System and design method for integrated macro next-generation wireless units

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G next-generation integrated macro radio unit. The integrated radio unit includes an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) and a radio frequency front-end board (RFEB), and the RFEB is operatively coupled to the IBTB. The IBTB includes at least a baseband processor, a transceiver, and a clock synchronization module. The RFEB includes one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB. Furthermore, the RFEB blind-mates with the IBTB through one or more RF connectors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Reservation of Rights Part of the disclosure of this patent document includes, but is not limited to, matters subject to intellectual property rights such as copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its related companies (hereinafter referred to as the owner). The owner has no objection to the reproduction of this patent document or this patent disclosure by anyone as it appears in the patent file or records of the Patent and Trademark Office, but in case otherwise, reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to network devices, and more particularly, to the design and architecture of an integrated next-generation wireless unit.

Background Art

[0003] The following description of related technologies is intended to provide background information belonging to the field of this disclosure. This section may include some aspects of the art related to various features of this disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section is not used as an admission of prior art but is only used to enhance the reader's understanding of this disclosure.

[0004] The fifth-generation (5G) communication system is considered to be implemented in the sub-6 gigahertz (GHz) band and higher frequencies (millimeter (mm) waves), such as the 60 GHz band, in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming techniques, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO) techniques, array antenna techniques, analog beamforming techniques, and large-scale antenna techniques have been discussed for use in 5G communication systems.

[0005] Generally, 5G new radio (NR) next-generation radio units or base stations (gNBs) are high-power gNBs. However, existing systems implementing 5G NR gNBs are not optimally integrated because individual components are designed and manufactured by different manufacturers. In addition, existing 5G NR gNBs have further drawbacks in terms of the overall layout and interconnection of their various subcomponents. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, there is a very urgent need for an improved, efficient 5G NR integrated macro-gNB that addresses at least the aforementioned problems and shortcomings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This section is provided to give a simplified overview of some of the purposes and aspects of this disclosure, which will be further described below in the modes for carrying out the invention. This summary is not intended to identify any important features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to an integrated radio unit. The integrated radio unit includes an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) and a radio frequency front-end board (RFEB) operably coupled to the IBTB. The IBTB includes at least a baseband processor, transceivers, and a clock synchronization module, and the RFEB includes one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB. The RFEB is blind-mate to the IBTB through one or more RF connectors.

[0009] In one embodiment, the integrated radio unit includes one or more cavity filters and interfaces for one or more antennas. In one embodiment, the one or more cavity filters are configured between each of the one or more RF chains of the RFEB and one or more antennas.

[0010] In one embodiment, one or more antennas are connected to the RFEB using one or more jumper RF cables.

[0011] In one embodiment, one or more RF chains comprise one or more transmit chains and one or more receive chains. In one embodiment, each RF chain holds a matching balun, a pre-driver amplifier, and a final RF power amplifier as a final-stage power amplifier (PA). In one embodiment, each receive chain holds a low-noise amplifier band-pass SAW filter and a matching network.

[0012] In one embodiment, the IBTB is configured to receive an external voltage, downconvert the external voltage to a first voltage using an isolated power supply, and downconvert the first voltage to a second voltage using a non-isolated power supply.

[0013] In one embodiment, the IBTB includes a power management integrated chipset, one or more DC-DC converters, and one or more low-dropout (LDO) regulator devices for generating a first voltage and a second voltage.

[0014] In one embodiment, the IBTB is configured to self-heal after a failure occurs.

[0015] In one embodiment, the IBTB includes one or more sensors for providing a thermal profile of the IBTB.

[0016] In one embodiment, the clock synchronization module includes a system synchronizer and a clock generator circuit.

[0017] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus including the integrated wireless unit proposed herein.

[0018] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to user equipment (UE) communicably coupled to the integrated radio unit proposed herein. The UE is configured to receive connection requests from the integrated radio unit, send acknowledgments of connection requests to the integrated radio unit, and transmit a number of signals in response.

[0019] In one embodiment, the Disclosure relates to a non-temporary computer-readable medium that includes processor-executable instructions, which cause a processor to receive a connection request from an integrated radio unit, send an acknowledgment of the connection request to the integrated radio unit, and transmit a plurality of signals in response, wherein the integrated radio unit is an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) comprising at least a baseband processor, transceivers, and a clock synchronization module, and an RFEB operably coupled to the IBTB, comprising one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB, wherein the RFEB blindmates the IBTB through one or more RF connectors.

[0020] Objective of the present invention One objective of this disclosure is to provide an integrated system having an integrated baseband and transceiver board and a radio frequency front-end board.

[0021] One objective of this disclosure is to realize a hybrid design approach to meet the capacity requirements of outdoor small cells (ODSCs) and the coverage requirements of massive MIMO radio units (MRUs) in rural and suburban areas.

[0022] One objective of the present disclosure is to achieve an all-in-one class of design that has a physical layer, a media access control layer, and an application layer within a single enclosure together with a complete mechanical housing.

[0023] One objective of the present disclosure is to accommodate the complex routing of radio frequency signals and digital signals within a radio frequency front-end board.

[0024] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide an integrated system with a cableless design.

[0025] One objective of the present disclosure is to maintain a uniform radio frequency output over a specified temperature range.

[0026] One objective of the present disclosure is to automatically repair the system from software corruption and any other undesirable disruptions caused by software malfunctions.

[0027] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide a power-efficient system with a unique power supply design that includes an isolated power supply design and a non-isolated power supply design.

[0028] One objective of the present disclosure is to enable closed-loop monitoring and control of the output radio frequency power on each antenna port based on the ambient temperature.

[0029] One objective of the present disclosure is to provide a hardware architecture and design for a 4T4R-based 5G integrated macro gNB for stand-alone mode, where the proposed 5G integrated macro gNB is an all-in-one unit that includes a baseband unit, a radio frequency (RF) unit, and an antenna unit within a single enclosure that can be easily and efficiently installed.

[0030] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming part of the present invention illustrate exemplary embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein, where similar reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same parts throughout the various drawings. The scale of the components in the drawings is not necessarily consistent, instead the emphasis is on clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Some drawings may use block diagrams to show components and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the inventions in such drawings include inventions of electrical, electronic components, or circuits commonly used to implement such components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] This figure shows an exemplary design architecture of an integrated next-generation wireless unit according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an exemplary design architecture of an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is an exemplary block diagram of the clock section within an IBTB according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows an exemplary design architecture of a radio frequency front-end board (RFEB) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an exemplary coupling representation of a user device and the integrated next-generation wireless unit proposed herein, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows an exemplary computer system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented, or in conjunction with them. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] The above will become clearer from the following more detailed explanation of this disclosure.

[0033] The following description includes various specific details for illustrative purposes to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, it will become clear that the embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. Some of the features described below can be used independently of each other, or in any combination with other features. Some individual features may not address all of the issues discussed above, or may only address some of them. Some of the issues discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0034] The following description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the following description of exemplary embodiments provides a practical description for implementing the exemplary embodiments for those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described.

[0035] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments can be put into practice even without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in the form of block diagrams to avoid making the embodiments unnecessarily detailed and obscuring them. In other cases, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0036] Furthermore, it should be noted that individual embodiments may be described as processes shown as flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structural diagrams, or block diagrams. While flowcharts can describe operations as sequential processes, many operations can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are complete, but it may have additional steps not shown in the diagram. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to the return value of that function to the calling function or the main function.

[0037] The terms “exemplary” and / or “exemplary” are used herein to mean that something serves as an example, illustration, or representation. To avoid misunderstanding, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “exemplary” should not necessarily be construed as being preferable or advantageous to other aspects or designs, nor should it be used to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar terms are intended to be comprehensive, as is the term “comprising” as an open transitional term, insofar as they are used in the modes for carrying out the invention or in the claims.

[0038] Throughout this specification, where the terms “one embodiment,” “one example,” or “one instance” are used, it means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, where the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in one embodiment” appear in various places throughout this specification, they do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0039] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. It will be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising” specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, actions, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Herein, the terms “and / or” include any combination of one or more items from the related items listed.

[0040] This disclosure describes various embodiments using terminology from several communication standards (e.g., the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), Extensible Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)), but these are merely illustrative examples. The various embodiments of this disclosure can be readily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0041] Typically, a base station is network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. A base station has coverage defined as a predetermined geographical area based on the distance over which it can transmit signals. In addition to “base station,” base stations may also be referred to as “access point (AP),” “evolutionary nodeB (eNodeB) (eNB),” “fifth-generation node (5G node),” “next-generation nodeB (gNB),” “wireless point,” “transmit / receive point (TRP),” or other terms with equivalent technical meaning.

[0042] Several terms and phrases are used throughout this disclosure and have the following meanings in the context of the ongoing disclosure.

[0043] The term "Multiple Input / Multiple Output (MIMO)" sometimes refers to wireless technology that uses multiple transmitters and receivers to transmit more data simultaneously.

[0044] The term "massive MIMO" sometimes refers to a type of wireless communication technology in which base stations are equipped with a very large number of antenna elements to improve spectral efficiency and energy efficiency.

[0045] The term "orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)" sometimes refers to a data transmission method in which a single stream of information is divided among several narrow-band subchannel frequencies with tight spacing.

[0046] The terms “blindmate,” “blindmating,” “blindmate state,” or “blindmate connector” may refer to a connector in which mating occurs via a sliding or snapping motion and which is constructed to have a self-aligning feature. Furthermore, the term “blindmate state” is used when the connection area is hidden from view or inaccessible for alignment. It should be understood that the terms “blindmate,” “blindmating,” “blindmate state,” and “blindmate connector” are used interchangeably throughout this disclosure.

[0047] The term "4T4R" sometimes refers to the transmit / receive mode of a base station that has four transmitting antennas and four receiving antennas.

[0048] The term "digital predistortion (DPD)" sometimes refers to a method in which a nonlinear power amplifier (PA) is first stimulated with baseband samples, and then the results of that stimulation are observed at the output of the nonlinear power amplifier (PA).

[0049] The term "Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP)" sometimes refers to a small, hot-pluggable network interface module format used for both telecommunications and data communications applications.

[0050] The term "phase-locked loop (PLL)" sometimes refers to a feedback circuit designed to allow a single circuit board to synchronize the phase of its onboard clock with an external timing signal. A PLL circuit operates by comparing the phase of an external signal with the phase of a clock signal generated by a voltage-controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO).

[0051] This disclosure relates to a 5G new radio (NR) integrated macro next-generation NodeB (gNB). In one exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, this disclosure provides a hardware architecture and design for a 4T4R-based 5G integrated macro gNB for standalone mode, the 5G integrated macro gNB proposed herein is an all-in-one unit that includes a baseband unit, a radio frequency (RF) unit, and an antenna unit in a single enclosure that can be easily and efficiently installed. Those skilled in the art will understand that 4T4R is a transmit / receive mode of a base station having four transmit antennas and four receive antennas.

[0052] In one embodiment, the 5G integrated macro gNB proposed herein addresses the capacity requirements of outdoor small cells (ODSCs) and the coverage requirements of massive multi-input / multi-output (MIMO) radio units (MRUs) for rural and suburban areas. In one embodiment, the 5G integrated macro gNB proposed herein comprises an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB), radio frequency front-end board (RFEB), cavity filter, and external antenna interface as part of a single enclosure / unit that can be easily and efficiently installed.

[0053] In one embodiment, the IBTB includes a baseband processor and a transceiver. Furthermore, the IBTB includes a clock synchronization circuit / module, which comprises a system synchronizer integrated circuit (IC) and a clock generator. In one embodiment, the RFEB includes one or more RF chains, each RF chain connected to one or more external antennas through a cavity filter. Furthermore, the IBTB and RFEB are blind-mated. Those skilled in the art will understand that blind-mating or blind-mate connectors may refer to connectors in which mating is performed via a sliding or snapping motion and which are constructed to have a self-aligning feature. Furthermore, the blind-mate state is used when the connection area is hidden from view or inaccessible for alignment. Thus, the 5G integrated macro gNB proposed herein utilizes the blind-mate state to connect the IBTB and RFEB, etc., thereby the 5G integrated macro gNB proposed herein has a cableless design architecture.

[0054] However, it should be understood that the design and architecture of each node component / unit proposed here are novel and inventive with respect to the invention proposed here, and therefore each should be protected through the corresponding patent application.

[0055] Various embodiments throughout this disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0056] Figure 1 shows an exemplary design architecture of an integrated next-generation radio unit, namely a 5G integrated macro gNB100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the terms “5G integrated macro gNB,” “radio unit,” or “5G integrated macro node” may be used interchangeably throughout this disclosure.

[0057] Referring to Figure 1, the proposed 5G integrated macro gNB100 can be implemented as a seamless integration of one or more sections. These one or more sections may include, but are not limited to, an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) 102, an RF front-end board (RFEB) 104, and a cavity filter and external antenna interface 106.

[0058] In one embodiment, the IBTB 102 includes a baseband processor (or network processor) 102-1 and a transceiver 102-2. It should be understood that the terms “baseband processor” and “network processor” may be used interchangeably throughout this disclosure.

[0059] In one embodiment, the development of L2 and L3 layers and system control can be performed / handled within the baseband processor 102-1. In one embodiment, the baseband processor 102-1 can be connected to a transceiver 102-2 and configured to control the transceiver 102-2 to transmit and receive signals. In one embodiment, the baseband processor 102-1 can be configured to control the transceiver 102-2 to transmit and receive 5G sub-6GHz band signals. In addition, the baseband processor 102-1 can implement MIMO or diversity through the backhaul connection.

[0060] In one embodiment, the baseband processor 102-1 may include a modem processor (e.g., a digital signal processor (DSP)) that performs digital baseband signal processing, and a protocol stack processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or memory protection unit (MPU)) that performs control plane processing.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1, the formation of the L1 physical (PHY) layer and the generation of the bitstream can be performed / undertaken within transceiver 102-2. As shown in Figure 1, transceiver 102-2 is coupled to baseband processor 102-1 and RFEB 104. In one embodiment, transceiver 102-2 may include, but is not limited to, a commercial-grade field-programmable gate array (FPGA). It should be understood that any other equivalent transceiver is entirely within the scope of this disclosure, and therefore the scope of FPGA should be treated as the scope of any transceiver or technically equivalent component, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In one embodiment, transceiver 102-2 may include multiple transceivers.

[0062] In one embodiment, the transceiver 102-2 may include a digital upconverter (DUC) for frequency upconversion and a digital downconverter (DDC) for frequency downconversion. The selection and design of the DUC and DDC blocks can be optimized in accordance with and in reference to the spectral mask requirements referred to in the 3GPP® standard. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the transceiver 102-2 may reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of the input signal by utilizing a crest factor reduction (CFR) scheme. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the transceiver 102-2 may implement digital predistortion (DPD). It should be understood that DPD may refer to a method in which a nonlinear power amplifier (PA) is first stimulated with baseband samples, and then the result of that stimulation is observed at the output of the nonlinear power amplifier (PA). In addition, the transceiver 102-2 may include a controller for time-division duplexing (TDD).

[0063] In one embodiment, the transceiver 102-2 can receive modulation symbol data from the baseband processor 102-1, generate a transmit RF signal, and supply this transmit RF signal to the RFEB 104. Furthermore, the transceiver 102-2 can generate a baseband receive signal based on the received RF signal received from the RFEB 104 and supply this baseband receive signal to the baseband processor 102-1. Alternatively or in addition, the transceiver 102-2 may include an analog beamformer circuit (not shown) for beamforming. The analog beamformer circuit may include, for example, multiple phase shifters and multiple power amplifiers.

[0064] Referring to Figure 1, the RFEB104 can be coupled to the IBTB102 via a blind mate state. In one embodiment, the RFEB104 can receive control signals (RF signals) from the IBTB102 (e.g., transceiver 102-2) along with the supplied power through the connector. The RFEB104 can be configured to operate as an extended signal incorporating four RF chains (108-1, 108-2, 108-3, 108-4), including four transmit chains for signal transmission, four receive chains for signal reception, and four observation chains that can act as a DPD feedback path from the power amplifier (PA) to the transceiver 102-2 for linearization.

[0065] In one embodiment, the RFEB104 may include a driver amplifier, a digital step attenuator, a power amplifier (PA), a low-noise amplifier, a circulator, and the like. In one embodiment, the RFEB104 may include an RF TDD switch that can combine each transmit-receive pair. Furthermore, referring to Figure 1, a cavity filter 106 may be used between each RF switch of the RFEB104 and the antenna port. In one embodiment, the cavity filter 106 may consist of a 4-port cavity filter for a 4T4R configuration that allows for a steeper roll-off outside the operating band.

[0066] In one embodiment, unit 106, which includes a cavity filter and an antenna, is blind-mate with RFEB 104. In addition to or instead of this, one or more antennas are connected to RFEB 104 via jumper RF cables.

[0067] In one embodiment, the RFEB104 is configured to be blind-mate with the IBTB102, thereby eliminating the complexity of cable routing and avoiding RF signal oscillation. The mating bullet / connector provides a robust connection between the IBTB102 and the RFEB104 to meet optimal design considerations. Similarly, the RFEB104 can also be configured to be blind-mate with the cavity filter 106.

[0068] In one exemplary and non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure, the proposed 5G integrated macro gNB100 is a 200-watt (W) high-power gNB operating at macro-class (typically 50 W or 47 decibels-milliwatts (dBm) per antenna port) and is configured to provide a macro-level wide-area solution requiring good coverage and finite capacity, while also having low latency beneficial for rural and suburban areas. The proposed 5G integrated macro gNB100 integrates an application layer based on a baseband processor chipset (e.g., 102-1), a media access control (MAC) layer, a baseband layer, an RF transceiver based on an ASIC transceiver (e.g., 102-2), and an RFEB (e.g., 104) including an RF high-power amplifier, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), an RF switch, and a cavity filter, all within a convection-cooled passive enclosure and weighing less than 25 kilograms (kg). In one embodiment, the integrated macro gNB100 can provide good coverage and capacity to high-density urban high-rise building clusters with eight downlink beams and four uplink beams under a multi-user equipment (UE) scenario. For rural and suburban areas, the proposed 5G integrated macro gNB100 can be deployed as a hybrid solution to meet coverage and finite capacity requirements.

[0069] In another embodiment, the proposed 5G integrated wireless unit 100 is configured as a design using an integrated cavity filter solution that does not require the use of cables, thereby enabling a cableless design for the 5G integrated wireless unit 100. The proposed wireless unit 100 can be deployed in, but is not limited to, tower sites, ground-based towers (GBTs), and ground-based masts (GBMs). Furthermore, the proposed wireless unit 100 can be rapidly deployed to exhibit high performance and low power consumption, thereby making the wireless unit 100 a power-efficient solution. In one embodiment, the proposed wireless unit 100 has a power consumption of 665W, thus enabling a significant improvement in operating costs. The proposed wireless unit 100 can be connected to the network via two 10G fiber optic small form factor pluggable (SFP) backhaul interfaces, as shown in Figure 1.

[0070] It should be understood that the proposed wireless unit 100 integrates a TDD-based 5G NR integrated macro gNB with CFR and DPD modules in the digital front-end lineup, and meets all RF performance requirements mentioned in the 3GPP standard (TS38.141). Furthermore, the proposed wireless unit 100 is optimally thermally addressed by a low-power consumption, IP65 ingress-protected mechanical housing, and embedded copper coin technology in the printed circuit board (PCB) for easy heat conduction through the board.

[0071] Figure 1 shows exemplary components of the 5G integrated macro gNB100, but in other embodiments, the radio unit 100 may include fewer components, different components, components arranged differently, or additional functional components compared to those shown in Figure 1. In addition to or instead of this, one or more components of the radio unit 100 may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the radio unit 100.

[0072] Figure 2 shows an exemplary design architecture of an integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the IBTB 200 may be similar in function to the IBTB 102 in Figure 1, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the IBTB 200 may not be described in detail again.

[0073] In one embodiment, the IBTB200 may include complex subsystems such as digital high-speed signals, switching power supplies, clock sections, and radio frequency signals, designed on a PCB of 18 or more layers. The PCB design may involve proprietary design techniques to route RF signals and PCIe Gen3.0 signals operating at high speeds of 8 GT / s onto adjacent layers to meet design specifications.

[0074] In one embodiment, the IBTB200 may include a baseband processor 202, a transceiver 204, and a clock section 206. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor 202 and the transceiver 204 may be similar in their functions to the baseband processor 102-1 and the transceiver 102-2, respectively, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the baseband processor 202 and the transceiver 204 may not be described in detail again.

[0075] In one embodiment, as described above, the formation of the L2 and L3 layers and system control can be performed / handled within the baseband processor 202. In one embodiment, the baseband processor 202 can be connected to a transceiver 204, and the baseband processor 202 can be configured to control the transceiver 204 to transmit and receive signals.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the baseband processor 202 can perform digital baseband signal processing (i.e., data plane processing) and control plane processing for wireless communication. Digital baseband signal processing may include, but is not limited to, (a) data compression / decompression, (b) data segmentation / concatenation, (c) assembly / decomposition of transmission format (i.e., transmission frame), (d) channel coding / decoding, (e) modulation (i.e., symbol mapping) / demodulation, and (f) generation of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol data (i.e., baseband OFDM signals) by inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). Control plane processing may include, but is not limited to, Layer 1, i.e., L1 communication management (e.g., transmit power control), Layer 2, i.e., L2 communication management (e.g., radio resource management and hybrid automatic retransmission request (HARQ) processing), and Layer 3, i.e., L3 communication management (e.g., signaling for attach, mobility, and call management).

[0077] Digital baseband signal processing by the baseband processor 202 may include, for example, signal processing at the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer. Furthermore, control plane processing performed by the baseband processor 202 may include processing at the Non-Access Layer (NAS) protocol, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, and the MAC Control Element (CE). In one embodiment, the baseband processor 202 may perform MIMO encoding and precoding for beamforming.

[0078] In one embodiment, the baseband processor 202 may include a modem processor (e.g., a DSP) that performs digital baseband signal processing and a protocol stack processor (e.g., a CPU or MPU) that performs control plane processing.

[0079] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the formation of the L1 PHY layer and the generation of the bitstream can be performed / undertaken within the transceiver 204. In one embodiment, the transceiver 204 may include, but is not limited to, a commercial-grade FPGA. It should be understood that any other equivalent transceiver is entirely within the scope of this disclosure, and therefore the scope of FPGAs should be treated as the scope of any transceiver or technically equivalent component, such as an ASIC. In one embodiment, the transceiver 204 may include multiple transceivers.

