DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FOR FACILITATING SIMULCASTING AND DE-SIMULCASTING OF DOWNLINK TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20150057039A1
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lott, Christopher Gerard, Sun, Jing, Yazdi, Kambiz Azarian, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar, Gowaikar, Radhika, Ghosh, Donna, Soriaga, Joseph B
• Granted Patent: US 9,276,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Distributed antenna systems (DASs) can include a plurality of spatially separated remote antenna units. According to at least one example, a first group of remote antenna units can simulcast downlink transmissions on a first carrier with a particular sector identity (ID). A second group of remote antenna units, including at least one different remote antenna unit from the first group, can simulcast downlink transmissions on a second carrier with the same sector ID. According to at least one other example, two or more remote antenna units which include respective coverage areas that are non-adjacent to one another can be employed to simulcast downlink transmissions.

Claims

1. A distributed antenna system, comprising:

a plurality of remote antenna units spatially separated from one another, wherein two or more remote antenna units are adapted to simulcast downlink transmissions as part of a simulcasting group, and wherein the two or more remote antenna units of the simulcasting group each comprise respective coverage areas that are non-adjacent to a respective coverage area of the other remote antenna units of the simulcasting group.

2. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more remote antenna units adapted to simulcast downlink transmission are separated from one another with at least one other remote antenna unit that does not simulcast with the two or more remote antenna units.

3. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote antenna units are communicatively coupled with an RF connection matrix for facilitating the simulcast downlink transmissions for the two or more remote antenna units.

4. The distributed antenna system of claim 3, wherein the RF connection matrix comprises:

a first carrier-specific RF connection matrix module adapted to route a first downlink transmission to one or more remote antenna units for transmission on a first carrier; and

a second carrier-specific RF connection matrix module adapted to route a second downlink transmission to one or more remote antenna units for transmission on a second carrier.

5. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote antenna units are communicatively coupled with a base station including an integrated base station simulcast controller module for facilitating the simulcast downlink transmissions for the two or more remote antenna units.

6. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote antenna units is communicatively coupled with a respective base station, and each respective base station is coupled with an external base station simulcast controller module apparatus for facilitating the simulcast downlink transmissions for the two or more remote antenna units.

7. A method for wireless communication comprising:

simulcasting downlink transmissions with a first remote antenna unit; and

simulcasting the downlink transmissions with a second remote antenna unit, the second remote antenna unit positioned so that a coverage area associated with the second remote antenna unit is not adjacent to a coverage area associated with the first remote antenna unit, wherein the first remote antenna unit and the second remote antenna unit form a simulcasting group of remote antenna units comprising respective coverage areas that are not adjacent to a respective coverage area of the other remote antenna units of the simulcasting group.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding at least one additional remote antenna unit to the simulcasting group in response to at least one network traffic parameter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the simulcasting group includes one or more other remote antenna units, and further comprising:

removing at least one remote antenna from the simulcasting group in response to at least one network traffic parameter.

10. A distributed antenna system comprising:

means for simulcasting downlink transmissions with a first remote antenna unit; and

means for simulcasting the downlink transmissions with a second remote antenna unit, wherein the second remote antenna unit is positioned so that a coverage area associated with the second remote antenna unit is not adjacent to a coverage area associated with the first remote antenna unit, and wherein the first remote antenna unit and the second remote antenna unit form a simulcasting group of remote antenna units comprising respective coverage areas that are not adjacent to a respective coverage area of the other remote antenna units of the simulcasting group.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising instructions for;

simulcasting downlink transmissions with a plurality of remote antenna units, wherein each of the remote antenna units is positioned so that a respective coverage area associated with each remote antenna unit is not adjacent to a respective coverage area associated with any of the other remote antenna units of the plurality.