Method and apparatus for synchronizing a smart antenna apparatus with a base station transceiver

• US 7,904,118 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hovers, Omri, Peri, Nanu, Kagan, Shahar, Korkos, Daniel, Shenhar, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US11/533,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20070111760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method of synchronizing a smart antenna apparatus with a base station transceiver includes receiving at the smart antenna apparatus control signals being communicated from a base station transceiver to one or more mobile stations via an antenna unit. The control signals are operable to be used to synchronize the mobile stations with the base station transceiver. The method further includes executing one or more algorithms using the control signals received by the smart antenna apparatus as input to synchronize the smart antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a signal splitting device configured to;

receive control signals, and

split the control signals into a first path and a second path, wherein the signal splitting device is configured to split the control signals without affecting the communication of the control signals;

a mixing device configured to convert first control signals communicated via the second path from a downlink frequency to a corresponding uplink frequency; and

one or more processing modules configured to synchronize the apparatus with a base station transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one quarter of one GSM bit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based the synchronization burst.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein the at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more synchronization processing modules comprises a digital signal processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more synchronization processing modules comprises a microprocessor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one radio wire input configured to couple with a radio signal wire to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal splitting device is configured to split the control signals without amplifying the control signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a coarse timing synchronization.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a fine timing synchronization.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processing modules is configured to perform a frame synchronization.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first filter, comprising a first attenuator and a first bandpass filter; and

a second filter, comprising a second attenuator and a second bandpass filter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first filter is configured to receive the first control signals communicated on the second path from the signal splitting device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first attenuator is configured to reduce an amplitude of the first control signals, and

wherein the first bandpass filter is configured to pass the first control signals, if a frequency of the first control signals is within a first band of frequencies defined by the downlink frequency, and to block the first control signals if the frequency of the first control signals is not within the first band of frequencies.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second filter is configured to receive the converted first control signals from the mixing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second bandpass filter is configured to pass the converted first control signals, if a frequency of the converted first control signals is within a second band of frequencies defined by the uplink frequency, and to block the first control signals if the frequency of the first control signals is not within the second band of frequencies.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

means for splitting control signals into a first path and a second path, wherein the means for splitting control signals are configured to split the control signals without affecting the communication of the control signals;

means for converting first control signals communicated via the second path from a downlink frequency to a corresponding uplink frequency; and

means for synchronizing the apparatus with a base station transceiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one quarter of one GSM bit.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based on the synchronization burst.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to synchronize the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing comprise a digital signal processor.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing comprise a microprocessor.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for inputting configured to couple with a radio signal wire to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for splitting are further configured to split the control signals without amplifying the control signals.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a coarse timing synchronization.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a fine timing synchronization.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for synchronizing are further configured to perform a frame synchronization.

36. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

first filtering means, comprising first attenuating means and first bandpassing means; and

second filtering means, comprising second attenuating means and second bandpassing means.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first filtering means are configured to receive the first control signals communicated on the second path from the means for splitting.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the first attenuating means are configured to reduce an amplitude of the first control signals, and

wherein the first bandpassing means are configured to pass the first control signals, if a frequency of the first control signals is within a first band of frequencies defined by the downlink frequency, and to block the first control signals if the frequency of the first control signals is not within the first band of frequencies.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the second filtering means are configured to receive the converted first control signals from the means for converting.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the second bandpassing means are configured to pass the converted first control signals, if a frequency of the converted first control signals is within a second band of frequencies defined by the uplink frequency, and to block the first control signals if the frequency of the first control signals is not within the second band of frequencies.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bit.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time within an accuracy in time of one quarter of one GSM bit.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a synchronization burst, and

wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in time based on the synchronization burst.

41. A method, comprising:

splitting control signals into a first path and a second path without substantially affecting the communication of the control signals;

converting first control signals communicated via the second path from a downlink frequency to a corresponding uplink frequency; and

synchronizing the apparatus with a base station transceiver.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency within an accuracy of 50 Hz.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the first control signals are communicated in a control channel and include a frequency correction burst, and

wherein synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency comprises synchronizing the apparatus with the base station transceiver in frequency based on the frequency correction burst.

49. The method of claim 41, further comprising inputting the control signals via a radio signal wire configured to transmit and/or receive the control signals.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein splitting the control signals comprises splitting the control signals without amplifying the control signals.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a coarse timing synchronization.

52. The method of claim 41, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a fine timing synchronization.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein synchronizing the apparatus comprises performing a frame synchronization.