Background technology
At present, realize between many sub-districts synchronously and can reach the technology that synchronization accuracy requires and comprise: absolute time is with reference to, IEEE1588 (institute of electrical and electronic engineers, Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers), agreement (NTP, Network Time Protocol), air interface motor synchronizing etc. during the network school.
So-called absolute time reference, be that the base station can obtain synchronously with outside absolute clock, as technology such as global position system GPS (Global Positioning System), big-dipper satellite be synchronous, the advantage of this technology is to realize simply, shortcoming is that equipment cost is higher, and for being applied to indoor base station, the satellite-signal weak strength receives difficulty.
The IEEE1588 simultaneous techniques needs intermediate nodes all in the transmission network all to need to support the IEEE1588 hardware timestamping.
Air interface motor synchronizing technology as shown in Figure 1, is exactly that certain sub-district can obtain synchronously with other synchronous sub-district in the network, comprises the synchronous of two aspects: initial synchronization and periodic tracing process synchronously.Basic thought be hypothesis A sub-district with Absolute Time Synchronization, B sub-district and C sub-district obtain by the A sub-district synchronously.Suppose that B sub-district and A sub-district are synchronous, after introducing new C sub-district in the network, the C sub-district also attempts to set up synchronously with the A sub-district.When the C Cell searching or when following the tracks of the synchronizing signal of A sub-district, close the signal that brings the B sub-district of interference to the C sub-district, support self synchronous sub-district to realize synchronously by all in identical moment search synchronizing signal.In order to prevent clock drift, also need periodically to carry out the tracking of synchronizing signal, carry out and initially set up the similar process of locking phase, promptly support self synchronous sub-district to realize in identical moment search synchronizing signal by all.The time interval of motor synchronizing sub-district period tracking can be second time of level, even the longer time, searches for synchronizing signal and does not transmit the timeslice that the synchronizing signal of oneself only needs Millisecond, can ignore the influence that UE produces.
Described initial synchronization comprises:
Periodically mourn in silence in all asynchronous sub-districts, wherein the silence period is spaced apart T
PERIOD, the duration of mourning in silence is T
SEARCH-TIMEMillisecond.
Asynchronous sub-district obtains synchronously thick less than certain grade of errors (Millisecond) by host-host protocol (backhaul protocol).
The synchronizing signal of synchronized cells is attempted obtaining in asynchronous sub-district between quiet period.
Described periodic tracing process synchronously comprises:
Periodically mourn in silence in all asynchronous sub-districts, wherein the silence period is spaced apart:
N * N
TRACKING-FRAME* T
RADIO-FRAME+ T
OFFSETSecond
Wherein, the duration of mourning in silence is T
TRACKING-TIMEMillisecond, N
TRACKING-FRAMEBe the quantity of two radio frames between the search cycle, T
RADIO-FRAMEBe the length of a radio frames, T
OFFSETBe provided with and need consider that needs that the silence period can comprise send the time of synchronizing signal.
The synchronizing signal of synchronized cells is attempted obtaining in asynchronous sub-district between quiet period.
This shows that existing air interface motor synchronizing technology all keeps mourning in silence in whole system transmission bandwidth scope.For long evolving system (LTE), the transmission bandwidth that system can support comprises 1.4MHz, 3MHz, 5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz and 20MHz, in follow-up evolution system, also may support bigger bandwidth range.Because synchronizing signal is only transmitted on the plurality of sub carrier wave of system transmission bandwidth, if all mourn in silence (promptly not sending business datum) on the whole system transmission bandwidth in order to obtain synchronizing signal, will cause the unnecessary waste of system resource.
Before setting up initial synchronisation, require to introduce the extra transmission network mechanism (as NTP) of utilizing and realize thick simultaneous operation between the non-synched cells, and thick simultaneous operation can't reach the synchronization accuracy of system requirements, retaining zone for time division duplex (TDD) system, or Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) (FDD)/TDD multimedia broadcast-multicast service (MBMS) Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) will cause the interference of serious minizone, cause system performance degradation.
