CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

User equipment (UE) measurement gap configuration in a wireless communications system (WCS) is disclosed. Herein, a radio access node(s) (e.g., base station) is configured to provide wireless communications services to a UE(s) in a serving cell. The UE(s) monitors link quality in the serving cell and sends a measurement report to the radio access node(s) in response to certain changes in the link quality. Accordingly, the radio access node(s) may determine whether and when to request a UE measurement gap configuration to allow the UE(s) to temporarily suspend communications in the serving cell and monitor radio links in a neighboring cell(s). In embodiments disclosed herein, the radio access node(s) will request the UE measurement gap configuration only when it is determined to be necessary. As such, it is possible to reduce unnecessary service interruption to the UE(s), thus helping to improve throughput and user experience in the serving cell.

Optimizing beamforming overhead and improving coverage in a radio access network in a wireless communications system (WCS) is disclosed. Herein, a radio node(s) is configured to radiate multiple radio frequency (RF) beams in a coverage area. Notably, the RF beams can intercept a ground since the radio node(s) is mounted above the ground (e.g., on a ceiling) and facing downward toward the ground. As a result, some of the radiated energy may be wasted to degrade coverage and performance in the coverage area. In this regard, in embodiments disclosed herein, multiple reflector devices (passive and/or active) are provided in proximity to the radio node(s) to intercept the RF beams radiated from the radio node(s) and redirect the intercepted RF beams in parallel to the ground. By redirecting the RF beams horizontally, it is possible to reduce energy waste and enhance beamforming coverage in the radio access network.

Systems and method for adjusting carrier channels are disclosed. In one aspect, a number of carrier channels scheduled by a radio node (RN) is adjusted based on how many user equipment (UE) are being served by the RN. In this manner, during moments of heavy traffic, the scheduler can throttle use of the carrier channels to assist in meeting the radio transmission time-interval. By helping meet the radio transmission time-interval disconnection of the UEs may be reduced, improved throughput may be achieved, and overall stability of the RN improved.

Systems and methods for compression and decompression between elements of a wireless communications system (WCS) such as a distributed antenna system (DAS) contemplate performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) operation before compression and transmission across a transport medium in a DAS. Further, a size of an FFT block may be varied based on latency requirements. For example, the FFT block size may be based on a sampling rate extracted from channel information. By selecting the FFT block size to meet latency requirements, overall throughput across the transport medium may be increased.

Systems and methods for dynamic use of remote units in a wireless communications system (WCS) include a digital routing unit (DRU) that sums incoming (uplink) signals from the remote units that have active user equipment, while suppressing signals from the remote units that do not have active user equipment. Similarly, the DRU only sends outgoing (downlink) signals to the remote units that have active user equipment. The selective summing of uplink signals improves the gain at the DRU, which allows optimization of the dynamic range of the DRU. Likewise, by selectively sending streams to the remote units, power consumption at the remote units may be reduced, which may allow for smaller, less expensive remote units to be deployed.

Coupling multiple higher-layer radio access network (RAN) entities to a shared remote unit(s) (RU(s)) in an Open RAN (O-RAN) system and related methods and computer-readable media. To provide for a distribution unit (DU) of a RAN and its shared RUs to communicate signals to each other transparently as if the shared RU was dedicated to such DU, the RAN system includes a neutral host agent device. The neutral host agent device is communicatively coupled between one or more DUs of one or more RANs and their shared RU(s). The neutral host agent device is configured to support coordination and management of communications between RAN(s) and a shared RU(s). In this manner, the shared RU(s) do not have to be implemented in a customized fashion to handle and coordinate communications between the RAN(s) and user devices according to the RAN standard that does not support shared RU(s).

Out-of-order packet processing in a wireless communications system (WCS) is provided. A reordering queue is established for each data session to temporally hold an incoming data packet(s) until an out-of-order data packet(s) is received or discarded. A reordering timer is initiated to define a lifespan of the earliest detected missed data packet in the data session. If the earliest detected missed data packet is received before the reordering timer expires, the received data packet will be forwarded to a core network together with any subsequent in-order data packet(s) in the reordering queue. Otherwise, the missed data packet is discarded, the subsequent in-order data packet(s) in the reordering queue is forwarded to the core network, and the reordering timer may be redefined for a next missed data packet in the data session. Hence, it is possible to process out-of-order data packets for multiple data sessions with reduced processing complexity and latency.

Systems and methods for time division duplex (TDD) synchronizing in distributed communication systems (DCSs) synchronize remote units operating with 5G signals by initially connecting these remote units to a 4G TDD source, and once the remote units are synchronized, switching back to a 5G TDD source. By using the downlink synchronization process of 4G instead of the normal synchronization process of 5G, the synchronization of the remote units using 5G is expedited. Further, the 5G receiver is not compressed or otherwise negatively impacted.

Optimizing power consumption by transmit signal optimization based on temperature in a beamforming antenna array(s) in a wireless communications system (WCS), and related methods and computer-readable media are disclosed. To manage and control the temperature of the wireless device from exceeding a desired temperature limit, a carrier control circuit is provided and configured to selectively control whether received transmit carriers (i.e. channels) are transmitted through the antenna array based on temperature of the wireless device. Heat generated by the wireless device and/or the antenna array is related to the number of carriers transmitted by the wireless device. The carrier control circuit can use temperature information to determine whether any carriers should be blocked (e.g., dropped) from transmission. Blocking carriers from being transmitted can reduce the number of RF circuit chains involved in transmitting a carrier signal, thus reducing heat generated by the wireless device and/or the antenna array.

Supporting multi-signal source communications in a distributed communications system (DCS) is disclosed. The DCS includes a routing circuit configured to route downlink and uplink communications signals between multiple signal sources and a number of remote units. In examples disclosed herein, the routing circuit and each of the remote units are functionally divided based on an open radio access network (O-RAN) Split 7.2 configuration. To support downlink communications from multiple signal sources, the routing circuit generates a downlink frequency-domain communications signal, which includes one or more selected logical channels associated with one or more of the multiple signal sources, for each of the remote units in the DCS. Accordingly, each remote unit converts the downlink frequency-domain communications signal into a downlink time-domain communications signal for transmission in a downlink radio frequency (RF) communications signal. As such, it may be possible to improve scalability while reducing cost and space of the DCS.