Distributed Antenna Sub-band Extraction via Frequency Transform

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Solution Overview

Problem

Distributed antenna systems (DAS) currently route entire downlink signals, including frequency bands with no voice or data, which is inefficient and wasteful, as they do not distinguish between sub-bands with and without data transmission.

Innovation Solution

The method involves performing a frequency transform on downlink signals to identify and extract sub-bands containing data for transmission, using algorithms like fast Fourier transform, discrete Fourier transform, or discrete cosine transform, and routing only these sub-bands through the DAS, thereby reducing bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the entire downlink signal is routed to remote antenna units, then all frequency bands are transmitted, but bandwidth is wasted on frequency bands with no data transmission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth usageVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The downlink signal is divided into multiple frequency sub-bands using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Each sub-band is independently analyzed to determine whether it contains data transmission. Only sub-bands with data are routed to remote antenna units, while empty sub-bands are discarded. This segmentation enables selective transmission, reducing bandwidth waste on empty frequency bands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts only the necessary sub-bands containing data from the complete downlink signal. By identifying and removing empty sub-bands before transmission, the system eliminates unnecessary bandwidth consumption while maintaining all essential data-carrying frequency components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If frequency transform and sub-band extraction are implemented, then bandwidth efficiency improves, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal transmission efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs Fast Fourier Transform and sub-band analysis in advance, before the signal is routed to remote antenna units. This preliminary processing identifies which sub-bands contain data, allowing the system to prepare an optimized transmission plan that reduces subsequent processing requirements at remote units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The master unit creates a frequency domain representation (copy) of the downlink signal through FFT processing. This frequency domain copy is analyzed to identify data-containing sub-bands, avoiding the need to process the entire time-domain signal at each remote antenna unit, thus reducing overall computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of energy

If only data-containing sub-bands are routed, then bandwidth usage is optimized, but signal reconstruction complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth consumptionVSAvoidsignal reconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The master unit acts as an intermediary that performs the complex frequency transform and sub-band selection operations. By centralizing the FFT processing and sub-band extraction at the master unit, the system avoids distributing complex processing tasks to multiple remote antenna units, simplifying their functionality while maintaining bandwidth optimization benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3576309B1Extracting sub-bands from signals in a frequency domain
Publication Date: 2020.12.02 COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP3576309B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3576309B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3576309B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Embodiments are disclosed for extracting sub-bands of interest from signals in a frequency domain for transmission via a distributed antenna system. In one aspect, a transformed downlink signal is generated by performing a frequency transform on a downlink signal. The transformed downlink signal represents the downlink signal in a frequency domain. At least one sub-band of the transformed downlink signal is identified as including data to be transmitted via the distributed antenna system. The sub-band is extracted from the transformed downlink signal for transmission via the distributed antenna system.