Method and apparatus for managing utilization of wireless resources via use of a reference signal to reduce distortion

• US 10,772,102 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2019
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• 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: Gerszberg, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Pakee
• Application Number:
  US16/420,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20190313396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0041 Frequency-non-contiguous
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a wireless communication node that receives instructions in a control channel directing it to utilize a spectral segment at a first carrier frequency to communicate with a mobile communication device. Responsive to the instructions, the wireless communication node receives a modulated signal in the spectral segment at a second carrier frequency from the base station, the modulated signal including communications data provided by the base station. The wireless communication node down-shifts the modulated signal at the second carrier frequency to the first carrier frequency, and wirelessly transmits the modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a first modulated signal in a first spectral segment directed to a mobile communication device, the first modulated signal conforming to a signaling protocol;

converting, by the processing system, the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal at a first carrier frequency without modifying the signaling protocol of the first modulated signal, the first carrier frequency being outside of the first spectral segment; and

transmitting, by the processing system, a reference signal with the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to a network element of a distributed antenna system, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment for wireless distribution of the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the processing system, instructions in a control channel at the first carrier frequency to direct the network element of the distributed antenna system to convert the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting to the network element the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency as a guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a physical transmission medium without utilizing an electrical return path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting to the network element the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency as a wireless signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first carrier frequency is below a millimeter-wave frequency band.

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

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting by the processing system comprises up-converting the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reconverting by the network element comprises down-converting the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting by the processing system comprises down-converting the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reconverting by the network element comprises up-converting the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processing system, a second modulated signal at a second carrier frequency from the network element, wherein the mobile communication device generates the second modulated signal in a second spectral segment, and wherein the network element converts the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency and transmits the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

converting, by the processing system, the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency to the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment; and

sending, by the processing system, the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment to a base station for processing.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second spectral segment differs from the first spectral segment, and wherein the first carrier frequency differs from the second carrier frequency.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the converting comprises down-converting the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency to the second modulated signal at the second spectral segment.

16. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving from a base station a first modulated signal in a first spectral segment for transmission to a mobile communication device, the first modulated signal conforming to a signaling protocol;

converting the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal at a first carrier frequency without modifying the signaling protocol of the first modulated signal; and

transmitting a reference signal with the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to a network element of a distributed antenna system for wireless distribution of the first modulated signal to the mobile communication device in the first spectral segment, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error during processing of the first modulated signal from the first carrier frequency to the first spectral segment.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first carrier frequency is outside of a frequency range of the first spectral segment.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting instructions in a control channel at the first carrier frequency to direct the network element of the distributed antenna system to convert the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a second modulated signal at a second carrier frequency from the network element, the mobile communication device generating the second modulated signal in a second spectral segment, the network element converting the second modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency, and the network element transmitting the second modulated signal at the second carrier frequency.

20. A machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a first modulated signal in a first spectral segment directed to a mobile communication device, the first modulated signal conforming to a signaling protocol, the signaling protocol comprising a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol or a fifth generation cellular communications protocol;

converting the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the first modulated signal at a first carrier frequency, the converting being performed without modifying the signaling protocol of the first modulated signal, and the first carrier frequency being outside of the first spectral segment; and

transmitting a reference signal with the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to a network element of a distributed antenna system, the transmitting comprising transmitting to the network element the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency as a guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a physical transmission medium without utilizing an electrical return path, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment for wireless distribution of the first modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the mobile communication device.