Base station apparatus and frame synchronization acquisition method

• US 6,298,248 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Katsuhiko, Miyoshi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US09/514,194
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/67.6, 455/502, 455/503, 455/561, 455/562, 455/501, 370/315, 370/350, 370/503, 370/508, 370/510, 370/516, 370/519, 375/356, 375/362, 375/371
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/269 Master/slave synchronisation

Abstract

Before ordinary communications are started, a base station apparatus of the present invention connects antenna 101 for use in acquiring frame synchronization to selector 105 by the control of antenna selection section 113, expands a communication area in the horizontal direction, directly receives a transmission signal from a base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization, and acquires the frame synchronization. After the frame synchronization is acquired, the apparatus communicates with a mobile station apparatus existing in the communication area using antennas 102 and 103. Thus, even in the case where the base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization does not exist in an ordinary communication area, the apparatus can detect the frame timing assuredly, thereby preventing the occurrence of interference between base station apparatuses.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus, said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization and comprising:

directivity control means for controlling a directivity of an antenna to receive directly with said antenna a transmission signal from another base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization;

timing detection means for detecting a transmission timing of the another base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization; and

transmission timing control means for controlling the transmission timing of said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization in accordance with the transmission timing detected in the timing detection means.

2. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said directivity control means controls the directivity of an adaptive array antenna in order not to receive a transmission signal from an interference station.

3. The base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

asynchronous detection means for detecting a difference of the transmission timing between the base station apparatus acquiring synchronization and the another base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization, wherein the transmission timing control means corrects the transmission timing in the case where the asynchronous detection means detects the difference.

4. A communication terminal apparatus which performs a radio communication with a base station apparatus acquiring synchronization, said base station apparatus comprising directivity control means for controlling a directivity of an antenna to receive directly with said antenna a transmission signal from another base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization;

timing detection means for detecting a transmission timing of the base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization; and

transmission timing control means for controlling the transmission timing of said apparatus acquiring synchronization in accordance with the transmission timing detected in the timing detection means.

5. A frame synchronization acquisition method comprising:

controlling a directivity of an antenna to receive a transmission signal from another base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization directly with said antenna;

detecting a transmission timing of the base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization; and

controlling the transmission timing of a base station apparatus in accordance with a detected transmission timing.

6. The frame synchronization acquisition method according to claim 5, further comprising:

controlling the directivity of an adaptive array antenna in order not to receive a transmission signal from an interference station.

7. The frame synchronization acquisition method according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a difference of the transmission timing between the base station apparatus and the base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization; and

correcting the transmission timing in the case where the difference is detected.

8. A base station apparatus, said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization and comprising:

an antenna having a directivity for receiving a transmission signal from another base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization, said another base station being located outside a standard communication area of said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization for communicating with other stations;

timing detection means for detecting a transmission timing of the base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization based on the signal received at said antenna; and

transmission timing control means for controlling the transmission timing of said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization in accordance with the transmission timing detected in the timing detection means.

9. A base station apparatus acquiring synchronization, said base station apparatus comprising:

directivity control means for aiming a directivity of an antenna to another base station apparatus as a reference of synchronization;

demodulation means for demodulating a transmission signal from said base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization received at said antenna;

timing detection means for detecting a transmission timing of said base station apparatus as the reference of synchronization based on an output signal from said demodulation means; and

transmission timing control means for controlling the transmission timing of said base station apparatus acquiring synchronization in accordance with the transmission timing detected in the timing detection means.