TDD repeater for a wireless network and method for operating said repeater

• US 9,219,524 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmid, Peter, Braz, Oliver, Gunzner, Peter, Schmalisch, Mathias A., Stefanik, Jorg
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, CHRISTINE T
• Application Number:
  US14/279,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1415 using control lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0012 by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0033 Correction by delay

Abstract

A repeater (1) particularly suitable for a time-division duplex transmission of communication signals is provided. The repeater (1) comprises a master unit (2) for communicating with a base station (3) of a wireless network, at least one remote unit (4) for communicating with a network terminal, as well as a waveguide (11) connecting the remote unit (4) with the master unit (2) for transmitting the communication signals in an uplink direction (6) from the remote unit (4) to the master unit (2) and in a downlink direction (5) from the master unit (2) to the remote unit (4). Both the master unit (2) and the remote unit (4) comprise one switch (19, 20) each for changing over the signal transmission between uplink direction (6) and downlink direction (5). Both switches (19, 20) are selected by a synchronizing unit (21) arranged in the master unit (2), the synchronizing unit (21) being designed for determining a clock pulsing from the communication signal fed to the master unit (2)—in particular from the base station (3)—and for supplying a control signal corresponding to this clock pulsing to the switches (19, 20).

Claims

1. A time-division duplex (TDD) repeater system comprising:

a master unit configured for communicating with a base station of a wireless network;

at least one remote unit configured for communicating with a terminal device and located away from the master unit;

a waveguide connecting the remote unit with the master unit for transmitting communication signals in an uplink direction and in a downlink direction;

the at least one remote unit having a defined uplink path and a separate defined downlink path and including a switch coupled to each of the defined paths for changing direction between the signal transmission in the uplink direction and the signal transmission in the downlink direction;

the master unit configured for generating a control signal and directing downlink signals, including the communication signals and the control signal in the downlink direction, to the remote unit;

the control signal portion of the downlink signals from the master unit to the remote unit acting as a control signal in the remote unit for controlling the direction of the switch in the remote unit between the defined paths in the uplink and downlink directions;

a control unit located in the remote unit, and the remote unit configured for coupling the control signal portion of the downlink signals to the control unit, the control unit configured for processing the control signal portion and determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission, the control unit further configured to generate signals to the remote unit switch based on the control signal to control the switch direction.

2. The TDD repeater system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured for generating clock pulses to control the remote unit switch.

3. The TDD repeater system of claim 1, wherein the master unit further comprises a switching-point detector configured for determining the direction of the repeater system and controlling the switch in the remote unit through the control signal.

4. The TDD repeater system of claim 1, further comprising multiple remote units, each remote unit connected with the master unit by a separate waveguide, each remote unit including a control unit configured for processing the control signal portion to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

5. The TDD repeater system of claim 1, further comprising multiple remote units, connected with the master unit by a common waveguide.

6. The TDD repeater system of claim 1 further comprising at least one optical transmitter in the master unit for converting the downlink signals to optical signals for being transmitted to the remote unit.

7. The TDD repeater system of claim 6 further comprising at least one optical receiver in the remote unit for receiving the downlink signals and converting them to electrical signals to be directed to the control unit.

8. The TDD repeater system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission and control the remote unit switch direction synchronized with the base station.

9. The TDD repeater system of claim 1 further configured for processing a pilot signal or a preamble of a signal transmission frame of the downlink signals to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

10. The TDD repeater system of claim 1 wherein the master unit and remote units are configured in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration.

11. A method for time-division duplex (TDD) signal repeating comprising:

receiving communication signals with a master unit from a base station of a wireless network;

transmitting the communication signals with a waveguide between the master unit and at least one remote unit including selectively transmitting the communication signals in an uplink direction and in a downlink direction;

in the at least one remote unit having a defined uplink path and a separate defined downlink path, using a switch coupled to each of the defined paths for changing direction between the signal transmission in the uplink direction and the signal transmission in the downlink direction;

directing downlink signals from the master unit to the remote unit, the downlink signals including the communication signals and a control signal generated by the master unit, the control signal operable for controlling the direction of the switch in the remote unit between the defined paths in the uplink and downlink directions;

coupling the control signal portion of the downlink signals to a control unit located in the remote unit and processing the control signal portion to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission;

generating signals to the remote unit switch based on the control signal to control the switch direction.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating clock pulses to control the remote unit switch.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting the communication signals with the waveguide between the master unit and multiple remote units with each remote unit connected with the master unit by a separate waveguide, and processing the control signal portion to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting the communication signals with the waveguide between the master unit and multiple remote units and connecting the multiple remote units to the master unit by a common waveguide.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising converting the downlink signals at the master unit to optical signals for being transmitted to the remote unit.

16. The method of claim 11 further converting the downlink signals at the remote unit to electrical signals for being coupled to the control unit.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission and controlling the remote unit switch direction synchronized with the base station.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising processing a pilot signal or a preamble of a signal transmission frame of the downlink signals to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the master unit and remote units are configured in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration.