GAIN MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20110201269A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hobbs, Neil T., Phillips, Fred, Schmidt, Nelson C. JR., Kummetz, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/40 of relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578

Abstract

A method of monitoring an element in wireless communication system is provided. An operational noise measurement is obtained by measuring a noise value outside of a bandwidth of a first device, but within a bandwidth of a second, subsequent device. The operational noise measurement is alternatively obtained by tuning an input band of the element to shift the input band partially or completely outside of a bandwidth of a first device to create an open band or by suppressing an input of the antenna and measuring noise within the open bandwidth of the element of the wireless communication network. A stored parameter is retrieved and compared to the measured operational noise. Alternatively, a leakage signal of the element may be received at a signal receiver and compared to a reference. The reference is a function of components of the wireless communication system in a leakage path of the leakage signal.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring at least one element of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

obtaining an operational noise measurement by measuring a noise value outside of a bandwidth of a first device, but within a bandwidth of a second, subsequent device;

retrieving a stored parameter; and

comparing the measured operational noise measurement to the retrieved parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the operational noise measurement being outside of a specified tolerance with respect to the stored parameter, generating an alarm.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a power level at a point in a digital section of the wireless communication system;

measuring a power level at a point in a back end of the wireless communication system; and

calculating a gain of the wireless communication system using the power level from the measured back end power level and the computed power level in the digital section.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

comparing the calculated gain to a predetermined range.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the calculated gain deviating from the predetermined range, generating an alarm indicative of the gain deviation.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in an uplink direction of the wireless communication system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in a downlink direction of the wireless communication system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a leakage signal of the wireless communications system at a signal receiver;

comparing the received leakage signal to a reference;

wherein the reference is a function of components of the wireless communication system in a leakage path of the leakage signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored parameter includes a reference noise measurement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored parameter includes a gain and a reference signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a duplexer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second, subsequent device is a filter at a baseband frequency.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second, subsequent device is a filter at an intermediate frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the intermediate frequency filter is a SAW filter.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of the wireless communication system is selected from a group consisting of:

a repeater, a distributed antenna system, a remote radio head, and a RF amplifier.

16. A method of monitoring at least one element of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

obtaining an operational noise measurement by;

tuning an input band of the element of the wireless communication system to shift the input band partially or completely outside of a bandwidth of a first device to create an open band; and

measuring an operational noise level in the open band;

retrieving a stored parameter;

comparing the measured operational noise level to the retrieved parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the input band is shifted to a lower frequency.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the input band is shifted to a higher frequency.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

repeating a portion of the input band that remains in the bandwidth of the first device during the shifting operation.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

computing a power level at a point in a digital section of the wireless communication system;

measuring a power level at a point in a back end of the wireless communication system; and

calculating a gain of the wireless communication system using the power level from the measured back end power level and the computed power level in the digital section.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

comparing the calculated gain to a predetermined range.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

in response to the calculated gain deviating from the predetermined range, generating an alarm indicative of the gain deviation.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in an uplink direction of the wireless communication system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in a downlink direction of the wireless communication system.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a leakage signal of the wireless communications system at a signal receiver;

comparing the received leakage signal to a reference;

wherein the reference is a function of components of the wireless communication system in a leakage path of the leakage signal.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the first device is selected from a group consisting of:

a RF filter, a IF filter, and a digital filter.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the stored parameter includes a reference noise measurement.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the stored parameter includes a gain and a reference signal.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the element of the wireless communications system is selected from a group consisting of:

a repeater, a distributed antenna system, a remote radio head, and a RF amplifier.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to the operational noise measurement being outside of a specified tolerance with respect to the stored parameter, generating an alarm.

31. A method of monitoring at least one element of a wireless communication system in signal communication with an antenna, the method comprising:

obtaining an operational noise level by;

suppressing an input of the antenna;

measuring noise within a bandwidth of the element of the wireless communication network;

retrieving a stored parameter; and

comparing the measured operational noise level to the retrieved parameter.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to the comparison being outside of a predetermined tolerance, generating an alarm.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

amplifying the operational noise prior to the noise measurement.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

introducing a pilot signal from a signal generator prior to the noise measurement.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

reconnecting the input to the antenna after measuring the noise.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

computing a power level at a point in a digital section of the wireless communication system;

measuring a power level at a point in a back end of the wireless communication system; and

calculating a gain of the wireless communication system using the power level from the measured back end power level and the computed power level in the digital section.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

comparing the calculated gain to a predetermined range.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

in response to the calculated gain deviating from the predetermined range, generating an alarm indicative of the gain deviation.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in an uplink direction of the wireless communication system.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the noise measurement and the gain calculation are performed in a downlink direction of the wireless communication system.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a leakage signal of the wireless communications system at a signal receiver;

comparing the received leakage signal to a reference;

wherein the reference is a function of components of the wireless communication system in a leakage path of the leakage signal.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the wireless communication system is in a form selected from a group consisting of:

a repeater, a distributed antenna system, and a remote radio head.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the stored parameter includes a reference noise measurement.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the stored parameter includes a gain and a reference signal.

45. A method of monitoring at least one element of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a leakage signal of the element of the wireless communications system at a signal receiver; and

comparing the received leakage signal to a reference;

wherein the reference is a function of components of the wireless communication system in a leakage path of the leakage signal.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

measuring a signal level in the leakage path at an input to a back-end of the element of the wireless communications system;

measuring a portion of an output signal of the back-end that is received via a pre-determined leakage path to a first device or an over-the-air leakage path of a known value into a front-end of an opposite direction link of the element, and

determining a back-end gain by;

determining a ratio between a front-end output of the signal level and back-end input using a front-end gain and the pre-determined leakage between front-end and back-end,

wherein the front-end gain is determined by measuring an operational noise level in an open band.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

in response to the comparison being outside of a predetermined tolerance, generating an alarm.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the leakage path comprises a switch, and wherein the leakage signal is received when the switch is closed.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein signals from natural leakage paths are significantly lower than the leakage signal from the switched leakage path.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

introducing a pilot signal from a signal generator into the leakage path such that the received leakage signal contains at least a portion of the pilot signal.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the pilot signal frequency is close to a receive band of the wireless communications system.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the pilot signal frequency is outside of a transmit band of the wireless communications system.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

obtaining an operational noise measurement by measuring a noise value outside of a bandwidth of a first device, but within a bandwidth of a second, subsequent device;

retrieving a stored parameter; and

comparing the measured operational noise measurement to the retrieved parameter.

54. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

obtaining an operational noise measurement by;

tuning an input band of the element of the wireless communication system to shift the input band partially or completely outside of a bandwidth of a first device to create an open band; and

measuring an operational noise level in the open band;

retrieving a stored parameter;

comparing the measured operational noise level to the retrieved parameter.

55. The method of claim 45, wherein the element of the wireless communication system is in signal communication with an antenna, the method further comprising:

obtaining an operational noise level by;

suppressing an input of the antenna;

measuring noise within a bandwidth of the element of the wireless communication network;

retrieving a stored parameter; and

comparing the measured operational noise level to the retrieved parameter.

56. The method of claim 45, wherein the element of the wireless communication system is in a form selected from a group consisting of:

a repeater, a distributed antenna system, and a remote radio head.