HYBRID INTRA-CELL / INTER-CELL REMOTE UNIT ANTENNA BONDING IN MULTIPLE-INPUT, MULTIPLE-OUTPUT (MIMO) DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEMS (DASs)

摘要

Hybrid intra-cell/inter-cell remote unit antenna bonding in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) distributed antenna systems (DASs), and related components, systems, and methods. The MIMO DASs are capable of supporting distributed MIMO communications with client devices. To provide enhanced MIMO coverage areas, hybrid intra-cell/inter-cell remote unit antenna bonding is employed. For example, if a client device has acceptable MIMO communications signal quality with MIMO antennas within a single remote unit, intra-cell bonding of the MIMO antennas can be employed to provide MIMO coverage for MIMO communications, which may avoid power imbalance issues that would result with inter-cell bonded MIMO antennas. However, if a client device has acceptable MIMO communications signal quality with MIMO antennas in a separate, neighboring remote unit(s), inter-cell bonding of the MIMO antennas can be employed to provide MIMO coverage for MIMO communications.

主权项

1. A distributed communications system, comprising:
a central unit configured to:
receive downlink communications signals for a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communications session from a signal source;distribute the received downlink communications signals for the MIMO communications session over at least one communications medium to one or more remote units among a plurality of remote units;receive uplink communications signals for the MIMO communications session from one or more remote units among the plurality of remote units;distribute the received uplink communications signals for the MIMO communications session to the signal source; each remote unit among the plurality of remote units comprising:
a first MIMO antenna;a second MIMO antenna; each remote unit among the plurality of remote units configured to:
receive the downlink communications signals for the MIMO communications session over the at least one communications medium from the central unit;distribute the received downlink communications signals for the MIMO communications session through the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna to at least one client device among one or more client devices;receive the uplink communications signals for the MIMO communications session from the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna from at least one client device among the one or more client devices;distribute the received uplink communications signals for the MIMO communications session over the at least one communications medium to the central unit; one of the central unit and a remote unit among the plurality of remote units is further configured to:
configure intra-cell antenna bonding for the MIMO communications session for the at least one client device in the remote unit with the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna in the remote unit in an intra-cell MIMO communications session; the remote unit among the plurality of remote units is further configured to:
receive intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals from the at least one client device at the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna in the remote unit in the intra-cell MIMO communications session; one of the central unit and a remote unit among the plurality of remote units is further configured to:
determine if the received intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals received by the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna of the remote unit from the at least one client device exceed a threshold MIMO communications signal quality; and if the received intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals received by the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna of the remote unit from the at least one client device do not exceed the threshold MIMO communications signal quality:
the remote unit among the plurality of remote units is further configured to:
receive MIMO communications signals from the at least one client device at an adjacent MIMO antenna of at least one adjacent remote unit to the remote unit;one of the central unit and a remote unit among the plurality of remote units is further configured to:
determine if the received MIMO communications signals received by the adjacent MIMO antenna of the at least one adjacent remote unit from the at least one client device exceed a threshold MIMO communications signal quality; andif the received MIMO communications signals received by the adjacent MIMO antenna of the at least one adjacent remote unit from the at least one client device exceed the threshold MIMO communications signal quality, configure inter-cell antenna bonding for inter-cell MIMO communications for the at least one client device in the at least one adjacent remote unit in the distributed communications system such that the at least one client device communicates with the adjacent MIMO antenna in the at least one adjacent remote unit and at least one MIMO antenna among the first MIMO antenna and the second MIMO antenna in the remote unit in an inter-cell MIMO communications session.