Software-defined cellular system with distributed antennas

Abstract

Device comprising: Memory with instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory for executing the instructions to: Receiving measurement results at a first baseband unit (BBU) (104_1) associated with a user equipment (UE) (116_1); Determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas (112_1, 112_2) selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and Detecting that a first antenna (112_1) of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU (104_2); Sending a message to the second BBU (104_2), the message containing a request that the second BBU (104_2) release its connection to the first antenna (112_1); Receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU (104_2) allows the first BBU (104_1) to use the first antenna (112_1); including the first antenna (112_1) in the disposition set or excluding the first antenna (112_1) therefrom based on the response; and dynamically connecting the first BBU (104_1) to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage for the UE (116_1).

Description

Area

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for a software-defined cellular system with distributed antennas. background

[0002] Cellular systems rely on providing consistent and comprehensive radio access coverage to a large number of user equipments (UEs). The difficulties of providing such coverage increase with the number, distribution, and mobility of UEs.

[0003] US 2013 / 0 137 486 A1 relates to a cellular communication system having a first and a second set of antennas at an antenna site. First and second baseband processing blocks are coupled to the antennas of the first and second antennas, respectively. To improve the connection to a terminal device, an antenna of the second set is coupled to the first baseband processing block in addition to the antennas of the first set. Communication with the terminal device occurs via at least one antenna of the first set and at least one antenna of the second set. The first and second sets of antennas can belong to two different network operators. By applying the invention, the two network operators can share the antenna pool of the first and second antenna sets, even if the existing antennas are on the same roof or tower.

[0004] US 2007 / 0 173 243 A1 relates to a method for communicating with network-side devices and radio stations via a radio communication system. A message from the radio station is received by the network-side antennas. A payload message is then transmitted to the radio station by transmitting network-side antennas. The transmitting network-side antennas have received the message from the radio station.

[0005] US 2013 / 0 077 580 A1 relates to a terminal that receives signals from a base station and to a method in which the terminal receives signals from the base station in a distributed antenna system (DAS). The terminal receives control information from the base station, which has a plurality of antennas, via one or more active transmit antennas assigned to the terminal, among the plurality of antennas, and receives signals from the base station via the one or more active transmit antennas.

[0006] US 2014 / 0 161 447 A1 relates to a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) having a first plurality of antennas and a first plurality of remote radio units (RRUs) coupled to the plurality of antennas. The C-RAN also includes a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs) and a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs. Short description of the drawings

[0007] The embodiments will be readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. The embodiments are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings by way of example and not by way of limitation. Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a wireless communication system according to various embodiments. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal processing unit and an antenna according to various embodiments. Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a switching device according to various embodiments. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a dynamic connection process according to various embodiments. Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a system according to various embodiments. Fig. 6 illustrates a computing device according to various embodiments incorporating various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 illustrates a computing device according to various embodiments. Detailed description

[0008] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout, and in which embodiments that may be practiced are shown by way of illustration. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0009] Various acts may be described as several separate acts or acts performed sequentially in a manner most helpful to understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these acts are necessarily order-dependent. In particular, these acts need not be performed in the order in which they are presented. Acts described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional acts may be performed, and / or described acts may be omitted from additional embodiments.

[0010] For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "A or B" means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "A, B, or C" means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C). The description may use the terms "in one embodiment" or "in embodiments," each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "having," and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a cellular system that may consist of distributed antennas and baseband units (BBUs). The BBUs may, in some embodiments, be implemented using software-defined network (SDN) technology. Such a cellular system may enable enhanced radio access coverage for UEs coupled to the cellular system. As described, embodiments include providing a dynamic connection between distributed antennas and a BBU to serve a scheduled UE. In some embodiments, a BBU may select a scheduling set of antennas that can provide a desired connection to the UE. In some embodiments, the antennas of the scheduling set may be selected such that the UE is in the center of a cell or in some other relationship to the antennas that provides a desired connection.

[0012] As used herein, "connection" refers to a signaling connection between two elements. The signaling connection may, and often does, pass through one or more intermediate elements, such as switching devices. The signaling connection may be over wired or wireless communication media. The signaling connection may be dynamically configurable by appropriate configuration of the switching devices, as described in more detail herein.

[0013] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a wireless communication system 100 according to various embodiments. The wireless communication system 100 (or simply "system 100") may be included in, or otherwise be a part of, a cellular mobile network. The system 100 or components thereof may be located in a radio access network (RAN) or an evolved packet core (EPC) of the cellular mobile network. In various embodiments, the cellular mobile network may be a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), HSPA (High Speed ​​Packet Access), or EPC (High Speed ​​Network).The network may be a High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), E-HSPA (Evolved HSPA), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), or LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) network. System 100 may operate according to other network technologies in some embodiments.

[0014] The system 100 may include BBUs 104, switching devices 108, and antennas 112 configured, as described herein, to provide the desired radio access coverage for UEs 116. Each of the BBUs 104 may be capable of coupling to each of the antennas 112 through one or more of the switching devices 108. For example, the BBU 104_1 may be connected to the antennas 112_1 and 112_2 through the switching device 108_1; to the antennas 112_3, 112_4, and 112_5 through the switching devices 108_1 and 108_2; and to the antenna 112_6 through the switching devices 108_1 and 108_3. The BBU 104_2 can be connected to the antennas 112_1 and 112_2 by the coupling devices 108_3 and 108_1; to the antennas 112_3, 112_4 and 112_5 by the coupling devices 108_3 and 108_2; and to the antenna 112_6 by the coupling device 108_3.And the BBU 104_3 can be connected to the antennas 112_1 and 112_2 through the coupling devices 108_3 and 108_1; to the antennas 112_3, 112_4, and 112_5 through the coupling devices 108_3 and 108_2; and to the antenna 112_6 through the coupling device 108_3. The in . Fig. The interconnection technology illustrated in Figure 1 is merely an example. Other embodiments may include other interconnection technologies.

[0015] The BBUs 104 can control the coupling devices 108 to establish or release connections with one or more of the antennas 112 to provide the desired radio access coverage for the UEs 116. A BBU can also exchange coordination and feedback messages with other BBUs through the coupling devices 108.

[0016] Although the UEs 116 in Fig. 1 are generally depicted as smartphones, other embodiments may include other types of UEs, which may include, but are not limited to, a sensor device, a personal computer (PC), a notebook, an ultrabook, a netbook, an ultramobile PC (UMPC), a handheld mobile device, a universal chip card (UICC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a user interface equipment (CPE), a tablet computing device, or other consumer electronics such as MP3 players, digital cameras, and the like.

[0017] Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a signal processing unit 200 and an antenna 202 according to some embodiments. The signal processing unit (SPU) 200 and the antennas at 202 may each comprise or be included in an electronic device.

[0018] The SPU 200 may include a core network interface 204 coupled to a BBU 208. The BBU 208 may be any of the BBUs 104 of Fig. 1 and be substantially interchangeable therewith. The BBU 208 may further be coupled to an antenna interface 212.

[0019] In general, core network interface 204 may be configured to send and receive signals to and from one or more network components, such as, but not limited to, a radio network controller of the cellular mobile network. The signals may be transmitted over Ethernet or other computer networking technologies using a variety of physical media interfaces, such as, but not limited to, coaxial, twisted-pair, and fiber optic media interfaces.

[0020] The antenna interface 212 may be configured to provide signals to the antenna 202 associated with each of the antennas 112 of Fig. 1 and may be substantially interchangeable therewith. The signals may be communicated through coupling devices, such as coupling devices 180, over Ethernet or other computer networking technologies using a variety of physical media interfaces, such as, but not limited to, coaxial, twisted-pair, and fiber optic media interfaces.

[0021] The antenna 202 may include an SPU interface 216 coupled to a RAN interface 220. In general, the SPU interface 216 may be configured to transmit and receive signals to the antenna interface 212. The RAN interface 220 may be configured to transmit signals to the UEs, for example, the UEs 116 of Fig. 1, and receives signals from the UEs. In various embodiments, the RAN interface 220 may transmit and receive signals to and from the UEs through a standardized air interface, such as, but not limited to, an EUTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) interface compliant with 3GPP technical specifications.

[0022] In some embodiments, the interfaces of Fig. 2 may additionally or alternatively be referred to as or implemented as transceiver circuitry, transceiver circuitry, etc.

[0023] The BBU 208 may be configured for various signal processing operations, such as, but not limited to, modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, error correction, dispatching, etc. The BBU 208 may include a software-defined radio (SDR) that can be dynamically configured to process radio communications of a variety of frequencies or protocols.

[0024] In the uplink direction, the RAN interface 220 may receive signals from the UEs over the air interface. The RAN interface 220 may perform various uplink preprocessing operations to facilitate subsequent baseband processing. These uplink preprocessing operations may include, but are not limited to, conversions (e.g., analog-to-digital conversion, downconversion, etc.), amplification (e.g., low-noise amplification), filtering, etc. The processed signals may be communicated to the SPU interface 216 for transmission to the SPU 200.

[0025] The BBU 208 can receive signals from the antenna 202 via the antenna interface 212 and process the signals for transmission to components in the core network via the core network interface 204. In the downlink direction, the BBU 208 can receive signals from the core network via the core network interface 204 and process the signals for transmission over the RAN via the RAN interface 220.

[0026] When transmitting signals in the downlink direction, the BBU 208 may dynamically control a connection to one or more distributed antennas to provide the desired radio access coverage for one or more UEs. The BBU 208 may receive signals from the core network via the core network interface 204 and process the signals for transmission to the antenna 202 via the antenna interface 212. In some embodiments, the BBU 208 may also be referred to as, or implemented within, control circuitry.

