Base station and radio unit for creating overlaid sectors with carrier aggregation

• US 8,903,454 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jung A., Fauconnier, Denis, Seymour, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/290,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.2, 455444-449, 4554561-457, 455561-5621
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

The embodiments relate to a base station and/or radio unit for creating overlaid sectors with carrier aggregation. The radio unit includes a first antenna array including a plurality of first antenna elements. The plurality of first antenna elements are arranged to provide wireless coverage for user equipments on a first frequency carrier in a first coverage area of a cell site. The radio unit also includes a second antenna array including a plurality of second antenna elements. The plurality of second antenna elements are arranged to create at least one sector for providing wireless coverage for the user equipments on a second frequency carrier in a second coverage area within the first coverage area. The radio unit also includes a central unit configured to dynamically adjust one of a location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area and a size of the second coverage area.

Claims

1. A radio unit for supporting dual bands, the radio unit comprising:

a first antenna array including a plurality of first antenna elements, the plurality of first antenna elements being arranged to provide wireless coverage for user equipments on a first frequency carrier in a first coverage area of a cell site;

a second antenna array including a plurality of second antenna elements, the plurality of second antenna elements being arranged to create at least one sector for providing wireless coverage for the user equipments on a second frequency carrier in a second coverage area enveloped by the first coverage area, wherein the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency are different frequencies; and

a central unit configured to dynamically adjust one of a location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area and a size of the second coverage area,

wherein the first antenna array transmits control signals in the first and second coverage areas using the first frequency carrier and the second antenna array transmits data signals using the second frequency carrier for the user equipments in the second coverage area, the second frequency carrier not being configured to transmit control signals.

2. The radio unit of claim 1, wherein the central unit dynamically adjusts the location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area based on at least one control signal, the at least one control signal including adjustment information indicating an adjustment to at least one antenna parameter of the second antenna array.

3. The radio unit of claim 2, wherein the at least one parameter includes tilt, azimuth angle, and antenna pattern of the second antenna elements.

4. The radio unit of claim 1, wherein the central unit dynamically adjusts the size of the second coverage area based on at least one control signal, the at least one control signal including adjustment information indicating an adjustment to a pilot power of the at least one sector.

5. The radio unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second antenna elements are arranged to create a plurality of sectors, each sector for providing non-overlapping wireless coverage for the user equipments on the second frequency carrier in a corresponding second coverage area within the first coverage area, each sector of the plurality of sectors having a same cell identification number.

6. The radio unit of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

a baseband unit configured to determine an adjustment to at least one antenna parameter of the first antenna array based on traffic distribution in the cell site and transmit adjustment information to the central unit, the adjustment information indicating the adjustment to at least one antenna parameter.

7. The radio unit of claim 6, the central unit dynamically adjusts one of the location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area and the size of the second coverage area based on the adjustment information.

8. The radio unit of claim 1, wherein the second frequency carrier is higher than the first frequency carrier, the first antenna array is a passive antenna array, and the second antenna array is an active antenna array.

9. A base station for carrier aggregation, the base station comprising:

a radio unit including,

a first antenna array including a plurality of first antenna elements, the plurality of first antenna elements being arranged to provide wireless coverage for user equipments on a first frequency carrier in a first coverage area of a cell site;

a second antenna array including a plurality of second antenna elements, the plurality of second antenna elements being arranged to create at least one sector for providing wireless coverage for the user equipments on a second frequency carrier in a second coverage area enveloped by the first coverage area, wherein the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency are different frequencies; and

a baseband unit configured to dynamically adjust one of a location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area and a size of the second coverage area,

wherein the radio unit transmits control signals in the first and second coverage areas using the first frequency carrier and the radio unit transmits data signals using the second frequency carrier for the user equipments in the second coverage area, the second frequency carrier not being configured to transmit control signals.

10. The base station of claim 9, further comprising:

an interface between the baseband unit and the second antenna array for transmitting adjustable antenna parameters to the radio unit for the dynamic adjustment.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein

the baseband unit is configured to dynamically adjust one of the location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area and the size of the second coverage area based on monitoring information, the monitoring information indicating traffic distribution in the cell site.

12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the baseband unit is configured to aggregate the first frequency carrier with the second frequency carrier in an overlapping area between the first coverage area and the second coverage area.

13. The base station of claim 9, wherein the baseband unit is configured to dynamically adjust the location of the second coverage area within the first coverage area by adjusting at least one antenna parameter of the second antenna array.

14. The base station of claim 13, wherein the at least one parameter includes tilt, azimuth angle, and antenna pattern of the second antenna elements.

15. The base station of claim 9, wherein the baseband unit is configured to determine an adjustment to at least one antenna parameter of the second antenna array, and transmit adjustment information indicating the adjusted at least one antenna parameter to the radio unit.

16. The base station of claim 9, wherein the plurality of second antenna elements are arranged to create a plurality of sectors, each sector for providing non-overlapping wireless coverage for the user equipments on the second frequency carrier in a corresponding second coverage area within the first coverage area.

17. The base station of claim 16, wherein each sector of the plurality of sectors has a same cell identification number.

18. The base station of claim 9, wherein the second frequency carrier is higher than the first frequency carrier, the first antenna array is a passive antenna array, and the second antenna array is an active antenna array.