Distributed Antenna Uplink Decoding with Fronthaul Segmentation

The patent introduces a central control device as an intermediary that manages and coordinates the decoding operations for multiple distributed access points. The central control device receives uplink signals from all APs, determines the appropriate decoding locations and methods, and distributes decoded signals to the appropriate APs. This mediator approach resolves the complexity of decoding location determination by centralizing the decision-making process while maintaining the distributed antenna structure's transmission capacity benefits.

The patent segments the decoding function into two parts: initial decoding attempts are performed locally at each distributed access point using its received uplink signal, and only signals that require further processing are transmitted to the central control device. This segmentation reduces the burden on fronthaul links by performing as much decoding work as possible at the edge, thereby maintaining decoding performance while preserving the transmission capacity benefits of the distributed structure.

The patent implements preliminary decoding actions at the distributed access points before signals are transmitted to the central control device. Each AP performs initial decoding processing on its received uplink signals and only forwards signals that require additional processing or coordination. This preliminary action reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over fronthaul links and decreases overall decoding latency, while still achieving high decoding performance through coordinated processing at the central control device when needed.