backhaul path for the first and second sectors. In addition, a fourth antenna system is used to provide a wireless communication link to facilitate coupling of the apparatus into a mesh network of devices. The mesh network has at least one point of access into the telecommunications network such that the mesh network supports provision of at least one further wireless backhaul path for the first and second sectors.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of performing a configuration process in the apparatus are provided. The apparatus has a backhaul sub-node to provide a backhaul connection to a communications network which comprises a proxy system. It also has an access sub-node to provide an access cell to which user equipment can connect. In a configuration process the backhaul sub-node performs a backhaul sub-node auto-configuration process comprising connecting to a further network node, determining backhaul sub-node configuration parameters, and storing in the proxy system at least one configuration parameter for the access sub-node in dependence on the backhaul sub-node configuration parameters determined. When the access sub-node then issues an access sub-node auto-configuration request, the proxy system intercepts the access sub-node auto-configuration request and responds to the access sub-node in dependence on the at least one configuration parameter for the access sub-node stored.

Abstract: An apparatus, method of operating the apparatus, and system comprising the apparatus are provided. The apparatus has a backhaul sub-node to provide a backhaul connection to a communications network and an access sub-node to provide an access cell to which user equipment can connect. In response to a configuration trigger a configuration procedure is performed, in which the backhaul sub-node gathers information about the network environment and transmits at least a portion of the information about the network environment to a network management node. The the network management node then generates an access sub-node configuration which it transmits to the access sub-node, where the configuration is dependent on the information about the network environment transmitted to the network management node by the backhaul sub-node.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for improving connectivity for items of user equipment in a wireless network. The apparatus has a first antenna system for providing a first sector of a network, and a second antenna system for providing a second sector of the network. Further, the apparatus has a third antenna system for communicating with a base station of the network to provide a common wireless backhaul link for the first sector and the second sector. In addition, an interface is provided to an internet connection of a building in which the apparatus is deployed, and backhaul management circuitry is then arranged, in at least one mode of operation, to control utilisation of both the internet connection and the common wireless backhaul link to provide backhaul connectivity to the network for items of user equipment connected to the apparatus via the first and second antenna systems.

Abstract: Antenna apparatus and a method of operating the antenna apparatus are provided. The antenna apparatus comprises a directional antenna comprising antenna array components, RF chains connected to the antenna array components, and a transceiver connected to the RF chains. Each RF chain comprises in sequence: a switching stage having switching circuitry selectively to connect an antenna array component, a phase shifting stage having phase shifting circuitry, and a summation stage having summation circuitry, wherein at least two of the RF chains share phase shifting circuitry and at least two of the RF chains share summation circuitry. The at least partial sharing of the RF chains, an in particular of the phase shifting circuitry provides a compact and cheap antenna apparatus, which is nonetheless capable of degree of configurability in direction and beam pattern to enable it to operate in a busy and changing environment.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus for use in a wireless network and method of operating such an antenna apparatus are provided. A wireless network controller provides a configuration of such an antenna apparatus, a method of operating such a wireless network controller, and a resulting wireless network. The antenna apparatus comprises a directional antenna and a uniform circular antenna array. The directional antenna can be rotatably positioned about an axis with respect to a fixed mounting portion of the apparatus in dependence on wireless signals received by the antenna array. The antenna array allows the antenna apparatus to receive wireless signals isotropically and thus to accurately monitor the wireless signal environment in which it finds itself. The antenna apparatus can thus monitor and characterise incoming signals, both from external interference sources and from other network nodes, and the directional antenna can then be positioned in rotation to improve the network throughput.

Abstract: There is provided a node for use in a network, the node comprising: communication circuitry to communicate with a management server. Bootstrap circuitry initially identifies an intermediate node from at least one available node in the network in response to the communication circuitry being unable to communicate with the management server directly. The communication circuitry is arranged to communicate with the management server indirectly via the intermediate node when unable to communicate with the management server directly. Role assignment circuitry assigns a role to be performed by the node in the network based on whether the communication circuitry communicates with the management server directly, or indirectly via an intermediate node.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus for use in a wireless network and method of operating such an antenna apparatus are provided. The antenna apparatus has omnidirectional antenna elements and RF chains, where there are fewer RF chains than omnidirectional antenna elements. A subset of the omnidirectional antenna elements are coupled to the RF chains and sampling circuitry coupled to the RF chains samples the signals received by the subset of the omnidirectional antenna elements. This forms part of a signal detection process in which different subsets of the omnidirectional antenna elements are iteratively coupled to the RF chains. A signal sample spatial covariance matrix for the omnidirectional antenna elements is constructed from the signals sampled by the sampling circuitry at each iteration and a beamforming algorithm applied to the signal sample spatial covariance matrix parameterises the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna elements.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising a location receiver to receive a signal indicative of a location of the location receiver. A movement mechanism rotates the location receiver about an axis and provides an angle of the location receiver about the axis from a known point. Calculation circuitry produces an output value indicative of an absolute bearing of the known point about the axis, based on a plurality of given angles of the location receiver about the axis from the known point, and a plurality of associated locations of the location receiver indicated by the signal received when the location receiver is at each of the given angles.

Abstract: A feeder terminal comprises backhaul communication circuitry connecting a communications network via a wireless backhaul, and providing an access base station with wireless backhaul access. Backhaul information circuitry determines congestion information relating to the wireless backhaul and communication circuitry enables communication with an access base station and provides the congestion information to the access base station. In response to a demand message from the access base station comprising quality of service requirements, the communication circuitry forwards the demand message to the communications network. Additionally, an access base station comprises communication circuitry enabling communication with a feeder terminal. The communication circuitry provides a quality of service demand message to the feeder terminal based on a quality of service requirement and receives congestion information relating to the wireless backhaul from the feeder terminal.