DOWNLINK AND UPLINK COMMUNICATION PATH SWITCHING IN A TIME-DIVISION DUPLEX (TDD) DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEM (DAS)
First Claim
1. A distributed antenna system (DAS) configured to support time-division duplex (TDD) communication, the DAS comprising:
- a central unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of remote units over at least one communications medium to communicate a TDD communication signal in a plurality of downlink (DL) periods and a plurality of uplink (UL) periods configured according to a predefined TDD configuration of a predetermined TDD communications protocol;
the central unit comprises at least one communication circuit configured to;
transmit the TDD communication signal in a DL communication path of the central unit to the plurality of remote units in response to a DL period indicator indicating a DL period among the plurality of DL periods; and
receive the TDD communication signal in a UL communication path of the central unit from the plurality of remote units in response to a UL period indicator indicating a UL period among the plurality of UL periods; and
a communication control circuit configured to;
determine a plurality of DL switching times respectively for the plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL switching times respectively for the plurality of UL periods based on the predefined TDD configuration;
detect a respective start time of at least one DL period among the plurality of DL periods by sensing that a power level associated with the TDD communication signal increases above a predetermined DL signal power threshold;
synchronize at least one DL switching time among the plurality of DL switching times with the respective start time of the at least one detected DL period;
generate the DL period indicator to indicate the DL period among the plurality of DL periods at each of the plurality of DL switching times; and
generate the UL period indicator to indicate the UL period among the plurality of UL periods at each of the plurality of UL switching times.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) communication path switching in a time-division duplex (TDD) distributed antenna system (DAS). In this regard, a communications control circuit is provided. The communications control circuit is configured to synchronize to DL periods and UL periods of TDD communication signal to switch a TDD communication signal between a DL communication path and a UL communication path in a DAS accordingly. The communication control circuit is configured to detect the DL periods and/or the UL periods in the TDD communication signal by sensing a power increase associated with the TDD communication signal in the DL communication path. In this manner, the TDD communication signals can be synchronously directed to the DL communication path and UL communication path without destructing and/or decoding the TDD communication signals.
44 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A distributed antenna system (DAS) configured to support time-division duplex (TDD) communication, the DAS comprising:
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a central unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of remote units over at least one communications medium to communicate a TDD communication signal in a plurality of downlink (DL) periods and a plurality of uplink (UL) periods configured according to a predefined TDD configuration of a predetermined TDD communications protocol; the central unit comprises at least one communication circuit configured to; transmit the TDD communication signal in a DL communication path of the central unit to the plurality of remote units in response to a DL period indicator indicating a DL period among the plurality of DL periods; and receive the TDD communication signal in a UL communication path of the central unit from the plurality of remote units in response to a UL period indicator indicating a UL period among the plurality of UL periods; and a communication control circuit configured to; determine a plurality of DL switching times respectively for the plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL switching times respectively for the plurality of UL periods based on the predefined TDD configuration; detect a respective start time of at least one DL period among the plurality of DL periods by sensing that a power level associated with the TDD communication signal increases above a predetermined DL signal power threshold; synchronize at least one DL switching time among the plurality of DL switching times with the respective start time of the at least one detected DL period; generate the DL period indicator to indicate the DL period among the plurality of DL periods at each of the plurality of DL switching times; and generate the UL period indicator to indicate the UL period among the plurality of UL periods at each of the plurality of UL switching times. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for communicating time-division duplex (TDD) communication signals in a distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
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receiving a TDD communication signal in a plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL periods configured according to a predefined TDD configuration of a predetermined TDD communications protocol; determining a plurality of DL switching times respectively for the plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL switching times respectively for the plurality of UL periods; detecting a respective start time of at least one DL period among the plurality of DL periods by sensing that power level associated with the TDD communication signal increases above a predetermined DL signal power threshold; synchronizing at least one DL switching time among the plurality of DL switching times with the at least one start time of the at least one detected DL period; generating a DL period indicator to indicate a DL period among the plurality of DL periods at each of the plurality of DL switching times; distributing the TDD communication signal in a DL communication path in response to the DL period indicator; generating a UL period indicator to indicate a UL period among the plurality of UL periods at each of the plurality of UL switching times; and receiving the TDD communication signal in a UL communication path in response to the UL period indicator indicating the UL period among the plurality of UL periods. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A central unit in a distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
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at least one communication circuit configured to; receive a TDD communication signal from a communication signal source in a plurality of downlink (DL) periods and a plurality of uplink (UL) periods configured according to a predefined TDD configuration of a predetermined TDD communications protocol; transmit the TDD communication signal in a DL communication path of the central unit in response to a DL period indicator indicating a DL period among the plurality of DL periods; and receive the TDD communication signal in a UL communication path of the central unit in response to a UL period indicator indicating a UL period among the plurality of UL periods; and a communication control circuit configured to; determine a plurality of DL switching times respectively for the plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL switching times respectively for the plurality of UL periods based on the predefined TDD configuration; detect a respective start time of at least one DL period among the plurality of DL periods by sensing that a power level associated with the TDD communication signal increases above a predetermined DL signal power threshold; synchronize at least one DL switching time among the plurality of DL switching times with the respective start time of the at least one detected DL period; generate the DL period indicator to indicate the DL period among the plurality of DL periods at each of the plurality of DL switching times; and generate the UL period indicator to indicate the UL period among the plurality of UL periods at each of the plurality of UL switching times. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A remote unit in a distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
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a communication circuit configured to; receive a time-division duplex (TDD) communication signal from a central unit in a plurality of downlink (DL) periods and a plurality of uplink (UL) periods configured according to a predefined TDD configuration of a predetermined TDD communications protocol; transmit the TDD communication signal in a DL communication path of the remote unit in response to a DL period indicator indicating a DL period among the plurality of DL periods; and receive the TDD communication signal in a UL communication path of the remote unit in response to a UL period indicator indicating a UL period among the plurality of UL periods; and a communication control circuit configured to; determine a plurality of DL switching times respectively for the plurality of DL periods and a plurality of UL switching times respectively for the plurality of UL periods based on the predefined TDD configuration; detect a respective start time of at least one DL period among the plurality of DL periods by sensing that a power level associated with the TDD communication signal increases above a predetermined DL signal power threshold; synchronize at least one DL switching time among the plurality of DL switching times with the respective start time of the at least one detected DL period; generate the DL period indicator to indicate the DL period among the plurality of DL periods at each of the plurality of DL switching times; and generate the UL period indicator to indicate the UL period among the plurality of UL periods at each of the plurality of UL switching times. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification