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

• US 7,961,668 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kagan, Shahar, Hovers, Omri, Peri, Nanu, Korkos, Daniel, Shenhar, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US11/533,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20070161407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 380/272
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive control signals communicated from a base station transceiver to one or more mobile stations via an antenna unit;

one or more processing modules configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver based at least in part on the control signals received at the receiver; and

a splitter configured to split a path of the control signals into at least a first path and a second path, wherein the splitter is configured to split the path of the control signals without amplifying the control signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one quarter of one GSM bit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based on the synchronization burst.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more synchronization processing modules comprises a digital signal processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more synchronization processing modules comprises a microprocessor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one radio wire input configured to couple with a radio signal wire to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus by passively monitoring the control signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the splitter is configured to split the path of the control signals without interfering with the control signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first path is directed toward the antenna unit and the second is directed toward the one or more processing modules.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit is configured to receive first control signals at a first frequency, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a mixer configured to generate second control signals having a second frequency based on the first control signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first frequency comprises a downlink frequency and the second frequency comprises an uplink frequency.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sampler configured to convert the control signals from analog signals to digital signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sampler is communicatively coupled to the one or more processing modules, and wherein the sampler is further configured to communicate the digital signals to the one or more processing modules.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a coarse timing synchronization.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a fine timing synchronization.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a frame synchronization.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving control signals communicated from a base station transceiver to one or more mobile stations;

means for synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver based on the control signals received at the means for receiving; and

means for splitting a path of the control signals into at least a first path and a second path, wherein the means for splitting are configured to split the path of the control signals without amplifying the control signals.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one quarter of one GSM bit.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based on the synchronization burst.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing comprise a digital signal processor.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing comprise a microprocessor.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for inputting configured to couple with a radio signal wire to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus by passively monitoring the control signals.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for splitting are further configured to split the path of the control signals without interfering with the control signals.

35. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first path is directed toward the antenna unit and the second is directed toward the one or more processing modules.

36. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for receiving are further configured to receive first control signals at a first frequency, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises means for mixing configured to generate second control signals having a second frequency based on the first control signals.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first frequency comprises a downlink frequency and the second frequency comprises an uplink frequency.

38. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for sampling configured to convert the control signals from analog signals to digital signals.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the means for sampling are communicatively coupled to the means for synchronizing, and wherein means for sampling are further configured to communicate the digital signals to the means for synchronizing.

40. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a coarse timing synchronization.

41. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a fine timing synchronization.

42. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a frame synchronization.

43. A method, comprising:

receiving control signals communicated from a base station transceiver to one or more mobile stations via an antenna unit;

synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver based on the received control signals using a processing module; and

splitting a path of the control signals without amplifying the control signals into at least a first path and a second path.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy of one quarter of one GSM bit.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based on the synchronization burst.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein receiving control signals comprises receiving control signals via a radio signal wire configured to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station based on the received control signals further comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station apparatus by passively monitoring the control signals at the processing module.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein splitting the path of the control signals comprises splitting the path of the control signals without interfering with the control signals.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein the first path is directed toward the antenna unit and the second is directed toward the one or more processing modules.

55. The method of claim 43, wherein receiving control signals comprises receiving first control signals at a first frequency, and wherein the method further comprises

generating second control signals having a second frequency based on the first control signals.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the first frequency comprises a downlink frequency and the second frequency comprises an uplink frequency.

57. The method of claim 43, further comprising converting the control signals from analog signals to digital signals.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising communicating the digital signals to the processing module.

59. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a coarse timing synchronization.

60. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a fine timing synchronization.

61. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a frame synchronization.