[0027] The RAN interface 220 may receive the downlink signals from the SPU 200 via the SPU interface 216 and perform downlink preprocessing to facilitate subsequent over-the-air transmissions. The downlink preprocessing operations may include, but are not limited to, conversions (e.g., digital-to-analog conversion, upconversion, etc.), amplification (e.g., power amplification), etc.

[0028] Fig. 3 illustrates a coupling device 300 according to some embodiments. The coupling device 300 may be any of the coupling devices 108 of Fig. 1 and be essentially interchangeable with it.

[0029] The switching device 300 may include routing circuitry 304 coupled to memory circuitry 306 having one or more routing tables 308.

[0030] As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to, be a part of, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a (shared, dedicated, or group) processor executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality.

[0031] The routing tables 308 may include configurable details of a connection topology between BBUs, for example, the BBUs 104, and antennas, for example, the antennas 112. The routing circuitry 304 may receive downlink radio signals from a BBU and transmit the downlink radio signals to one or more antennas to which the BBU is connected according to the routing tables 308. Conversely, the routing circuitry 304 may receive uplink radio signals from antennas and transmit the uplink radio signals to a BBU to which the antennas are connected according to the routing tables. Each antenna can only be connected to one BBU at a time. Accordingly, all signals from an antenna are transmitted to a single BBU for a particular configuration of the routing tables 308. The radio signals can therefore be transmitted by the switching device 300 along dedicated communication channels in a circuit-switched manner between the antennas and the BBUs.

[0032] Routing circuitry 304 may also forward coordination messages between the BBUs. The coordination messages may be messages sent from one BBU to another. These messages may include feedback information, for example, measurement results, conveying information about channel conditions between a particular antenna and a UE. These messages may additionally / alternatively include antenna enable requests and responses, status updates, antenna operating parameter requests and responses, etc.

[0033] Routing circuitry 304 may also receive configuration signals from a BBU and update configurations of the routing tables based on the configuration signals. In this way, the dedicated communication channels can be dynamically switched by the BBUs. In some embodiments, routing circuitry 304 may update a requested configuration of the routing tables 308 only upon receiving a release command from an affected BBU. For example, if BBU 104_1 sends an antenna release request related to antenna 112_3 to BBU 104_2, routing circuitry 304 may not update the routing table to connect BBU 104_1 to antenna 112_3 until a release command releasing antenna 112_3 is received from BBU 104_2.

[0034] In some embodiments, routing circuitry 304 may send periodic update messages containing the routing table configuration information to one or more BBUs. This may allow the other BBUs to know which antenna is connected to which BBU. These update messages may be sent via broadcast, multicast, or unicast, as applicable.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a dynamic connection operation 400 according to some embodiments. The dynamic connection operation 400 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "operation 400") may be performed by a BBU, such as, but not limited to, one of the BBUs 104 or BBU 208. For the purposes of the present description, the operation 400 may be described as being performed by the BBU 104_1, which may be initially connected to the UE 116_1 through the antennas 112_1 and 112_2.

[0036] Process 400 may include receiving, at 404, measurement results associated with a UE, for example, UE 116_1. The measurement results may be channel quality measurements performed by UE 116_1 based on reference signals transmitted from one or more of the antennas. The downlink reference signals may include, but are not limited to, cell-specific reference signals, common reference signals, etc. The downlink reference signals transmitted from the antennas may include mechanisms to prevent a UE from measuring the same reference signal from different antennas. For example, in some embodiments, the reference signals may be allocated to different cells such that neighboring cells may not share a common format reference signal.

[0037] The channel quality measurements performed by the UE 116_1 based on the downlink reference signals can be reported directly by the UE 116_1 to the BBU 104_1.

[0038] In some embodiments, the measurement results may include additional / alternative measurements performed by the BBU 104_1 based on uplink reference signals, e.g., probe reference signals transmitted by the UE 116_1 and received by the antennas 112_1 and 112_2.

[0039] The measurement results may further include measurements performed by neighboring BBUs. For example, BBU 104_2 may receive the probing reference signals through the antennas to which it is connected, e.g., antennas 112_3 to 112_5, and transmit the resulting measurements to BBU 104_1 through coupling devices 108_3 and 108_1.

[0040] The measurement results determined by the BBU 104_1 can be expressed as Sk = {(i, hik), (j, hjk), ...}, where (i, hik) denotes the i-th antenna with a long-term channel coefficient of hik for the k-th UE, (j, hjk) denotes the j-th antenna with a long-term channel coefficient of hjk for the k-th UE, etc.

[0041] Process 400 may further include determining, at 408, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas for downlink transmission. The determination of the scheduling set may be based on measurement results and available antennas.

[0042] To determine the scheduling set, the BBU 104_1 may, for example, first determine, based on the measurement results, that a plurality of antennas satisfy an antenna selection criterion. In some embodiments, the antenna selection criterion may be based on a comparison of the long-term channel coefficient with a predetermined threshold. For example, an antenna may be considered to satisfy the antenna selection criterion for transmitting data to an mth UE if |him| > Hth.

[0043] The BBU 104_1 can then determine which of the antennas that satisfy the antenna selection criteria are currently coupled to the BBU 104_1. These may be referred to as antennas of a first set.

[0044] The BBU 104_1 may also determine which of the antennas that satisfy the antenna selection criteria are not currently coupled to the BBU 104_1. These may be referred to as second-set antennas. The BBU 104_1 may negotiate with other BBUs connected to the second-set antennas in an attempt to cause the other BBUs to release the second-set antennas so that the BBU 104_1 can establish a connection with the second-set antennas. In some embodiments, the negotiation may include the BBU 104_1 sending a request to the BBUs connected to the second-set antennas to request use of the second-set antennas. The BBUs receiving the requests may then send a response indicating whether they allow the BBU 104_1 to use the requested antennas.

[0045] In some embodiments, determining whether the plurality of antennas meets the antenna selection criteria may also be based on operating parameters of the antennas themselves. When an antenna is first connected, a BBU to which it is connected may determine operating parameters of the antenna. The operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, latency and bandwidth. Latency, as used herein, may refer to the time it takes for digital radio signal data transmitted from an antenna to reach a BBU to which it is connected. Bandwidth, as used herein, may refer to a traffic volume of the digital radio signal data delivered from a designated BBU to a connected BBU.

[0046] In some embodiments, the antenna selection criterion may additionally / alternatively be based on a comparison of the operating parameters of an antenna with predetermined operating parameter thresholds, such as, but not limited to, latency and bandwidth thresholds.

[0047] In some embodiments, the BBU 104_1 may determine operating parameters of a particular antenna of interest by sending an antenna operating parameter request to a BBU to which the antenna is connected. The BBU receiving the request may respond with an antenna operating parameter response providing the requested information, if available.

[0048] Antennas that do not meet the predetermined operating parameter thresholds, for example, due to bandwidth limitations or long latency, may be unavailable for connection. BBUs connected to such antennas may be requested to mute them, as they cannot be used by any BBU for coordinated downlink transmission during a current phase and to prevent interference with neighboring cells. Muted antennas can also reduce network energy consumption. After a BBU completes a downlink transmission, it can instruct neighboring BBUs to turn on the muted antennas.

[0049] The scheduling set may include the antennas of the first set and the antennas of the second set of antennas released by the previously coupled BBUs in favor of the requesting BBU.

[0050] Process 400 may further include, at 412, dynamically connecting to antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage for the UE. The dynamic connection may be performed by appropriately configuring routing tables of the switching devices 108 to connect the BBU to the antennas of the scheduling set and then transmitting the downlink signal over the antennas of the scheduling set. The BBU may transmit the downlink using a multi-user, multi-input, multi-output, beamforming, or space-time coding downlink scheme.

[0051] Although operation 400 is described with respect to a downlink transmission to a particular UE, other embodiments may perform operation 400 with respect to a plurality of UEs associated with a particular cell or cells of a BBU. In these embodiments, various algorithms may be defined to provide the desired coverage to a collective of UEs. Determining the desired set of antennas that provide the desired coverage to a plurality of UEs may be similar to LTE scheduling algorithms, such as, but not limited to, proportional fair scheduling, round-robin scheduling, or maximum throughput scheduling.

[0052] A dynamic connection operation similar to operation 400 may be performed with respect to a Fig. 5 will be described in more detail according to some embodiments.

[0053] The system 500 may include BBUs 504, coupling devices 508, antennas 512, and UEs 516, which correspond to the like-named components described in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, are similar to and essentially interchangeable with those described.

[0054] An initial connection topology may be as follows. BBU 504_1 may be connected to antennas 512_1 and 512_2; BBU 504_2 may be connected to antennas 512_3 through 512_5; and BBU 504_3 may be connected to antenna 512_6. The connections of BBUs 504 to antennas 512 may be implemented by configuring routing tables in switching devices 508. For example, a routing table of the switching device 508_1 may be configured to transmit downlink radio signals from the BBU 504_1 to the antennas 512_1 and 512_2, and uplink radio signals from the antennas 512_1 and 512_2 to the BBU 504_1, and so on.

[0055] In this example, it is assumed that BBU 504_1 has downlink information to be transmitted to UE 516_1, and BBU 504_3 has downlink information to be transmitted to UE 516_3. BBU 504_1 and BBU 504_3 may each receive measurement results associated with the respective UEs and determine respective disposition sets, as previously described with respect to operation 400. The disposition set determined by BBU 504_1 for transmission to UE 516_1 may include antennas 512_1 to 512_4, while the disposition set determined by BBU 504_3 for transmission to UE 516_3 may include antennas 512_4 to 512_6.

