High capacity sectorized cellular communication system

Claim 2

A cellular radiotelephone communication system, characterized by: base site equipment (220, 230 & 240) serving an associated cell for communicating with subscriber units in a plurality of sectorized regions (1-6), said sectorized regions composing a geographic communication area for said associated cell; and means for assigning (230) at least one floating communication channel (240) for communication between the base site equipment and a subscriber unit at at least two of said plurality of said sectorized regions.

Claim 3

A cellular radiotelephone communication system according to claim 1, characterized by: means for providing at least one dedicated communication channel (206/208) for communication between the base site equipment and a subscriber unit within each sectorized region.

Claim 4

A cellular radiotelephone communication system according to claim 2, characterized by: processing means (220) for prioritizing the assignment of one of said at least one dedicated communication channels before one of said at least one floating channels for communication in said sectorized regions.

Claim 5

A cellular radiotelephone communication system, according to claim 1, further comprising: control means for intercoupling said base site equipment with a telephone central office; transmission means for transmitting at least one dedicated frequency from the base site equipment to a subscriber unit within each sectorized region; means for providing a floating frequency (240) transmittable from said base site equipment; switch means (230) for switching said floating frequency to said transmission means for transmission of said floating frequency in at least two of said sectorized regions; means, coupled to said base site equipment, for receiving communication from subscriber units on frequencies associated with said at least one dedicated frequency and said floating frequency; means, coupled to said base site equipment, for prioritizing the assignment of one of said at least one dedicated communication channel before one of said at least one floating channel in a sector; and means, responsive to channel requests in said sectorized regions, for assigning said at least one dedicated frequency before assigning said floating frequency to a subscriber unit.

Claim 6

A cellular radiotelephone communications system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means (560) for assigning a dedicated communication channel of a less preferred sectorized region (206, 208) if the dedicated communication channel of said preferred sectorized region (204) and said at least one floating communication channel (240) are busy.

Claim 7

A cellular radiotelephone system according to claim 5 wherein the less preferred sectorized region (206, 208) is adjacent to the dedicated communication channel of said preferred sectorized region (204).

Claim 8

A cellular radiotelephone communications system according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising means for causing base site equipment of another cell to assign a communication channel for communication with the subscriber unit if neither the dedicated communication channel of a preferred sectorized region nor of a sectorized region adjacent thereto, nor said at least one floating communication channel is available for communication.

Claim 9

A cellular radiotelephone communication system, according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base site equipment further includes an omni-directional antenna for serving an associated communication region which is also at least part of the geographic communication area served by said base site equipment.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 9 comprising the further step of; prioritizing the assignment of one of said at least one dedicated communication channel before one of said at least one floating channel in a sector.