Individualized Gain Control for Distributed Antenna System Uplink Overload
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed antenna systems (DASs), there is a dilemma in setting the gain of remote units to achieve desired sensitivity while preventing combined uplink communications signals from overloading the central unit or base station, as higher gain is needed for sensitivity but may result in overload, reducing sensitivity across all units if adjusted equally.
Innovation Solution
Implementing individualized gain control in remote units based on their contribution to combined uplink power, where the central unit measures combined power and reduces the gain only of units contributing higher power, allowing initial gain to be set higher for increased sensitivity without overloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gain of all remote units is increased to enhance sensitivity, then the sensitivity of uplink signal reception is improved, but the combined uplink power may exceed the threshold causing overload in the central unit or base station
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating gain control across individual remote units based on their specific power contributions. Instead of uniform gain adjustment, the system measures combined uplink power and identifies specific remote units whose gain should be reduced to prevent overload, while other units maintain higher gain for sensitivity. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high gain where needed and limiting gain only where it would cause harmful overload effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the combined uplink power level from all remote units and using this information to dynamically adjust gain settings. The central unit or base station measures the actual combined power, compares it against thresholds, and feeds back control signals to individual remote units to modify their gain. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain optimal sensitivity while preventing overload through adaptive, real-time adjustment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the gain of remote units is reduced to prevent overload, then the combined uplink power remains within threshold, but the sensitivity of uplink signal reception deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through local quality by applying selective gain reduction only to specific remote units that are contributing excessively to the combined power. Other remote units maintain their gain settings to preserve sensitivity. This localized approach ensures that sensitivity is not uniformly degraded across all units, but rather maintained where needed while preventing overload in specific units with high power contributions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the gain control function by treating each remote unit independently based on its individual power contribution characteristics. Rather than applying a blanket gain reduction to all units, the system segments the control strategy to identify and adjust only the subset of units causing overload. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high sensitivity in units with lower power contributions while managing power levels in units that would cause overload.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If uniform gain reduction is applied to all remote units to prevent overload, then the combined uplink power is controlled, but the sensitivity of all units is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent explicitly contrasts uniform gain reduction with its alternative approach by implementing local quality. Instead of treating all remote units equally and reducing gain uniformly (which would degrade sensitivity across the board), the system measures individual power contributions and applies gain control locally to only those units necessary to prevent overload. This localized differentiation maintains sensitivity in units where it is not needed for overload prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by reducing gain only to the extent necessary for specific units that are contributing to overload conditions. Rather than applying excessive uniform reduction to all units, the system applies the minimum necessary gain reduction to the specific subset of units causing the problem. This partial approach prevents overload while preserving sensitivity in units that do not contribute excessively to the combined power.
Data Source
AI summary
Individualized gain control of uplink paths in remote units in a wireless communication system based on individual remote unit contribution to combined uplink power is disclosed. The gain level is reduced for uplink paths of individual remote units that provide higher power contribution to the combined uplink power of a combined uplink communications signal received in the central unit. This allows the initial uplink gain of all remote units to be set higher to increase sensitivity, because the gain of the remote units that provide higher power contributions to the combined uplink power in the central unit can be reduced if the combined uplink power exceeds the desired threshold power level. The gain of the remote units that provide higher power contributions to the combined uplink power in the central unit can be reduced without reducing the gain in the other remote units that would otherwise reduce their sensitivity.