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

• US 9,774,368 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• 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, Gunzer, Peter, Schmalisch, Mathias A., Stefanik, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, CHRISTINE T
• Application Number:
  US14/971,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 master unit configured for exchanging uplink and downlink communication signals with the at least one remote unit;

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

a control unit located in the at least one remote unit and configured for processing a signal portion of the signals in at least one of the uplink direction and the downlink direction, the control unit using the processed signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission and for controlling the remote unit switch and the signal transmission direction;

wherein the signal portion is derived from a radio-frequency (RF) control signal generated by the TDD repeater system and wherein the control unit drives the remote unit switch at a frequency determined from the processed signal portion.

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 control unit is configured for processing a signal portion of the signals in the downlink direction and using the processed downlink signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

4. The TDD repeater system of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured for processing a signal portion of the signals from the master unit in the downlink direction and using the processed master unit signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

5. 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 signal portion to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

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

7. 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 at least one remote unit.

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

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

10. The TDD repeater system of claim 1 wherein the master unit further has a defined uplink path and a separate defined downlink path therein and including a switch coupled with each of the defined paths for changing direction of the signal transmission in the master unit.

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

communicating 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 with each of the defined paths for changing direction of the signal transmission between transmission in the uplink direction and transmission in the downlink direction;

in the at least one remote unit, processing a signal portion of the signals in at least one of the uplink direction and the downlink direction and using the processed signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission and for controlling the remote unit switch and the signal transmission direction;

wherein the signal portion is derived from a radio-frequency (RF) control signal generated by the TDD repeater system and wherein the control unit drives the remote unit switch at a frequency determined from the processed signal portion.

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 processing a signal portion of the signals in the downlink direction and using the processed uplink signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing a signal portion of the signals from the master unit in the downlink direction and using the processed master unit signal portion for determining the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

15. 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 signal portion to determine the direction of the repeater system signal transmission.

16. 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.

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

18. The method of claim 17 further converting the downlink signals at the at least one remote unit to electrical signals.

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