[0080] In one embodiment, the transceiver 204 can perform analog RF signal processing. In one embodiment, the analog RF signal processing performed by the transceiver 204 may include, but is not limited to, frequency up-conversion, frequency down-conversion, and amplification. In one embodiment, the transceiver 204 may include one or more integrated circuits and associated electrical components. In an exemplary embodiment, the transceiver 204 may include a transmitting integrated circuit, a receiving integrated circuit, a switching circuit, an amplifier, and the like.

[0081] In one embodiment, the IBTB200 can be configured to receive an external -48 volt (V) input DC voltage and down-convert it to various lower voltages (such as 28V, then 12V, etc., as desired, in various combinations). These desired voltages can be generated using either or a combination of a power supply section 208, a DC-DC converter 210, etc. In one embodiment, the IBTB200 can be configured to receive an external -48V input DC voltage. The IBTB200 then down-converts the received voltage to 28V using an isolated power supply and down-converts it again to 12V using a non-isolated power supply. In one embodiment, the power supply section 208 may include, but is not limited to, a switching buck / boost regulator, a low dropout (LDO) regulator, etc.

[0082] In one embodiment, the entire system can be synchronized within the IBTB200 (for example, using the clock / synchronization section 206). In one embodiment, the clock section 206 may include one or a combination of an ultra-low noise clock generating phase-locked loop (PLL), a programmable oscillator, and a system synchronizer.

[0083] In one embodiment, the IBTB200 may include one or more sensors, including, but not limited to, temperature sensors. In such an embodiment, this unique design of the IBTB200 allows one or more sensors to measure the temperature of all sections within the IBTB200, thereby providing a complete thermal profile of the board. The IBTB200 also has the ability to make decisions in the event of thermal failure. In one embodiment, this unique design approach of the IBTB200 has the ability to automatically recover from any software corruption or failure, thereby ensuring that the system does not go down due to software failures.

[0084] Figure 2 shows exemplary components of the IBTB200, but in other embodiments, the IBTB200 may include fewer components, different components, components arranged differently, or additional functional components compared to those shown in Figure 2. In addition to or instead of this, one or more components of the IBTB200 may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the IBTB200.

[0085] Figure 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of the clock section 300 of the IBTB according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the clock section 300 may be similar in function to the clock section 206 in Figure 2, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the clock section 300 may not be described in detail again.

[0086] In one embodiment, the synchronization of this complete system, i.e., IBTBs such as IBTB102 in Figure 1 and IBTB200 in Figure 2, can be achieved within the IBTB (for example, using a clock / synchronization section 300). In one embodiment, the clock section 300 may include one or a combination of an ultra-low noise clock generation PLL, a programmable oscillator, and a system synchronizer.

[0087] In one embodiment, the clock section 300 can be a clock synchronization architecture based on the IEEE 1588v2 precision time-based protocol (PTP) using a system synchronizer IC and a clock generator.

[0088] Referring to Figure 3, the Global Positioning System (GPS) module 302 can transmit a signal to the system synchronizer 304. The system synchronizer 304 synchronizes the entire system and further transmits this signal to the clock generator PLL 306, which is coupled to the IBTB's baseband processor 308 and transceiver 310 for communication. The baseband processor 308 and transceiver 310 may be similar to the baseband processor 102-1 in Figure 1 or the baseband processor 202 in Figure 2, and the transceiver 102-2 in Figure 1 or the transceiver 204 in Figure 2, respectively, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the baseband processor 308 and transceiver 310 may not be described in detail again, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0089] Figure 4 shows an exemplary design architecture of the RFEB400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the RFEB400 may be similar in function to the RFEB104 in Figure 1, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the RFEB400 may not be described in detail again.

[0090] In one embodiment, the RFEB400 can be configured to receive control signals (RF signals) from an IBTB (e.g., IBTB102 in Figure 1 or IBTB200 in Figure 2) through a connector along with the supplied power. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the RFEB400 can be configured to operate as an extended signal incorporating four transmit chains for signal transmission, four receive chains for signal reception, and four observation chains that can act as a DPD feedback path from the PA to a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 102-2 in Figure 1 or transceiver 204 in Figure 2) for linearization.

[0091] In one embodiment, each transmit chain may be configured to hold a matching balun, pre-driver amplifiers (402, 404), driver amplifier 406, and final RF power amplifier 412 as part of the final stage power amplifier (PA). In one embodiment, each transmit chain may include circulators (408, 416) and couplers (410, 414).

