SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONE CELL TO COVER MULTIPLE AREAS

• US 20100120358A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WAN, Lilong
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system, method and network device for covering a plurality of areas by one cell are disclosed. The system includes: a plurality of radio frequency groups and at least one base band unit. One radio frequency group corresponds to one area of the cell, one radio frequency group corresponds to one date channel, and one base band unit is connected to a plurality of radio frequency groups through a plurality of date channels. The embodiment of the invention reduces the signal interference among each area of the same cell, increases the system capacity, and benefits cell splitting, i.e., benefits increasing the capacity and upgrading during network enhancement.

Claims

1. A system for one cell to cover multiple areas, comprising:

a Base Station including a Baseband Unit (BBU) connected with multiple Radio Frequency (RF) groups through multiple data channels, each RF group corresponding to an area in a cell and to a data channel;

each of the multiple RF groups, configured to receive uplink signals from a UE in the area corresponding to the RF group, send the uplink signals to the BBU through the data channel corresponding to the RF group, receive downlink signals through the corresponding data channel, and send the downlink signals to the UE in the corresponding area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the BBU comprises:

multiple searchers, each searcher corresponding to a data channel, configured to search for uplink signals on the corresponding data channel, and send the uplink signals to a signal processing unit when finding the uplink signals on the data channel;

the signal processing unit, configured to process the uplink signals sending from the searchers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the BBU further comprises:

a storing module, configured to record identifier information of a data channel that bears uplink signals according to the uplink signals found by the searchers; and

a downlink control module, configured to determine the data channel corresponding to downlink signals to be sent according to information in the downlink signals and according to the recorded identifier information of the data channel that bears the uplink signals, and send a control information of the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals to a downlink sending module;

a downlink sending module, configured to send the downlink signals through the corresponding data channel according to the received control information.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises:

a Radio Network Controller which comprises;

a storing module, independent from the RF groups and the BBU, and configured to record identifier information of a data channel that bears uplink signals according to the uplink signals found by the searchers;

a downlink control module, independent from the RF groups and the BBU, and configured to determine the data channel corresponding to downlink signals to be sent according to information in the downlink signals and according to the recorded identifier information of the data channel that bears the uplink signals, and send a control information of the data channel corresponding to downlink signals to a downlink sending module of the BBU;

wherein, the BBU further comprises;

a downlink sending module, configured to send the downlink signals through the corresponding data channel according to the received control information.

5. A method implemented in a communication system so that one cell covers multiple areas, wherein the system includes a plurality of Radio Frequency (RF) groups, each corresponding to an area in a cell, and a plurality of data channels, each corresponding to one of the RF groups, the method comprising:

receiving, by an RF group, uplink signals in the corresponding area, and sending the uplink signals to a Baseband Unit (BBU) through the data channel corresponding to the RF group;

receiving, by the BBU, the uplink signals through the data channel, and sending downlink signals to the corresponding RF group through the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals; and

receiving, by the RF group, the downlink signals through the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals, and sending the downlink signals to the area corresponding to the RF group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of receiving, by the BBU, the uplink signals through the data channel comprises:

searching, by the BBU, for uplink signals on each data channel;

recording, by the BBU or a Radio Network Controller, identifier information of a data channel that bears the uplink signals when finding the uplink signals on the data channel;

processing, by the BBU, the uplink signals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of sending, by BBU, downlink signals comprises:

determining, by the BBU or the Radio Network Controller, the data channel corresponding to downlink signals to be sent according to information in the downlink signals and according to the recorded identifier information of the data channel that bears the uplink signals;

sending, by the BBU, the downlink signals through the determined data channel.

8. A Base Station, comprising:

a Baseband Unit (BBU), configured to receive uplink signals of a User Equipment (UE) sending from at least one of multiple Radio Frequency (RF) groups through at least one of multiple data channels, and send downlink signals to at least one of the multiple RF groups through the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals;

wherein, the BBU is connected with the multiple RF groups through the multiple data channels and each data channel corresponds to an RF group.

9. The Base Station of claim 8, wherein the BBU comprises:

multiple searchers, each searcher corresponds to a data channel, configured to search for uplink signals on the corresponding data channel, and send the uplink signals to a signal processing unit when finding the uplink signals on the data channel;

the signal processing unit, configured to process the uplink signals sending from the searchers.

10. The Base Station of claim 9, wherein the BBU comprises:

a storing module, configured to record identifier information of a data channel that bears uplink signals according to the uplink signals found by the searchers; and

a downlink control module, configured to determine the data channel corresponding to downlink signals to be sent according to information in the downlink signals and according to the recorded identifier information of the data channel that bears the uplink signals, and send a control information of the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals to a downlink sending module;

a downlink sending module, configured to send the downlink signals through the corresponding data channel according to the received control information.

11. The Base Station of claim 9, wherein the BBU comprises:

a downlink sending module, configured to receive a control information which indicates the data channel corresponding to the downlink signals from a Radio Network Controller, and send the downlink signals through the corresponding data channel according to the control information.