Distributed antenna system and methods for use therewith

• US 10,027,397 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Byoung-Jo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): O CONNOR, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US15/371,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/01 Reducing phase shift
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• 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: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• 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: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method, includes coordinating relay transmission of a modulated signal via relay links of a distributed antenna system to reduce an accumulated forwarding delay in forwarding the modulated signal through the relay links. One of the relay links of the distributed antenna system reconverts the spectral segment of the modulated signal for transmission to a communication device to which the modulated signal is directed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system including circuitry, a first modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the first modulated signal conveys a first data packet that is directed to a communication device, and wherein the first modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol;

converting, by the system, the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal in a second spectral segment based on a signal processing of the first modulated signal and without modifying the signaling protocol of the first modulated signal, wherein the second spectral segment is outside the first spectral segment; and

coordinating a relay transmission of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment via relay links of a distributed antenna system to reduce an accumulated forwarding delay in forwarding the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment through the relay links;

wherein one of the relay links of the distributed antenna system reconverts the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment for transmission to the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinating includes transmitting, by the system, instructions in a control channel to coordinate transmission times of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment via the relay links.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions are transmitted as digital data via the control channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinating includes transmitting, by the system, a clock signal to coordinate transmission times of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment via the relay links.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system and subsequent to the receiving of the first modulated signal, a second modulated signal in the first spectral segment, wherein the second modulated signal conveys a second data packet that is directed to the communication device, and wherein the second modulated signal conforms to the signaling protocol;

converting, by the system, the second modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment based on a signal processing of the second modulated signal and without modifying the signaling protocol of the second modulated signal; and

coordinating a relay transmission of the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment via the relay links so that the relay transmission of the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment from a first relay link of the relay links to a second relay link of the relay links is coordinated with the relay transmission of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment from the second relay link of the relay links to a third relay link of the relay links;

wherein one of the relay links of the distributed antenna system reconverts the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the second modulated signal in the first spectral segment for transmission to the communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment from the first relay link of the relay links to the second relay link of the relay links is coordinated to be concurrent to the relay transmission of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment from the second relay link of the relay links to the third relay link of the relay links.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second spectral segment is in a millimeter-wave frequency band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modulated signal is generated by modulating signals in a plurality of frequency channels according to the signaling protocol to generate the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling protocol comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol or a fifth generation cellular communications protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the relay links operate via time division duplexing and wherein the coordinating of the relay transmission of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment is in accordance with coordinating bidirectional communication between the relay links.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the coordinating of the relay transmission of the first modulated signal in the second spectral segment is further in accordance with a frequency re-use pattern.

12. A distributed antenna system, comprising:

a first relay link configured to generate a relay transmission of a first modulated signal conveying a first data packet that is directed to a communication device in wireless communication with the distributed antenna system, wherein the first modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol wherein the first relay link is further configured to generate a relay transmission of a second modulated signal conveying a second data packet, wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal is subsequent to the relay transmission of the first modulated signal; and

a second relay link configured to receive the relay transmission of the first modulated signal and to retransmit the relay transmission of the first modulated signal to a third relay link of the distributed antenna system, and wherein the second relay link is further configured to receive the relay transmission of the second modulated signal and to retransmit the relay transmission of the second modulated signal to the third relay link of the distributed antenna system;

wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal via the first relay link is coordinated with the relay transmission of the first modulated signal via the second relay link to reduce an accumulated forwarding delay in forwarding the first modulated signal through the distributed antenna system.

13. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, wherein the first relay link transmits, to the second relay link, instructions in a control channel to coordinate transmission times of the first relay link and the second relay link.

14. The distributed antenna system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are transmitted as digital data via the control channel.

15. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, wherein the first relay link transmits, to the second relay link, a clock signal to coordinate transmission times of the first modulated signal via the relay links.

16. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, wherein the third relay link converts the first modulated signal for transmission to the communication device.

17. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal from the first relay link to the second relay link is coordinated to be concurrent to the relay transmission of the first modulated signal from the second relay link to the third relay link.

18. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, wherein the first relay link and the second relay link operate via time division duplexing and wherein the relay transmission of the first modulated signal by the second relay link is coordinated in accordance with coordinating bidirectional communication between the relay links.

19. The distributed antenna system of claim 18, wherein the first relay link and the second relay link operate via time division duplexing and wherein the relay transmission of the first modulated signal by the second relay link is coordinated further in accordance with a frequency re-use pattern.

20. A distributed antenna system, comprising:

first means for generating a relay transmission of a first modulated signal conveying a first data packet that is directed to a communication device in wireless communication with the distributed antenna system, wherein the first modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol wherein the first means is further configured to generate a relay transmission of a second modulated signal conveying a second data packet, wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal is subsequent to the relay transmission of the first modulated signal; and

second means for receiving the relay transmission of the first modulated signal and for retransmitting the relay transmission of the first modulated signal further in the distributed antenna system, for receiving the relay transmission of the second modulated signal and for retransmitting the relay transmission of the second modulated signal further in the distributed antenna system;

wherein the relay transmission of the second modulated signal via the first means is coordinated with the relay transmission of the first modulated signal via the second means to reduce an accumulated forwarding delay in forwarding the first modulated signal through the distributed antenna system.