METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION EMPLOYING COLLECTOR ARRAYS

A cellular communications system that includes forward channel communications to users and corresponding reverse channel communications from mobile users. The users travel from one area to another area over one or more zones. The forward channel communications are broadcast directly to users in a broadcaster zone. The reverse channel communications from users are not returned directly but are first collected at locations arrayed over the broadcaster zone. After collection, the reverse channel communications are forwarded to complete the full duplex communications. The forward channel communications are point to multipoint while the the reverse channel communications are multipoint to point. The communication system separately handles the point to multipoint forward path as a direct broadcast and the multipoint to point reverse path using multiple collection points. Since the forward and reverse paths are separately configured, the present invention optimizes both the forward and reverse paths.