STTR Phase II: Smart Antenna Systems for Unlicensed ISM-band Public Safety and Remote Meter Reading Data Networks

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase II project will develop high performance, low-cost, interference filtering smart-antenna prototypes, anticipated to improve Signal to Interference Ratios (SIR) by up to 12dB. This results in improved wireless data rates by up to a factor of 4 or expands coverage by up to a factor of 16, dramatically reducing system costs. Private wireless broadband networks, deployed by municipalities and utilities are used for public safety, public Internet access, and energy and water management. These networks are experiencing dramatic growth in both size and number. This growth, along with expanding enterprise and consumer use of overlapping devices and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), continue to exacerbate performance reducing interference problems. This interference has forced many municipalities to double their investments in infrastructure equipment or to increase transmitter power to overcome interference, thus producing even more interference. Phase II objectives are to demonstrate technology effectiveness and conduct customer trials. Tasks include; antenna structure refinement, transceiver design, smart antenna algorithm development and packaging for customer trials. Customer trials will be performed in one or more of the target markets. Full commercialization of resulting low cost smart antenna systems is targeted for Phase III. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to ultimately save lives, reduce suffering and save taxpayer/ratepayer dollars through efficient and reliable wireless data communications. For example, public safety and first responder personnel need detailed information such as, interactive live video, voice and vitals monitoring allowing emergency room physicians to interact with disaster victims and their caregivers at the scene and during transport. Utilities must respond, along with emergency personnel, to secure downed power lines, broken gas and water lines and restore physical communications networks. Outage and leak information is increasingly transmitted over critical wireless infrastructure. Public safety networks, based on the WiMAX standard, are expected to surpass $3B in sales by 2013. ?Smart Meter? networks are also projected to grow to over $3B in sales by 2013. This unique smart antenna technology will restore otherwise non operating or degraded networks to operational status and help insure that private municipal wireless networks provide reliable high data rates that continue to meet performance goals as the frequencies they use become more crowded. This project will increase the research capability of the partner university?s antenna laboratory and engineering science will be advanced through developing a unique smart antenna radiated measurement instruments.