Multi-hop wireless backhaul network and method

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide an implementation for a multi-hop wireless backhaul network. These embodiments can advantageously be deployed in dense urban areas and/or co-located with wireless access nodes, such as base-stations of a cellular wireless communication system. Preferably wireless links between constituent network nodes are set-up hierarchically. A basic result of this is that peer-to-peer (child-to-child) communication is generally prohibited and circuits are forced to conform to a topology. The multi-hop wireless backhaul network may be used to carry delay sensitive, high-density last mile circuit traffic over Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) broadband radio links. Moreover, some embodiments of the invention provide a method of path-healing for re-routing of circuit traffic from circuits that have experienced catastrophic failures.

1 . A NAN (network access node) for use in multi-hop wireless backhaul network the NAN comprising:
 an interface to another transport network;   for each of at least two sectors, each transceiver and antenna establishing an active connection with another node in the network, a respective antenna and a respective transceiver;   the NAN being adapted to act as a wireless end-point for a plurality of virtual circuits through said network using said connections, each virtual circuit having an allocated bandwidth for delay-sensitive traffic, at least some of the virtual circuits being multi-hop virtual circuits.   
     
     
         2 .- 21 . (canceled)