Sharing of radio resources between a backhaul link and a radio access network

A wireless base station system to split a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• a baseband subsystem comprising N digital ports to synthesize N digital baseband signals;
• and
• N radio transceiver chains, each connects to one of the N digital ports of the baseband subsystem via an analog-digital interface;
• wherein the system:
• splits the N radio transceiver chains into a first set of K radio transceiver chains and a second sets of N minus K radio transceiver chains;
• synthesizes, by the baseband subsystem, the N digital baseband signals according to the split, such that K digital baseband signals are operative to support a backhaul link, and N minus K digital baseband signals are operative to support a radio access network;
• and
• inputs the N digital baseband signals to the N radio transceiver chains via the corresponding N digital ports and the corresponding analog-digital interfaces, thereby transmitting both the backhaul link and the radio access network;
• wherein the baseband subsystem comprises a baseband processor, and the baseband processor simultaneously generates both the backhaul link and the radio access network, according to the setting of K;
• and
• wherein the baseband processor comprises at least one device selected from a group consisting of application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array and digital signal processor, and simultaneous generation of the backhaul link and the radio access network is performed, at least in part, by the at least one device according to the setting of K.

A wireless base station system to split a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• a baseband subsystem comprising N digital ports to synthesize N digital baseband signals;
• and
• N radio transceiver chains, each connects to one of the N digital ports of the baseband subsystem via an analog-digital interface;
• wherein the system :
• splits the N radio transceiver chains into a first set of K radio transceiver chains and a second sets of N minus K radio transceiver chains;
• synthesizes, by the baseband subsystem, the N digital baseband signals according to the split, such that K digital baseband signals are operative to support a backhaul link, and N minus K digital baseband signals are operative to support a radio access network;
• and
• inputs the N digital baseband signals to the N radio transceiver chains via the corresponding N digital ports and the corresponding analog-digital interfaces, thereby transmitting both the backhaul link and the radio access network;
• further wherein the baseband subsystem comprises at least two baseband processors, and the at least two baseband processors are operative to simultaneously generate the backhaul link and the radio access network, via the corresponding K baseband signals and N minus K baseband signals, according to the setting of K;
• and
• further wherein a configurable digital interconnect subsystem is used to interconnect each of the at least two baseband processors with at least some of the N digital ports, according to the setting of K and according to the assignment of the N radio transceiver chains between the backhaul link and the radio access network, such that the K radio transceiver chains are connected to one of the baseband processors, and the N minus K radio transceiver chains are connected to another of the baseband processors.

A wireless base station system, operative to split a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• a baseband subsystem comprising N digital ports to synthesize N digital baseband signals;
• and
• N radio transceiver chains, each connects to one of the N digital ports of the baseband subsystem via an analog-digital interface;
• wherein the system :
• splits the N radio transceiver chains into a first set of K radio transceiver chains and a second sets of N minus K radio transceiver chains;
• synthesizes, by the baseband subsystem, the N digital baseband signals according to the split, such that K digital baseband signals are operative to support a backhaul link, and N minus K digital baseband signals are operative to support a radio access network;
• inputs the N digital baseband signals to the N radio transceiver chains via the corresponding N digital ports and the corresponding analog-digital interfaces, thereby transmitting both the backhaul link and the radio access network;
• and
• further wherein the N radio transceiver chains are connected to N omni-directional antennas respectively, thereby allowing both the backhaul link and the radio access network to span a 360 degrees coverage area around the wireless base station, regardless of assignment of radio transceiver chains between the backhaul link and the radio access network.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• and
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• determining a minimum number of radio transceiver chains required by the wireless base station to communicate the first set of data, wherein the minimum number of radio transceiver chains is equal to at least one, and the minimum number of radio transceiver chains is equal to at most N minus one;
• and
• setting the number of radio transceiver chains in the first set of radio transceiver chains to the minimum number determined.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• and
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• determining a minimum number of radio transceiver chains required by the wireless base station to communicate the second set of data, wherein the minimum number of radio transceiver chains is equal to at least one, and the minimum number of radio transceiver chains is equal to at most N minus one;
• and
• setting the number of radio transceiver chains in the second set of radio transceiver chains to the minimum number determined.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• and
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• using, by at least most of the N radio transceiver chains, substantially omni-directional antennas, such that
• (i) the first set of radio transceiver chains supports the backhaul link in substantially any direction,
• (ii) the second set of radio transceiver chains supports the radio access network in substantially any direction, and
• (iii) substantially any split of the N radio transceiver chains is supported regardless of the directions of the radio access network and backhaul links.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• determining that the number of radio transceiver chains in the first set is not sufficient to maintain the backhaul link;
• and
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains in the first set, at the expense of the number of radio transceiver chains in the second set, in order to improve the backhaul link.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• determining that the number of radio transceiver chains in the second set is not sufficient to maintain the radio access network;
• and
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains in the second set, at the expense of the number of radio transceiver chains in the first set, in order to improve the radio access network.

