Beam index based data distribution for scalable distribution radio system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for transmitting and distributing data (2) between a baseband, BB, unit (3) comprised in a communication network (1) and two or more radio units (4) arranged to cover a service area (6). The method comprises defining (S1) a grid of logical beams, GoB (5), associated with a carrier frequency band (B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7) of the communication network (1), wherein the GoB (5) comprises a set (S) of beam indices (BI); and partitioning (S2) the set (S) of beam indices into disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), each disjoint subset having at least one beam index (BI). The method further comprises mapping (S3) each of the two or more radio units (4) to one disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) is associated with a single radio unit (4); and transmitting (S5) data (2) between the BB unit (3) and the two or more radio units (4) and distributing the transmitted data (2) between the radio units (4) based on the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of beam indices (BI).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system comprising a baseband (BB) unit and two or more radio units arranged to cover a service area. Methods and devices for transmitting data between the baseband unit and the radio units are disclosed. BACKGROUND

[0002] Recent cellular communication networks, such as the fifth generation (5G) system defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), often use more than one radio unit or transmission point (TRP) to cover a given service area, i.e. a certain geographical area or a floor of a multi-story building.

[0003] It is expected that the number of radio units or TRPs in future cellular communication networks will be very large, at least partly because the carrier frequencies are increasing, which means that the radio range of each individual radio unit is reduced. It will therefore become even more important to keep both the hardware unit cost and the operational cost per radio unit low, especially the cost for transmitting data to and from the radio units, which will be large due to the large number of radio units.

[0004] An advanced antenna system (AAS) comprises a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an antenna array, which enables generation of an antenna pattern comprising a plurality of antenna beams. These beams can be relatively wide in order to cover a larger part of the service area, or narrower in order to increase the antenna gain and also limit the interference between users. For example, wide beams can be used when users initially connect to the network, while narrower beams can be used to carry user traffic to and from connected users.

[0005] Conventional sector coverage of a single radio unit is typically divided into spatially separated sub-areas (i.e. sectors), which are served by a set of fixed or pre-configured antenna beams. Each beam is associated with a respective beam index identifying the beam. The beam index can thus be used to indicate to which area a given transmission is to be directed. The beam indices are typically arranged in a logical beam matrix grid (GoB), which facilitates scheduling of radio transmissions to users and handling of user mobility within the service area.

[0006] Today, a baseband (BB) unit is typically connected to one or more radio units. The baseband unit performs cell and user related signal processing for the radio carriers of the communication system. The beam indices are signalled from the BB unit to the radio units to provide information about how to configure the antennas at the radio units for a given data segment to be transmitted or received by the radio units.

[0007] To efficiently manage user mobility and radio resources, BBs typically allocate specific hardware (HW) resources to each radio unit for cell and carrier handling. However, as networks become denser, there is a need for more scalable and capable BB resource handling and data transport solutions that can handle a large number of radio units in a cost-efficient manner. SUMMARY

[0008] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide methods, devices and systems enabling scaling of a wireless communication system in a cost-efficient manner.

[0009] The object is achieved by a method for transmitting and distributing data between a baseband, BB, unit comprised in a communication network and two or more radio units arranged to cover a service area. The method comprises defining a logical beam matrix grid (GoB) associated with a carrier frequency band of the communication network, wherein the GoB comprises a set of beam indices; and partitioning the set of beam indices into disjoint subsets, each disjoint subset having at least one beam index. The method further comprises mapping each of the two or more radio units to one disjoint subset, such that each disjoint subset is associated with a single radio unit; and transmitting data between the BB unit and the two or more radio units, and distributing the transmitted data between the radio units, based on the disjoint subsets of beam indices.

[0010] This means that since no beam index is part of more than one disjoint subset, and no radio unit is mapped to more than one disjoint subset, the disjoint subsets can be used as an address for a specific radio unit and also identify a specific beam at the addressed radio unit. The BB unit does not need to keep track of which radio unit is listening to which subset of beam indices, but can perform scheduling over the GoB in the same way as for a single radio unit coverage area. This in turn enables deployment of a larger number of radio units in a cost-efficient manner.

[0011] According to some aspects, the method comprises performing, by the BB unit, per-cell scheduling over the service area based on the GoB.

[0012] This means that the BB unit sees the system of distributed radio units as a single radio unit covering the service area (with multiple beams arranged according to the GoB), and schedules wireless devices based only on e.g. reported channel quality for different beams. The BB unit does not need to know that different beam indices have been partitioned and assigned to different radio units to perform the scheduling operation.

[0013] According to some aspects, the method comprises associating each beam index in a disjoint subset of beam indices with an antenna radiation pattern of a radio unit that is mapped to the disjoint subset.

[0014] This means that a specific beam of a radio unit can also be addressed by the BB unit. In other words, due to the partitioning, each subset represents an address of a given radio unit and the individual beam indices within a subset address a specific beam at the associated radio unit.

[0015] According to some aspects, the method comprises partitioning the GoB into an integer number N of wide beams, wherein each wide beam is further partitioned into one or more lower level of service beams.

[0016] This means that both beam width and beam coverage can differ between implementations and on different networks.

[0017] According to some aspects, the method comprises partitioning the GoB such that each disjoint subset of beam indices comprises at least one beam index corresponding to a unique wide beam selected from the N wide beams in the GoB.

[0018] According to some aspects, the method comprises partitioning the GoB such that each disjoint subset of beam indices comprises at least one beam index corresponding to one or more unique service beams selected within the corresponding wide beam.

[0019] The partitioning means that the set of available beam indices is partitioned into groups, where no beam index is part of more than one group. Two partitioning examples are provided above.

[0020] According to some aspects, the transmission further comprises multiplexing data between the BB unit and the radio unit onto a common data stream by one or more beam index based multiplexers (BI-MUX) based on the mapping between disjoint subsets of beam indices and radio units.

[0021] According to some aspects, the multiplexing comprises switching, by the BI-MUX, active data time slots associated with a radio unit in and out of a common time division duplex (TDD) data channel between the BB unit and the radio unit.

[0022] This means that the radio units wait for their turn to transmit on the common channel and when it is their turn, they add data to the common channel.

[0023] According to some aspects, the multiplexing comprises broadcasting data on a TDD downlink (DL) data channel from the BB unit to each radio unit addressed by the beam index, and combining data from the radio units to the BB unit on a TDD uplink (UL) data channel from the radio units to the BB unit. The combining comprises that an inactive radio unit generates an all-zero output, whereby a plurality of uplink transmissions from the radio units can be combined by adding the outputs from the radio units in the TDD time slot.

[0024] This enables efficient multiplexing.

[0025] According to some aspects, the transmitting comprises multiplexing data based on a serial configuration of the BI-MUX, wherein each radio unit is connected to a respective Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index based switch in the serial configuration.

[0026] According to some aspects, the transmitting comprises multiplexing data based on a centralized BI-MUX comprised in a baseband unit of the communication system or on a phased array antenna module (PAAM).

[0027] This means that many different kinds of BI-MUX configurations are possible and can be tailored for a specific desired setup.

[0028] According to some aspects, the method comprises dividing the set of beam indices into one or more broadcast subsets in addition to the disjoint subsets, and mapping each of the one or more broadcast subsets of beam indices to two or more radio units.

[0029] This means that more than one radio unit can be configured to receive and transmit data over its coverage area when the BB unit addresses one of the broadcast subsets, effectively providing a broadcast functionality that the BB unit can use to address a larger area in a broadcast manner.

[0030] The object is also achieved by a communication system and a beam index based multiplexer associated with the above-mentioned advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail, reference being made to the enclosed drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a wireless communication system;

[0033] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a wireless communication system;

[0034] Figure 3 shows data transmission in a communication system;

[0035] Figure 4 Illustrating partitioning of a set of beam indices;

[0036] Figure 5 Illustrating beam index based multiplexing of data between a baseband unit and a radio unit;

[0037] Figure 6 Illustrating a downlink broadcast multiplexing scheme;

[0038] Figure 7 Illustrating an uplink combination based multiplexing scheme;

[0039] Figure 8 Illustrating a switch for distributing downlink data based on beam indices;

[0040] Figure 9 Illustrating a switch for distributing uplink data based on beam indices;

[0041] Figure 10 Is an illustrative view of data transmission between a baseband unit and a radio unit;

[0042] Figure 11 Illustrating a serial configuration of a beam index based multiplexer;

[0043] Figure 12A Illustrating a flowchart of a method according to the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 12B Illustrating a flowchart of a method according to the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 13 Illustrating a processing circuit; and

[0046] Figure 14 Illustrating a computer program product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to the following figures. The various devices, systems, computer programs, and methods disclosed herein can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the drawings.

[0048] The terminology used herein is for describing various aspects only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0049] Figure 1A communication network 1 comprising a BB (Base Band) unit 3 arranged to communicate data 2 to and from a radio unit 4 is shown. The communication system 1 can be a cellular access system, such as a 5G (Fifth Generation) communication network defined by 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), but other access networks and communication systems are also conceivable.

[0050] The radio unit 4 comprises an AAS (Advanced Antenna System) which enables the radio unit to generate antenna beams with different lobe widths in different directions. Various AAS are known and will therefore not be discussed in further detail herein.

[0051] The radio unit 4 is arranged (by means of the AAS) to cover a service area 6 by a plurality of wide beams 7 and a plurality of narrower traffic beams 8. Typically, the width of an antenna beam is given in terms of azimuth angle, but other measures are equally applicable. The width of a “wide beam” can vary, but is typically around 20 degrees in azimuth measure, while the traffic beams can be around 5 degrees in azimuth.

[0052] Figure 1 The wide and narrow beams in are arranged hierarchically, such that one “parent” wide beam covers the same area as a plurality of narrower “child” beams. However, the beams can also be arranged in different ways, e.g. in a kind of flat (non-hierarchical) structure where the overlap between beams is relatively small, or more in a kind of self-organizing structure where narrow and wide beams are arranged in a more or less random order to cover the service area 6.

[0053] The beams are arranged in a logical beam matrix grid (GoB) 5, and the BB unit 3 signals beam indices to the radio unit 4 in order for the radio unit to know how to configure its AAS for transmitting or receiving a given data segment.

[0054] Typically, a GoB 5 is defined for a single radio unit 4, and the BB unit 3 uses the beam indices in the GoB to signal which antenna beam to use for a given radio unit 4. Resources in the BB unit 3 are allocated to support one GoB 5 per radio unit 4. This setup is associated with some drawbacks. For example, the number of radio units in the communication system 1 drives both interface cost and processing requirements at the BB unit, as separate resources have to be selected for each radio unit connected to the BB unit. These resources can be, e.g., ports, interfaces, signal processing resources, memory areas, etc.

[0055] The present disclosure proposes the idea of decoupling the BB processing from the radio allocation in the communication network 1. Instead of defining one GoB per radio unit, the beam indices are divided into disjoint subsets, where each disjoint subset is allocated to the beams of a respective radio unit. Thus, the resources for a single GoB can support two or more radio units, which saves both processing resources and interfaces at the BB unit. The solution is scalable, as additional radio resources can be added to the system without reconfiguring the BB unit interfaces; all that is needed is a simple reconfiguration of the GoBs at the BB unit 3. Thus, by the present disclosure, the operational principle can be reused between radio environments, reducing the BB scaling needs.

[0056] The present disclosure also relates to a method for distributing data between different radio units in a communication system 1. The method is based on a beam index based multiplexing concept, where the beam indices are used as a basis for data distribution. A new type of network element, a beam index based multiplexer, is introduced, which is able to forward data segments to predetermined radio units based on beam indices. Such a beam index based multiplexer can be set up in various ways, as will be discussed in more detail below. Figures 6-11

[0057] Figure 2 A service area 6 covered by a plurality of radio units 4 is schematically illustrated. Here, each radio unit 4 is able to generate a wide beam 7 and two narrower beams 8, which together cover approximately the same area. In contrast to the wide and narrow beams in Figure 2 Figure 1 The schematic similarity between the wide beams and the narrower beams in

[0058] The beam index based multiplexer or switch logic can be used on the BB unit side to extend the number of interfaces towards the radios, or on the radio unit side to share a single data flow between several local radios, or even to aggregate flows from different radios between the BB unit and the radio unit, as will be discussed in more detail later.

[0059] ​​In terms of functionality, the switch / MUX can be implemented by switching active data timeslots (to / from the beam indexed radios) on / off the shared data stream, or simply broadcasting data in the downlink (DL) from the BB units 3 to the radio units 4 and combining data in the uplink (UL) from the radio units to the BB units. The beam index will tell the radios whether to transmit / receive or not, and inactive receivers can simply produce zeros to allow for a dumb add combination in the UL, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0060] Figure 3 It is shown how data can be transmitted in a communication network 1 based on beam indices (BI). Each radio unit 4 can be associated with one or more carriers B0, B1,..., B7. A carrier is an allocated frequency band in which a radio unit operates to serve wireless devices in its coverage area. In a 5G access network, the frequency band of a carrier can for example be about 100 MHz wide. According to the present disclosure, the beam indices identify which radio(s) should transmit / receive in a certain timeslot. This enables dynamic sharing of cell resources using time division multiplexing (TDM) principles, where all resources (timeslots) can be allocated to one zone or divided between several zones, thus meeting both coverage and local capacity (peak rate) requirements.

