Multiple antenna system

• US 7,394,883 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Funakubo, Toshiaki, Sunden, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha; Dac V
• Application Number:
  US10/926,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20050208976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A multiple-antenna system including a base station apparatus and a plurality of antenna apparatuses connected to the base station via optical cables is provided. The system comprises a first antenna apparatus and a second antenna apparatus connected to each other via an electric cable. Each of the first and second antenna apparatuses receives a reference pulse from the base station apparatus via the optical cables, and estimates a time difference between the received pulse and the reference pulse supplied from the counterpart antenna apparatus via the electric cable. At least one of the first and second antenna apparatuses adjusts signal transmission timing based on the time differences estimated by the first and second antenna apparatuses.

Claims

1. A multiple-antenna system including a base station apparatus and a plurality of antenna apparatuses connected to the base station via optical cables, the system comprising:

a first antenna apparatus and a second antenna apparatus connected to each other via an electric cable, each of the first and second antenna apparatuses receiving a reference pulse from the base station apparatus via the optical cables and estimating a time difference between the received reference pulse and the reference pulse supplied from the counterpart antenna apparatus via the electric cable, at least one of the first and second antenna apparatuses adjusting signal transmission timing based on the time differences estimated by the first and second antenna apparatuses.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said antenna apparatuses receives the reference pulse from the base station and returns the received reference pulse to the base station, and the base station comprises:

a timer configured to measure a time required to receive the reference pulse returned from each of the antenna apparatuses; and

a delay detecting unit configured to detect a delay time for each of the antenna apparatuses based on the measured time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said antenna apparatuses is connected to another antenna apparatus via the optical cable, and wherein when said one of the antenna apparatuses receives the reference pulse from the base station apparatus, said one of the antenna apparatuses transmits the reference pulse to said other antenna apparatus via the optical cable.

4. A base station apparatus used in a multiple antenna system that includes a plurality of antenna apparatuses connected to the base station via optical cables, the base station apparatus comprising:

a delay control unit configured to cause a reference pulse to be transmitted from the base station apparatus to each of the antenna apparatuses;

a timer configured to measure a time required to receive the reference pulse returned from said each of the antenna apparatuses;

a delay detecting unit configured to determine a delay time of said each of the antenna apparatuses based on the measure time,

wherein a first antenna apparatus and a second antenna apparatus are connected to each other via an electric cable, each of the first and second antenna apparatuses receiving a reference pulse from the base station apparatus via the optical cables and estimating a time difference between the received reference pulse and the reference pulse supplied from the counterpart antenna apparatus via the electric cable, at least one of the first and second antenna apparatuses adjusting signal transmission timing based on the time differences estimated by the first and second antenna apparatuses.

5. The base station apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a digital copy unit configured to digitally copy a downlink signal to be supplied from the base station to said antenna apparatuses; and

a digital adder configured to sum up a plurality of uplink signals supplied from said antenna apparatuses.

6. The base station apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a first bandlimiting unit configured to perform a first bandlimiting operation on the downlink signal before the digital copying; and

a second bandlimiting unit configured to perform a second bandlimiting operation to the digitally added signal.

7. The base station apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a baseband processing unit configured to perform baseband processing in common for said plurality of antenna apparatuses.

8. An antenna apparatus used in a multiple antenna system that includes a base station apparatus and a plurality of antenna apparatuses connected to the base station apparatus via optical cables, the antenna apparatus comprising:

a time mark receiving unit configured to receive a time mark as a first received pulse from the base station via one of the optical cables;

a time difference estimating unit configured to estimate a first time difference between the first received pulse and a second received pulse supplied from a second antenna apparatus via an electric cable; and

a phase difference control unit configured to cause transmission timing to be controlled based on the first time difference and a second time difference supplied from the second antenna apparatus via the electric cable.

9. A multiple antenna system including a base station apparatus and a plurality of antenna apparatuses connected to the base station apparatus via optical cables, each of the antenna apparatuses being arranged in one of a plurality of sectors, wherein:

at least one of the antenna apparatuses comprises multiple antenna elements for performing an antenna diversity technique, a serial-to-parallel converter connected to the antenna elements, and an optical-to-electric converter connected to the serial-to-parallel converter; and

the base station apparatus comprises a baseband processing unit configured to perform baseband processing in common for the antenna apparatuses, and a plurality of electric-to-optical converters connected to the baseband processing unit via parallel-to-serial converters,

wherein a first antenna apparatus and a second antenna apparatus are connected to each other via an electric cable, each of the first and second antenna apparatuses receiving a reference pulse from the base station apparatus via the optical cables and estimating a time difference between the received reference pulse and the reference pulse supplied from the counterpart antenna apparatus via the electric cable, at least one of the first and second antenna apparatuses adjusting signal transmission timing based on the time differences estimated by the first and second antenna apparatuses.