UPLINK NOISE MINIMIZATION

• US 20130095870A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Fred William, Ranson, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling uplink signal power in a distributed antenna system 10 having a master unit 22 and a plurality of remote units 14 and coupled with a base station 12 includes monitoring a noise condition of the distributed antenna system. The invention dynamically adjusts an uplink gain within the distributed antenna system 10 that is applied to uplink signals to a base station 12, based on the monitored noise condition. Monitoring the noise condition in the distributed antenna system 10 includes monitoring one or more remote units 14 of the plurality of remote units and determining if the remote unit is active status or mute status and then. The uplink gain is increased in response to a decrease in the number of remote units that are active status and decreased in response to an increase in the number of remote units that are active status.

Claims

1. A distributed antenna system, comprising:

a plurality of remote units;

a master unit configured for coupling with the remote units and a base station;

the master unit configured for monitoring a noise condition of the distributed antenna system;

the master unit further configured for dynamically adjusting an uplink gain within the distributed antenna system, that is applied to uplink signals to a base station, based on the monitored noise condition.

2. The distributed antenna system of claim 1 wherein the master unit is configured for monitoring one or more remote units of the plurality of remote units and, based on the monitoring, determining if the remote unit is active status or mute status.

3. The distributed antenna system of claim 2 wherein the master unit is configured for determining the number of active status remote units and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the number of remote units that are active status; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the number of remote units that are active status.

4. The distributed antenna system of claim 2 wherein monitoring one or more remote units includes monitoring signals in at least one frequency band or frequency subband of the remote units and, based on the monitoring, determining if the remote units are active status or mute status in the frequency band.

5. The distributed antenna system of claim 2 further configured for providing a mute status indication for a remote unit that is not active status based on the activity level for the remote unit and monitoring the mute status indications for the remote units for dynamically adjusting the uplink gain.

6. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the uplink gain is dynamically adjusted and constrained by a target noise floor for the distributed antenna system.

7. The distributed antenna system of claim 6 wherein the target noise floor for the distributed antenna system is based upon a path loss from the distributed antenna system to a base station coupled thereto and a receive noise floor of the base station.

8. The distributed antenna system of claim 7 wherein the target noise floor plus the path loss to a base station is lower than the receive noise floor of the base station by a predetermined threshold.

9. The distributed antenna system of claim 2 further configured for placing the one or more remote units in active status or mute status based on at least one of determining the level of a received signal power with respect to a threshold or determining the level of data received from a remote unit.

11. The distributed antenna system of claim 1 wherein the master unit is further configured for monitoring the noise floor associated with the master unit and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the noise floor of the master unit; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the noise floor of the master unit.

12. The distributed antenna system of claim 1 wherein the master unit is further configured for dynamically adjusting an uplink gain within the distributed antenna system by dynamically adjusting the uplink gain of at least one of the master unit, the remote unit or a portion of the remote unit.

10. The distributed antenna system of 2 wherein the master unit is further configured for determining the number of active status remote units and a noise figure associated with each remote unit to obtain a composite noise figure for the distributed antenna system and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the composite noise figure; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the in the composite noise figure.

13. A method of controlling uplink signal power in a distributed antenna system having a master unit and a plurality of remote units and coupled with a base station, the method comprising:

monitoring a noise condition of the distributed antenna system;

dynamically adjusting an uplink gain within the distributed antenna system, that is applied to uplink signals to a base station, based on the monitored noise condition.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring a noise condition in the distributed antenna system includes monitoring one or more remote units of the plurality of remote units and determining if the remote unit is active status or mute status.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the number of active status remote units and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the number of remote units that are active status; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the number of remote units that are active status.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein dynamically adjusting uplink gain within the distributed antenna system is constrained by a target noise floor for the distributed antenna system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the target noise floor for the distributed antenna system is based upon a path loss from the distributed antenna system to a base station coupled thereto and a receive noise floor of the base station.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the target noise floor plus the path loss to a base station is lower than the receive noise floor of the base station by a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the number of active status remote units and a noise figure associated with each remote unit to obtain a composite noise figure for the distributed antenna system and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the composite noise figure; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the in the composite noise figure.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring a noise condition in the distributed antenna system includes monitoring the noise floor associated with the master unit and dynamically adjusting the uplink gain by:

increasing the uplink gain in response to a decrease in the noise floor of the master unit; and

decreasing the uplink gain in response to an increase in the noise floor of the master unit.