US 5,448,570 AGranted

System for mutual synchronization and monitoring between base stations

AssigneeKYOCERA Corporation

InventorsYasushi Toda, Tetsuya Yuda

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Abstract

A communication system that performs time-division multiple access mobile communication using radio in a service area in which are disposed a plurality of base stations connected to a central station through a communication network. The central station selects and designates a master base station and a selected base station close to the master base station. The central station instructs the selected base station to synchronize a radio signal transmitted by the selected base station with a radio signal transmitted by the master base station. The central station further selects at least one additional base station close to the selected base station. The central station instructs the at least one additional base station to synchronize a radio signal transmitted by the additional base station with a radio signal transmitted by the selected base station. The process is repeated until all of the base stations are transmitting a synchronized radio wave. The central station also sequentially designates base stations to monitor each other, and further gives each base station criteria for judging an abnormality, thereby establishing a monitoring network.

A method of establishing mutual synchronization among base stations in a communication system that performs time-division multiple access mobile communication using radio in a service area in which are disposed a plurality of base stations that are connected to a communication network containing a central station that effects multiple-unit control, the method comprising:

(A) providing each of the plurality of base stations with transmission means for transmitting a radio signal, reception means for receiving a radio signal, synchronization means for controlling synchronization of a radio signal, and communication means for communicating with the central station,
(B) selecting, via the central station, one base station from among the plurality of base stations and designating the selected base station as a master base station,
(C) selecting, via the central station, at least one other base station from among the plurality of base stations and designating the selected base station as a selected base station, the selected base station being relatively closer to the master base station than any of the other base stations,
(D) instructing, via the central station, the synchronization means of the selected base station to synchronize a radio signal transmitted by the selected base station with a radio signal transmitted by the master base station and to thereby transmit a synchronized radio wave,
(E) selecting, via the central station, at least one additional base station from among the plurality of base stations, the at least one additional base station being relatively closer to the selected base station than any of the other base stations,
(F) instructing, via the central station, the synchronization means of the at least one additional base station to synchronize a radio signal transmitted by the additional base station with a radio signal transmitted by the selected base station and to thereby transmit a synchronized radio wave, and
(G) repeating steps (C) through (F) until substantially all of the plurality of base stations are transmitting a synchronized radio wave.

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Abstract

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