Method, device and storage medium for communications using a modulated signal and a reference signal

• US 10,225,842 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Pakee
• Application Number:
  US15/176,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0041 Frequency-non-contiguous
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a wireless communication node that receives instructions in a control channel directing it to utilize a spectral segment at a first carrier frequency to communicate with a mobile communication device. Responsive to the instructions, the wireless communication node receives a modulated signal in the spectral segment at a second carrier frequency from the base station, the modulated signal including communications data provided by the base station. The wireless communication node down-shifts the modulated signal at the second carrier frequency to the first carrier frequency, and wirelessly transmits the modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a modulated signal in a spectral segment for transmitting to a mobile communication device, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol;

converting, by the processing system, the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the modulated signal at a carrier frequency without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the carrier frequency is outside of the spectral segment;

generating, by the processing system, a guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the guided electromagnetic wave includes a reference signal in addition to the modulated signal at the carrier frequency; and

transmitting, by an antenna of the processing system that is coupled to the physical transmission medium, a wireless signal directed to a network element of a distributed antenna system, the wireless signal including the reference signal and the modulated signal at the carrier frequency, and the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the modulated signal at the carrier frequency to the modulated signal in the spectral segment for wireless distribution of the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulated signal in the spectral segment is received from a base station, and wherein the guided electromagnetic wave propagates along a longitudinal path of the physical transmission medium without utilizing the electrical return path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting comprises up-converting the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the modulated signal at the carrier frequency.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reconverting by the network element comprises down-converting the modulated signal at the carrier frequency to the modulated signal in the spectral segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting comprises down-converting the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the modulated signal at the carrier frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reconverting by the network element comprises up-converting the modulated signal at the carrier frequency to the modulated signal in the spectral segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling protocol comprises a cellular communications protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cellular communications protocol comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the network element from a plurality of network elements in the distributed antenna system according to a communication range of the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the network element from a plurality of network elements in the distributed antenna system according to a rate of travel of the mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transmitted by the antenna is based on the guided electromagnetic wave received by the antenna from the physical transmission medium.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the guided electromagnetic wave operates in a millimeter-wave frequency band.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal operates in a millimeter-wave frequency band.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the guided electromagnetic wave operates below a millimeter-wave frequency band.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal operates below a millimeter-wave frequency band.

16. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a modulated signal in a spectral segment for transmitting to a mobile communication device, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol;

converting the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the modulated signal at a carrier frequency without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal,

wherein the carrier frequency is outside of the spectral segment;

generating a guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the guided electromagnetic wave includes a reference signal in addition to the modulated signal at the carrier frequency; and

transmitting, by an antenna of the processing system that is coupled to the physical transmission medium, a wireless signal directed to a network element of a distributed antenna system, the wireless signal including the reference signal and the modulated signal at the carrier frequency, and the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the modulated signal at the carrier frequency to the modulated signal in the spectral segment for wireless distribution of the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the mobile communication device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the modulated signal in the spectral segment is received from a base station, and wherein the guided electromagnetic wave propagates along a longitudinal path of the physical transmission medium without utilizing the electrical return path.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the signaling protocol comprises a cellular communications protocol.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a modulated signal in a spectral segment for transmitting to a mobile communication device, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol;

converting the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the modulated signal at a carrier frequency without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the carrier frequency is outside of the spectral segment;

generating a guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the guided electromagnetic wave includes a reference signal in addition to the modulated signal at the carrier frequency; and

transmitting, by an antenna of the processing system that is coupled to the physical transmission medium, a wireless signal directed to a network element of a distributed antenna system, the wireless signal including the reference signal and the modulated signal at the carrier frequency, and the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the modulated signal at the carrier frequency to the modulated signal in the spectral segment for wireless distribution of the modulated signal in the spectral segment to the mobile communication device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the signaling protocol comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol.