KR20040093464A - In-Building Signal Repeater using TV Antenna Cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An in-building repeater using a TV public antenna line is provided to transmit a TV signal by using a public antenna line already installed in a building without installing a cable. CONSTITUTION: A donor unit(310) receives a signal of a mobile communication base station(110) and transmits it to a remote unit(320) of each floor of a building. A signal of the mobile communication base station(110) is received by the donor unit(310) through an RF antenna(340). The remote unit(320) communicates with a terminal(370). In order to transmit a signal between the donor unit(310) and the remote unit(320), a repeater uses a public antenna line(360). A signal coupling/separating unit(330a) of the donor unit(310) combines a converted IF forward signal with a TV signal and outputs the mixed signal to the public antenna line(360). A signal coupling/separating unit(330b) of the remote unit(320) separates the IF forward signal from a signal received through the public antenna line(360) and transmits it to the remote unit(320). The remote unit(320) converts the IF forward signal into an RF signal and provides it to the terminal(370).

Description

In-Building Signal Repeater using TV Antenna Cable

The present invention relates to a repeater for relaying signals between a mobile communication base station and a terminal, and more particularly, to an in-building repeater for improving mobile communication service quality by securing a stable mobile communication service area in a building.

In mobile communication networks (PCS, cellular and third generation systems), repeaters have been widely applied as a method for economically extending coverage. Repeaters are generally used for coverage in areas where shadowed areas or pilot pollution are severe and the quality of mobile communication service is degraded.

Currently in Korea, CDMA is used as a mobile communication method. Since the CDMA method uses the same frequency for each cell, when the signals of several base stations arrive at the same time, a call does not occur. In the case of buildings, many things happen. In other words, in the case of tall buildings, it is not a shaded area where radio waves cannot reach, but because the signals of several base stations arrive at the same time, it does not find a dominant pilot signal, so it is an area with severe pilot contamination where communication is not possible. To eliminate this pilot contamination, repeaters are typically installed in tall buildings.

As an existing method of installing a repeater in a building, an intermediate frequency distributed antenna system (IF DAS) and a fiber optic DAS (Fiber Optic DAS) are mainly used.

1 is a schematic diagram of an intermediate frequency dispersion repeater (IF-DAS) according to the prior art. Referring to this, the IF-DAS receives a signal from the base station 110 through the aerial line 120 and converts the signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal having low loss of cables in the building, and then a coaxial cable (150). It is a repeater of the method of transmitting to the remote unit 140 through the transmission.

The base station 110 is connected to the building using the aerial line 120, and the signal of the base station is received using the donor unit 130. The donor unit 130 uses an existing optical repeater or an RF (Radio Frequency) repeater. The donut unit 130 and the remote unit 140 are connected through a dedicated coaxial cable 150.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fiber optic DAS according to the prior art.

Referring to this, in the case of the Fiber Optic DAS, like the IF-DAS shown in FIG. 1, the base station 110 is connected to the building using the aerial line 120, and the signal of the base station is connected using the donor unit 130. Is received. However, unlike the IF-DAS, the donor unit 130 of the Fiber Optic DAS converts the received base station signal into an optical signal and distributes the signals to various remote units 140 through the optical cable 160 in multiple layers. The transmitted optical signal is converted back to the RF signal in the remote unit 140 to serve in the building. As described above, the fiber optic DAS is identical to the IF-DAS except that the optical signal is used as the optical signal and the optical cable is used as the cable 160 for transmitting the optical signal.

The existing in-building repeater of IF-DAS or Fiber Optic DAS has a problem in that separate wiring must be performed in the building to transmit a signal from the donor unit to the remote unit 140. That is, in the case of the IF-DAS, the coaxial cable 150 is used, and in the case of the fiber optic DAS, the optical cable 160 is used as a signal transmission medium between the donor unit 130 and the remote unit 140. In this case, the cost of installing cables in buildings is typically about 50 to 60% of the total cost. In addition, there is a problem that the service is delayed due to the time due to the cable installation in order to service the building.