[0061] In summary, with reference to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and with reference to Figure 12A and Figure 12B the present disclosure relates to a method for transmitting and distributing data 2 between baseband (BB) units 3 comprised in a communication network 1 and two or more radio units 4 arranged to cover a service area 6. The method comprises defining S1 a logical beam matrix grid (GoB) 5 associated with the carrier frequency bands B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 of the communication network and comprising a set S of beam indices BI. The GoB can be hierarchically arranged as having "parent" and "child" lobes as exemplified in Figure 2 or otherwise, e.g. in a flat manner or more self-organizing manner.

[0062] According to some aspects, the method comprises dividing S11 the GoB into an integer number N of wide beams 7, wherein each wide beam is further divided into one or more sub-ordinate service beams 8 narrower than the wide beam. It can be understood that hardware effects and effects in the radio propagation environment can have an impact on the actual radiation pattern of the antenna. Both beam width and beam coverage can therefore differ between implementations and on different networks.

[0063] As Figure 4As exemplified in the middle, the method further comprises dividing S2 the set S of beam indices into disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 each having at least one beam index BI. Here, each subset comprises four beam indices, but of course this is just an example. This means that the set of available beam indices is divided into groups, where no beam index is part of more than one group. For example, the dividing optionally comprises dividing S21 GoB such that each disjoint subset DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices BI comprises at least one beam index B10 corresponding to a unique wide beam 7 selected from the N wide beams in GoB 5. The dividing can further comprise dividing S22 GoB such that each disjoint subset DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices BI comprises at least one beam index B11 corresponding to one or more unique traffic beams 8 selected within the corresponding wide beam 7. This is schematically illustrated in Figure 4 the middle.

[0064] Further, each of these subsets is mapped S3 to a radio unit 4 such that each disjoint subset DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 is associated with a single radio unit 4. Since no beam index is part of more than one disjoint subset, and no radio unit is mapped to more than one disjoint subset, the disjoint subsets can both be used as an address to a specific radio unit, and also identify a specific beam at the addressed radio unit. As discussed above, the BB unit 3 does not actually need to keep track of which radio unit is listening to which subset of beam indices. The BB unit will only keep track of the signal quality experienced by different wireless devices in the service area for different antenna beams, and perform scheduling over the GoB in the same way as in a single radio unit coverage area.

[0065] When a new radio unit is added to the system, the GoB can be extended with new beam indices assigned to this new radio unit, and further the BB unit 3 can start using this new radio unit without further reconfiguration of the BB unit hardware or interface, which of course provides an important advantage.

[0066] As will be discussed in more detail below, the method disclosed herein optionally further comprises defining a broadcast subset of beam indices that can be assigned to more than one radio. These broadcast subsets of beam indices can be used to trigger a broadcast of data, as more than one radio will listen to the same beam indices. Thus, if the BB unit 3 wishes to send a given piece of data from more than one radio, it can associate this data with a beam index selected from the broadcast subset of beam indices. In other words, the method optionally comprises partitioning S23 the set of beam indices S into one or more broadcast subsets in addition to the disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, and mapping S31 each of the one or more broadcast subsets of beam indices to two or more radios 4. This means that when the BB unit 3 addresses one of the broadcast subsets, more than one radio can be configured to receive and transmit data over its coverage area, effectively providing a broadcast functionality that the BB unit can use to address a larger area in a broadcast manner.

[0067] According to some aspects, the method comprises associating S4 each beam index of the disjoint subsets of beam indices DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 with an antenna radiation pattern of the radio 4 that is mapped to this disjoint subset. This means that a specific beam of a radio can also be addressed by the BB unit 3. In other words, due to the partitioning, each subset represents an address of a given radio, and the individual beam indices within a subset address a specific beam at the associated radio. Figure 9

[0068] The method discussed herein further comprises transmitting S5 data 2 between the BB unit 3 and two or more radios 4 based on the disjoint subsets of beam indices DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, and distributing the transmitted data 2 between the radios 4. This transmission and distribution can be performed based on a new type of beam index based multiplexing functionality (i.e. the beam index based multiplexing functionality discussed above).

