MIMO Repeater Extending Coverage to Shaded Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radio systems face challenges in providing efficient coverage to shaded areas, such as buildings and trains, due to high penetration attenuation of radio waves, especially with the increasing use of higher frequencies in future technologies like 5G, which limits data throughput and requires high base station density and significant investments.
Innovation Solution
A system combining a passive repeater with a transmission module that emits pilot signals to stimulate a Massive MIMO base station to form a beam towards shaded areas, using an external antenna to receive signals from the base station and an internal antenna to transmit them within the shaded area, potentially using coaxial cables or VLC for signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If higher frequencies are used for wireless communication, then data bandwidth and frequency resources are improved, but penetration attenuation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a repeater system as an intermediary between the base station and shaded areas. The repeater receives high-frequency signals from the base station, amplifies them, and retransmits them into buildings and shaded areas, overcoming the penetration attenuation problem while maintaining the benefits of high-frequency operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication path is segmented into two parts: the first segment from base station to repeater (outdoor transmission), and the second segment from repeater to shaded area (indoor transmission). This segmentation allows optimization of each segment independently, using high frequencies for the first segment and providing active amplification for the second segment to overcome penetration losses.
2Reliability
If base station density is increased to ensure coverage within buildings, then coverage quality is improved, but investment costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying multiple base stations throughout buildings, the patent uses repeaters as intermediary devices strategically placed at building entrances or nearby locations. Each repeater serves multiple shaded areas, reducing the overall number of infrastructure points needed while maintaining coverage quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The repeater system serves multiple functions: it extends coverage to multiple buildings, supports multiple frequency bands, and can serve multiple shaded areas from a single location. This multi-functionality reduces the need for numerous dedicated base stations.
3Reliability
If passive repeaters are used to extend signals indoors, then signal coverage is improved, but data throughput is limited due to lack of active signal processing
Solution Approach 1:
The repeater system performs active signal processing including amplification, filtering, and adaptive retransmission. The system automatically adjusts transmission parameters based on received signal quality and demands of user equipment, enabling high data throughput while maintaining reliable coverage in shaded areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient supply of radio signals to heavily shaded areas with high penetration attenuation, increasing data throughput and providing high data bandwidths in hotspots by spatially separating frequency-time resources, thus overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
an external antenna (101) which can be arranged outside a shaded area (210) within radio range of a base station (120)
Implementation Method 2
a transmitting module (102) configured to generate an excitation signal (322) and radiate it via the external antenna (101) to the base station (120)
Implementation Method 3
an internal antenna (111) which can be arranged within the shaded area (210) within radio range of at least one wireless communication device (112)
Data Source
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AI summary
An arrangement (200) for extending the range of Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radio systems to shaded areas (210) comprises: an external antenna (101) that can be arranged outside a shaded area (210) within radio range of a base station (120); an internal antenna (111) that can be arranged within the shaded area (210) within radio range of at least one wireless communication device (112); a transmitting module (102) configured to generate an excitation signal (122) and radiate it to the base station (120) via the external antenna (101), wherein the excitation signal (122) is configured to excite the base station (120) to form a Massive-MIMO beam (121) in the direction of the external antenna (101); and a radio signal transmitter (202, 103) configured to transmit a radio signal (123) received from the external antenna (101) of the base station (120) via the internal antenna (111) to the wireless communication device (112).