As described above, a conventional in-building repeater, that is, an in-builging repeater, needs to install a separate coaxial cable or an optical cable to distribute and transmit a base station signal to various floors in a building. Because of this, there is a problem that the cost, time and effort required for the installation and maintenance of the repeater increases.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an in-building repeater that can reduce the cost of installing a separate cable by using a hearing antenna line for transmitting TV signals without installing a separate cable in a building repeater. .

It is another object of the present invention to convert a mobile communication signal into a signal of a frequency band that meets the characteristics of a public antenna antenna but does not cause a collision with an existing TV signal, thereby inbuilding to share the public antenna antenna by combining / separating the TV signal. To provide a repeater.

1 is a schematic diagram of an intermediate frequency dispersion repeater (IF-DAS) according to the prior art.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fiber optic DAS according to the prior art.

3 is a schematic diagram of an in-building repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a donor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a remote unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

110: base station (BTS)

130, 310: donor unit

140, 320: remote unit

150: coaxial cable

160: optical cable

340: RF antenna

330a, 330b: Signal Combiner / Separator

360: Public antenna line

350: TV antenna

In order to achieve the above objects, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a signal relay between a mobile communication base station and a terminal, the donor unit for communicating with the mobile communication base station; And a remote unit that transmits and receives a mobile communication signal of a predetermined intermediate frequency band with the donor unit and communicates with the terminal, wherein the TV is configured to transmit and receive a mobile communication signal of the predetermined intermediate frequency band between the donor unit and the remote unit. An in-building repeater is provided, wherein a public antenna line is used.

Preferably, the donor unit converts the frequency of the forward signal received from the mobile communication base station to the predetermined intermediate frequency and transmits it to the remote unit through the TV aerial antenna line, and the remote unit is received from the terminal. The frequency of one reverse signal is converted into the predetermined intermediate frequency and transmitted to the donut unit through the TV aerial antenna line.

Also preferably, the inbuilding repeater further includes a signal combiner / separator for combining and separating the TV signal and the mobile communication signal in the intermediate frequency band.

In order to achieve the above objects, according to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the in-building repeater for providing a mobile communication service area in a building, the forward signal received from the mobile communication base station as a forward signal of a predetermined intermediate frequency band A donor unit for converting; A donor unit side signal combiner / separator that receives the forward signal from the intermediate frequency band and the TV signal received through the TV hearing antenna, combines the same, and outputs the resultant signal to the hearing antenna line; A remote unit side signal combiner / separator separating the forward signal from the intermediate frequency band and the TV signal; And receiving a forward signal of the intermediate frequency band, converting a frequency of a forward signal of the intermediate frequency band to a terminal, and converting a reverse signal received from the terminal into a reverse signal of the predetermined intermediate frequency band to the remote unit side. And a remote unit for outputting to the public antenna line through a signal combiner / separator, wherein the donor unit side signal combiner divides the reverse signal of the intermediate frequency band and provides the reverse signal to the donor unit, wherein the donor unit is the intermediate frequency band. An in-building repeater is provided, characterized in that for converting the frequency of the reverse signal of the signal transmitted to the mobile base station.

In order to achieve the above objects, according to another preferred aspect of the present invention, a donor unit coupled to a remote unit for relaying a signal between the mobile communication base station and the terminal, the forward signal received from the mobile communication base station and the mobile communication A first duplexer for separating a reverse signal for transmission to a base station; A forward amplifier amplifying the forward signal; A forward frequency converter for down-converting the frequency of the forward signal to generate an intermediate frequency forward signal; A second duplexer for separating the intermediate frequency forward signal and the intermediate frequency reverse signal received from the remote unit; A reverse amplifier for amplifying the intermediate frequency reverse signal; And a reverse frequency converter for up-converting the intermediate frequency reverse signal to generate a reverse signal for transmission to the mobile communication base station, wherein the intermediate frequency forward signal is via the public antenna line for transmitting a TV signal in a building. A donor unit of an in-building repeater is provided which is delivered to a unit and serviced to a terminal, wherein the intermediate frequency reverse signal is also transmitted from the remote unit to the donor unit via the public antenna line.

In order to achieve the above object, according to another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the remote unit coupled to the donor unit for relaying a signal between the mobile communication base station and the terminal, the reverse signal received from the terminal and forward to transmit to the terminal A first duplexer for separating the signal; A reverse amplifier for amplifying the reverse signal; A reverse frequency converter for down-converting the frequency of the reverse signal to generate an intermediate frequency reverse signal; A second duplexer for separating the intermediate frequency reverse signal from the intermediate frequency forward signal received from the donor unit; A forward amplifier amplifying the intermediate frequency forward signal; And a forward frequency converter for up-converting the intermediate frequency forward signal to generate a forward signal to be transmitted to the terminal, wherein the intermediate frequency reverse signal is transmitted to the donor unit through a public antenna line for transmitting a TV signal in a building. And an intermediate frequency forward signal is also transmitted from the donor unit to the remote unit via the public antenna line to be provided to the mobile communication base station.

In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

3 is a block diagram of an in-building repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to this, the in-building repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a donor unit 310 and a remote unit.

The donor unit 310 is a unit for communicating with the mobile communication base station 110. Specifically, it receives a signal from the mobile communication base station 110 and delivers it to the remote unit 320 installed in each floor of the building. At this time, the signal of the mobile communication base station 110 is received by the donor unit 310 through the RF antenna 340. Of course, the mobile communication base station 110 and the donor unit 310 may be connected by wire. In addition, the donor unit 310 receives a signal of the terminal 370 from each remote unit 320 and transmits the signal to the mobile communication base station 110 through the RF antenna 340,

The remote unit 320 is a unit for communicating with the terminal 370. In detail, the base station signal transmitted by the donor unit 310 is transmitted to the service area, and the signal received from the terminal is transmitted to the base station 110 through the donor unit 310.

In order to transmit a signal between the donor unit 310 and the remote unit 320, the repeater of the present invention uses a hearing antenna line 360. That is, the conventional repeater in the building using a separate cable in the building repeater of the present invention uses a public antenna line 360 installed in the building. The public antenna line 360 is a cable for distributing the TV signal received through the TV antenna 350, which is typically installed on the building roof, to each floor of the building.

In order to use the aerial antenna line 360, the donor unit 310 of the repeater according to the embodiment of the present invention is a signal of an intermediate frequency band suitable for transferring the forward signal received from the base station to the aerial antenna line 360 ( Hereinafter, the signal is converted into an IF forward signal) and transmitted to the remote unit 320. The remote unit 320 also converts the reverse signal received from the terminal into a signal of the intermediate frequency band (hereinafter, referred to as an IF reverse signal) suitable for transmitting to the public antenna line 360 and transmits the signal to the donor unit 310.

The intermediate frequency signal transmitted between the donor unit 310 and the remote unit 320 preferably has a frequency band that is separate from the frequency band used when the TV signal is transmitted through the public antenna antenna 360. It is desirable to have an arbitrary frequency range between 300 MHz and 470 MHz.

In general, a signal directed from the base station 110 to the terminal 370 is called a forward signal, and a signal directed from the base station 110 to the base station 110 is called a reverse signal. Accordingly, in this specification, a signal directed from the base station 110 to the terminal unit 370 through the donor unit 310 and the remote unit 320 is referred to as a forward signal, and the remote unit 320 and the donor unit in the terminal 370. The signal directed to the base station 110 through the 310 is called a reverse signal.

The inbuilding repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes signal combiners / separators 330a and 330b.

The signal combiner / separator 330a, 330b is used on the donor unit side and the remote unit side, respectively. The donor unit side signal combiner / separator 330a combines the IF forward signal converted by the donor unit 310 with the TV signal and outputs the TV signal to the aerial antenna line 360. The remote unit side signal combiner / separator 330b separates the IF forward signal from the signal received through the aerial antenna line 360 and transmits it to the remote unit 320.

