Distributed radio system with multiple transceivers for simulcasting and selective processing of received signals

• US 6,778,518 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RadioFrame Networks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoole, Elliott, Schladetzky, Brian, Jesse, Mary, Veintimilla, Greg, Heinonen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US10/197,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.1, 370/312, 370/315, 370/324, 370/328, 370/338, 370/349, 370/350, 370/508, 455/422, 455/426, 455/456, 455/502, 455/503, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• 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 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A distributed radio system with multiple transceivers for simulcasting and selective processing of received signals is provided. The distributed radio system includes a plurality of processing elements and radio frequency transmitter elements interconnected by an Ethernet network. The system designates a number of radio frequency transmitter elements to be elements of a radio frequency simulcast set. The system utilizes relatively few frequency channels, and transmits at very low power levels, and thus causes minimal interference with an existing macrocellular environment. When signals transmitted from a mobile unit are detected by multiple radio receivers, the system is able to select a desired radio receiver signal for processing. When selecting a received signal for processing, the system utilizes a distributed processing technique that performs the selection process throughout several levels. The distributed processing utilized by the selection process may be synchronized. A selection time window may be utilized for making the selection process for the upstream-received data traffic. The system utilizes a centralized data link layer. Transmissions are implemented by a two-level multicast technique. The data transmission traffic is bundled. Selective management of the Ethernet switches is performed by the system.

Claims

1. A disturbed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and radio frequency transmitter elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency transmitter elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the distributed radio system simulcasts data in the form of a common modulating signal on a common radio frequency carrier using at least two radio frequency transmitter elements which are designated as a radio frequency simulcast set;

wherein the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set are configured to receive Ethernet sampled signal rackets and to transmit the information contained in the packets by modulating the radio frequency carrier; and

wherein the simulcast method comprises;

transmitting a first set of Ethernet packets to be received by the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set, the first set of Ethernet packets used to program the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set with a multicast address, the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set thereafter responsive to Ethernet packets containing the multicast address as the designation media access control (MAC) address.

2. The distributed radio system of claim 1, wherein the simulcast method further comprises:

transmitting a second set of Ethernet packets to be received by the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set, the second set of Ethernet packets being used to program the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set to operate using a particular radio frequency carrier.

3. The distributed radio system of claim 2, wherein the simulcast method further comprises:

periodically transmitting Ethernet sampled signal packets, the Ethernet sampled signal packets having a destination address which is equivalent to the programmed multicast address, the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set configured to receive the Ethernet sampled signal packets, the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set modulating the common radio frequency carrier in accordance with the sampled data included in the Ethernet sampled signal packets.

4. The distributed radio system of claim 1, wherein the is primarily located indoors.

5. The distributed radio system of claim 4, wherein the system is operated at low power levels such that the system will not substantially interfere with an existing macrocellular environment, even when the system is operating in the same frequency band for a given cellular standard.

6. The distributed radio system of claim 1, wherein the processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency transmitter elements through the Ethernet network.

7. The distributed radio system of claim 6, further comprising a layer 2 that is centralized at the central processing unit.

8. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and radio frequency transmitter elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency transmitter elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the distributed radio system simulcasts data in the form of a common modulating signal on a common radio frequency carrier using at least two radio frequency transmitter elements which are designated as a radio frequency simulcast set;

wherein the processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency transmitter elements through the Ethernet network;

wherein a layer 2 is centralized at the central processing unit; and

wherein layer 2 data and layer 2 Ethernet packets are sent by the central processing unit to the plurality of airlink processing units that are associated with the radio frequency simulcast set, the plurality of airlink processing units further processing layer 2 data into waveforms, the waveforms being transmitted by the radio frequency simulcast set.

9. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and radio frequency transmitter elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency transmitter elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the distributed radio system simulcasts data in the form of a common modulating signal on a common radio frequency carrier using at least two radio frequency transmitter elements which are designated as a radio frequency simulcast set;

wherein the processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency transmitter elements through the Ethernet network; and

wherein transmissions of the waveforms are implemented by a two-level multicast technique, in which layer 2 transmit data is sent by the central processing unit in layer 2 format as multicast Ethernet packets to the plurality of airlink processing units associated with the radio frequency simulcast set, after which the transmit data is sent from each airlink processing unit to the radio frequency simulcast set in layer 1 format as multicast Ethernet packets.

10. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and radio frequency transmitter elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency transmitter elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the distributed radio system simulcasts data in the form of a common modulating signal on a common radio frequency carrier using at least two radio frequency transmitter elements which are designated as a radio frequency simulcast set; and

wherein at least a portion of the data that is to be transmitted by the radio frequency simulcast set is bundled, such that at least some of the data for multiple radio frequency channels is grouped into a single Ethernet packet.

11. The distributed radio system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises Ethernet switches which are configured to filter the transmission of designated data so as to limit the amount of data that is transmitted.

12. The distributed radio system of claim 10, wherein the elements of the radio frequency simulcast set are configured to receive Ethernet sampled signal packets and to transmit the information contained in the packets by modulating the radio frequency carrier.

13. The distributed radio system of claim 10, wherein the system is primarily located indoors.

14. The distributed radio system of claim 13, wherein the system is operated at low power levels such that the system will not substantially interfere with an existing macrocellular environment, even when the system is operating in the same frequency band for a given cellular standard.

15. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and a plurality of radio frequency receiver elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency receiver elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the radio frequency receiver elements are configured to receive signals from a mobile unit;

wherein the signals transmitted from the mobile unit are detected by multiple radio frequency receiver units, and the system selects one of the radio frequency receiver elements for processing;

wherein the selection process is a distributed process in that the selection process occurs at two or more of the processing elements of the system;

wherein the plurality of processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency receiver elements;

wherein the selection process occurs in part at the central processing unit and in part at the airlink processing unit; and

wherein each airlink processing unit selects a received signal from only one of the radio frequency receiver elements and thus forwards only one signal to the central processing unit where a final signal selection is made.

16. The distributed radio system of claim 15, wherein distribution of the selection process is dependant on the available data rate of the system, in that more signals will be forwarded to the central processing unit when a higher data rate is available than when a lower data rate is available.

17. The distributed radio system of claim 15, wherein the distributed processing utilized by the selection process is synchronized in that the central processing unit is synchronized with the radio frequency receiver elements.

18. The distributed radio system of claim 17, wherein the airlink processing units are also synchronized.

19. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and a plurality of radio frequency receiver elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency receiver elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the radio frequency receiver elements are configured to receive signals from a mobile unit;

wherein the signals transmitted from the mobile unit are detected by multiple radio frequency receiver units, and the system selects one of the radio frequency receiver elements for processing;

wherein the selection process is a distributed process in that the selection process occurs at two or more of the processing elements of the system;

wherein the plurality of processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency receiver elements; and

wherein a selection time window is utilized at the central processing unit for establishing a time limit for completing the selection process.

20. The distributed radio system of claim 19, wherein the central processing unit includes a time base that is synchronized with the airlink processing units and the radio frequency receiver elements.

21. The distributed radio system of claim 19, wherein the distributed processing utilized by the selection process is synchronized in that the central processing unit is synchronized with the radio frequency receiver elements.

22. The distributed radio system of claim 21, wherein the airlink processing units are also synchronized.

23. A distributed radio system, comprising:

a plurality of processing elements and a plurality of radio frequency receiver elements, the processing elements and the radio frequency receiver elements being interconnected by an Ethernet network;

wherein the radio frequency receiver elements are configured to receive signals from a mobile unit;

wherein the signals transmitted from the mobile unit are detected by multiple radio frequency receiver units, and the system selects one of the radio frequency receiver elements for processing;

wherein the selection process is a distributed process in that the selection process occurs at two or more of the processing elements of the system;

wherein the plurality of processing elements comprise at least one central processing unit and a plurality of airlink processing units, the central processing unit being responsible for interfacing the system to external environments, and each airlink processing unit being coupled to one or more of the radio frequency receiver elements; and

wherein data is sent from the airlink processing units to the central processing unit and at least a portion of the data that is sent from at least one of the airlink processing units to the central processing unit is bundled into one or more Ethernet packets, rather than sending individual Ethernet packets for each radio frequency channel.

24. The distributed radio system of claim 23, wherein the system further comprises Ethernet switches, the Ethernet switches being selectively managed so as to reduce the amount of data that is transmitted between the processing elements.

25. The distributed radio system of claim 23, wherein the distributed processing utilized by the selection process is synchronized in that the central processing unit is synchronized with the radio frequency receiver elements.

26. The distributed radio system of claim 25, wherein the airlink processing units are also synchronized.