Base Station Protocol Conversion for Multi-Vendor Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing mobile communication base station systems with separate digital and radio units face compatibility issues due to manufacturer-specific protocols for control and synchronization information, limiting the use of low-cost, high-performance equipment and efficient system management.
Innovation Solution
A base station system with a main conversion unit that receives frames from digital units conforming to different closed protocols, reconstructs them into an open protocol, and a remote conversion unit that disassembles these frames to output compatible signals for radio units, enabling the use of equipment from various manufacturers and centralized management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manufacturer-specific protocols are used for control and synchronization information, then compatibility within a single manufacturer's equipment is ensured, but compatibility between equipment from different manufacturers is not guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol conversion unit as an intermediary component that translates between manufacturer-specific protocols and standard protocols. This mediator enables communication between equipment from different manufacturers by converting control and synchronization information into a universally compatible format, thereby maintaining reliability within each manufacturer's ecosystem while achieving versatility across multiple manufacturers.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol conversion unit dynamically changes protocol parameters by detecting the protocol type of incoming signals and adapting the transmission format accordingly. This parameter transformation allows the system to maintain manufacturer-specific protocol characteristics when needed while converting to standard protocols for cross-vendor compatibility, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
2Reliability
If equipment from a single manufacturer is used, then system compatibility is ensured, but construction cost increases due to inability to use low-cost equipment from multiple manufacturers
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol conversion unit provides universal compatibility functionality, enabling the base station system to work with equipment from multiple manufacturers. This multi-functionality allows service providers to select cost-effective equipment from different vendors while maintaining system compatibility through automatic protocol translation, thereby reducing construction costs without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing the protocol conversion unit as a mediator, the system can integrate low-cost equipment from multiple manufacturers into a unified network. The converter translates between various manufacturer-specific protocols and standard protocols, enabling cost-effective equipment to be used while maintaining system-wide compatibility and reducing overall construction costs.
3Reliability
If separate O&M servers are used for each manufacturer's equipment, then each equipment set is controlled properly, but efficient management of the entire system becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple manufacturer-specific O&M server functions into a single unified O&M server. This unified server communicates with the protocol conversion unit, which handles translations to and from various manufacturer protocols. By combining multiple control functions into one centralized server, the system maintains reliable equipment control while significantly reducing management complexity compared to having separate servers for each manufacturer.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol conversion unit serves as an intermediary between the unified O&M server and manufacturer-specific equipment. This mediator translates the standardized control commands from the unified server into manufacturer-specific protocols, enabling single-point management of multi-vendor equipment while maintaining proper control for each device type.
Data Source
AI summary
A base station system includes a main conversion unit configured to receive a first downlink frame conforming to a first protocol and a second downlink frame conforming to a second protocol, and configured to reconstruct the first and second downlink frames to conform to a third protocol and generate a downlink transmit frame; and a radio unit including a remote conversion unit that receives the downlink transmission frame and disassembles the received downlink transmission frame to output at least one of the first and second downlink frames.