Systems and methods for providing voltage boosting to a time domain duplexing radio
AssigneeOutdoor Wireless Networks LLC
InventorsAlessandro Sinicco, Sammit Patel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are provided for diminishing power loss in electrical conductors used to provide electrical power to a radio configured to use time domain duplexing (TDD). Because the TDD radio typically transmits data during a downlink subframe, the TDD radio generally consumes more power, and thus draws more current through the electrical conductors, then during an uplink subframe when the TDD radio is configured to receive. Thus, during the downlink subframe, a DC voltage, output by a DC-DC voltage converter to the electrical conductors, is increased to lessen current drawn by the radio through the electrical conductors. As a result, power loss in the electrical conductors is reduced.
Claims19
A method for diminishing power dissipation in electrical conductors providing direct current (DC) electrical power to a time division duplexing (TDD) radio, the method comprising:
- synchronizing timing of a DC-DC voltage converter with a time source external to the DC-DC voltage converter;
- receiving, from a component of a radio access network (RAN) external to the DC-DC voltage converter, (a) a TDD frame configuration or an indication of the TDD frame configuration and (b) a reference time;
- wherein the reference time is a time when a reference TDD frame commences in a past, a present, or a future, or another time from which such time can be derived;
- using at least one of the TDD frame configuration and the reference time, determining a start time and an end time of each downlink subframe in a TDD frame;
- using the start time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, during each downlink subframe, of the TDD frame, increasing a DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter;
- and
- using the end time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, on or after cessation of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, decreasing the DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing at least one processor to execute a process for diminishing power dissipation in electrical conductors providing direct current (DC) electrical power to a time division duplexing (TDD) radio, the process comprising:
- synchronizing timing of a DC-DC voltage converter with a time source external to the DC-DC voltage converter;
- receiving, from a component of a radio access network (RAN) external to the DC-DC voltage converter, (a) a TDD frame configuration or an indication of the TDD frame configuration and (b) a reference time;
- wherein the reference time is a time when a reference TDD frame commences in a past, a present, or a future, or another time from which such time can be derived;
- using at least one of the TDD frame configuration and the reference time, determining a start time and an end time of each downlink subframe in a TDD frame;
- using the start time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, during each downlink subframe, of the TDD frame, of the TDD radio, causing an increase of a DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter;
- and
- using the end time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, on or after cessation of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, causing a decrease of the DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter.
An apparatus for diminishing power dissipation in electrical conductors providing direct current (DC) electrical power to a time division duplexing (TDD) radio, the apparatus comprising:
- DC-DC voltage converter circuitry configured to be electrically coupled, through the electrical conductors, to a DC power input of the TDD radio;
- and
- processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the DC-DC voltage converter circuitry, configured to be communicatively coupled to a time source external to the apparatus, and configured to:
- synchronize timing of a DC-DC voltage converter with the time source external to the DC-DC voltage converter;
- receive, from a component of a radio access network (RAN) external to the DC-DC voltage converter, (a) a TDD frame configuration or an indication of the TDD frame configuration and (b) a reference time;
- wherein the reference time is a time when a reference TDD frame commences in a past, a present, or a future, or another time from which such time can be derived;
- using at least one of the TDD frame configuration and the reference time, determine a start time and an end time of each downlink subframe in a TDD frame;
- using the start time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, during each downlink subframe, of the TDD frame, of the TDD radio, cause an increase of a DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter circuitry;
- and
- using the end time of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, on or after cessation of each downlink subframe in the TDD frame, cause a decrease of the DC voltage output by the DC-DC voltage converter circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.