Method and apparatus for configuring operation mode of a remote transceiver unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11095423-B2
Application number	US-201916376175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for configuring an operation mode of a remote transceiver unit connected to an access node via a communication line, the remote transceiver unit being operable in at least two operation modes: a Time Division Duplex, TDD, mode and a full duplex, FDX, mode; the method comprising, by the access node: a) obtaining a channel characteristic derived from channel measurements performed over the communication line, b) determining the operation mode of the remote transceiver unit as the FDX mode or the TDD mode based on the channel characteristic; c) transmitting an indication indicating the determined operation mode to the remote transceiver unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for configuring an operation mode of a remote transceiver connected to an access node via a communication line, the remote transceiver being operable in at least two operation modes: a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode and a full duplex (FDX) mode, the method comprising, by the access node:
a) obtaining a channel characteristic derived from channel measurements performed over the communication line;
b) determining the operation mode of the remote transceiver as the FDX mode or the TDD mode based on the channel characteristic; and
c) transmitting an indication indicating the determined operation mode to the remote transceiver, wherein:
when the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode, symbols transmitted over the communication line have a first structure which comprises a first cyclic extension and a data portion; and
when the remote transceiver is operated in the TDD mode, symbols transmitted over the communication line have a second structure which comprises a second cyclic extension and a data portion, wherein:
(i) the first cyclic extension and the second cyclic extension have the same cyclic extension length;
(ii) the symbols with the first structure and the symbols with the second structure have the same symbol length;
(iii) the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode if the length of the first cyclic extension is long enough to accommodate both a delay spread and a propagation delay of the communication line; and
(iv) the remote transceiver is operated in the TDD mode if the length of the second cyclic extension is not long enough to accommodate both the delay spread and the propagation delay of the communication line.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises at least one of the propagation delay of the communication line, the delay spread of the communication line, an electrical length of the communication line, and a loop length of the communication line.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed during a channel discovery phase of an initialization procedure performed over the communication line.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the channel discovery phase is preceded by a handshake phase, during which the access node and the remote transceiver agree to a preliminary mode of operation, and then, the preliminary mode of operation is superseded by the operation mode determined in step b).

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the agreed preliminary mode of operation is the FDX mode.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the remote transceiver operates in the TDD mode prior to step a).

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises:
b1) determining the operation mode of the remote transceiver as the TDD mode, if the channel characteristic has a value above a predetermined threshold;
b2) determining the operation mode of the remote transceiver as the FDX mode, if the channel characteristic has a value not above the predetermined threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises a propagation delay, and the predetermined threshold is set in such a way that, when the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode, the length of the first cyclic extension is long enough to accommodate the propagation delay.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises a delay spread, and the predetermined threshold is set in such a way that, when the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode, the length of the first cyclic extension is long enough to accommodate the delay spread.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises a propagation delay and a delay spread, and the predetermined threshold is set in such a way that, when the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode, the length of the first cyclic extension is long enough to accommodate combined effects of the delay spread and the propagation delay.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises a loop length, and the predetermined threshold is pre-set based on prior knowledge or experience on how the loop length of the communication line translates to a length of the first cyclic extension required for the communication line.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel measurements are performed by the access node.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel measurements are performed by the remote transceiver, the method further comprising, by the remote transceiver:
deriving the channel characteristic from the channel measurements; and
transmitting the channel characteristic to the access node.

14. A remote transceiver for connection to an access node via a communication line, and operable in at least two operation modes: a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode and a full duplex (FDX) mode, characterized in that the operation mode of the remote transceiver is configured according to the method of claim 1 .

15. An access node for connection to a remote transceiver via a communication line, the remote transceiver being operable in at least two operation modes: a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode and a full duplex (FDX) mode;
the access node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the access node to:
a) obtain a channel characteristic derived from channel measurements performed over the communication line;
b) determine the operation mode of the remote transceiver as the FDX mode or the TDD mode based on the channel characteristic; and
c) transmit an indication indicating the determined operation mode to the remote transceiver, wherein:
when the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode, symbols transmitted over the communication line have a first structure which comprises a first cyclic extension and a data portion; and
when the remote transceiver is operated in the TDD mode, symbols transmitted over the communication line have a second structure which comprises a second cyclic extension and a data portion, wherein:
(i) the first cyclic extension and the second cyclic extension have the same cyclic extension length;
(ii) the symbols with the first structure and the symbols with the second structure have the same symbol length;
(iii) the remote transceiver is operated in the FDX mode if the length of the first cyclic extension is long enough to accommodate both a delay spread and a propagation delay of the communication line; and
(iv) the remote transceiver is operated in the TDD mode if the length of the second cyclic extension is not long enough to accommodate both the delay spread and the propagation delay of the communication line.

16. The access node according to claim 15 , wherein the channel characteristic comprises at least one of the propagation delay of the communication line, the delay spread of the communication line, an electrical length of the communication line, and a loop length of the communication line.

17. The access node according to claim 13 , wherein the access node obtains the channel characteristic, determines the operation mode, and transmits the indication during a channel discovery phase of an initialization procedure performed over the communication line.

18. The access node according to claim 17 , wherein the channel discovery phase is preceded by a handshake pha

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Maes Jochen

Classifications

• H04L7/0041

  Delay of data signal · CPC title

• H04L5/1469

  using time-sharing · CPC title

• H04L5/1453 Primary

  of modulation type · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H04L25/0212

  of impulse response · CPC title