Loading patent…
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsDavid Damian Nicholas Bevan, Julius G. Robson
Estimating the term…
Soft-handoff methods involve receiving an uplink signal from a user equipment at more than one basestation. The uplink signals are processed at each basestation before being backhauled to a common point for use to derive a single signal from the user equipment. One problem with previous types of soft-handoff methods is that relatively complex processing is required at each basestation in order to demodulate and decode the signals. It is also desired to further increase uplink capacity as compared with known types of soft-handoff methods. This is achieved by backhauling signals without carrying out any decoding of the uplink signal at the basestation. The backhauled signals are combined at a common point using maximal ratio combining before being fully demodulated and decoded. As a result capacity is increased and required user equipment transmit power is reduced.
A method of receiving backhauled communication signals in a wireless communications network said method being carried out at a combiner node in the communications network and comprising the step of:
A method of backhauling uplink communication signals received from a user equipment in a wireless communications network said method being carried out at a basestation in the communications network and comprising the step of:
A basestation for backhauling uplink communication signals received from a user equipment in a wireless communications network said basestation comprising:
A combiner for receiving backhauled communication signals in a wireless communications network said combiner being provided at a node in the communications network and comprising:
A signal for backhauling from a basestation in a wireless communications network to a combiner node in the communications network said signal being formed from an uplink encoded, modulated signal from a user equipment, without decoding said signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.