Amplifiers – With plural amplifier channels – Redundant amplifier circuits
Utility Patent
1998-12-02
2001-01-02
Lee, Benny (Department: 2817)
Amplifiers
With plural amplifier channels
Redundant amplifier circuits
C455S115200
Utility Patent
active
06169451
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for sensing the state of a tower top amplifier connected to a base station in the mobile communication system, and a method of sensing the same. More particularly, it relates to a system for sensing the state of a tower top amplifier which is more simple than a conventional art in linkage and may enhance the reliability of the sensing operation, and further relates to a method of sensing the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A tower top amplifier may be installed at a place near each base station in the mobile communication system, if necessary. This prevents degradation of the performance of the base station (receive sensitivity) because there is a cable loss from an outdoor antenna of the base station to indoor receiving terminal's amplifier. According to the general statistics, the cable loss per 50 m is about 3 dB. Installing the tower top amplifier increases the receive sensitivity, cell coverage area, and the capacity of subscribers with saving the battery life of a mobile terminal, and decreases the shading area, thus increasing the use of tower top amplifiers. Therefore, it is very important that the base station monitors whether or not the operating state of each tower top amplifier is normal.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing the connection of a base station
5
and tower top amplifiers. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a plurality of tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
are installed near base station
5
's outdoor antennas AT
1
to ATn. Base station
5
provides direct current (DC) power to all tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
through respective power supply lines P
1
to Pn, and each tower top amplifier
1
a
to
1
n
self-monitors the operating state, while being exposed to the outside, and transmits its result to base station
5
.
If one of tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
is in an abnormal operating state, the corresponding tower top amplifier gives an alarm signal. This alarm signal is transmitted to a multiplexer
2
for a given period of time. Each one of the tower top amplifiers in the normal state periodically transmits its operating state to multiplexer
2
. Multiplexer
2
collects signals output from the normal and abnormal amplifiers and transmits them to a demultiplexer
4
through a signal line S
0
. Multiplexer
2
is installed outdoors near tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
, and modulates the alarm signals of the respective tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
to appropriate signals to transmit them to demultiplexer
4
of base station
5
. The reason why the signals are modulated by demultiplexer
4
is that one signal line S
0
is used to transmit signals from multiplexer
2
to base station while signal lines S
1
to Sn are used to transmit signals from respective tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
to multiplexer
2
. The modulated signals from multiplexer
2
are demultiplexed by demultiplexer
4
and the operating state of each tower top amplifier
1
a
to
1
n
is transmitted to base station
5
. Demultiplexer
4
is generally installed near base station
5
or within base station
5
.
In the above system for sensing the operating state of the tower top amplifier, power supply lines P
1
to Pn are each connected between tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
and base station
5
, and signal lines S
1
to Sn are each connected between multiplexer
2
and tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
. Accordingly, the more the number of the tower top amplifiers is increased, the more the overall system becomes complexed. In addition, since multiplexer
2
is installed outside of base station
5
, it is exposed to the weather and may be out of order. The operating states of the multiplexer and demultiplexer, receiving the operating state of respective tower top amplifiers
1
a
to
1
n
, should be monitored, and in order to do this, extra equipment is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system for sensing the operating state of a tower top amplifier for a mobile communication system and a method of sensing the same that substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system for sensing the operating state of a tower top amplifier for a mobile communication system which is capable of monitoring the operating state of each tower top amplifier by using the amount of power consumption of the power supply line, and a method of sensing the same.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention discloses a system for sensing the operating state of each tower top amplifier for mobile communication system, includes a plurality of tower top amplifiers each connected to communication antennas; and an operating state management part monitoring the operating state of each tower top amplifier. The operating state management part monitors the operating state of each tower top amplifier by the use of a single power supply line connected between itself and each tower top amplifier.
The operating state of each tower top amplifier is monitored by using an amount of consumed direct current (DC) power applied to each tower top amplifier from a base station through each power supply line.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in a method of sensing the operating state of each tower top amplifier for mobile communication system, the operating state of each tower top amplifier is monitored by using an amount of consumed DC power applied to the respective tower top amplifiers.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4565972 (1986-01-01), Kaegebein
patent: 5418490 (1995-05-01), Kaegebein
patent: 5987037 (1999-11-01), Gans
patent: 6016123 (2000-01-01), Barton et al.
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Lee Benny
LG Information & Communications Ltd.
Nguyen Khanh Van
LandOfFree
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