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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12498749-B2
Application number	US-202318194857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2023
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

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 configured to provide direct current (DC) power, through a wiring connection and a DC-DC buck converter, to a radio of a cellular base station, the apparatus comprising:
a first DC power supply comprising a power supply output electrically coupled through the wiring connection to the DC-DC buck converter configured to provide, at a converter output of the DC-DC buck converter and to a DC power input of the radio of the cellular base station, a first DC voltage that is less than or equal to a maximum DC voltage rating of the radio; wherein the first DC power supply is configured to provide a second DC voltage at the power supply output that is greater than the maximum DC voltage rating of the radio of the cellular base station.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first DC power supply comprises a DC-DC boost converter configured to increase a third DC voltage received from a second DC power supply to the second DC voltage.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising the second DC power supply configured to provide DC power to the first DC power supply.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the wiring connection electrically connected between the power supply output and the DC-DC buck converter; the DC-DC buck converter; and the radio, of the cellular base station, configured to receive the first DC voltage from the converter output of the DC-DC buck converter.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter is configured to provide a constant DC voltage to the DC power input of the radio of the cellular base station.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter is configured to provide a converter output voltage whose magnitude equals a magnitude of a converter input voltage less a fixed voltage.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter further comprises a converter input;
wherein the first DC power supply is further configured to provide a converter DC voltage at the converter input whose magnitude equals a magnitude of the maximum DC voltage rating of the radio of the cellular base station less a predetermined margin voltage plus the fixed voltage.

8 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter and the radio are configured to be mounted on a tower.

9 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
the second DC power supply configured to provide DC power to the first DC power supply; the wiring connection electrically connected between the power supply output and the DC-DC buck converter; the DC-DC buck converter; and the radio, of the cellular base station, configured to receive the first DC voltage from the converter output of the DC-DC buck converter.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter is further configured to provide a constant DC voltage to the DC power input of the radio of the cellular base station.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter is further configured to provide a converter output voltage whose magnitude equals a magnitude of a converter input voltage less a fixed voltage.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter further comprises a converter input;
wherein the first DC power supply is further configured to provide a DC voltage at the converter input whose magnitude that equals a magnitude of the maximum DC voltage rating of the radio of the cellular base station less a predetermined margin voltage plus the fixed voltage.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the DC-DC buck converter and the radio are configured to be mounted on a tower.

14 . A method for providing direct current (DC) electrical power, through electrical conductors and a DC-DC buck converter, to a radio of a cellular base station, the method comprising:
generating a first DC power signal; and providing, at a power supply output, the first DC power signal having a first DC voltage that is greater than a recommended maximum DC voltage of the radio of the cellular base station, wherein the power supply output is configured to be electrically coupled through the electrical conductors to the DC-DC buck converter which is configured to provide, at a converter output of the DC-DC buck converter and to a DC power input of the radio of the cellular base station, a second DC voltage that is less than or equal to the recommended maximum DC voltage of the radio of the cellular base station.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein providing the first DC power signal having the first DC voltage comprises increasing a third DC voltage to the first DC voltage that is greater than the recommended maximum DC voltage of the radio.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing the second DC voltage at the converter output of the DC-DC buck converter.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein providing the second DC voltage comprises providing the second DC voltage that is a constant DC voltage.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein providing the second DC voltage comprises providing the second DC voltage whose magnitude equals a magnitude of a converter input voltage, at a converter input of the DC-DC buck converter, less a fixed voltage.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein providing the second DC voltage comprises providing a magnitude of a DC voltage at the converter input that equals the recommended maximum DC voltage of the radio of the cellular base station less a predetermined margin voltage plus the fixed voltage.

Assignees

• Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC

Inventors

• Chamberlain John C
• Guerin Michael

Classifications

• 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

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04M19/008

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

• H04W52/00

  Power management {, e.g. Transmission Power Control [TPC] or power classes} · CPC title