SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION IN AND THROUGH A DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEM

• US 20150304044A1
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dali Systems Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dali Systems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Stapleton, Shawn Patrick, Trajkovic, Sasa, Weber, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/564 Power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/285 taking into account the mobility of the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for operating a DAS includes providing a set of digital remote units (remotes) operable to send and receive wireless radio signals. Each of the set of remotes is associated with a geographic area. The method also includes providing a digital access unit (host) operable to communicate with the set of remotes, receiving uplink signals at one or more of the set of remotes, and monitoring train activity in the geographic areas. The method further includes increasing a gain coefficient associated with one of the set of remotes in response to determining an increase in monitored train activity, decreasing a gain coefficient associated with another of the set of remotes in response to determining a decrease in monitored train activity, and transmitting, to the host, scaled uplink signals associated with the one of the set of remotes and the another of the set of remotes.

Claims

1. A method for operating a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), the method comprising:

providing a set of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) operable to send and receive wireless radio signals, wherein each of the set of DRUs is associated with a geographic area;

providing a Digital Access Unit (DAU) operable to communicate with the set of DRUs via an optical signal, wherein the DAU is coupled to at least sector of a base transceiver station (BTS);

receiving uplink signals at one or more of the set of DRUs;

monitoring train activity in the geographic areas associated with the set of DRUs;

increasing a gain coefficient associated with one of the set of DRUs in response to determining an increase in monitored train activity in the geographic area associated with the one of the set of DRUs;

decreasing a gain coefficient associated with another of the set of DRUs in response to determining a decrease in monitored train activity in the geographic area associated with the another of the set of DRUs; and

transmitting, to the DAU, scaled uplink signals associated with the one of the set of DRUs and the another of the set of DRUs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of DRUs are positioned along a train track in a daisy chain configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a DAU includes providing a plurality of DAUs, wherein each of the plurality of DAUs are interconnected.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring train activity comprises receiving inputs from an external monitor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring train activity comprises measuring wireless activity in the geographic areas.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the scaled uplink signals utilize a zero gain coefficient for one or more of the set of DRUs.

7. A system for operating a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), the system comprising:

a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs), each configured to receive wireless radio uplink signals and transmit wireless radio downlink signals;

a plurality of inter-connected Digital Access Units (DAUs), each configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of DRUs via optical signals and each being coupled to at least one sector of a base station;

a plurality of detectors, each configured to measure uplink power at one of the plurality of DRUs; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of detectors and configured to vary gain coefficients for each of the wireless radio uplink signals in response to the measured uplink power.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of detectors are implemented digitally using signal processing.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of detectors comprises a discrete analog device.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of inter-connected DAUs is configured to communicate with the at least one of the plurality of DRUs by sending and receiving signals over at least one of an optical fiber, an Ethernet cable, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of DRUs are connected to each other in a daisy chain configuration and are each positioned in a substantially linear manner along a train track.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein one of the plurality of inter-connected DAUs includes the processor.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is provided in a server coupled to the plurality of inter-connected DAUs.

14. A method for operating a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), the method comprising:

providing a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs), each configured to send and receive wireless radio signals;

providing a plurality of inter-connected Digital Access Units (DAUs), each configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of DRUs via optical signals and each being coupled to at least one sector of a base station;

providing a plurality of sensors operable to detect activity at each of the plurality of DRUs;

turning off a DRU downlink signal at one of the plurality of DRUs in response to an output from one of the plurality of sensors; and

turning on a DRU downlink signal at another of the plurality of DRUs in response to an output from another of the plurality of sensors.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of DAUs is configured to communicate with the at least one of the DRUs by sending and receiving signals over at least one of an optical fiber, an Ethernet cable, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of inter-connected DAUs comprises a first DAU connected to a first sector of the base station and a second DAU connected to a second sector of the base station.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of sensors is provided by a signal processing processor in each of the plurality of DRUs.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of DRUs are connected in a daisy chain configuration.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of DRUs comprises a first set of two or more DRUs and a second set of two or more DRUs, the first set and the second set being coupled to at least one of the plurality of DAUs in a star configuration.