System and method for equalizing the delay time for transmission paths in a distributed antenna network
First Claim
1. A communication system for automatically equalizing time delay in a distributed antenna network, comprising:
- a plurality of remote antenna units;
a central unit connected to said remote antenna units by transmission lines, each connection between said central unit and one of said remote antenna units forming a separate transmission path having an associated delay time;
a plurality of delay detectors for determining the associated delay time of said separate transmission paths for each of said remote antenna units;
a delay compensator for adjusting the associated delay time for each of said remote antenna units in response to said delay detectors so that all of the associated delay times are substantially equalized;
a pulse generator for sending a predetermined pulse pattern to a loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units;
via said transmission lines anda timer for counting the time taken to transmit said predetermined pulse pattern on an uplink path of said loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system and method are provided for equalizing delay of transmission paths in a distributed antenna network. The distributed antenna network includes a plurality of remote antenna units, a central unit or a base station connected to the remote antenna units by transmission media, where each connection between the base station and one of the remote antenna units forms a separate transmission path having an associated delay time, a delay detector for determining the associated delay time of the separate transmission paths for each of the remote antenna units, and a delay compensator for adjusting the associated delay times in response to the delay detectors so that all of the associated delay times are substantially equalized. The system and method allow the delay parameters for the entire network to be set upon installation and then to be periodically updated without physical intervention by an operator. The detection and compensation allow for equalization of delay time differences that could not otherwise be compensated in the base stations or mobile stations of conventional systems and methods. Furthmore, the equalization synchronizes the bursts so that air frame timing between cells served by the remote antenna units is enhanced and the hand-off performance therebetween is improved.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A communication system for automatically equalizing time delay in a distributed antenna network, comprising:
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a plurality of remote antenna units; a central unit connected to said remote antenna units by transmission lines, each connection between said central unit and one of said remote antenna units forming a separate transmission path having an associated delay time; a plurality of delay detectors for determining the associated delay time of said separate transmission paths for each of said remote antenna units; a delay compensator for adjusting the associated delay time for each of said remote antenna units in response to said delay detectors so that all of the associated delay times are substantially equalized; a pulse generator for sending a predetermined pulse pattern to a loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units;
via said transmission lines anda timer for counting the time taken to transmit said predetermined pulse pattern on an uplink path of said loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for automatically equalizing time delay in a distributed antenna network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting a plurality of remote antenna units to a central unit by transmission lines, each connection between said central unit and one of said remote antenna units forming a separate transmission path having an associated time delay; (b) determining the associated delay time of said separate transmission paths for each of said remote antenna units; (c) adjusting the associated delay time for each of said remote antenna units in response to said step (b) so that all of the associated delay times are substantially equalized; (d) sending a predetermined pulse pattern to a loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units;
via said transmission lines and(e) counting, through the use of a timer, the time taken to transmit said predetermined pulse pattern on an uplink path of said loopback mechanism for each of said remote antenna units. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification