Processing uplink signal and downlink signal in radio unit

• US 9,369,194 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 5G SIG Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Ki-Ho, Lee, Yong-Gyoo, Ji, Yung-Ha
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US14/333,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20140328224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 370/274, 370/379, 370315-327, 370/492, 370/501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15592 Adapting at the relay station communication parameters for supporting cooperative relaying, i.e. transmission of the same data via direct - and relayed path cooperative diversity H04B7/024
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow

Abstract

Described embodiments provide a method for processing an uplink signal in a radio unit. A first uplink signal may be received directly from user equipment. The received uplink signal may be delayed using uplink delay information. A second uplink signal may be received indirectly from user equipment through at least one repeater connected to the radio unit. The delayed first uplink signal and the second uplink signal may be combined and transmitted to a digital unit.

Claims

1. A method for processing an uplink signal, the method comprising:

receiving a first uplink signal directly from user equipment;

delaying the received first uplink signal by using uplink delay information;

receiving a second uplink signal indirectly from user equipment through at least one repeater connected to a radio unit;

combining the delayed first uplink signal and the second uplink signal; and

transmitting the combined signal to a digital unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the uplink delay information from a base station control server,

wherein the base station control server is coupled to the digital unit and controls associated base stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the base station control server collects information on repeaters and delays from an associated base station and defines the uplink delay information based on the collected information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the uplink delay information T_uplink is expressed as;

T_uplink=χ

+ψ

+ω

, where χ

denotes a time taken by the radio unit to analyze and process uplink signals received from the repeater, ψ

denotes a delay generated according to a distance between the radio unit and the repeater, and ω

denotes a time taken by the repeater for processing an uplink signal received from the user equipment in order to transmit the uplink signal to the radio unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein when the radio unit is connected to a plurality of repeaters, the uplink delay information includes:

first time information indicating a first time taken by the radio unit to analyze and process the first uplink signal;

fourth time information indicating a fourth time taken by the second uplink signal traveling from a first repeater to the radio unit;

fifth time information indicating a fifth time taken by each repeater including the first repeater to process the second uplink signal; and

sixth time information indicating a sixth time taken by the second uplink signal traveling from one repeater to the other.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the uplink delay information is expressed as:

T_uplink=χ

+(ψ

₁+ . . . +ψ

_n)+(ω

₁+ . . . +ω

_n), where χ

denotes a time taken by the radio unit to analyze and process uplink signals received from a repeater, n denotes the number of repeaters coupled to the radio unit, ψ

_n denotes delay according to a distance between (n−

1)^th repeater and n^th repeater, and ω

₁ and ω

_n denote a time taken by a corresponding repeater to process an uplink signal.

7. A method for processing a downlink signal in a radio unit in a remote cell, the method comprising:

receiving downlink signals from a digital unit;

transferring first downlink signals of the received downlink signals to a repeater;

delaying transmission of second downlink signals of the received downlink signals directly to user equipment using downlink delay information; and

transmitting the delayed second downlink signals directly to the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the downlink delay information includes:

first time information indicating a first time taken by the radio unit for processing the downlink signal received from the digital unit;

second time information indicating a second time taken by a signal traveling from the radio unit to the repeater; and

third time information indicating a third time taken by the repeater for processing a downlink signal received from the radio unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the downlink delay information T_downlink is expressed as:

T_downlink=α

+β

+γ

, where α

denotes a time taken by the radio unit for processing a downlink signal received from the digital unit, β

denotes a delay time according to a distance between the radio unit and the repeater, and γ

denotes a time taken by the repeater for processing a downlink signal to transmit to the user equipment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein when the radio unit is connected to a plurality of repeaters, the downlink delay information includes:

first time information indicating a first time taken by the radio unit for processing a downlink signal received from the digital unit;

fourth time information indicating a fourth time taken by a downlink signal for travelling from the radio unit to a first repeater;

fifth time information indicating a fifth time taken by each of the plurality of repeaters including the first repeater for processing the downlink signal; and

sixth time information indicating a sixth time taken by a downlink signal for travelling from one repeater to the other.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the downlink delay information T_downlink is expressed as:

T_downlink=α

+(β

₁+ . . . +β

_n)+(γ

₁+ . . . +γ

_n), wherein α

denotes a time taken by the radio unit for processing a downlink signal received from the digital unit to transmit to the repeater, n denotes the number of repeaters connected to the radio unit, β

₁ denotes a time taken by a downlink signal propagating from the radio unit to a first repeater, β

_n denotes a time taken by a downlink signal propagating from (n−

1)^th repeater to n^th repeater, and γ

₁, . . . , γ

_n denote a time taken by each repeater for processing a downlink signal to transmit to the user equipment.

12. A radio unit located in a base station of a virtual radio network and connected to at least one repeater, the radio unit comprising:

a receiver configured to receive first uplink signals from user equipment, to receive second uplink signal from the at least one repeater, and to receive downlink signals from a digital unit;

a delay unit configured to receive uplink delay information and downlink delay information, to delay the first uplink signal using the uplink delay information, and to delay first downlink signals of the received downlink signals using the downlink delay information;

a combiner configured to combine the delayed first uplink signal with the second uplink signal;

a transmitter configured to transmit the combined uplink signal to the digital unit, to transmit the delayed first downlink signal directly to the user equipment, and to transmit a second downlink signal of the received downlink signals to the at least one repeater.

13. The radio unit of claim 12, wherein the uplink delay information is expressed as:

T_uplink=χ

+(ψ

₁+ . . . +ψ

_n)+(ω

₁+ . . . +ω

_n), where χ

denotes a time taken by the radio unit to analyze and process uplink signals received from a repeater, n denotes the number of repeaters coupled to the radio unit, ψ

_n denotes delay according to a distance between (n−

1)^th repeater and n^th repeater, and ω

₁ and ω

_n denote a time taken by a corresponding repeater for processing an uplink signal.

14. The radio unit of claim 12, wherein when the radio unit is connected to a plurality of repeaters, the downlink delay information includes:

fifth time information indicating a fifth time taken by the radio unit to process a downlink signal received from the digital unit;

sixth time information indicating a sixth time taken by a downlink signal to travel from the radio unit to a first repeater coupled to the radio unit;

seventh time information indicating a seventh time taken by each repeater to process the downlink signal; and

eighth time information indicating an eighth time taken by a downlink signal to travel from one repeater to the other.

15. The radio unit of claim 14, wherein the downlink delay information T_downlink is expressed as:

T_downlink=α

+(β

₁+ . . . +β

_n)+(γ

₁+ . . . +γ

_n), wherein α

denotes a time taken by the radio unit for processing a downlink signal received from the digital unit to transmit to the repeater, n denotes the number of repeaters connected to the radio unit, β

₁ denotes a time taken by a downlink signal propagating from the radio unit to a first repeater, β

_n denotes a time taken by a downlink signal propagating from (n−

1)^th repeater to n^th repeater, and γ

₁, . . . , γ

_n denote a time taken by each repeater to process a downlink signal to transmit to the user equipment.

16. The radio unit of claim 12, wherein:

the delay unit receives the uplink delay information and the downlink delay information from a base station control server;

the base station control server is coupled to the digital unit and controls a base station; and

the base station control server collects information on repeaters and delays from associated base station and defines the downlink delay information and the uplink delay information based on the collected information.