Method and apparatus for reducing combiner loss in a multi-sector, omni-base station
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a multi-sector omni-radio base station providing radio communications coverage for a geographic site area that is divided into a plurality of sectors, comprising:
- multiple sector antenna units, each sector antenna unit providing radio communications coverage for a particular sector that differs from the sectors covered by others of the multiple sector antenna units, and each of the multiple sector antenna units having an antenna for transmitting downlink transmissions and for receiving a carrier signal associated with a receive antenna frequency in an available frequency band;
a frequency converter for frequency converting the carrier signal received by one of the multiple sector antenna units from the receive antenna frequency to a respective frequency different from the receive antenna frequency; and
a splitter/combiner for;
receiving a downlink signal with a total transmission power and splitting the downlink signal into a plurality of identical split signals to be transmitted by the multiple sector antenna units, each of the split signals having a respective portion of the total transmission power of the received downlink signal, where each of the sector antenna units transmits its respective split signal at a same base station transmit frequency with the respective portion of the total transmit power; and
combining in the uplink direction carrier signals received from multiple different sectors by corresponding ones of the multiple sector antenna units to create a composite signal containing information received from multiple different sectors for communication to the multi-sector omni-radio base station,wherein at least two of the carrier signals associated with the multiple sector antenna units and combined in the combiner are at a different frequency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An omni-radio base station with multiple sector antenna units uses frequency division of sector signals to achieve increased coverage or capacity at reduced cost. Each sector antenna unit has an antenna for receiving a carrier signal associated with an antenna frequency in an available frequency band. At least one of the antenna units has an associated frequency converter that converts the carrier signal received by that antenna unit from the antenna frequency to a different respective frequency. Even though each sector receives the same carrier signal, an output carrier signal associated with each sector is at a different frequency band. A combiner combines the antenna unit carrier signals at different frequencies to create a composite signal for communication to the omni-radio base station. Because the antenna unit signals combined are at different frequencies, they do not interfere as much as they would if they were at the same antenna frequency, which results in less signal loss and degradation in the combiner. The carrier signals are then restored in the base station transceiver from the different respective frequencies to intermediate frequency for further processing.
27 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in a multi-sector omni-radio base station providing radio communications coverage for a geographic site area that is divided into a plurality of sectors, comprising:
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multiple sector antenna units, each sector antenna unit providing radio communications coverage for a particular sector that differs from the sectors covered by others of the multiple sector antenna units, and each of the multiple sector antenna units having an antenna for transmitting downlink transmissions and for receiving a carrier signal associated with a receive antenna frequency in an available frequency band; a frequency converter for frequency converting the carrier signal received by one of the multiple sector antenna units from the receive antenna frequency to a respective frequency different from the receive antenna frequency; and a splitter/combiner for; receiving a downlink signal with a total transmission power and splitting the downlink signal into a plurality of identical split signals to be transmitted by the multiple sector antenna units, each of the split signals having a respective portion of the total transmission power of the received downlink signal, where each of the sector antenna units transmits its respective split signal at a same base station transmit frequency with the respective portion of the total transmit power; and combining in the uplink direction carrier signals received from multiple different sectors by corresponding ones of the multiple sector antenna units to create a composite signal containing information received from multiple different sectors for communication to the multi-sector omni-radio base station, wherein at least two of the carrier signals associated with the multiple sector antenna units and combined in the combiner are at a different frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for use in multi-sector omni-radio base station including multiple sector antenna units each having an antenna, the multi-sector omni-radio base station providing radio communications coverage for a geographic site area that is divided into a plurality of sectors, and comprising:
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each of the multiple sector antenna units providing radio communications coverage for a particular sector that differs from the sectors covered by others of the multiple sector antenna units by transmitting downlink transmissions and receiving a carrier signal associated with a receive antenna frequency in an available frequency band; frequency converting the carrier signal received by one of the multiple sector antenna units from the receive antenna frequency to a respective frequency different from the receive antenna frequency; combining in the uplink direction in a splitter/combiner carrier signals received from multiple different sectors by corresponding ones of the multiple sector antenna units to create a composite signal containing information received from multiple different sectors for communication to the multi-sector omni-radio base station; receiving a downlink signal with a total transmission power at the splitter/combiner; and splitting in the splitter/combiner the downlink signal into a plurality of identical split signals to be transmitted by the multiple sector antenna units, each of the split signals having a respective portion of the total transmission power of the received downlink signal, where each of the sector antenna units transmits its respective split signal at a same base station transmit frequency with the respective portion of the total transmit power, wherein at least two of the carrier signals associated with the multiple sector antenna units and combined in the splitter/combiner are at a different frequency. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification