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 method of providing hybrid intra-cell/inter-cell remote unit antenna bonding for multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communications with a client device in a MIMO distributed antenna system, comprising:
configuring intra-cell antenna bonding for MIMO communications for a client device at a first remote unit in a MIMO distributed antenna system; receiving intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals from the client device at the first remote unit; determining if the received intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals at the first remote unit from the client device exceed a threshold MIMO communications signal quality; and if the received intra-cell antenna bonded MIMO communications signals at the first remote unit from the client device do not exceed the threshold MIMO communications signal quality:
receiving MIMO communications signals from the client device from at least one neighboring remote unit to the first remote unit;determining if the received MIMO communications signals at the at least one neighboring remote unit from the client device exceed a threshold MIMO communications signal quality; andif the received MIMO communications signals at the at least one neighboring remote unit from the client device exceed the threshold MIMO communications signal quality, configuring inter-cell antenna bonding for MIMO communications for the client device in the at least one neighboring remote unit.