System and method for enhanced transmission in mobile communication networks using an active antenna arrangement

摘要

A transmission system and method for use in a mobile communication network comprising an active antenna arrangement of multiple antennas. The active antenna arrangement comprising several pairs of radiofrequency sub-modules each radiofrequency sub-module including a first phase shifter module, a TRX module and a radiating antenna element and where an dynamic phase offset is applied to one of the sub-modules of each pair, and where the phase offset vector is selected according to the signal quality received by users of the mobile communication network using an algorithm which minimizes the duration of the selection process.

主权项

1. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for selecting a phase offset vector used in a virtual antenna mapping arrangement in a mobile communications network, the method comprising:
identifying an existing phase offset vector that is determined to be in need of an update, wherein the existing phase offset vector is being used by a plurality of radio-frequency branches; identifying a number of possible replacement phase offset vectors; generating a subset of phase offset vectors from among the identified possible replacement phase offset vectors; transmitting a plurality of radio-frequency signals to one or more user devices of the mobile communications network, wherein each transmitted radio-frequency signal was acted upon by at least one phase offset vector included in the subset of phase offset vectors; in response to transmitting the plurality of radio-frequency signals, receiving signal quality information from the one or more user devices; and based at least partially on the received signal quality information, selecting, from among the subset of phase offset vectors, a particular phase offset vector to replace the existing phase offset vector.