[0092] In one embodiment, each receiving chain may be configured to hold a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a band-pass SAW filter, and a matching network 420. In one embodiment, each receiving chain may also include a required gain block 422. In one embodiment, each observation chain may be configured to hold directional couplers (410, 414), a digital step attenuator (DSA) (424), and a matching network.

[0093] In one embodiment, the RFEB 400 may include an RF TDD switch 418 that can combine each transmit-receive pair. In one embodiment, the switch 418 may be a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch. Those skilled in the art will understand that an SPDT switch may refer to a switch that is on in both positions, thereby enabling separate devices in each case. In one embodiment, a circulator 416 and a cavity filter may be used between each RF switch and the antenna port.

[0094] In one embodiment, the RFEB400 can be formed on a multilayer substrate using copper coin embedding technology so that the high-power GAN amplifier can thermally supply 200W of output power. In one embodiment, the RFEB400 is blind-mate with an IBTB (e.g., IBTB102 in Figure 1 or IBTB200 in Figure 2) and a cavity filter (e.g., cavity filter 106 in Figure 1), thereby eliminating the complexity of cable routing and avoiding RF signal oscillation.

[0095] Figure 4 shows exemplary components of the RFEB400, but in other embodiments, the RFEB400 may include fewer components, different components, components arranged differently, or additional functional components compared to those shown in Figure 4. In addition to or instead of this, one or more components of the RFEB400 may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the RFEB400.

[0096] Figure 5 shows an exemplary combined representation of the UE 502 and the proposed integrated wireless unit 506. Those skilled in the art will understand that the proposed integrated wireless unit 506 may be similar to the proposed integrated wireless unit 100 in Figure 1, and therefore may not be described in detail again for the sake of brevity.

[0097] As shown in Figure 5, the UE 502 may be communicatively coupled to the integrated radio unit 506. The coupling may be via a wireless network 504. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication network 504 may include at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or combine one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage levels or current levels, or any combination thereof, etc. The UE 502 may be any handheld device, mobile device, palmtop device, laptop device, smartphone, etc. As a result of the coupling, the UE 502 may be configured to receive connection requests from the integrated radio unit 506, send acknowledgments of connection requests to the integrated radio unit 506, and transmit a set of signals in response to connection requests.

[0098] Figure 6 shows an exemplary computer system 600 that may implement embodiments of the present disclosure in or with thereof. As shown in Figure 6, the computer system 600 may include an external storage device 610, a bus 620, main memory 630, read-only memory 640, a mass storage device 650, a communication port 660, and a processor 670. Those skilled in the art will understand that the computer system 600 may include two or more processors and communication ports. The processor 670 may include various modules relevant to embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port 660 may be an RS-232 port used for modem-based dial-up connections, a 1 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or any other existing or future port. The communication port 660 may be selected depending on the network to which the computer system 600 is connected, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other network to which the computer system 600 is connected. The main memory 630 may be random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory 640 can be any static storage device. The high-capacity storage device 650 can be any current or future high-capacity storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions.

[0099] Bus 620 connects the processor 670 to other memory blocks, storage blocks, and communication blocks in a communicative manner. Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, such as a display, keyboard, and cursor control device, may also be connected to bus 620 to support direct operator interaction with the computer system 600. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected via communication port 660. The components described above are merely illustrative of various possibilities. The exemplary computer system 600 described above should not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0100] While this specification has focused heavily on preferred embodiments, it will be understood that many embodiments can be created, and that many modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the present invention. The above and other modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein. It should be clearly understood that the foregoing descriptions should be implemented merely as examples of the present invention, and not as limitations.

[0101] Advantages of the present invention This disclosure provides a cost-effective solution that can offer good coverage and capacity.

[0102] This disclosure provides an integrated solution that combines a TDD-based 5G NR integrated macro gNB with crest factor reduction (CFR) and digital predistortion (DPD) modules within a digital front-end lineup, thereby meeting all radio frequency performance requirements as defined in the 3GPP standard (TS38.141).

[0103] This disclosure is adequately thermally addressed by a mechanical housing that enables low power consumption and is IP65 intrusion protected, and by PCB copper coin embedding technology for easy heat conduction through the board.

[0104] This disclosure provides devices / solutions that offer cost- and energy-efficient solutions to any network, thereby delivering benefits on OPEX.

[0105] This disclosure provides an overall hardware overview of a macro gNB design for standalone mode, and offers a 5G integrated macro gNB configured as an "all-in-one" unit consisting of a baseband unit, RF unit, and antenna unit in a single closure that can be easily and efficiently installed.

[0106] This disclosure enables a 5G integrated macro gNB to bring about an all-in-one class design, having the PHY, MAC, and application layers in a single box along with a complete mechanical housing.