And for periodic tracing process synchronously, the silence period also needs to consider more configuration factor at interval.
Embodiment
The embodiment of the invention provides a kind of inter-cell synchronization method and a kind of base station, in order to save system resource, improve usage factor of system resource, simplify the minizone synchronizing process, avoid presence of intercell interference, improve systematic function and when satisfying the periodic synchronous requirement, avoid the too frequent or very few operation of periodic synchronous, make that the periodic synchronous operation of sub-district is more reasonable.
Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing the embodiment of the invention is described.
Referring to Fig. 2, a kind of inter-cell synchronization method that the embodiment of the invention provides comprises step:
S201, non-synched cells are periodically searched for the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal.
S202, non-synched cells are carried out with synchronized cells according to the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells that searches synchronously.
Non-synched cells described in the embodiment of the invention is promptly waited for absolute time and is carried out synchronous sub-district; Described synchronized cells is promptly finished synchronous sub-district with absolute time; Described synchronizing signal is meant and finishes the synchronizing signal that launch the base station in the synchronous sub-district with absolute time, is used to indicate non-synched cells and absolute time to realize synchronously.
The embodiment of the invention is improved on existing air interface motor synchronizing technical foundation; treat that base station in the synchronous sub-district is in searching for the process of the synchronizing signal of the base station of synchronized cells; in order to save system resource; as shown in Figure 3; only in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal; further can also in the leakage protection frequency band range of reserving, search for synchronizing signal; and keep mourning in silence (promptly not sending signal); rather than in whole timeslice, all keep mourning in silence; be that the embodiment of the invention need not to keep mourning in silence in the bandwidth range that can transmit data; can send data; therefore avoided in the whole system transmission bandwidth, all keeping in the prior art system resource waste of mourning in silence and being caused; thereby the embodiment of the invention has been saved system resource; improved usage factor of system resource; and system transmission bandwidth is big more, and the system resource of saving is just many more.
Wherein, the leakage of described reservation protection frequency band is meant in order to prevent because the close signal of frequency causes interference to vacate no frequency range to the reception of synchronizing signal; Described timeslice is meant system synchronization signal shared time span on time domain.
In the embodiment of the invention for setting up synchronous sub-district with absolute time, in the cell initial synchronizing process, not with system in before other sub-district obtains synchronously, for fear of being produced, other sub-district disturbs, and because in this stage, need not provides service for user terminal (UE), so stipulating the non-synched cells in this stage, the embodiment of the invention do not provide service to UE, promptly do not send any business datum, keep mourning in silence fully, thereby further saved system resource.
Because the initial synchronization of sub-district is not high to delay requirement, do not require and finish the process of setting up synchronously in a short period of time, in order further to reduce to realize the complexity that the minizone is synchronous and reduce system cost, can omit non-synched cells and in initial synchronization, carry out thick synchronous flow process by host-host protocol.
For the periodic tracing process synchronously of non-synched cells, can convert out synchronizing cycle according to system synchronization required precision and frequency stability, and consider certain surplus.Because system synchronization required precision and frequency stability all are standardized parameters, its value can not change, so complex operation of avoiding prior art employing experience configuration silence period interval to be brought, and make that silence period interval (the being synchronizing cycle) assurance of each non-synched cells is in full accord, thereby reach better synchronous effect.
Wherein, described system synchronization required precision is meant the synchronous error that system allows, and requiring such as the synchronization accuracy of TDD system cell is 3 delicate (us).Described frequency stability is meant the ability of frequency stability of the radiofrequency signal of base station, and concrete the measurement is the deviation between the carrier frequency of base station actual transmission frequency and network appointment.
Preferably, the cell initial synchronizing process that provides of the embodiment of the invention comprises:
Step 1, at frequency domain; non-synched cells is only searched for the initial synchronisation signal from synchronized cells in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal and in the leakage of the reserving protection frequency band range; and keep mourning in silence fully; promptly keep not sending any signal (but can received signal), up to the initial synchronisation signal that searches from synchronized cells.
Step 2, non-synched cells are according to the initial synchronisation signal from synchronized cells that searches, and realization is synchronous with synchronized cells.
Preferably, the periodic tracing process synchronously in the sub-district that provides of the embodiment of the invention comprises:
Step 1, non-synched cells (can be called silence period or silence period at interval in the cycle that is used to search for from the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells, also can be called the search cycle) when arriving, search is from the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells, and keep mourning in silence, mourning in silence of this moment is not to mourn in silence fully, can the sending part divided data.
Wherein said period T is:
Synchronization accuracy/frequency stability+T
OFFSET
Wherein, T
OFFSETBe time margin, the synchronizing signal that the value minimum of this time margin is made as from synchronized cells is transferred to the needed time of non-synched cells from synchronized cells, thereby guarantees that non-synched cells under normal circumstances can receive the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells.
When step 2, non-synched cells search from the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells between quiet period, according to this synchronizing signal realize with synchronized cells synchronously.
Introduce the device that the embodiment of the invention provides below.
The described minizone of the embodiment of the invention is synchronous, is actually the time synchronized between the base station, and referring to Fig. 4, a kind of base station 41 that the embodiment of the invention provides comprises:
Cycle search synchronization signal unit 412 is used for periodically searching for the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal.
Cycle synchronisation unit 413 is used for carrying out synchronously with synchronized cells according to the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells that searches.
Preferably, described cycle search synchronization signal unit 412 is further periodically searched for the synchronizing signal from synchronized cells in the leakage protection frequency band range of reserving.
Preferably, described base station 41 also comprises:
Initial synchronization unit 411 is used in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal and the synchronizing signal of searching in the frequency band range from synchronized cells is protected in the leakage of reserving, and does not send any signal before searching this synchronizing signal; According to the synchronizing signal that searches, set up initial synchronisation with synchronized cells from synchronized cells.
Preferably, cycle search synchronization signal unit 412 comprises:
Cycle trigger element 4121 is used for searching for from the cycle of the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells according to being used to of setting in advance and triggers search unit 4122, and the wherein said cycle is to set in advance according to the synchronization accuracy of system requirements and frequency stability.
Search unit 4122 is used for when receiving the triggering of cycle trigger element 4121, and search is from the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells in the bandwidth range of system synchronization signal and in the leakage of the reserving protection frequency band range.
Preferably, the cycle that described cycle trigger element 4121 sets in advance is used to search for from the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells is:
Synchronization accuracy/frequency stability+T
OFFSET
Wherein, described T
OFFSETBe time margin, the synchronizing signal that the value minimum of this time margin is made as from synchronized cells is transferred to the needed time of non-synched cells from synchronized cells.
In sum, the embodiment of the invention is in initial synchronization, avoided obtaining thick synchronous operation between the sub-district by host-host protocol (as NTP), simplified the synchronous realization flow in minizone, reduced presence of intercell interference, improved systematic function.In periodic tracing process synchronously, the silence period of sub-district requires to set according to synchronization accuracy and frequency stability at interval, when having satisfied the periodic synchronous requirement, also reduced because the too frequent or very few periodic synchronous operation that unreasonable allocation caused.And; the embodiment of the invention is when the Cell searching synchronizing signal; at frequency domain; sub-district a bandwidth range at the system synchronization signal; further can also in the leakage protection frequency band of reserving, keep mourning in silence, and search for the synchronizing signal of synchronized cells, thereby save system resource; make in the bandwidth that can transmit data, can send business datum, thereby improved usage factor of system resource.
Obviously, those skilled in the art can carry out various changes and modification to the present invention and not break away from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Like this, if of the present invention these are revised and modification belongs within the scope of claim of the present invention and equivalent technologies thereof, then the present invention also is intended to comprise these changes and modification interior.