MIMO Distributed Antenna System With Segmented Signal Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed antenna systems supporting MIMO technology are complex and expensive due to the need for multiple remote units, which increases costs as the number of antennas grows.
Innovation Solution
A distributed antenna system that splits and processes signals from multiple donor antennas independently, routing individual signals to single-input, single-output remote units using a MIMO RF front end and separate signal processing subsystems for each donor antenna, reducing the need for complex multi-antenna processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If MIMO technology is implemented in distributed antenna systems, then coverage and capacity are improved, but system complexity and cost increase rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the MIMO signal processing function by separating the RF front end (handling multiple donor antennas) from the signal processing subsystems (handling individual antenna signals independently). This segmentation allows each remote unit to process only one donor antenna signal, reducing per-unit complexity while maintaining overall MIMO capability through the coordinated network of multiple remote units.
2Area of stationary object
If the number of donor antennas is increased, then coverage is improved, but the number of remote units must increase proportionally, causing cost to grow rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each remote unit universal by designing it to handle a single donor antenna signal independently. This multi-functional design allows the same remote unit architecture to be used for any donor antenna, and the system can scale coverage area by adding more donor antennas without requiring proportionally more complex remote units. The signal distribution module enables flexible routing of individual donor antenna signals to appropriate remote units.
3Adaptability or versatility
If MIMO RF front end processes multiple donor antenna signals, then signal processing capability is improved, but the complexity of both head-end and remote units increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex MIMO signal processing functions from the remote units and concentrates them in the head-end MIMO RF front end. The remote units are left with simpler functions: receiving a single processed signal from the head-end and transmitting it to the coverage area. This extraction of complex processing functions resolves the contradiction by maintaining high signal processing capability at the head-end while keeping remote units simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed antenna system includes a MIMO RF front end configured to receive signals from each of a number of donor antennas, each of the plurality of donor antennas providing donor antenna signals, and a plurality of signal processing subsystems connected with one of the donor antennas and configured to process signals received from the associated donor antenna via the MIMO RF front end. The system further includes one or more donor antenna signal distribution modules associated and connected with each of the plurality of signal processing subsystems, and a plurality of remote units, each of the plurality of remote units configured to receive signals from at least one donor antenna signal distribution module. The distributed antenna system employ a signal distribution strategy executed by the one or more signal distribution modules that routes individual donor antenna signals to individual remote units of the plurality of remote units.