[0069] According to some aspects, with reference to the discussion above in connection with Figure 2 the method comprises performing S6 per-cell scheduling by the BB unit 3 over the service area 6 based on the GoB 5. Thus, the BB unit treats the system of distributed radios as a single radio covering the service area (with multiple beams arranged according to the GoB) and schedules wireless devices based only on e.g. reported channel quality for different beams. The BB unit 3 does not need to know that different beam indices have been partitioned and assigned to different radios to perform the scheduling operation.

[0070] Figure 5 ​The data transmission between the radio units 4 and the BB unit 3 is schematically illustrated. According to some aspects, the transmission further comprises a mapping between disjoint subsets of beam indices DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 and the radio units 4, multiplexing S51 of the data 2 between the BB unit 3 and the radio units 4 onto a common data stream 10 by one or more beam index based multiplexers (BI-MUX) 11. These BI-MUXs will be discussed in more detail below in connection with Figures 6-11 The multiplexing can also comprise a switching S511 of active data slots associated with the radio units in and out of the common time division duplex (TDD) data channel between the BB unit 3 and the radio units 4 by the BI-MUX 11. This means that the radio units wait for their turn to transmit on the common channel 11 and when it is their turn they add data to the common channel. Figure 5 The switching of such active data slots is schematically illustrated.

[0071] Also with reference to Figure 12B The multiplexing can comprise a broadcasting S512 of the data 2 on a TDD downlink data channel (DL) from the BB unit 3 to each of the radio units 4 addressed by a beam index BI and a combining of the data 2 from the radio units 4 to the BB unit 3 on a TDD uplink data channel (UL) from the radio units 4 to the BB unit 3, wherein the combining comprises that inactive radio units generate an all zero output, whereby multiple uplink transmissions from the radio units 4 can be combined by adding the outputs from the radio units in a TDD slot.

[0072] According to some aspects, also with reference to Figure 11 The transmission comprises a multiplexing S52 of the data 2 based on a serial configuration 14 of the BI-MUXs 11 A , 11 B , 11 C , 11 D wherein each radio unit 4 A , 4 B , 4 C , 4 D is connected to a respective common public radio interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index based switch in the serial configuration. Figure 11 A serial configuration of this type is schematically illustrated.

[0073] According to some aspects, also with reference to Figure 10 The transmission comprises a multiplexing S53 of the data 2 based on a centrally arranged BI-MUX 113 comprised in the baseband unit 3 of the communication system 1 or on a phased array antenna module (PAAM).

[0074] Reference is made to the disclosure of different BI-MUX configurations Figure 2 and Figures 5-11 The present disclosure relates to a beam index based multiplexer, BI-MUX 111, 112, 113; 11 A , 11 B , 11 C , 11 D for distributing data 2, 20, 21, 22 between a baseband, BB, unit 3 and two or more radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C , 4 D arranged to cover a service area 6 in a communication system 1. The BI-MUX 111, 112 comprises at least one upstream port 15 arranged to be at least indirectly connected to the BB unit 3 and a plurality of downstream ports 16 arranged to be at least indirectly connected to the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C . The BI-MUX comprises a configurable mapping between disjoint subsets of beam indices, DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, and the downstream ports 16, whereby the BI-MUX is arranged to distribute a common data stream received on the upstream port to the radio units at least indirectly connected to the downstream ports.

[0075] According to some aspects, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the BI-MUX 111 is arranged to broadcast data 22 on a TDD downlink, DL, data channel from the BB unit 3 to each of the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C addressable by a beam index, BI, and to combine data 21 from the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C to the BB unit 3 on a TDD uplink, UL, data channel from the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C to the BB unit 3, wherein an inactive radio unit is adapted to generate an all-zero output for the combination, whereby a plurality of uplink transmissions from the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C can be combined by adding the outputs from the radio units in a TDD time slot.

[0076] According to some aspects, the BI-MUX 111 comprises a broadcast function 17 adapted to broadcast the DL data stream 20 from the upstream port 15 to the downstream ports 16, and a combining function 18 adapted to add the data streams 21 from the downstream ports 16 and to forward the combined data stream 22 to the upstream port 15 and the BB unit 3.

