Method and system for reducing uplink noise in wireless communication systems

• US 7,974,244 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Hermel, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain; Raj K
• Application Number:
  US11/842,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

A method and system for reducing the overall noise floor in a wireless communication system, subsystem or network are disclosed, which reduces the output gain levels of specific uplink antenna transmitters during non-signal time periods (e.g., rest mode) when no communication signals are being conveyed between the mobile unit(s) and base station involved. The output gain level of each such uplink antenna'"'"'s transmitter is decreased by a predetermined amount, which reduces the noise contribution of that uplink antenna, but also maintains the gain at a high enough level so that a signal can still pass from a mobile unit to the base station via that link, for example, during a call initiation attempt.

Claims

1. A method for reducing uplink noise in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

determining if an uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is inactive;

if the uplink communication path is inactive, decreasing a gain level of an uplink antenna unit associated with the uplink communication path to a first predetermined value;

determining if the uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is active; and

if the uplink communication path is active, increasing the gain level of the uplink antenna unit associated with the uplink communication path to a second predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined value is substantially lower than the second predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is inactive comprises a step of determining whether or not a communication signal is being conveyed between a mobile unit and a base station via the uplink communication path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is inactive comprises a step of determining if the uplink antenna unit is operating in a rest mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is active comprises a step of determining if at least one of the uplink antenna unit and a mobile unit connected via the uplink communication path is operating in an active communication mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is active comprises a step of determining if at least one of the uplink antenna unit and a mobile unit connected via the uplink communication path is transporting a communication signal on the uplink communication path.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gain level of the uplink antenna unit is associated with a level of uplink noise in the wireless communication system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is inactive is performed at a base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an uplink communication path in the wireless communication system is inactive is performed at the uplink antenna unit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of decreasing the gain level of an uplink antenna unit associated with the uplink communication path to a first predetermined value comprises a step of decreasing a transmitter'"'"'s output gain.

11. A method for reducing uplink noise in a cellular communications network, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a remote antenna unit in the cellular communications network is receiving at least one communication signal from a mobile unit;

if the remote antenna unit in the cellular communications network is not receiving at least one communication signal from a mobile unit, decreasing a transmit antenna gain of the remote antenna unit to a first predetermined value;

re-determining whether or not the remote antenna unit in the cellular communications network is receiving at least one communication signal from a mobile unit; and

if the remote antenna unit in the cellular communications network is receiving at least one communication signal from a mobile unit, increasing the transmit antenna gain of the remote antenna unit to a second predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote antenna unit comprises a wireless digital signal repeater or a wireless analog signal relay.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote antenna unit comprises an uplink antenna in a set of distributed antennas.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the cellular communications network includes a radio air interface that can operate in a terrestrial or airborne configuration in accordance with at least one of a GSM, AMPS, D-AMPS, CDMA, WCDMA, TDMA, CDPD, EDGE, GPRS, iDEN, OFDM, OFDMA, UMTS, 3GPP, WiFi, WiMAX, or RFID protocol.

15. A system for reducing uplink noise in a wireless communications network, comprising:

a plurality of mobile units;

a base station; and

a plurality of uplink antenna units located between the plurality of mobile units and the base station, wherein a control unit associated with at least one of the base station and an uplink antenna unit of the plurality of uplink antenna units is configured to;

determine if a communication link associated with the uplink antenna unit is active or inactive;

if the communication link is inactive, decrease a gain level of the uplink antenna unit to a first predetermined value;

re-determine if the communication link is active or inactive; and

if the communication link is active, increase the gain level of the uplink antenna unit to a second predetermined value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular communications network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the uplink antenna unit comprises a remote uplink antenna unit.

18. The system of claim 15, whereby a decrease of the gain level of the uplink antenna unit is associated with a decrease in an amount of noise contributed by the uplink antenna unit to an overall noise floor.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first predetermined value is substantially lower than the second predetermined value.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a terrestrial or airborne wireless communication network.