[0056] BBU 504_1 may determine that its first-set antennas include antennas 512_1 and 512_2, and its second-set antennas include antennas 512_3 and 512_4. Based on previously provided connection topology information, BBU 504_1 may know that antennas 512_3 and 512_4 are connected to BBU 504_2. Therefore, BBU 504_1 may send an antenna release request to BBU 504_2 requesting the release of antennas 512_3 and 512_4.

[0057] Similarly, BBU 504_3 may determine that its first-set antennas include antenna 512_6 and its second-set antennas include antennas 512_4 and 512_5. Based on previously provided connection topology information, BBU 504_3 may know that antennas 512_4 and 512_5 are connected to BBU 504_2. Therefore, BBU 504_3 may send an antenna release request to BBU 504_2 requesting the release of antennas 512_4 and 512_5.

[0058] In this example, antenna 512_4 may not be available to either BBU 504_1 or BBU 504_3 due to limited network bandwidth. Therefore, BBU 504_2 may mute antenna 512_4, release its connection to antenna 512_3 for BBU 504_1, and release its connection to antenna 512_5 for BBU 504_3. In some embodiments, BBU 504_2 may release its connections to antennas 512_3 and 512_5 by sending a release command to coupling devices 508_2 and 508_3. After releasing its two available antennas and muting its third, unavailable antenna, the BBU 504_2 may not be able to schedule downlink transmissions for UEs connected to the BBU 504_2.In some embodiments, the BBU 504_2 may determine whether or not to release its connection to at least one antenna based on the nature (e.g., quality of service requirements) and volume of the downlink traffic it is to transmit.

[0059] The BBU 504_1 can configure its scheduling set to include the antenna 512_3 by updating the routing tables in the switching devices 508_1 and 508_2. Similarly, the BBU 504_3 can configure its scheduling set to include the antenna 512_6 by updating the routing tables in the switching device 508_3. After appropriately configuring the switching devices 508, the BBU 504_1 can provide a first cell, for example, cell 1, having UEs associated with the BBU 504_1 (or at least those UEs that have downlink transmissions scheduled) at its center. Similarly, the BBU 504_3 may provide a second cell, for example, cell 2, having UEs associated with the BBU 504_3 (or at least those UEs having downlink transmissions scheduled) at its center.After BBU 504_1 and BBU 504_3 have completed their downlink transmissions, BBU 504_2 may be notified to unmute antenna 512_4. If BBU 504_2 determines that its scheduling set includes antennas 512_3 through 512_6, it may send an antenna release request to BBUs 504_1 and 504_3 to release antennas 512_3 and 512_5, respectively. However, antenna 512_6 may be detected to have a latency that exceeds the threshold for BBU 504_2, which may trigger a notification from BBU 504_2 to BBU 504_3 to unmute it. Therefore, the BBU 504_2 may establish a cell, for example, Cell 3, that has UEs associated with the BBU 504_2 (or at least those UEs that have scheduled downlink transmissions) at its center. The BBU 504_2 may then begin sending scheduled downlink communications to its UEs.

[0060] An SPU, for example, SPU 200, or an antenna, for example, antenna 202, may be implemented in a system using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. Fig. 6 illustrates, for one embodiment, an exemplary system 600 including interface circuitry 604, application circuitry 608, baseband circuitry 612, RF circuitry 616, and memory / storage 620 coupled together at least as shown.

[0061] Application circuitry 608 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). Application circuitry 608 may be coupled to memory / storage 620 and configured to execute instructions stored on the memory / storage to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0062] Baseband circuitry 612 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include one or more baseband processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. Baseband circuitry 612 may be coupled to memory / storage 620 and configured to execute instructions stored on memory / storage 620 to implement a BBU, for example, BBU 208, and perform various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry 616.The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, encoding, decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 612 may implement a BBU to provide one or more of the operations previously described with respect to the dynamic link operation 400.

[0063] In various embodiments, baseband circuitry 612 may include circuitry for operating with signals that are not strictly speaking at a baseband frequency. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuitry 612 may include circuitry that operates with signals having an intermediate frequency that is between a baseband frequency and a radio frequency.

[0064] In some embodiments where system 600 is an antenna, system 600 may not include baseband circuitry 612.

[0065] RF circuitry 616 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-fixed medium. In various embodiments, RF circuitry 616 may implement an RF interface, such as RAN interface 220. RF circuitry 616 may include coupling devices, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the wireless network.

[0066] In various embodiments, RF circuitry 616 may include circuitry for operating with signals that are not strictly speaking at a radio frequency. For example, in some embodiments, RF circuitry 616 may include circuitry that operates with signals having an intermediate frequency that is between a baseband frequency and a radio frequency.

[0067] In some embodiments where system 600 is an SPU, system 600 may not include RF circuitry 616.

[0068] The interface circuitry 604 may enable communication with components of one or more networks, such as a core network, using appropriate network protocols. The interface circuitry 604 may implement a core network interface, for example, the core network interface 204.

[0069] In some embodiments, some or all of the individual components of interface circuitry 604, application circuitry 608, baseband circuitry 612, RF circuitry 616, and / or memory / storage 620 may be implemented together on a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0070] Memory / storage 620 may be used to load and store data and / or instructions, for example, for system 600. Memory / storage for one embodiment may include any suitable combination of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory).

[0071] Fig.7 illustrates a computing device 700 according to various embodiments, incorporating various aspects of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, computing device 700 may be employed to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, computing device 700 may include a memory 708, wherein a BBU / circuitry 712 may be configured to implement embodiments of any of the processes described herein or aspects of embodiments thereof. Memory 708 may represent a wide variety of permanent storage media known in the art, including, but not limited to, flash memory, dynamic random access memory, static random access memory, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, etc. In embodiments, memory 708 may include one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media.In other embodiments, memory 708 may be transitory, such as signals encoded with BBU / circuit logic 712.

[0072] In various embodiments, the BBU / switching logic 712 may enable a device, for example, the computing device 700, in response to its execution by one or more processors 704, to perform various operations described herein. As one example, the BBU / switching logic 712 may include instructions 712 configured to cause a device, for example, the SPU 200 or the switch 300, to provide the dynamic connection and routing operations described herein.

[0073] The following paragraphs describe examples of different embodiments.

[0074] Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: memory having instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory for executing the instructions to provide a baseband unit (BBU) for: receiving measurement results associated with a user equipment (UE);

[0075] Determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and dynamically connecting to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage for the UE.

[0076] Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the BBU is a first BBU for: detecting that a first antenna of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU; sending a request to the second BBU to request use of the first antenna; receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU allows the first BBU to use the first antenna; and including the first antenna in the scheduling set or excluding the first antenna therefrom based on the response.

[0077] Example 3 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 2, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the BBU is configured to transmit a downlink transmission to the UE using the plurality of antennas.

[0078] Example 4 includes the apparatus of Example 3, wherein the BBU is configured to transmit the downlink using a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), beamforming, or space-time coding downlink scheme.

[0079] Example 5 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the BBU comprises a first BBU and is configured to receive measurement results from a second BBU.

[0080] Example 6 includes the apparatus of any one of examples 1 to 5, wherein the BBU is to determine whether a first antenna is unavailable and to send a request to mute the first antenna if the first antenna is unavailable.

[0081] Example 7 includes the apparatus of Example 6, wherein the BBU is a first BBU and is to: send a request to a second BBU coupled to the first antenna to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; receive a response from the second BBU including the operating parameter; and determine whether the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter to a predetermined threshold.

[0082] Example 8 includes the apparatus of Example 7, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter.

[0083] Example 9 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the BBU is to configure one or more routing tables in one or more corresponding switches to dynamically connect the UE to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0084] Example 10 includes a switching device comprising: memory circuitry for storing a routing table including a configurable indication of a connection topology between a baseband unit (BBU) and one or more antennas; and routing circuitry, coupled to the memory circuitry, for receiving downlink radio signals from the baseband unit and transmitting the downlink signals to the one or more antennas based on the connection topology.

[0085] Example 11 includes the switching device of Example 10, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the routing circuitry is further for forwarding coordination messages between the first BBU and a second BBU.

[0086] Example 12 includes the coupling device of Example 11, wherein the coordination messages include measurement results, an antenna release request, an antenna release response, or a status update.

[0087] Example 13 includes the coupling device of Example 11, wherein the coordination messages include an antenna operating parameter request and an antenna operating parameter response.

[0088] Example 14 includes the switching device of any one of examples 10 to 13, wherein the routing circuitry is to receive a configuration signal from the BBU and to update the connection topology based on the configuration signal.

[0089] Example 15 includes a signal processing unit (SPU) comprising: an antenna interface for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from one or more antennas; and a baseband unit (BBU) coupled to the antenna interface for receiving measurement results associated with a user equipment (UE); determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and transmitting control signals via the antenna interface to one or more switching devices to configure one or more routing tables for connecting the BBU to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0090] Example 16 includes the SPU of Example 15, wherein the BBU is a first BBU to: detect that a first antenna of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU; send a request to the second BBU to request use of the first antenna; receive a response indicating whether the second BBU allows the first BBU to use the first antenna; and include the first antenna in the scheduling set or exclude the first antenna therefrom based on the response.

[0091] Example 17 includes the SPU of any one of Examples 15 to 16, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the BBU is to transmit a downlink transmission to the UE via the antenna interface using the plurality of antennas.

[0092] Example 18 includes the SPU of any one of examples 15 to 17, wherein the BBU is a first BBU and for receiving measurement results from a second BBU.

[0093] Example 19 includes the SPU of any one of examples 15 to 18, wherein the BBU is to determine whether a first antenna is unavailable and to send a request to mute the first antenna if the first antenna is unavailable.

[0094] Example 20 includes the SPU of Example 19, wherein the BBU is a first BBU and is to: send a request to a second BBU coupled to the first antenna to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; receive a response from the second BBU including the operating parameter; and determine that the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter to a predetermined threshold.

[0095] Example 21 includes the SPU of Example 20, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter.

[0096] Example 22 includes the SPU of any one of Examples 15 to 21, wherein the BBU is to transmit the control signals to configure the one or more routing tables to dynamically connect the UE to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0097] Example 23 includes a method of operating a baseband unit (BBU), the method comprising: receiving measurement results associated with a user equipment (UE); determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and dynamically connecting to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage to the UE.

[0098] Example 24 includes the method of Example 23, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises: detecting that a first antenna of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU; sending a request to the second BBU to request use of the first antenna; receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU allows the first BBU to use the first antenna; and including the first antenna among the one or more selected antennas or excluding the first antenna therefrom based on the response.

[0099] Example 25 includes the method of any one of Examples 23 to 24, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting a downlink transmission using the plurality of antennas to the UE.

[0100] Example 26 includes the method of Example 25, further comprising transmitting the downlink using a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), beamforming, or space-time coding downlink scheme.

[0101] Example 27 includes the method of any one of Examples 23 to 26, wherein the BBU is a first BBU and for receiving measurement results from a second BBU.

[0102] Example 28 includes the method of any of Examples 23 to 27, further comprising: determining that a first antenna is unavailable; and sending a request to mute the first antenna based on the determination that the first antenna is unavailable.

[0103] Example 29 includes the method of Example 28, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises: sending a request to a second BBU coupled to the first antenna to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; receiving a response from the second BBU including the operating parameter; and determining that the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter to a predetermined threshold.

[0104] Example 30 includes the method of Example 29, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter.

[0105] Example 31 includes the method of any one of Examples 23 to 30, further comprising configuring one or more routing tables in one or more corresponding switches to dynamically connect the UE to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0106] Example 32 includes a method of operating a switching device, the method comprising: storing a routing table including a configurable indication of a connection topology between a baseband unit (BBU) and one or more antennas; receiving downlink radio signals from the baseband unit; and transmitting the downlink signals to the one or more antennas based on the connection topology.

[0107] Example 33 includes the method of Example 32, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises forwarding coordination messages between the first BBU and a second BBU.

[0108] Example 34 includes the method of Example 33, wherein the coordination messages include measurement results, an antenna release request, an antenna release response, or a status update.

[0109] Example 35 includes the method of Example 33, wherein the coordination messages include an antenna operating parameter request and an antenna operating parameter response.

[0110] Example 36 includes the method of any of Examples 32 to 35, further comprising: receiving a configuration signal from the BBU; and updating the connection topology based on the configuration signal.

[0111] Example 37 includes a method of operating a baseband unit (BBU), the method comprising: receiving measurement results associated with a user equipment (UE); determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and sending control signals to one or more switches to configure one or more routing tables for connecting the BBU to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0112] Example 38 includes the method of Example 37, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises: determining that a first antenna of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU; sending a request to the second BBU to request use of the first antenna; receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU allows the first BBU to use the first antenna; and including the first antenna among the one or more selected antennas or excluding the first antenna therefrom based on the response.

[0113] Example 39 includes the method of any one of examples 37 or 38, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting a downlink transmission to the UE via the antenna interface using the plurality of antennas.

[0114] Example 40 includes the method of any one of Examples 37 to 39, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises receiving measurement results from a second BBU.

[0115] Example 41 includes the method of any one of Examples 37 to 40, further comprising determining that a first antenna is unavailable and sending a request to mute the first antenna based on the determination that the first antenna is unavailable.

[0116] Example 42 includes the method of Example 41, wherein the BBU is a first BBU, and the method further comprises: sending a request to a second BBU coupled to the first antenna to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; receiving a response from the second BBU including the operating parameter; and determining that the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter to a predetermined threshold.

[0117] Example 43 includes the method of Example 42, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter.

[0118] Example 44 includes the method of any one of Examples 37 to 43, further comprising transmitting the control signals to configure the one or more routing tables to dynamically connect the UE to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

[0119] Example 45 includes one or more computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform any of the methods of Examples 23 to 44.

[0120] Example 45 features an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the methods of Examples 23 to 24.