[0107] This disclosure provides a novel design approach for automatically repairing systems from software corruption and any other undesirable failures caused by software malfunctions, in order to minimize on-site engineer visits and thereby help save operating expenses (OPEX). [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 100 5G Integrated Macro NB, 5G Integrated Wireless Unit 102 Integrated Baseband and Transceiver Board (IBTB) 102-1 Baseband processor, network processor 102-2 Transceiver 104 RF Front End Board (RFEB) 106 Cavity filter and external antenna interface, cavity filter, unit 108-1 RF Chain 108-2 RF Chain 108-3 RF Chain 108-4 RF Chain 200 Integrated Baseband and Transceiver Boards (IBTB) 202 Baseband Processor 204 Transceiver 206 Clock section, Clock / Synchronization section 208 Power Section 210 DC-DC Converter 300 Clock section, Clock / Synchronization section 302 Global Positioning System (GPS) Module 304 System Synchronizer 306 Clock Generator PLL 308 Baseband Processor 310 Transceiver 400 RFEB 402 Pre-driver amplification 404 Pre-driver amplification 406 Driver Amplifier 408 Circulator 410 coupler, directional coupler 412 Final RF Power Amplification 414 Coupler, directional coupler 416 Circulator 418 RF TDD Switch 420 Low-noise amplifier (LNA) bandpass SAW filter and matching network 422 Gain Block 424 Digital Step Attenuator (DSA) 502 UE 504 Wireless networks, communication networks 506 Integrated Wireless Unit 600 Computer Systems 610 External storage devices 620 bus 630 Main Memory 640 Read-only memory 650 High-Capacity Storage Devices 660 communication ports 670 processor

Claims

1. An integrated wireless unit, An integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) comprising at least a baseband processor, transceivers, and a clock synchronization module, A radio frequency front-end board (RFEB) operably coupled to the IBTB, comprising one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB, and Equipped with, The RFEB is blind-mate to the IBTB through one or more RF connectors. Integrated wireless unit.

2. One or more cavity filters, and Interface for one or more antennas Equipped with, The one or more cavity filters are configured between each of the one or more RF chains of the RFEB and the one or more antennas. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 1.

3. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 2, wherein one or more antennas are connected to the RFEB using one or more jumper RF cables.

4. The integrated radio unit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more RF chains comprises one or more transmitting chains and one or more receiving chains, each RF chain holding a matching balun, a pre-driver amplifier, and a final RF power amplifier as a final stage power amplifier (PA), and each receiving chain holding a low-noise amplifier bandpass SAW filter and a matching network.

5. The aforementioned IBTB, Receives an external voltage, The aforementioned external voltage is down-converted to a first voltage using an isolated power supply. The first voltage is down-converted to a second voltage using a non-isolated power supply. An integrated wireless unit according to claim 1, configured as follows.

6. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 5, wherein the IBTB comprises a power management integrated chipset, one or more DC-DC converters, and one or more low-dropout (LDO) regulator devices for generating the first voltage and the second voltage.

7. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 1, wherein the IBTB is configured to automatically repair itself in the event of a failure.

8. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 1, wherein the IBTB comprises one or more sensors for providing a thermal profile of the IBTB.

9. The integrated wireless unit according to claim 1, wherein the clock synchronization module comprises a system synchronizer and a clock generator circuit.

10. An apparatus comprising the integrated wireless unit described in claim 1.

11. User equipment (UE) that is communicatively coupled to an integrated wireless unit, Receiving a connection request from the integrated wireless unit, Sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the integrated wireless unit, In response to the aforementioned connection request, multiple signals are transmitted. It is configured to do the following: The aforementioned integrated wireless unit, An integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) comprising at least a baseband processor, transceivers, and a clock synchronization module, A radio frequency front-end board (RFEB) operably coupled to the IBTB, comprising one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB, and Equipped with, The RFEB is blind-mate to the IBTB through one or more RF connectors. UE.

12. A non-temporary computer-readable medium that includes processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor-executable instructions are transmitted to the processor. Receiving connection requests from the integrated wireless unit, Sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the integrated wireless unit, In response to the aforementioned connection request, multiple signals are sent. Have them do it, The aforementioned integrated wireless unit, An integrated baseband and transceiver board (IBTB) comprising at least a baseband processor, transceivers, and a clock synchronization module, A radio frequency front-end board (RFEB) operably coupled to the IBTB, comprising one or more RF chains for receiving RF signals from the IBTB, and Equipped with, The RFEB is blind-mate to the IBTB through one or more RF connectors. Non-temporary computer-readable media.

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