Transferring data in a fixed-site radio transceiver station...

Details Transferring data in a fixed-site radio transceiver station... Transferring data in a fixed-site radio transceiver station...

1998-10-21

2001-07-24

Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2749)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Radiotelephone equipment detail

C455S571000, C455S573000, C455S575100, C455S127500, C455S561000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06266545

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to fixed-site radio transceiver stations and, more particularly, to data transfer in fixed-site radio transceiver stations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In conventional fixed-site radio transceiver stations (also referred to as base transceiver stations or base stations) used in wireless communication networks, the radio antenna and an associated amplifier are typically mounted high atop a tower structure, and connected to the remainder of the base transceiver station via a radio frequency (RF) feeder cable. The RF feeder cable is also conventionally used to supply DC power supply current to the tower mounted amplifier (TMA).
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of one example of the above-described conventional base transceiver station, for example a base transceiver station used in a conventional GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) wireless communications network. The example of
FIG. 1
shows the tower mounted amplifier
11
of the base station connected to the remainder
13
of the base station by RF feeder cable
15
. The remainder portion
13
includes a TMA power supply
17
for providing DC power supply current for use by the tower mounted amplifier TMA. The remainder portion
13
also includes a so-called “bias Tee” module
19
connected to the TMA power supply
17
and also connected to an RF signalling path
12
which is in turn coupled to a radio transceiver (XCVR) of the base station.
The bias Tee module
19
is a conventional apparatus which combines both the RF signalling from RF signalling path
12
and the DC power supply current from the TMA power supply
17
in the RF feeder cable
15
. The RF feeder cable
15
provides RF signalling and DC power supply current to the tower mounted amplifier TMA. The bias Tee module
19
of the remainder portion
13
also separates RF signalling received via RF feeder cable
15
from the power supply current in the RF feeder cable
15
. The bias Tee module described above is a conventional apparatus well known to workers in the art.
The tower mounted amplifier
11
also includes a bias Tee module
19
for separating the RF signalling from the DC power supply current in the RF feeder cable
15
, and for permitting RF signalling from signal path
14
to be transmitted back to the remainder portion
13
via the RF feeder cable
15
while the cable
15
also carries the DC power supply current. The bias Tee module
19
provides the DC power supply current to the local power supply
16
of the tower mounted amplifier TMA. The local power supply
16
provides the tower mounted amplifier TMA with the necessary DC power supply current.
In conventional base transceiver stations such as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the tower mounted amplifier TMA is typically designed so that, should a fault occur in the TMA, it will typically be detectable at the remainder portion
13
by detecting changes in the power supply current drawn by the tower mounted amplifier
11
from the TMA power supply
17
of the remainder portion
13
. Such changes in current are conventionally detected by a data processor
20
which receives a digital input from an A/D converter
21
whose analog input is coupled to the DC power supply current output
24
of the TMA power supply
17
.
The tower mounted amplifier TMA includes an amplifier AMP that is coupled to the RF signalling path
14
and to a tower mounted antenna for appropriately amplifying RF signals that are received (Rx) by the tower mounted antenna. RF signals to be transmitted (Tx) by the antenna are typically filtered and applied to a booster before antenna transmission. Such filter and booster functions can be built into the conventional amplifier unit AMP. The tower mounted amplifier TMA of
FIG. 1
has associated therewith TMA parameter data which can represent, for example, information associated with the TMA such as product information, serial numbers, filter frequency information, amplifier gain information, alarm limits, etc. When a fixed-site radio transceiver station such as illustrated in
FIG. 1
(or at least the TMA thereof) is newly installed, the TMA parameter data is typically input manually to the remainder portion
13
(e.g., to the data processor
20
). However, if a new tower mounted amplifier TMA is added, or if the existing TMA is replaced, then the parameter data associated with the added/replacement TMA must disadvantageously be manually input to the remainder portion
13
of the fixed-site transceiver. This is both costly and time-consuming.
It is desirable in view of the foregoing to avoid the delay and expense of manually inputting TMA parameter data to the remainder portion
13
of the base transceiver station whenever a new or replacement tower mounted amplifier TMA is installed.
According to the present invention, a tower mounted amplifier can automatically signal the parameter data of the tower mounted amplifier to the remainder portion of the base transceiver station using a power supply current path coupled between the tower mounted amplifier and the remainder portion.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3988676 (1976-10-01), Whang
patent: 4086587 (1978-04-01), Lender
patent: 4292633 (1981-09-01), Goodwin, Jr. et al.
patent: 4618941 (1986-10-01), Linder et al.
patent: 5280500 (1994-01-01), Mazzola et al.
patent: 5303395 (1994-04-01), Dayani
patent: 5457814 (1995-10-01), Myrskog et al.
patent: 5533054 (1996-07-01), DeAndrea et al.
patent: 5784409 (1998-07-01), Coles
patent: 5995813 (1999-11-01), Ishikura et al.
patent: 0589574 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 0599659 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 0708527 (1996-04-01), None

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