[0077] According to some aspects, as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 the BI-MUX 112 is arranged to switch the active data time slots associated with the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C in and out of the BB unit 3 and the radio units 4 A , 4 B , 4 C on a common time division duplex (TDD) data channel.

[0078] According to some aspects, the BI-MUX 112 comprises a switching device 19 adapted to distribute the downlink data stream 20 to one downstream port 16 at a time, to receive the uplink data stream 21 from one downstream port 16 at a time, and to forward the combined data stream 22 to the upstream port 15 and the BB unit 3.

[0079] According to some aspects, as shown in Figure 11 the BI-MUX 11 A , 11 B , 11 C , 11 D is included in a serial configuration 14 of BI-MUX 11 A , 11 B , 11 C , 11 D , where each radio unit 4 A , 4 B , 4 C , 4 D is connected to a respective Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index based switch in the serial configuration.

[0080] According to some aspects, as shown in Figure 11 the BI-MUX 113 is centrally arranged and included in the baseband unit 3 or on the phased array antenna module (PAAM) of the communication system 1. This centrally arranged BI-MUX 113 can of course be of any suitable type, e.g. the previously described BI-MUX 111 arranged to broadcast data 22 from the BB unit 3 on a TDD DL data channel and to combine on a TDD uplink from the radio units 4 A,4 B ,4 C Data 21 to the BB unit 3.

[0081] Generally, the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system 1 comprising a baseband (BB) unit 3 and two or more radio units 4 arranged to cover a service area 6, wherein the wireless communication system 1 comprises a data transmission subsystem arranged to transmit data 2 between the BB unit 3 and the two or more radio units 4, wherein the wireless communication system 1 comprises a configured logical beam matrix grid (GoB) 5 associated with carrier frequency bands B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 of the communication network 1 and comprising a set S of beam indices BI which is divided into disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices, wherein each of the two or more radio units 4 is mapped to one of the disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 such that each disjoint subset is associated with a single radio unit, wherein the data transmission subsystem is arranged to transmit data 2 between the BB unit 3 and the two or more radio units 4 based on the disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices BI and to distribute the transmitted data 2 between the radio units 4.

[0082] According to some aspects, the BB unit 3 is adapted to perform per-cell scheduling on the service area 6 based on the GoB 5.

[0083] According to some aspects, each beam index BI of the disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices is associated with an antenna radiation pattern of the radio unit 4 mapped to the disjoint subset. Figure 9

[0084] According to some aspects, each GoB is divided into an integer number N of wide beams 7, wherein each wide beam is further divided into one or more subordinate service beams 8.

[0085] According to some aspects, the GoB is divided such that each disjoint subset DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices BI comprises at least one beam index B10 corresponding to a unique wide beam 7 selected from the N wide beams in the GoB 5.

[0086] According to some aspects, the GoB is divided such that each disjoint subset DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 of beam indices BI comprises at least one beam index B11 corresponding to one or more unique service beams 8 selected within the corresponding wide beam 7.

[0087] ​According to some aspects, the data transmission subsystem comprises one or more beam index based multiplexers 11 (BI-MUX) arranged to multiplex data 2 between the BB units 3 and the radio units 4 onto a common data stream 10 based on a mapping between disjoint subsets of beam indices DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 and the radio units 4.

[0088] According to some aspects, the BI-MUX 112 is arranged to: A B C switch active data time slots associated with the radio units 4 A B C in and out of the common time division duplex (TDD) data channel 20, 21 between the BB units 3 and the radio units 4

[0089] According to some aspects, the BI-MUX 111, 113 is arranged to broadcast data 2 on a TDD downlink (DL) data channel 22, 21 from the BB units 3 to each of the radio units 4 A B C and to combine data 2 from the radio units 4 A B C to the BB units 3 on a TDD uplink (UL) data channel 21, 22 from the radio units 4 A B C to the BB units 3, wherein the inactive radio units are adapted to generate an all-zero output for the combining, whereby multiple uplink transmissions from the radio units 4 A B C can be combined by adding the outputs from the radio units in the TDD time slots.

[0090] According to some aspects, the data transmission subsystem comprises a serial configuration 14 of BI-MUXes 11 A B C D wherein each radio unit 4 A B C D is connected to a respective common public radio interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index based switch in the serial configuration.

[0091] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​According to some aspects, the data transmission subsystem comprises a centrally arranged BI-MUX 113 comprised in the baseband unit 3 of the communication system 1 or on a phased array antenna module (PAAM).

