Programmable power supplies for cellular base stations and related methods of reducing power loss in cellular systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11669117-B2
Application number	US-202016931734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

Methods of powering a radio that is mounted on a tower of a cellular base station are provided in which a direct current (“DC”) power signal is provided to the radio over a power cable and a voltage level of the output of the power supply is adjusted so as to provide a substantially constant voltage at a first end of the power cable that is remote from the power supply. Related cellular base stations and programmable power supplies are also provided.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A system configured to be electrically coupled to a DC power input of a radio through radio ends of power conductors, the system comprising:
a power supply including a first input, a second input, and an output;
wherein the first input is configured to receive a DC power signal;
wherein the output is configured to be coupled to first ends of the power conductors and to provide a direct current which flows from the first ends to the radio ends;
wherein the second input is configured to receive a resistance of the power conductors or data from which the resistance can be derived;
wherein the power supply is configured to adjust a first DC voltage level at the output in response to variations in the direct current drawn from the output and based upon the resistance or a derived resistance of the power conductors and to provide a second DC voltage level at the radio ends of the power conductors that (a) exceeds a DC input voltage level, of the radio, at which the radio is recommended to operate and (b) is less than a maximum DC input voltage level rating of the radio.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second DC voltage level is substantially constant notwithstanding any changes in the direct current drawn from the output.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is a DC-DC converter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the power conductors is part of a single power cable for connecting the power supply to the radio.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second DC voltage level is within four volts of a maximum DC input voltage level of the radio.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second input is further configured to receive the resistance or the data from user input or from measurement circuitry.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data from which the resistance can be derived comprises at least one physical characteristic of the power conductors.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein an absolute value of the DC input voltage level at which the radio is recommend to operate is 48V.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the power conductors includes at least two electrically connected conductive elements.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least two electrically connected conductive elements is a power cable.

11. A method for providing a first direct current (DC) power signal to a radio through radio ends of power conductors, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first input of a power supply, a second DC power signal;
providing a first DC power signal from an output, of the power supply, configured to be coupled to first ends of the power conductors and to provide a direct current which flows from the first ends to the radio ends;
receiving, at a second input of the power supply, a resistance of the power conductors or data from which the resistance can be derived; and
adjusting a first DC voltage level at the output in response to variations in the direct current drawn from the output and based upon the resistance or a derived resistance of the power conductors and providing a second DC voltage level at the radio ends of the power conductors that (a) exceeds a DC input voltage level, of the radio, at which the radio is recommended to operate and (b) is less than a maximum DC input voltage level rating of the radio.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second DC voltage level is substantially constant notwithstanding any changes in the direct current drawn from the output.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the power conductors is part of a single power cable for connecting the power supply to the radio.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second DC voltage level is within four volts of a maximum DC input voltage level of the radio.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second input is configured to receive the resistance or the data from user input or from measurement circuitry.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data from which the resistance can be derived comprises at least one physical characteristic of the power conductors.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein an absolute value of the DC input voltage level at which the radio is recommended to operate is 48V.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the power conductors includes at least two electrically connected conductive elements.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the at least two electrically connected conductive elements is a power cable.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Guerin Michael R
• Chamberlain John Charles

Classifications

• G05F1/62 Primary

  using bucking or boosting DC sources · CPC title

• H04W52/0206

  in access points, e.g. base stations · CPC title

• H04M19/008

  Using DC/DC converters (DC/DC converters per se H02M3/28) · CPC title

• H04W52/02 Primary

  Power saving arrangements · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title