Apparatus and method for base transceiver redundancy in a wireless communication system

• US 9,860,771 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jung-Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob
• Application Number:
  US14/593,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/04 Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for connecting Digital Units (DUs) and Radio frequency Units (RUs) of base transceivers in a wireless communication system. The method includes identifying a failed DU of a base transceiver; and linking an RU corresponding to the failed DU to a DU of a different base transceiver which operates normally.

Claims

1. A redundancy apparatus in a wireless communication system, the redundancy apparatus comprising:

a connector configured to link a digital unit (DU) and a radio unit (RU) of each base transceiver; and

a controller configured to;

receive, from a server, a signal for indicating that a first DU of a first base transceiver is failed, the signal being transmitted in response to detecting that no message or signal is transmitted from the first DU during a certain time,

control the connector to link a first RU corresponding to the failed first DU, to a second DU of a second base transceiver that operates normally,

receive a first control signal from the first RU and a second control signal from a second RU,

generate a control signal by multiplexing the first control signal and the second control signal, and

provide the generated control signal to the second DU of the second base transceiver.

2. The redundancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal further indicates the second base transceiver which is determined as a normally operating neighboring transceiver by the server.

3. The redundancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

generate a first transmit signal by duplicating a second transmit signal of the second DU of the second base transceiver;

provide the first transmit signal to the first RU; and

provide the second transmit signal to the second RU.

4. The redundancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a first data signal from the first RU and a second data signal from the second RU;

generate a data signal by combining the first data signal and the second data signal to serve one cell; and

provide the generated data signal to the second DU of the second base transceiver.

5. The redundancy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first data signal and the second data signal are combined by adding the first data signal and the second data signal.

6. The redundancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are multiplexed in time.

7. The redundancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first RU is only linked to the failed first DU according to the first base transceiver operated as a simplification scheme before the first RU being linked to the second DU.

8. A method for operating a redundancy apparatus in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server, a signal for indicating that a first DU of a first base transceiver is failed, the signal being transmitted in response to detecting that no message or signal is transmitted from the first DU during a certain time;

linking a first RU corresponding to the failed first DU, to a second DU of a second base transceiver that operates normally;

receiving a first control signal from the first RU and a second control signal from a second RU;

generating a control signal by multiplexing the first control signal and the second control signal; and

providing the generated control signal to the second DU of the second base transceiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal further indicates the second base transceiver that is determined as a normally operating transceiver by the server.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a first transmit signal by duplicating a second transmit signal of the second DU of the second base transceiver;

providing the first transmit signal to the first RU; and

providing the second transmit signal to the second RU.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first RU is only linked to the failed first DU according to the first base transceiver operated as a simplification scheme before the first RU being linked to the second DU.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a first data signal from the first RU and a second data signal from the second RU;

generating a data signal by combining the first data signal and the second data signal to serve one cell; and

providing the generated data signal to the second DU of the second base transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data signal and the second data signal are combined by adding the first data signal and the second data signal.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are multiplexed in time.