5G mmWave Remote Radio Head Segmentation for Window Signal Loss
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications face significant signal path loss and attenuation through materials like glazed and tinted glass windows, limiting the effective placement of home gateway devices and hindering the widespread adoption of mmWave frequency bands for 5G mobile networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Wireless Remote Radio Head (WRRH) system architecture, where a baseband module is deployed indoors and a radio unit is deployed outdoors, allowing bi-directional communication through a lossy medium like a window, using modulated intermediate frequency signals or baseband signals to overcome signal attenuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mmWave frequencies are used for 5G mobile networks, then network capacity and data throughput are improved, but signal path loss and attenuation through materials like glass windows increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The home gateway device is segmented into two separate units: an indoor baseband module and an outdoor radio unit. This segmentation allows the radio unit to be positioned outdoors where it can receive mmWave signals directly without obstruction, while the baseband module remains indoors for processing. The separation resolves the contradiction by placing the antenna in an optimal location for signal reception while keeping the processing equipment in a convenient location.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless connection acts as an intermediary between the indoor baseband module and the outdoor radio unit. This wireless link transmits processed signals from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit, which then transmits them wirelessly to the network. This intermediary transmission path allows the system to overcome the attenuation problem by separating the antenna from the building structure while maintaining functional integration.
2Ease of operation
If home gateway devices are placed indoors for ease of operation, then ease of operation is improved, but signal attenuation through windows and building materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is divided into two functional units that can be placed in different locations. The baseband module can remain indoors for ease of operation and protection, while the radio unit with the antenna is placed outdoors to avoid signal attenuation through windows and building materials. This segmentation allows each component to be optimally positioned for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The radio unit containing the antenna is extracted from the indoor environment and placed outdoors. This extraction removes the harmful factor of signal attenuation caused by windows and building materials from the signal path, while the baseband module remains indoors maintaining ease of operation and protection from environmental factors.
3Area of stationary object
If mmWave signals are transmitted through windows, then indoor coverage is improved, but signal attenuation through glazed and tinted glass increases by 20-40 dB
Solution Approach 1:
A wireless communication link serves as an intermediary to bridge the indoor and outdoor units. The outdoor radio unit receives mmWave signals without attenuation, processes them wirelessly through the air (which has minimal attenuation), and transmits them to the indoor baseband module. This intermediary wireless path avoids the 20-40 dB attenuation that would occur if signals passed through windows.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical transmission path through glass windows is replaced with a wireless electromagnetic transmission path through air. This substitution eliminates the harmful interaction between mmWave signals and glass materials, as electromagnetic waves in the air experience minimal attenuation compared to the 20-40 dB loss through glazed and tinted glass.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote radio head as part of a small cell or home gateway communication system, comprising a baseband module and a radio unit, the baseband module and the radio unit being configured to be placed on opposing sides of a lossy medium, such as a window. The baseband module is configured to receive and transmit an information signal from a user equipment inside of a structure and the radio unit configured to receive and transmit an information signal from a user equipment or a base station node outside of the structure. The baseband module is further configured to perform signal modulation and demodulation and up-conversion and down-conversion, and the radio unit is configured to perform up-conversion and down-conversion. The baseband module and the radio unit are capable of receiving and transmitting wireless intermediate frequency signals through a lossy medium, so as to avoid signal attenuation, particularly for mmWave wireless signals.