The remote unit 320 converts the IF forward signal back to an RF signal to serve the terminal 370. The reverse signal transmission in which the signal is transmitted from the terminal to the base station is the same as the reverse process of the forward signal transmission. That is, the reverse signal generated from the terminal is received at the remote unit 320 and converted into a signal of the IF band, that is, the IF reverse signal. The remote unit side signal combiner / separator 330b combines the IF reverse signal converted by the remote unit 320 with the TV signal and outputs the TV signal to the aerial antenna line 360. The donor unit side signal combiner / separator 330a separates the IF reverse signal from the signal received through the antenna antenna line 360 and transmits the reverse signal to the donor unit 310. The donor unit 310 converts the IF reverse signal back into an RF signal and transmits the converted RF signal to the mobile communication base station 110.

It is preferable to use a coupler as the signal combiner / separator 330a or 330b for combining / separating the TV signal and the mobile communication signal (IF forward signal or IF reverse signal). Couplers are passive components that split / combine signals at 50:50 or at other ratios. In addition, the signal combiner / separator 330a or 330b preferably has a function of converting an impedance of a mobile communication signal in an intermediate frequency band. Typically, the IF mobile communication signal has an impedance of about 50 ohms. However, the impedance antenna line 360 is usually impedance matching at about 75 ohms. Therefore, in this case, the signal combiner / separator 330a or 330b preferably converts the impedance of the mobile communication signal from 50 ohms to 75 ohms.

The signals combined / separated in the signal combiner / separators 330a and 330b are TV signals and IF forward / reverse signals (ie IF mobile communication signals). Since the TV is tuned, the mobile communication signal may be removed, and the donor unit 310 and the remote unit 320 may remove the TV signal through the SAW filter, as described below.

4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the donor unit 310 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the donut unit 310 receives the RF signal from the base station through the RF antenna 340, converts the RF signal into an IF signal (IF forward signal), and distributes the RF signal to the remote unit 320 through the public antenna antenna 360. To transmit. In addition, it converts the IF signal (IF reverse signal) from the remote unit 320 to the RF signal and serves to transmit the RF signal to the base station.

Referring to FIG. 4, the donor unit 310 includes the duplexers 410 and 450, the forward low noise amplifier (LNA) 420, the forward frequency converter 430, the forward amplifier (HPA) 440, and the reverse low noise amplifier ( LNA) 460, reverse frequency converter 470, and reverse amplifier (HPA) 480.

The duplexer 410 separates the forward signal received from the mobile communication base station and the reverse signal to be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the RF antenna 340. The forward LNA 420 amplifies the separated forward signal at the duplexer 410. Forward frequency converter 430 down-converts the frequency of the forward signal to generate an IF forward signal of intermediate frequency. Specifically, the forward frequency converter 430 includes amplifiers 431 and 435, mixers 432 and 434, SAW filters 433 and oscillator 436. Therefore, the output signal of the forward LNA 420 is synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the oscillator 436, then passed through the SAW filter 433, and then synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the other oscillator 476 while generating the IF forward signal. Will be created.

The IF forward signal is amplified by the forward HPA 440, and via the duplexer 450 separating the IF forward signal and the IF reverse signal received from the remote unit 320 via the remote antenna line 360 through the remote unit 320. Is sent to.

In contrast, the IF reverse signal from the remote unit 320 passes through the duplexer 450, the reverse LNA 460, the reverse frequency converter 470, and the like. Reverse frequency converter 470 also includes amplifier 475, mixers 472 and 474, SAW filter 473 and oscillator 476, like forward frequency converter 430.

The IF reverse signal from remote unit 320 is amplified in reverse LNA 460 via duplexer 450. Thereafter, the synthesizer is synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the oscillator 476, and then passed through the SAW filter 473 and synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the other oscillator 436, thereby generating an RF reverse signal for use in mobile communication. The RF reverse signal is amplified through the reverse HPA 480 and then transmitted through the antenna 340 to the base station 110 via the duplexer 410.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a remote unit 320 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The remote unit 320 has a configuration similar to the donor unit 310 shown in FIG. Remote unit 320 located in the area to be serviced by converting the IF forward signal from the donor unit 310 to the RF forward signal to serve the mobile station, and also converts the RF reverse signal transmitted from the mobile station to the IF reverse signal It serves to send to the donut unit (310).