[0092] According to some aspects, the set S of beam indices is divided into one or more broadcast subsets in addition to the disjoint subsets DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, and each of the one or more broadcast subsets of beam indices is mapped to two or more radio units 4.

[0093] Figure 13 The components of the control unit 1300 comprised in a radio unit, in a BB unit, or in a BI-MUX according to embodiments discussed herein are schematically illustrated in terms of a number of functional units. The processing circuitry 1310 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product, e.g. in the form of a storage medium 1330. The processing circuitry 1310 can further be provided as at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processing circuitry 1310 can also be implemented in the form of a combination of one or more of: a processor, ASIC, FPGA, and digital signal processor (DSP), etc. The processing circuitry 1310 is thus taken to mean one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.

[0094] In particular, the processing circuitry 1310 is configured to cause the control unit 1300 to perform a set of operations or steps. For example, the storage medium 1330 can store the set of operations, and the processing circuitry 1310 can be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 1330 to cause the control unit 1300 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations can be provided as a set of executable instructions. The processing circuitry 1310 is thereby arranged to perform the methods as herein disclosed.

[0095] The storage medium 1330 can also include persistent storage, which, for example, can be a magnetic storage, an optical storage, a solid state storage, or even remotely mounted storage, among others or combinations thereof.

[0096] The sensor control unit 1300 further includes an interface 1320 for communication with at least one external device. The interface 1320 can in turn be implemented as a set of one or more interfaces for interconnecting external devices with the control unit 1300.

[0097] The processing circuitry 1310 controls the general operation of the control unit 1300, e.g. by sending data and control signals to the interface 1320 and the storage medium 1330, receiving data from the interface 1320 and reporting to the storage medium 1330, and retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 1330. Other components and the related functionality are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0098] Figure 14 A computer program product 1400 is shown, comprising computer executable instructions 1420 stored on a medium 1410 to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting and distributing data (2) between a baseband BB unit (3) included in a communication network (1) and two or more radio units (4) configured to cover a service area (6), the method comprising: Define (S1) a logical beam matrix grid (5) associated with the carrier frequency bands (B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7) of the communication network (1), wherein the logical beam matrix grid (5) includes a set (S) of beam indices (BI). The set (S) of beam indices is divided (S2) into disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), each disjoint subset having at least one beam index (BI). Map (S3) each of the two or more radio units (4) to a disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) is associated with a single radio unit (4); and Based on the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of the beam index (BI), the data (2) is transmitted (S5) between the BB unit (3) and the two or more radio units (4), and the transmitted data (2) is distributed among the radio units (4). The method further includes: The logical beam matrix grid is divided (S11) into an integer N wide beams (7), wherein each wide beam is further divided into one or more lower-level service beams (8), wherein dividing (S11) the logical beam matrix grid further includes: Divide (S21) the logical beam matrix grid such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of the beam indices (BI) includes at least one beam index (BI0) corresponding to a unique wide beam (7) selected from the N wide beams in the logical beam matrix grid (5); and The logical beam matrix grid is divided (S22) such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of the beam index (BI) includes the corresponding wide beam (7). At least one beam index corresponding to one or more unique service beams (8) selected within the system. (BI1).

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: Based on the logical beam matrix grid (5), the BB unit (3) performs per-cell scheduling (S6) on the service area (6).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: Each beam index (BI) in the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of beam indices is associated with the antenna radiation pattern (9) of the radio unit (4) mapped to the disjoint subset (S4).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The transmission further includes: the mapping between the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) based on beam index and the radio unit (4), and the multiplexing (S51) of the data (2) between the BB unit (3) and the radio unit (4) onto a common data stream (10) by one or more beam index-based multiplexers BI-MUX (11).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The multiplexing includes: the BI-MUX (112) and the radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C The associated activity data time slot switching (S511) enters and exits the BB unit (3) and the radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C On the common time division duplex (TDD) data channel (22) between ).

