Methods and arrangement relating to a radio communication network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsThomas Östman, Tomas Stolt, Ceylon Utterborn
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Abstract
The present invention is related to a terrestrial cellular radio communication network comprising at least a first base station (BS1) in which a common set of multi carrier power amplifiers (409-412) are used to amplify radio signals transmitted by the first base station (BS1) in different cells. The invention enables reductions in the total maximum output power the first base station (BS1) needs to support when downlink power control functions, such as power control or discontinuous transmission, and/or Adaptive Channel Allocation are applied in the cells served by the first base station (BS1).
Claims25
A terrestrial cellular radio communication network (101) comprising at least a first base station (BS1), the first base station (BS1) comprising:
- radio signal generating means (401) adapted to generate a first set of low power radio signals (S11-S13) comprising at least a first radio signal (S11) and a second radio signal (S12);
- a power amplifying unit (402) adapted to generate a second set of amplified radio signals (S21-S23) corresponding to the first set of radio signals (S11-S13) by amplifying the first set of radio signals using a common set of multi carrier power amplifiers (409-412);
- an antenna system (403) adapted to radiate the second set of amplified radio signals (S21-S23) in associated antenna beams (417-419),
- the cellular radio communication network (101) further comprising:
- control means (440, 441) for controlling the set of radio carrier components included by the radio signal generating means (401) in each signal in the first set of radio signals (S11-S13),
- wherein the control means (440, 441) are adapted to instruct the radio signal generating means (401) to generate the first radio signal (S11) so as to consist of radio carrier components having frequencies allocated for use in a first cell (C1) of the cellular radio communication network (101) and the antenna system (403) is adapted to radiate the amplified radio signal (S21) corresponding to the first radio signal (S11) in an antenna beam (417) associated with the first cell (C1),
- characterized in that the control means (440, 441) are adapted to instruct the radio signal generating means (401) to generate the second radio signal (S12) so as to consist of radio carrier components having frequencies allocated for use in a second cell (C2) of the cellular radio communication network (101) and the antenna system (403) is adapted to radiate the amplified radio signal (S22) corresponding to the second radio signal (S12) in an antenna beam (418) associated with the second cell (C2).
A method of transmitting radio signals (S21-S23) in a terrestrial cellular radio communication network (101) comprising at least a first base station (BS1), the method comprising the steps of in the first base station (BS1):
- a) generating (501) a first set of low power radio signals (S11-S13) comprising at least a first radio signal (S11) and a second radio signal (S12);
- b) generating (502-504) a second set of amplified radio signals (S21-S23) corresponding to the first set of radio signals (S11-S13) by amplifying the first set of radio signals (S11-S13) using a common set of multi carrier power amplifiers (409-412);
- c) radiating (505) the second set of amplified radio signals (S21-S23) in associated antenna beams (417-419),
- wherein the first radio signal (S11) is generated so as to consist of radio carrier components having frequencies allocated for use in a first cell (C1) of the cellular radio communication network (101) and the amplified radio signal (S21) corresponding to the first radio signal (S11) is radiated in an antenna beam (417) associated with the first cell (C1),
- characterized in that the second radio signal (S12) is generated so as to consist of radio carrier components having frequencies allocated for use in a second cell (C2) of the cellular radio communication network (101) and the amplified radio signal (S22) corresponding to the second radio signal (S12) is radiated in an antenna beam (418) associated with the second cell (C2).
A method according to claim 23, wherein step g) also comprises the steps of:
- m) measuring interference levels in the selected cell (C1) on a set of frequencies currently not allocated to the selected cell (C1),
- wherein the at least one additional frequency allocated in step j) is a frequency measured in step m) and determined to experience interference below a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.