# US 11,122,447 B2 · Radio access networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,447 B2 - Document ID: US11122447B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/152,255 - Filed: 2018-10-04 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-07 - Assignees: CommScope Technologies LLC - Applicants: CommScope Technologies LLC - Inventors: Vedat Eyuboglu; Arthur J. Barabell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122447B2 ## CPC - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04B 7/04: using two or more spaced independent antennas - H04B 7/15507: {Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, (network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04)} - H04B 17/336: Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] - H04J 11/00: Orthogonal multiplex systems, {e.g. using WALSH codes}(H04J13/00 takes precedence) - H04L 5/005: {of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals} - H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)} - H04L 27/2602: {Signal structure} - H04L 27/2636: {with FFT or DFT modulators, e.g. standard single-carrier frequency-division multiple access [SC-FDMA] transmitter or DFT spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [DFT-SOFDM]} - H04L 27/34: Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems - H04L 69/28: Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols - H04W 16/26: Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 72/54: based on quality criteria - H04L 27/26025: {Numerology, i.e. varying one or more of symbol duration, subcarrier spacing, Fourier transform size, sampling rate or down-clocking (allocating sub-channels of the transmission path H04L5/003)} - H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses - H04W 74/0833: Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access - H04W 74/0838: using contention-free random access [CFRA] - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/085: {Access point devices with remote components} - H04W 88/12: Access point controller devices - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Among other things, a communication system comprising at least one remote unit and at least one controller is described. The at least one remote unit exchanges radio frequency (RF) signals with mobile devices. Each RF signal comprises information destined for, or originating from, at least one of the mobile devices. The at least one controller is communicatively coupled to the at least one remote unit. All physical layer processing for an air interface is implemented in the at least one remote unit. All Media Access Control (MAC) layer processing for the air interface is implemented in the at least one controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication system comprising: a plurality of remote units assigned to a cell, wherein the plurality of remote units exchange radio frequency (RF) signals with mobile devices using an air interface, each RF signal comprising information that is destined for, or originating from, at least one of the mobile devices; and at least one controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of remote units; wherein processing for the air interface is performed at the communication system, the processing comprising physical layer processing, Media Access Control (MAC) layer processing, and upper layer processing; wherein all the physical layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the plurality of remote units; wherein all the MAC layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the at least one controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein all the upper layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the at least one controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein the upper layer processing performed at the communication system comprises at least one of: downlink error control coding, uplink error control decoding, uplink multi-antenna diversity combining of signals received by different remote units, or channel estimation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein the Media Access Control (MAC) layer processing implemented in the at least one controller comprises assigning airlink resources to the mobile devices for the information that is destined for or received from a mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The communication system of claim 4, wherein downlink channel state information (CSI) is received at the at least one controller from the mobile devices; and wherein the at least one controller implements downlink scheduling based on the downlink CSI. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The communication system of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller determines uplink channel state information (CSI) based on signals transmitted by the mobile devices; and wherein the at least one controller implements uplink scheduling based on the uplink CSI. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller does not perform any RF functions, wherein all RF functions performed at the communication system are performed by the plurality of remote units. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller comprises more than one controller, each controller configured to perform the MAC layer processing performed at the communication system for RF signals exchanged with a respective group of at least one of the mobile devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller and the plurality of remote units are communicatively coupled by an Ethernet network. ### Claim 10 A method performed at a communication system, comprising: exchanging, by a plurality of remote units assigned to a cell in the communication system, radio frequency (RF) signals with mobile devices using an air interface, each RF signal comprising information that is destined for, or received from, at least one of the mobile devices; and communicating baseband data between at least one controller in the communication system and the plurality of remote units; wherein processing for the air interface is performed at the communication system, the processing comprising physical layer processing, Media Access Control (MAC) layer processing, and upper layer processing; wherein all the physical layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the plurality of remote units; wherein all the MAC layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the at least one controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein all the upper layer processing performed at the communication system for the air interface is implemented in the at least one controller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the upper layer processing performed at the communication system comprises at least one of: downlink error control coding, uplink error control decoding, uplink multi-antenna diversity combining of signals received by different remote units, or channel estimation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the Media Access Control (MAC) layer processing implemented in the at least one controller comprises assigning airlink resources to the mobile devices for the information that is destined for or received from a mobile device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, at the at least one controller from the mobile devices, downlink channel state information (CSI); and implementing, at the at least one controller, downlink scheduling based on the downlink CSI. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining, at the at least one controller, uplink channel state information (CSI) based on signals transmitted by the mobile devices; and implementing, at the at least one controller, uplink scheduling based on the uplink CSI. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller does not perform any RF functions, wherein all RF functions performed at the communication system are performed by the plurality of remote units. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller comprises more than one controller, each controller configured to perform the MAC layer processing performed at the communication system for RF signals exchanged with a respective group of at least one of the mobile devices. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller and the plurality of remote units are communicatively coupled by an Ethernet network.