Modular base station antenna control system

• US 20050085267A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Celletra Ltd. (Unity Wireless Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Celletra Ltd. (Unity Wireless Corp.)
• Inventors: Shapira, Joseph, Argaman, Gideon, Lemson, Paul, Miller, Shmuel
• Application Number:
  US10/498,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A modular base station enhancing system includes multiple bi-directional amplifiers that are remotely controlled. Duplexers, corresponding to the bi-directional amplifiers, interface the bi-directional amplifiers with base station antenna elements, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception through the antenna elements. A control circuit, located remotely from the base station and the bi-directional amplifiers, enables control of at least one parameter in each of the bi-directional amplifiers to control transmission and reception characteristics of the antennas elements. The controllable bi-directional amplifiers may include a linear power amplifier to amplify transmitted signals and a low-noise amplifier to amplify received signals. The base station enhancing system is interoperable with different types of antenna elements, and may be implemented as a radio frequency (RF) front-end of the base station or as an RF repeater.

Claims

1. A modular front-end system of a base station in a wireless communications network, that is interoperable with different antenna types, the front-end system comprising:

at least one controllable bi-directional amplifier, located remotely from the base station, at least one parameter of the bi-directional amplifier being controlled through a control circuit in the front-end system; and

at least one duplexer that interfaces the at least one bi-directional amplifier to an antenna, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception through the antenna.

2. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit receives control signals from at least one of the base station, via a first control interface, and a remote monitoring and control device, via a second control interface.

3. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 2, wherein each of the first control interface and the second control interfaces comprises a serial interface.

4. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the bi-directional amplifier comprises a signal gain.

5. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the bi-directional amplifier comprises a signal phase.

6. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is located remotely from the at least one bi-directional amplifier.

7. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 6, wherein the antenna comprises one of a sector antenna and an omni antenna.

8. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 6, wherein the antenna comprises a diversity antenna system.

9. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 8, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises at least two antennas spaced for space diversity.

10. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 8, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises a dual polarization antenna.

11. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 10, wherein the dual polarization antenna comprises a plurality of beams, each beam being electrically controlled to tilt by the control circuit.

12. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 8, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises a multiple column array antenna.

13. The modular front-end system of a base station according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the base station and the antenna comprise an existing base station system, and the bi-directional amplifier and the duplexer are adapted to interface with the existing base station system.

14. A method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station in a wireless communications network, using a full-duplex modular radio frequency (RF) front-end, which is interoperable with different base station antenna systems, the method comprising:

receiving a transmit signal, at the modular RF front-end, from the base station;

splitting the transmit signal into a transmit diversity branch and a transmit main branch;

processing at least one of the transmit diversity branch and the transmit main branch in accordance with a remotely issued control signal; and

after processing, sending the transmit diversity branch and the transmit main branch to a predetermined base station antenna system for transmission at a selected RF frequency.

15. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a receive diversity branch and a receive main branch of a received signal from the predetermined antenna system;

processing at least one of the receive diversity branch and the receive main branch in accordance with a second remotely issued control signal; and

after processing, sending the receive diversity branch and the receive main branch to the base station for detection.

16. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 14, further comprising:

shifting a phase of the transmit diversity branch with respect to the transmit main branch in accordance with the remotely issued control signal.

17. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 14, wherein the remotely issued control signal is issued by a remote monitoring and control terminal through a serial interface.

18. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 17, the serial interface comprising an RS-485 interface.

19. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 14, the processing comprising amplifying the transmit diversity branch and the transmit main branch in accordance with the control signal.

20. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 15, the processing comprising amplifying the receive diversity branch and the receive main branch in accordance with the second control signal.

21. A repeater system, associated with a base station in a wireless communications network, that is interoperable with different antenna types, the repeater system comprising:

at least one controllable bi-directional amplifier, at least one parameter of the bi-directional amplifier being remotely controlled through a control circuit in a remote repeater controller.

at least one duplexer that interfaces the at least one bi-directional amplifier to an antenna, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception of radio frequency (RF) signals through the antenna; and

a donor interface that enables communication with the base station.

22. The repeater system according to claim 21, wherein the control circuit receives control signals from at least one of the base station, via a wireless modem and a first control interface, or a remote monitoring and control device, via a second control interface.

23. The repeater system according to claim 21, wherein the antenna comprises one of a sector antenna and an omni antenna.

24. The repeater system according to claim 21, wherein the antenna comprises a diversity antenna system.

25. The repeater system according to claim 24, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises at least two antennas spaced for space diversity.

26. The repeater system according to claim 24, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises a dual polarization antenna.

27. The repeater system according to claim 26, wherein the dual polarization antenna comprises a plurality of beams, each beam being electrically controlled to tilt by the remote repeater controller.

28. The repeater system according to claim 24, wherein the diversity antenna system comprises a multiple column array antenna.

29. The repeater system according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the base station and the antenna comprise an existing base station system, and the bi-directional amplifier and the duplexer are adapted to interface with the existing base station system.

30. The repeater system according to claim 21, wherein the donor interface comprises a donor antenna unit that communicates the RF signals with the base station through a donor antenna.

31. The repeater, system according to claim 21, wherein the donor interface comprises a plurality of fiber converters that convert between the RF signals and a wavelength compatible with transmission over a fiber optic line, a first fiber converter being located on a first end of a fiber optic line, associated with the base station, and a second fiber converter being located on a second end of the fiber optic line, associated with the repeater system.

32. A method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station in a wireless communications network, using a full-duplex modular radio frequency (RF) repeater, which is interoperable with different antenna systems, the method comprising:

receiving a transmit signal, at the modular RF repeater, from the base station through a donor communications link;

splitting the transmit signal into a transmit diversity branch and a transmit main branch;

processing at least one of the transmit diversity branch and the transmit main branch in accordance with a remotely issued control signal; and

after processing, sending the transmit diversity branch and the transmit main branch to a repeater antenna system for transmission.

33. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 32;

further comprising;

receiving a receive diversity branch and a receive main branch of a received signal frequency from the repeater antenna system;

processing at least one of the receive diversity branch and the receive main branch in accordance with a second remotely issued control signal; and

after processing, sending the receive diversity branch and the receive main branch through the donor communications link to the base station for detection.

34. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 32, wherein the donor communications link comprises a narrow beam antenna.

35. The method for enhancing transmission and reception of signals at a base station according to claim 32, wherein the donor communications link comprises a fiber optic line.

36. A modular system for enhancing a base station comprising:

a plurality of controllable bi-directional amplifiers;

a plurality of duplexers, each duplexer interfacing the plurality of controllable bi-directional amplifiers with a respective one of a plurality of antenna elements to enable simultaneous transmission and reception; and

a control circuit, located remotely from the plurality of bi-directional amplifiers, that enables control of at least one parameter in each of the plurality of bi-directional amplifiers to control at least one transmission and reception characteristic.

37. The modular base station enhancing system according to claim 36, wherein each of the plurality of controllable bi-directional amplifiers comprises at least a linear power amplifier that amplifies transmitted signals, and a low-noise amplifier that amplifies received signals.

38. The modular base station enhancing system according to claim 36, wherein the plurality of bi-direction amplifiers and the plurality of duplexers are located in one of a front-end extension of the base station or a repeater associated with the base station.

39. The modular base station enhancing system according to claim 36, wherein the modular system interfaces an existing base station and an existing plurality of antenna elements.

40. The modular base station enhancing system according to claim 36, further comprising at least one modem, wherein the control circuit enables control of the at least one parameter in the plurality of bi-directional amplifiers via the at least one modem.