[0121] The description herein of example implementations, including the description in the abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Although specific implementations and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, in light of the foregoing detailed description, a variety of alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Claims

[1] Device comprising: Memory with instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory for executing the instructions to: Receiving measurement results at a first baseband unit (BBU) (104_1) associated with a user equipment (UE) (116_1); Determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set comprising one or more antennas (112_1, 112_2) selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; and Detecting that a first antenna (112_1) of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU (104_2); Sending a message to the second BBU (104_2), the message containing a request that the second BBU (104_2) release its connection to the first antenna (112_1); Receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU (104_2) allows the first BBU (104_1) to use the first antenna (112_1); including the first antenna (112_1) in the disposition set or excluding the first antenna (112_1) therefrom based on the response; and dynamically connecting the first BBU (104_1) to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage for the UE (116_1). [2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the first BBU (104_1) is configured to transmit a downlink transmission to the UE (116_1) using the plurality of antennas. [3] The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first BBU (104_1) is configured to transmit the downlink using a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), beamforming, or space-time coding downlink scheme. [4] The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first BBU (104_1) is configured to receive measurement results from the second BBU (104_2). [5] The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more processors are for determining whether a first antenna (112_1) is unavailable and for sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) to mute the first antenna (112_1) if the first antenna is unavailable. [6] The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are for: Sending a request to a second BBU (104_2) connected to the first antenna (112_1) to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; Receiving a response from the second BBU (104_2) with the operating parameter; and Determining whether the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter with a predetermined threshold. [7] The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter. [8] The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more processors are for configuring one or more routing tables in one or more corresponding switching devices (108_1) to dynamically connect the UE (116_1) to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set. [9] Signal processing unit (SPU) (200), comprising: an antenna interface (212) for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from one or more antennas; and one or more processors coupled to the antenna interface (212) for: receiving measurement results at a first baseband unit (BBU) (104_1) associated with a user equipment (UE) (116_1); Determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set for the first BBU (104_1) comprising one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; Determining that a first antenna (112_1) of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU (104_2); Sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) to request that the second BBU (104_2) release its connection to the first antenna; Receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU (104_2) allows the first BBU (104_1) to use the first antenna (112_1); and including the first antenna (112_1) in the disposition set or excluding the first antenna (112_1) therefrom based on the response; and Sending control signals via the antenna interface (212) to one or more switching devices to configure one or more routing tables for connecting the BBU to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set. [10] The SPU of claim 9, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and wherein the first BBU (104_1) is to transmit a downlink transmission to the UE via the antenna interface (212) using the plurality of antennas. [11] SPU according to claim 9, wherein the first BBU (104_1) is configured to receive measurement results from the second BBU (104_2). [12] The SPU of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are to determine whether a first antenna is unavailable and to send a request to the second BBU (104_2) to mute the first antenna (112_1) if the first antenna is unavailable. [13] The SPU of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: Sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) connected to the first antenna (112_1) to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; Receiving a response from the second BBU (104_2) with the operating parameter; and Determining whether the first antenna is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter with a predetermined threshold. [14] The SPU of claim 13, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter. [15] The SPU of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are to send the control signals to configure the one or more routing tables to dynamically connect the UE (116_1) to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set. [16] A method for operating one or more baseband units (BBU), the method comprising: Receiving at a first BBU (104_1) measurement results associated with a user equipment (UE) (116_1); Determining, based on the measurement results, a scheduling set corresponding to a first BBU (104_1) having one or more antennas selected from a plurality of distributed antennas; Determining that a first antenna (112_1) of the plurality of distributed antennas is connected to a second BBU (104_2); Sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) to request that the second BBU (104_2) release its connection to the first antenna (112_1); Receiving a response indicating whether the second BBU (104_2) allows the first BBU (104_1) to use the first antenna (112_1); and including the first antenna (112_1) in the disposition set or excluding the first antenna (112_1) therefrom based on the response; and dynamically connecting to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set to provide radio access coverage for the UE (116_1) using the first BBU (104_1). [17] The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more selected antennas comprise a plurality of antennas, and the method further comprises transmitting a downlink transmission using the plurality of antennas to the UE (116_1). [18] The method of claim 17, further comprising: Transmitting, using the first BBU (104_1), the downlink transmission using a Multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), beamforming, or space-time coding downlink schemes. [19] A method according to any one of claims 16-18, further comprising: Determine whether the first antenna (112_1) is not available, and Sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) to mute the first antenna (112_1) if the first antenna is unavailable. [20] The method of claim 19, further comprising: Sending a request to the second BBU (104_2) connected to the first antenna to request an operating parameter associated with the first antenna; Receiving a response from the second BBU (104_2) with the operating parameter; and Determining whether the first antenna (112_1) is unavailable based on a comparison of the operating parameter with a predetermined threshold. [21] The method of claim 20, wherein the operating parameter is a bandwidth parameter or a latency parameter. [22] A method according to any one of claims 16-21, further comprising: Configuring one or more routing tables in one or more corresponding switching devices to dynamically connect the UE (116_1) to the one or more antennas of the scheduling set.

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