Hybrid base station and RRH

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11825563-B2
Application number	US-202016782057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 4, 2019
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer software are disclosed for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed, the method for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality in a base station, comprising: providing a baseband card; providing a radio head, the radio head coupled to the baseband card by way of an interface; and switching, under the control of a processor, between use of the baseband card and use of an external baseband unit for controlling the radio head, the external baseband unit used via a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) port, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A base station comprising:
a baseband processor;
a radio head, the radio head coupled to the baseband processor by way of a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface;
a switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port for switchable passthrough use of the base station as a remote radio head, thereby enabling dual base station and remote radio head functionality; and
an onboard Ethernet switch coupled to the baseband processor and the switchable SFP+ port,
wherein the CPRI interface is capable of being coupled to a remote baseband unit (BBU);
wherein the radio head is configured to use autodetect to determine when the SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet signal and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the SFP+ port is connected to a BBU;
wherein a CPRI control channel is routed to the onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and
wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station is a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

4. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station performs as a pure remote radio head and does not provide base station functionality.

5. The base station of claim 2 , wherein the base station can provide at least one of remote radio head functionality and base station functionality for each RAT.

6. The base station of claim 1 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.

7. A method for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality in a base station, comprising:
providing a baseband processor;
providing a radio head, the radio head coupled to the baseband processor by way of a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface;
providing an onboard Ethernet switch coupled to the baseband processor and the switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port;
switching, under the control of a processor, between use of the provided baseband processor and use of an external baseband unit (BBU) for controlling the radio head, the external baseband unit used via the switchable SFP+ port, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality; and
determining when the SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the SFP+ port is connected to a BBU;
wherein a CPRI control channel is routed to an onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and
wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base station is provided as a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the base station performing as a pure remote radio head and not providing base station functionality.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the base station providing at least one of remote radio head functionality and base station functionality for each RAT.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality in a base station, which, when executed, cause a base station to perform steps comprising:
switching, under the control of a processor, between use of a baseband processor and use of an external baseband unit (BBU) for controlling the radio head, the external baseband unit used via a switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality,
wherein the base station includes a baseband processor and a radio head; and
wherein a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface is capable of being coupled to the remote baseband unit;
wherein autodetect is used to determine when the switchable SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the switchable SFP+ port is connected to a BBU, wherein the CPRI control channel is routed to an onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and
wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions wherein the base station is provisioned as a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions wherein the base station performs as a pure remote radio head and does not provide base station functionality.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.

Assignees

• Parallel Wireless Inc

Inventors

• Mishra Rajesh Kumar
• Papa Steven Paul
• Agarwal Kaitki
• Rutherford Randy
• Johnston David
• Simmonds Christopher

Classifications

• H04W88/085 Primary

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04B7/024

  Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems · CPC title

• H04B10/25753 Primary

  Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units · CPC title

• H04L5/0032

  Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title