Referring to FIG. 5, the remote unit 320 includes duplexers 510 and 550, a forward low noise amplifier (LNA) 520, a forward frequency converter 530, a forward amplifier (HPA) 540, and a reverse low noise amplifier ( LNA) 560, reverse frequency converter 570, and reverse amplifier (HPA) 580.

The duplexer 510 separates the IF forward signal received from the donor unit 310 and the IF reverse signal to be transmitted to the donor unit 310 through the aerial antenna line 360. The forward LNA 520 amplifies the separated IF forward signal at the duplexer 510. The forward frequency converter 530 up-converts the frequency of the IF forward signal to generate an RF forward signal. Specifically, forward frequency converter 430 includes amplifiers 531, 535, mixers 532, 534, SAW filter 533, and oscillator 536. Therefore, the output signal of the forward LNA 520 is synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the oscillator 536, then passed through the SAW filter 533, and then synthesized with the predetermined frequency generated by the other oscillator 576 to receive the RF forward signal. Will be created.

The RF forward signal is amplified by the forward HPA 540 and serviced to the terminal through the aerial antenna line 360 via a duplexer 550 separating the RF forward signal and the RF reverse signal received from the terminal via the antenna 590. do.

On the contrary, the RF reverse signal from the terminal passes through the duplexer 550, the reverse amplifier 560, the reverse frequency converter 570, and the like. Reverse frequency converter 570, like forward frequency converter 530, includes amplifier 575, mixers 572, 574, SAW filter 573, and oscillator 576.

The RF reverse signal received from the terminal is amplified by the reverse LNA 560 via the duplexer 550. Thereafter, the synthesizer is synthesized with a predetermined frequency generated by the oscillator 576 and then passed through the SAW filter 573 and then synthesized with a predetermined frequency generated by another oscillator 536 to generate an IF reverse signal. This IF reverse signal is amplified through the reverse HPA 580 and then transmitted to the donor unit 310 via the duplexer 510 through the aerial antenna line 360.

The present invention has the effect of reducing the cost of installing the in-building repeater by about 50 to 60% by using a public hearing antenna installed in comparison with the existing in-building repeater to install a separate coaxial cable or optical cable. Table 1 below compares the costs of installing the existing in-building repeater (light distribution system or cable distribution system) with the case of installing the repeater of the present invention for a building of 18 stories underground and 4 stories above ground. The result of the analysis.

division Optical dispersion system Cable distribution system The present invention System (RAU: 7) 33,517,000 25,802,000 40,000,000 Installation cost 69,307,000 70,840,000 7,000,000 Sum 102,824,000 96,642,000 47,000,000 Savings - 6% 54%

As can be seen in Table 1, the cost of installing the repeater according to the present invention is only about 10% compared to the installation cost of the existing light distribution system. Therefore, comparing the total cost of the repeater system, it can be seen that there is a cost reduction of about 50% or more compared to the total cost of the conventional optical dispersion system.

As described above, according to the in-building repeater of the present invention, by using a public antenna line already installed in a building to transmit a TV signal without using a separate cable, the cost of installing a separate cable can be reduced. Can be. In addition, from the viewpoint of the mobile communication service provider, since the time required for a separate cable installation work is reduced, it is possible to immediately respond to the needs of subscribers, and there are many effects in improving the mobile communication call quality in in-building.

