Node unit capable of measuring delay and distributed antenna system including the same

• US 9,584,386 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOLiD, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SOLiD, Inc.
• Inventors: Yeo, Yeongshin, Kim, Hyoungho, Kim, Doyoon
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US15/080,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20160205006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/364 Delay profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A node unit of distributed antenna system, the node unit comprises a delay measuring part configured to transmit a first test signal for delay measurement to an upper adjacent node unit and detect the first test signal looped back via the upper adjacent node unit and measure a round trip delay between the node unit and the upper adjacent node unit, and a delay providing part disposed on a signal transmission path through which a second test signal for delay measurement, to be transmitted from a lower adjacent node unit, is to be looped back to the lower adjacent node unit, and configured to provide a delay corresponding to the round trip delay.

Claims

1. A node unit of distributed antenna system, the node unit comprising:

a delay measuring part configured to transmit a first test signal to an upper adjacent node unit and detect the first test signal looped back via the upper adjacent node unit and measure a first round trip delay with respect to the upper adjacent node unit based on the first test signal; and

a delay providing part disposed on a signal transmission path through which a second test signal, transmitted from a lower adjacent node unit, is to be looped back to the lower adjacent node unit, and configured to provide a delay corresponding to the first round trip delay to the second test signal,

wherein the second test signal is used for measuring a second round trip delay between the lower adjacent node unit and the node unit by the lower adjacent node unit.

2. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the node unit is a node unit connected to a main unit of the distributed antenna system.

3. The node unit of claim 2, wherein the node unit is any one remote unit among a plurality of first remote units connected to the main unit or a hub unit connected to the main unit to distribute the mobile communication signals to a plurality of second remote units connected the hub unit.

4. The node unit of claim 2, further comprising a first framer/deframer for transmitting and receiving signals between the node unit and the upper adjacent node unit,

wherein the delay measuring part configured to detect the first test signal looped back from the upper adjacent node unit through the first framer/deframer.

5. The node unit of claim 4, further comprising a second framer/deframer for transmitting and receiving signals between the node unit and the lower adjacent node unit,

wherein the delay providing part configured to provide the delay to the second test signal through the second framer/deframer.

6. The node unit of claim 2, further comprising a control part configured to set a value of the delay in accordance with a value of the measured first round trip delay.

7. The node unit of claim 6, wherein the control part receives a first delay measurement start signal from the upper adjacent node unit, and controls measurement for the first round trip delay to be started through the delay measuring part in response to the received first delay measurement start signal.

8. The node unit of claim 7, wherein, after the measuring of the first round trip delay through the delay measuring part and the providing of the delay to the second test signal through the delay providing part are completed, the control part transmits the received first delay measurement start signal to the lower adjacent node unit.

9. The node unit of claim 6, wherein, after the measuring of the first round trip delay through the delay measuring part and the providing of the delay to the second test signal through the delay providing part are completed, the control part generates a second delay measurement start signal instructing the start of the second round trip delay measurement at the lower adjacent node unit, and transmits the generated delay measurement start signal to the lower adjacent node unit.

10. A distributed antenna system comprising:

a main unit; and

a plurality of node units connected to the main unit,

wherein each of the plurality of node units includes;

a delay measuring part configured to transmit a first test signal to an upper adjacent node unit and detect the first test signal looped back via the upper adjacent node unit and measure a first round trip delay with respect to the upper adjacent node unit based on the first test signal; and

a delay providing part disposed on a signal transmission path through which a second test signal, transmitted from a lower adjacent node unit, is to be looped back to the lower adjacent node unit, and configured to provide a delay corresponding to the first round trip delay to the second test signal,

wherein the second test signal is used for measuring a second round trip delay between the lower adjacent node unit and the node unit by the lower adjacent node unit.

11. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of node units further includes a first framer/deframer for transmitting and receiving signals between the node unit and the upper adjacent node unit,

wherein the delay measuring part configured to detect the first test signal looped back from the upper adjacent node unit through the first framer/deframer.

12. The distributed antenna system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of node units further includes a second framer/deframer for transmitting and receiving signals between the node unit and the lower adjacent node unit,

wherein the delay providing part configured to provide the delay to the second test signal through the second framer/deframer.

13. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of node units further includes a control part configured to set a value of the delay in accordance with a value of the measured first round trip delay.

14. The distributed antenna system of claim 13, wherein the control part receives a delay measurement start signal from the upper adjacent node unit, and controls measurement for the first round trip delay to be started through the delay measuring part in response to the received delay measurement start signal.

15. The distributed antenna system of claim 14, wherein, after the measuring of the first round trip delay through the delay measuring part and the providing of the delay to the second test signal through the delay providing part are completed, the control part transmits the received delay measurement start signal to the lower adjacent node unit.