A method for sharing a plurality of radio transceiver chains between a backhaul link and a radio access network, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, N radio transceiver chains;
• splitting, by the wireless base station, according to a first criterion, the N radio transceiver chains into two sets of radio transceiver chains,
• wherein the first set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a backhaul link and the second set of radio transceiver chains is allocated to a radio access network;
• communicating
• (i) a first set of data between the wireless base station and a core network data source via the backhaul link employing the first set of radio transceiver chains, and
• (ii) a second set of data between the wireless base station and at least one subscriber station via the radio access network employing the second set of radio transceiver chains;
• having a capability, in the N radio transceiver chains, to operate in at least two frequency bands;
• setting the radio transceiver chains in the first set to operate in a first frequency band to support the backhaul link;
• and
• setting the radio transceiver chains in the second set to operate in a second frequency band to support the radio access network.

A method for boosting performance of a backhaul link associated with a wireless base station, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, K radio transceiver chains associated with a backhaul link, and M radio transceiver chains associated with a radio access network;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined level of performance associated with the backhaul link;
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains associated with the backhaul link from K to at least K plus one, at the expense of the M radio transceiver chains;
• using the K radio transceiver chains in a multiple-input-multiple-output configuration;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined wireless data capacity associated with the backhaul link;
• and
• using the at least K plus one radio transceiver chains to increase the level of the multiple -input-multiple-output configuration, thereby boosting the wireless data capacity associated with the backhaul link.

A method for boosting performance of a backhaul link associated with a wireless base station, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, K radio transceiver chains associated with a backhaul link, and M radio transceiver chains associated with a radio access network;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined level of performance associated with the backhaul link;
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains associated with the backhaul link from K to at least K plus one, at the expense of the M radio transceiver chains;
• using the K radio transceiver chains to realize a wireless reception scheme selected from a group consisting of phase-array reception, maximal ratio combining reception, minimum mean square error reception, and maximum likelihood reception;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined wireless sensitivity associated with the backhaul link;
• and
• using the at least K plus one radio transceiver chains to increase the level of the wireless reception scheme, thereby boosting the wireless sensitivity associated with the backhaul link.

A method for boosting performance of a backhaul link associated with a wireless base station, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, K radio transceiver chains associated with a backhaul link, and M radio transceiver chains associated with a radio access network;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined level of performance associated with the backhaul link;
• and
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains associated with the backhaul link from K to at least K plus one, at the expense of the M radio transceiver chains;
• wherein the K and M radio transceiver chains operate in a first band, thereby implementing in-band-backhaul communication scheme.

A method for boosting performance of a backhaul link associated with a wireless base station, comprising:

• operating, by a wireless base station, K radio transceiver chains associated with a backhaul link, and M radio transceiver chains associated with a radio access network;
• detecting that the K radio transceiver chains are not sufficient to maintain a predetermined level of performance associated with the backhaul link;
• and
• increasing the number of radio transceiver chains associated with the backhaul link from K to at least K plus one, at the expense of the M radio transceiver chains;
• wherein:
• the K and M radio transceiver chains operate in two separate bands respectively, thereby operating the backhaul link in a different band than the radio access network;
• at least one of the M radio transceiver chains is capable of operating in both the first and the second bands;
• and
• the at least one of the M radio transceiver chains is reset from the first band to the second band before being assigned to the backhaul link, thereby increasing the number of radio transceiver chains associated with the backhaul link from K to the at least K plus one.