Claims (14)

In the signal repeater between the mobile communication base station and the terminal, A donor unit communicating with the mobile communication base station; And A remote unit for transmitting and receiving a mobile communication signal of a predetermined intermediate frequency band with the donor unit and communicating with the terminal Including, And a TV public antenna line for transmitting and receiving a mobile communication signal of the predetermined intermediate frequency band between the donor unit and the remote unit. The method of claim 1, The donor unit converts the frequency of the forward signal received from the mobile communication base station to the predetermined intermediate frequency and transmits the frequency to the remote unit through the TV aerial antenna line, And the remote unit converts the frequency of the reverse signal received from the terminal into the predetermined intermediate frequency and transmits the frequency to the donut unit through the TV aerial antenna line. The method of claim 2, wherein the inbuilding repeater And a signal combiner / separator for combining and separating the TV signal and the mobile communication signal in the intermediate frequency band. The signal combination / separator of claim 3, wherein Repeater for converting the impedance of the mobile communication signal of the second intermediate frequency band. The method of claim 4, wherein the impedance of the mobile communication signal of the second intermediate frequency band is Repeater, characterized in that converted from 50 ohms to 75 ohms by the signal combiner / separator. The in-building repeater according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate frequency band is separated from a frequency band used when the TV signal is transmitted through the TV public antenna line. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the intermediate frequency band Inbuilding repeater, characterized in that it has an arbitrary frequency range between 300 MHz and 470 MHz. In-building repeater for providing a mobile communication service area in the building, A donor unit for converting a forward signal received from a mobile communication base station into a forward signal of a predetermined intermediate frequency band; A donor unit side signal combiner / separator that receives the forward signal from the intermediate frequency band and the TV signal received through the TV hearing antenna, combines the same, and outputs the resultant signal to the hearing antenna line; A remote unit side signal combiner / separator separating the forward signal from the intermediate frequency band and the TV signal; And Receiving a forward signal of the intermediate frequency band, converting a frequency of a forward signal of the intermediate frequency band to a terminal, and converting a reverse signal received from the terminal into a reverse signal of the predetermined intermediate frequency band to the remote unit side signal; Remote unit to output to the public antenna line through the coupling / separator Including, The donor unit side signal combination separator separates the reverse signal of the intermediate frequency band and provides the reverse signal to the donor unit, The donor unit converts the frequency of the reverse signal of the intermediate frequency band and transmits to the mobile communication base station. The method of claim 8, And the intermediate frequency band is separated from a frequency band used when the TV signal is transmitted through the public antenna line. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined intermediate frequency band is An in-building repeater using a frequency band between 300 MHz and 470 MHz. The method of claim 8, wherein the donor unit And an in-building repeater communicating with the mobile communication base station via an antenna. The method of claim 8, wherein the donor unit An in-building repeater for communicating with the mobile communication base station via a wire. A donor unit coupled to a remote unit for relaying a signal between a mobile communication base station and a terminal, the donor unit comprising: A first duplexer for separating a forward signal received from the mobile communication base station and a reverse signal to be transmitted to the mobile communication base station; A forward amplifier amplifying the forward signal; A forward frequency converter for down-converting the frequency of the forward signal to generate an intermediate frequency forward signal; A second duplexer for separating the intermediate frequency forward signal and the intermediate frequency reverse signal received from the remote unit; A reverse amplifier for amplifying the intermediate frequency reverse signal; And A reverse frequency converter for up-converting the intermediate frequency reverse signal to generate a reverse signal for transmission to the mobile base station Including, The intermediate frequency forward signal is delivered to the remote unit via a public antenna line for transmitting a TV signal in a building, and is serviced to a terminal. And the intermediate frequency reverse signal is also transmitted from the remote unit to the donor unit via the hearing antenna line. In the remote unit coupled to the donor unit for relaying a signal between the mobile communication base station and the terminal, A first duplexer for separating a reverse signal received from the terminal and a forward signal to be transmitted to the terminal; A reverse amplifier for amplifying the reverse signal; A reverse frequency converter for down-converting the frequency of the reverse signal to generate an intermediate frequency reverse signal; A second duplexer for separating the intermediate frequency reverse signal from the intermediate frequency forward signal received from the donor unit; A forward amplifier amplifying the intermediate frequency forward signal; And A forward frequency converter for up-converting the intermediate frequency forward signal to generate a forward signal for transmission to the terminal Including, The intermediate frequency reverse signal is transmitted to the donor unit through a public antenna line for transmitting a TV signal in a building and transmitted to the mobile communication base station, And the intermediate frequency forward signal is also transmitted from the donor unit to the remote unit via the hearing antenna line.