Apparatuses and related methods for reducing power loss

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11675381-B2
Application number	US-201916380907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 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. An apparatus, comprising:
a measurement sensor coupled to radio ends of power conductors, and configured to measure a direct current (DC) parameter at the radio ends of the power conductors; and
a transmitter configured to send the DC parameter to a first power supply coupled to first ends of the power conductors and configured (i) to receive DC power from a second power supply, (ii) to provide to the first ends of the power conductors a first DC voltage level determined with use of the DC parameter, and (iii) to provide at the radio ends of the power conductors a second DC voltage level that exceeds a nominal DC input voltage level rating of a radio, that is substantially constant notwithstanding variation in a current drawn through the power conductors by the radio, and that reduces a DC power loss in the power conductors from the first ends to the radio ends resulting from the current.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to send the DC parameter to the first power supply through second conductors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first power supply comprises a DC to DC voltage converter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement sensor comprises a voltage meter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the DC parameter comprises a DC voltage.

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

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

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the at least two electrically connected conductive elements is a power cable.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a magnitude of the nominal DC input voltage level rating of the radio is 48V.

10. A first power supply, comprising:
a first input, of the first power supply, configured to receive direct current (DC) power from a second power supply;
a second input, of the first power supply, configured to receive a DC parameter measured at radio ends of power conductors; and
an output, of the first power supply, coupled to first ends of the power conductors and configured to provide to the first ends of the power conductors a first DC voltage level determined with use of the DC parameter, and to provide at the radio ends of the power conductors a second DC voltage level that exceeds a nominal DC input voltage level rating of a radio, that is substantially constant notwithstanding variation in a current drawn through the power conductors from the first ends to the radio ends by the radio, and that reduces a DC power loss in the power conductors resulting from the current.

11. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein each of the power conductors is part of a single power cable for connecting the first power supply to the radio.

12. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein the first power supply comprises a DC to DC voltage converter.

13. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein the second DC voltage level is less than a maximum DC voltage level rating of the radio.

14. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein the second DC voltage level is within four volts of a maximum DC voltage level rating of the radio.

15. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein the DC parameter comprises a DC voltage.

16. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein the second DC voltage level exceeds the nominal DC input voltage level rating of the radio by at least four volts.

17. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein each of the power conductors includes at least two electrically connected conductive elements.

18. The first power supply of claim 17 , wherein each of the at least two electrically connected conductive elements is a power cable.

19. The first power supply of claim 10 , wherein a magnitude of the nominal DC input voltage level rating of the radio is 48V.

20. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a first power supply and from a second power supply, direct current (DC) power;
receiving a DC parameter measured at radio ends of power conductors; and
providing to first ends of the power conductors a first DC voltage level which is determined with use of the DC parameter, and to the radio ends of the power conductors a second DC voltage level that exceeds a nominal DC input voltage level rating of a radio, that is substantially constant notwithstanding variation in a current drawn through the power conductors from the first ends to the radio ends by the radio, and that reduces a DC voltage drop in the power conductors resulting from the current.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the power conductors is part of a single power cable for connecting the first power supply to the radio.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second DC voltage level is less than a maximum DC voltage level rating of the radio.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second DC voltage level is within four volts of a maximum DC voltage level rating of the radio.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second DC voltage level exceeds the nominal DC input voltage level rating of the radio by at least four volts.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the DC parameter comprises a DC voltage.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the power conductors includes at least two electrically connected conductive elements.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein each of the at least two electrically connected conductive elements is a power cable.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein a magnitude of the nominal DC input voltage level rating of the radio is 48V.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Guerin Michael R
• Chamberlain John Charles

Classifications

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04B3/548

  the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02) · CPC title

• H04W52/0206

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

• H04W52/02 Primary

  Power saving arrangements · CPC title

• H04M19/008

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