PN selection for RF repeaters, bi-directional amplifiers or distributed antenna systems

• US 9,179,430 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ExteNet Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ExteNet Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Larsen, Tormod
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US13/352,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0074 Code shifting or hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Presented herein are methods and systems for providing network access at a slave node based on a signal transmitted by a master BTS. In one example, a pseudorandom code (PN code) selection is described, in which each slave node has a known associated time offset and data is transmitted with a PN code advanced by the known time offset and the propagation delay. Using an example slave base station transceiver architecture (or just slave node for short), the “traditional” BSC can be removed from at least one base station (e.g., “slave nodes”) and a master base station may be configured to control the signal being transmitted from each slave node. Each slave node then may transmit and receive RF signals. The master BTS head end may receive signal portions from the slave nodes and mobile devices, and combine them for relay back into the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

reading from memory a propagation delay time, wherein the propagation delay time is indicative of a propagation delay from a first transmitter to a second transmitter;

reading from memory a fixed delay offset associated with the second transmitter, wherein the fixed delay offset is representative of an amount of time between the second transmitter (i) receiving a signal and (ii) starting a transmission of a signal, and wherein the fixed delay offset is based on at least one of (i) signal processing elements in the second transmitter or (ii) a time delay in the second transmitter; and

transmitting a modulated signal from the first transmitter, wherein the modulated signal is modulated with an associated code, the associated code having an offset corresponding to a sum of the propagation delay time and the fixed delay offset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offset of the associated code is measured in discrete time units, the method further comprising:

receiving the transmitted modulated signal at the second transmitter; and

transmitting the received signal with the second transmitter after an amount of time equal to a number of discrete time units as close as possible to the fixed delay offset, wherein the fixed delay offset associated with the second transmitter corresponds to an amount of time between receiving the transmitted modulated signal and transmitting the received signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an initiating signal to the second transmitter with the first transmitter;

receiving an initiating signal response from the second transmitter with the first transmitter; and

,

calculating the propagation delay time with a processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulated signal includes a code-division multiple access signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated code includes a pseudorandom code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the propagation delay time is based on radio propagation speed and a distance between the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter is configured to transmit in a first frequency band and the second transmitter is configured to transmit in a second frequency band.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are the same frequency band.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different non-overlapping frequency bands.

10. A system comprising:

a first base station transceiver, configured to;

read from memory a propagation delay time, wherein the propagation delay time corresponds to a radio propagation time from a first transmitter to a second transmitter;

read from memory a fixed delay offset associated with the second transmitter, wherein the fixed delay offset is representative of an amount of time between the second transmitter (i) receiving a signal and (ii) starting a transmission of a signal, and wherein the fixed delay offset is based on at least one of (i) signal processing elements in the second transmitter or (ii) a time delay in the second transmitter; and

,

transmit a modulated signal from the first transmitter, wherein the modulated signal is modulated with an associated code, the associated code having an offset corresponding to a sum of the propagation delay time and the fixed delay offset.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the offset of the associated code is measured in discrete time units, the system further comprising:

a second base station transceiver, the second base station transceiver configured to;

receive the transmitted modulated signal at the second transmitter; and

transmit the received signal with the second transmitter after an amount of time equal to a number of discrete time units as close as possible to the fixed delay offset, wherein the fixed delay offset associated with the second transmitter corresponds to an amount of time between receiving the transmitted modulated signal and transmitting the received signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the first base station transceiver is further configured to send an initiating signal to the second transmitter;

the first base station transceiver is further configured to receive an initiating signal response from the second transmitter with the first transmitter; and

,

the first base station transceiver comprises a processor configured to calculate the propagation delay time.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the modulated signal includes a code-division multiple access signal.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the associated code is a pseudorandom code.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the propagation delay time is based on radio propagation speed and a distance between the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first transmitter is configured to transmit in a first frequency band and the second transmitter is configured to transmit in a second frequency band.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are the same frequency band.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different non-overlapping frequency bands.

19. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, if executed by an computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

reading a propagation delay time from a first transmitter to a second transmitter;

reading a fixed delay offset associated with the second transmitter, wherein the fixed delay offset is representative of an amount of time between the second transmitter (i) receiving a signal and (ii) starting a transmission of a signal, and wherein the fixed delay offset is based on at least one of (i) signal processing elements in the second transmitter or (ii) a time delay in the second transmitter; and

initiating a transmission of a modulated signal from the first transmitter, wherein the modulated signal is modulated with an associated code having an offset corresponding to a sum total of the propagation delay time and the fixed delay offset.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, further comprising instructions that if executed by the computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

sending an initiating signal to the second transmitter with the first transmitter;

receiving an initiating signal response with the first transmitter; and

,

calculating the propagation delay time.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the modulated signal includes a code-division multiple access signal.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the associated code is a pseudorandom code.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the propagation delay time is based on radio propagation speed and a distance between the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the first transmitter is configured to transmit in a first frequency band and the second transmitter is configured to transmit in a second frequency band.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are the same frequency band.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different non-overlapping frequency bands.