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The multiplexing includes: from the BB unit (3) to each of the radio units (4) addressed by the beam index (BI). A 4 B 4 C The data (2) is broadcast (S512) on the TDD downlink DL data channel (22) of the radio unit (4) and broadcast (S512) the data (2) on the radio unit (4) and the data (2) is broadcast (S51 ... A 4 B 4 C The data (2) from the radio unit (4) to the BB unit (3) is combined on the TDD uplink UL data channel (22) to the BB unit (3), wherein the combination includes: an inactive radio unit generating an all-zero output, thereby combining the data (2) from the radio unit (4) by adding the output from the radio unit in the TDD time slot. A 4 B 4 C Multiple uplink transmissions.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The transmission includes: based on BI-MUX(11) A 11 B 11 C 11 D The serial configuration (14) of the radio unit (4) is used to multiplex the data (2) (S52), wherein each radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C 4 D The corresponding general public radio interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index-based switch in the serial configuration is connected.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The transmission includes: multiplexing (S53) the data (2) based on a centrally arranged BI-MUX (113) included in the baseband unit (3) or on the phase array antenna module PAAM of the communication network (1).

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: In addition to the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), the set (S) of beam indices is divided (S23) into one or more broadcast subsets; as well as Map each of the one or more broadcast subsets of the beam index (S31) to two or more radio units (4).

10. A wireless communication system (1), comprising: The wireless communication system (1) includes a baseband BB unit (3) and two or more radio units (4) configured to cover a service area (6), wherein the wireless communication system (1) includes a data transmission subsystem configured to transmit data (2) between the BB unit (3) and the two or more radio units (4), wherein the wireless communication system (1) includes a configured logical beam matrix grid (5) associated with the carrier frequency bands (B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7) of the communication system (1) and includes a set (S) of beam indices (BI), the set (S) of beam indices being divided The data transmission subsystem is configured to: transmit the data (2) between the BB unit (3) and the two or more radio units (4) based on the beam index (BI) of the non-overlapping subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), and distribute the transmitted data (2) among the radio units (4). Each logical beam matrix grid is divided into an integer N wide beams (7), each wide beam is further divided into one or more lower-level service beams (8), wherein the logical beam matrix grid is divided such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of the beam index (BI) includes at least one beam index (BI0) corresponding to a unique wide beam (7) selected from the N wide beams in the logical beam matrix grid (5), and wherein the logical beam matrix grid is divided such that each disjoint subset (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of the beam index (BI) includes at least one beam index (BI1) corresponding to one or more unique service beams (8) selected within the corresponding wide beam (7).

11. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10, wherein, The BB unit (3) is adapted to perform per-cell scheduling on the service area (6) based on the logical beam matrix grid (5).

12. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, Each beam index (BI) in the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) of beam indices is associated with the antenna radiation pattern (9) of the radio unit (4) mapped to the disjoint subset.

13. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The data transmission subsystem includes one or more beam index-based multiplexers BI-MUX (11), which are configured to: map the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) based on the beam index to the radio unit (4) to multiplex the data (2) between the BB unit (3) and the radio unit (4) onto a common data stream (10).

14. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 13, wherein, The BI-MUX (112) is configured to connect with the radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C The associated activity data time slot switching between the BB unit (3) and the radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C On the common time-division duplex TDD data channel (20, 21) between ).

15. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 13, wherein, The BI-MUX (111, 113) is configured such that, from the BB unit (3) to each of the radio units (4) addressed by the beam index (BI), A 4 B 4 C The data (2) is broadcast on the TDD downlink DL data channels (22, 21) of the radio unit (4) and the data (2) is broadcast on the TDD downlink DL data channels (22, 21) of the radio unit (4). A 4 B 4 C The data is combined from the radio unit (4) on the TDD uplink UL data channels (21, 22) of the BB unit (3). A 4 B 4 C The data (2) to the BB unit (3), wherein the inactive radio unit is adapted to generate an all-zero output for the combination, thereby combining the data from the radio unit (4) by adding the output from the radio unit in the TDD time slot. A 4 B 4 C Multiple uplink transmissions.

16. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The data transmission subsystem includes BI-MUX (11 A 11 B 11 C 11 D The serial configuration (14) of each radio unit (4) A 4 B 4 C 4 D The corresponding general public radio interface (CPRI) or evolved CPRI (eCPRI) beam index-based switch in the serial configuration is connected.

17. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The data transmission subsystem includes a centrally arranged BI-MUX (113) in the baseband unit (3) or on the phase array antenna module PAAM of the communication system (1).

18. The wireless communication system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, In addition to the disjoint subsets (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), the set (S) of beam indices is divided into one or more broadcast subsets, and each broadcast subset of the one or more broadcast subsets of the beam indices is mapped to two or more radio units (4).

Images