# US 9,882,612 B2 · Multi-sector antenna integrated radio unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,612 B2 - Document ID: US9882612B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/306,036 - Filed: 2014-04-30 - Published: 2017-02-23 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-30 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Marthinus Willem Da Silveira; Neil McGowan; Slim Ben Ghalba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882612B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/0686: {Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and simultaneous transmission} - H04B 1/04: Circuits - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of a system for a multi-sector base station in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an integrated unit, where the integrated unit includes multiple antennas and a radio unit (RU) coupled to the antennas. By integrating the multiple antennas and the radio RU into a single integrated unit, the system can, in some embodiments, reduce installation and operating costs of the multi-sector base station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for a multi-sector base station in a cellular communications network, comprising: an integrated unit comprising: a plurality of antennas serving a plurality of sectors; an analog hybrid matrix comprising: a plurality of feeder ports, and a plurality of antenna ports, each of the plurality of antenna ports being coupled to a different one of the plurality of antennas via corresponding antenna equipment; and a radio unit coupled to one of the plurality of feeder ports of the analog hybrid matrix and thereby coupled to the plurality of antennas; wherein the analog hybrid matrix is operative to: receive a plurality of radio frequency receive signals from the corresponding antenna equipment at the plurality of antenna ports, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency receive signals is at a different carrier frequency due to different frequency shifts applied to the plurality of radio frequency receive signals via the corresponding antenna equipment, and generate a plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals at the plurality of feeder ports such that one of the plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals is output to the radio unit via the one of the plurality of feeder ports, wherein each of the plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals comprises a component for each of the plurality of radio frequency receive signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional radio units that together with the radio unit form a plurality of radio units of the system, wherein each radio unit of the plurality of radio units is connected to a different one of the plurality of feeder ports of the analog hybrid matrix. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more additional radio units are physically attached to the integrated unit, and a number of additional radio units in the one or more additional radio units is reconfigurable. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the radio units in the plurality of radio units are phase-locked. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the integrated unit further comprises the one or more additional radio units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein each of the one or more additional radio units is configurable in either an active state or an inactive state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the analog hybrid matrix is further operative to: receive an amplified radio frequency transmit signal from the radio unit at the one of the plurality of feeder ports, and split the amplified radio frequency transmit signal to thereby generate a plurality of amplified radio frequency transmit signals at the plurality of antenna ports. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the radio unit is a multi-sector radio unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the integrated unit comprises a grounded enclosure that provides lightning protection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the integrated unit further comprises a plurality of panels where each panel corresponds to one of the plurality of sectors and comprises one or more of the plurality of antennas and each pair of adjacent panels is joined by a corresponding flexible connection that allows the integrated unit to be folded around an existing structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of feeder ports is connected to a plurality of radio units comprising the radio unit and at least one additional radio unit such that each of the plurality of feeder ports is coupled to a different transceiver circuit of the plurality of radio units via a corresponding feeder cable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the analog hybrid matrix is operative to: receive a plurality of transformed radio frequency transmit signals from transceiver circuits of the reconfigurable number of radio units at the plurality of feeder ports, each transformed radio frequency transmit signal of the plurality of transformed radio frequency transmit signals comprising a component for each of a plurality of radio frequency transmit signals to be transmitted via the plurality of antennas; and split and combine the plurality of transformed radio frequency transmit signals to generate the plurality of radio frequency transmit signals at the plurality of antenna ports. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of radio units including the radio unit and at least one additional radio unit, wherein each radio unit of the plurality of radio units comprises: a feeder port operative to couple the radio unit to a corresponding one of the plurality of feeder ports of the analog hybrid matrix; a distributed digital hybrid matrix component operative to transform a plurality of digital transmit signals into a transformed transmit signal comprising a component for each of the plurality of digital transmit signals; and a transmitter operative to upconvert and amplify the transformed transmit signal to provide a transformed radio frequency transmit signal to be output to the analog hybrid matrix via the feeder port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the distributed digital hybrid matrix components of the plurality of radio units form a distributed digital hybrid matrix that converts the plurality of digital transmit signals into a plurality of transformed transmit signals, each comprising a component for each of the plurality of digital transmit signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the radio unit comprises one or more components operative to adaptively configure the distributed digital hybrid matrix component and at least one additional distributed digital hybrid matrix component of the at least one additional radio unit. ### Claim 16 A method of configuring a system for a multi-sector base station in a cellular communications network comprising an integrated unit, the integrated unit comprising a plurality of antennas, an analog hybrid matrix, and a reconfigurable number of radio units coupled to the plurality of antennas, the analog hybrid matrix comprising a plurality of feeder ports and a plurality of antenna ports, the method comprising: determining a number of radio units desired for the system; and adjusting the reconfigurable number of radio units, wherein the plurality of antenna ports are connected to the plurality of antennas via corresponding antenna equipment, and wherein the analog hybrid matrix performs the steps of: receiving a plurality of radio frequency receive signals from the corresponding antenna equipment at the plurality of antenna ports, where each of the plurality of radio frequency receive signals is at a different carrier frequency due to different frequency shifts applied by the corresponding antenna equipment; and generating a plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals at the plurality of feeder ports such that a different one of the plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals is output to each of the transceiver circuits of the reconfigurable number of radio units via a corresponding one of the plurality of feeder ports, wherein each of the plurality of transformed radio frequency receive signals comprises a component for each of the plurality of radio frequency receive signals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein adjusting the reconfigurable number of radio units comprises physically adding or removing radio units to or from the system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein adjusting the reconfigurable number of radio units comprises electronically activating or deactivating radio units from the system.