Method and apparatus for synchronizing a smart antenna apparatus with a base station transceiver

• US 7,395,094 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shenhar, Eran, Hovers, Omri, Peri, Nanu, Kagan, Shahar, Korkos, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D.
• Application Number:
  US11/234,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 375/358, 370/103, 370/350, 455/562, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method of synchronizing a smart antenna apparatus with a base station transceiver includes receiving at the smart antenna apparatus control signals being communicated from a base station transceiver to one or more mobile stations via an antenna unit. The control signals are operable to be used to synchronize the mobile stations with the base station transceiver. The method further includes executing one or more algorithms using the control signals received by the smart antenna apparatus as input to synchronize the smart antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving control signals at a smart antenna apparatus of a antenna apparatus from a base station transceiver for synchronizing one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver;

at the smart antenna apparatus, splitting the control signals into a first path of control signals and a second path of control signals;

receiving and processing synchronization information within the first path of control signals;

responsive to the processing, synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver; and

broadcasting the second path of control signals from the smart antenna apparatus through an antenna unit of the antenna apparatus to one or more mobile stations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving control signals further comprises, receiving the control signals at the antenna apparatus from the base station transceiver via one or more radio signal wires.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving control signals further comprises, receiving said control signals at the antenna apparatus from the base station transceiver without substantially affecting the communication of the control signals from the base station transceiver to the one or more mobile stations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the synchronization information comprises correlating the synchronization information with expected synchronization information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving said control signals further comprises, receiving first control signals at a first frequency;

and wherein the method further comprises, converting said first control signals to second control signals at a second frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first frequency comprises a downlink control frequency and the second frequency comprises a corresponding uplink frequency.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said receiving said control signals further comprises filtering said first control signals through a first filter and filtering said second control signals through a second filter.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said converting said first control signals to second control signals further comprises, mixing said first control signals with a conversion signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conversion signal comprises a frequency of approximately 45 MHz.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the control signals received by the antenna apparatus from analog control signals to digital control signals, and wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing based at least in part, on said digital signals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one bit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one quarter of one Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) bit.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing further comprises synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of about 50 Hz.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel, the synchronization information comprises time synchronization bursts, and wherein said processing the synchronization information further comprises processing based at least in part on at least one time synchronization burst.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel, the synchronization information comprises frequency correction bursts, and wherein said processing the synchronization information further comprises processing based at least in part on at least one frequency correction burst.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel within a control frequency, the synchronization information comprises one or more time synchronization bursts and one or more frequency correction bursts, and wherein said synchronizing the antenna apparatus further comprises one or more coarse timing synchronizations, one or more frame synchronizations, or one or more fine tuning synchronizations, or some combination thereof.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.

34. The method of claim 5, further comprising synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.

35. The method of claim 16, further comprising synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.

17. An antenna apparatus comprising:

an antenna unit; and

a smart antenna apparatus, comprising;

means for receiving control signals at the smart antenna apparatus from a base station transceiver for synchronizing one or more mobile stations with a base station transceiver,

means for splitting the control signals into a first path of control signals and a second path of control signals,

means for receiving and processing synchronization information within the first path of control signals,

means for synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver based, at least in part, on the processing of the synchronization information, and

means for broadcasting the second path of control signals from the smart antenna apparatus through the antenna unit to one or more mobile stations based, at least in part, on the synchronizing of the antenna apparatus.

18. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for receiving control signals further comprises receiving the control signals at the antenna apparatus from the base station transceiver via one or more radio signal wires.

19. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for receiving the control signals further comprises, means for receiving said control signals at the antenna apparatus from the base station transceiver without substantially affecting the communication of the control signals from the base station transceiver to the one or more mobile stations.

20. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for processing the synchronization information comprises means for correlating the synchronization information with an expected synchronization information.

21. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for receiving said control signals further comprises means for receiving first control signals at a first frequency;

and wherein the antenna apparatus further comprises means for converting said first control signals to second control signals at a second frequency.

22. The antenna apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first frequency comprises a downlink control frequency and the second frequency comprises a corresponding uplink frequency.

23. The antenna apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for receiving said control signals further comprises means for filtering said first control signals through a first filter and means for filtering said second control signals through a second filter.

24. The antenna apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for converting said first control signals to second control signals further comprises means for mixing said first control signals with a conversion signal.

25. The antenna apparatus of claim 24, wherein the conversion signal comprises a frequency of approximately 45 MHz.

26. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, and further comprising means for converting the control signals received by the antenna apparatus from analog to digital signals, and wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises means for synchronizing based at least in part, on said digital signals.

27. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises means for synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one bit.

28. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises means for synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one quarter of one Global System for Mobile Communication bit.

29. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises means for synchronizing the antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of about 50 Hz.

30. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel, the synchronization information comprises time synchronization bursts, and wherein said means for processing the synchronization information further comprises processing based at least in part on at least one time synchronization burst.

31. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel, the synchronization information comprises frequency correction bursts;

and wherein said means for processing the synchronization information further comprises means for processing based at least in part on at least one frequency correction burst.

32. The antenna apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel within a control frequency, the synchronization information comprises one or more time synchronization bursts and one or more frequency correction bursts, and wherein said means for synchronizing the antenna apparatus further comprises one or more coarse timing synchronizations, one or more frame synchronizations, or one or more fine tuning synchronizations, or some combination thereof.

36. The smart antenna apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.

37. The smart antenna apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.

38. The smart antenna apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for synchronizing the one or more mobile stations with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals.