Granted Patent B2

US 7,640,019 · App. 11/094,947 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Abstract

Claims (111)

1. A communications system, comprising:

a server, including:

one or more radio head interface modules; and

a call processing software module, the one or more radio head interface modules adapted to communicate with the call processing software module;

wherein the call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface protocols; and

a radio head unit coupled to the radio head interface module over one or more transport mediums;

wherein the radio head unit communicates with one or more subscriber units using the one or more air interface protocols;

wherein the radio head interface module receives air interface protocol parameters from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels;

wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the air interface protocol parameters;

wherein air interface protocol parameters include at least one of a protocol reconfiguration indicator, modulation protocol assignment parameters, and a timing trigger;

wherein the timing trigger is a designated time; and

wherein the designated time correlates to a time count internal to the radio head interface module;

wherein radio head interface module further comprises:

a global positioning system receiver, wherein the time count internal to the radio head interface module is synchronized with an output signal from the global positioning system receiver.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server further comprises:

one or more interface devices, wherein the one or more radio head interface modules communicate with the call processing software module over the one or more interface devices.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more interface devices includes at least one of a PCI-X interface, an ATCA interface, a PCI Express interface, a Gigabit Ethernet interface, a SCSI interface, a Rocket I/O interface, a UDP/IP link interface, a TCP/IP link interface , a Serial ATA interface, a Card bus for PCMIA card interface, a high speed serial interface and a high speed parallel interface.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more air interface protocols include at least one of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), code division multiple access (CDMA), Wide-band CDMA, time division multiple access (TDMA), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call processing software module communicates one or more pages of data samples with the one or more radio head interface modules, each of the one or more pages of data samples having a page header; and

wherein air interface protocol parameters are contained in the page header.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call processing software is synchronized with an output signal from the global positioning system receiver.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the timing trigger is a designated data sample.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transport mediums are one or more of optical fiber, millimeter wave, coaxial cable, and Free Space Optics (FSO).

9. A communications system, comprising:

a server, including:

one or more radio head interface modules; and

a call processing software module, the one or more radio head interface modules adapted to communicate with the call processing software module;

wherein the call processing software module performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface protocols; and

a radio head unit coupled to the radio head interface module over one or more transport mediums;

wherein the radio head unit communicates with one or more subscriber units using the one or more air interface protocols;

wherein the radio head interface module receives air interface protocol parameters from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels;

wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the air interface protocol parameters;

wherein the radio head interface module further comprises:

a transmit buffer, the transmit buffer adapted to receive a data stream from the call processing software module and store the data stream as a page of data sample;

a transmit engine;

a digital upconverter, the transmit engine adapted to transfer the page of data samples from the transmit buffer to the digital upconverter;

a configuration management unit adapted to receive air interface protocol configuration information from the call processing software module;

a memory adapted with digital upconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup digital upconverter parameters based on the air interface protocol configuration information; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the digital upconverter parameters to the digital up converter;

wherein the radio head interface module further comprises:

a receive buffer;

a receive engine; and

a digital downconverter;

the transmit engine adapted to transfer a data stream from the digital downconverter to the receive buffer, the receive buffer adapted to store the data stream as a page of data samples, the receive buffer further adapted to output the page of data samples to the call processing software;

the memory further adapted with digital downconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the digital downconverter parameters based on the air interface protocol configuration information; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the digital downconverter parameters to the digital downconverter.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the radio head interface module is further adapted to receive bandwidth allocation information from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels;

wherein the bandwidth allocation information comprises a timing trigger and signal bandwidth allocation parameters;

wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the bandwidth allocation information.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital upconverter parameters based on the bandwidth allocation information; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated parameters to the digital up converter.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital downconverter parameters based on the bandwidth allocation information; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated parameters to the digital downconverter.

13. A communications system, comprising:

a server, including:

one or more radio head interface modules; and

a call processing software module, the one or more radio head interface modules adapted to communicate with the call processing software module;

wherein the call processing software performs modulation and demodulation of voice and data streams using one or more air interface protocols; and

a radio head unit coupled to the radio head interface module over one or more transport mediums;

wherein the radio head unit communicates with one or more subscriber units using the one or more air interface protocols;

wherein the radio head interface module receives bandwidth allocation information from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels;

wherein the signal bandwidth allocation information comprises a timing trigger and signal bandwidth allocation parameters for one or more communication channels;

wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the signal bandwidth allocation informatiom;

wherein the radio head interface module further comprises:

a transmit buffer, the transmit buffer adapted to receive a data stream from the call processing software module and store the data stream as a page of data samples;

a transmit engine;

a digital upconverter, the transmit engine adapted to transfer the page of data samples from the transmit buffer to the digital upconverter;

a configuration management unit adapted to receive signal bandwidth change information from the call processing software module; and

a memory adapted with digital upconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital upconverter parameters based on the signal bandwidth change information;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital upconverter parameters to the digital up converter; and

wherein the radio head interface module further comprises:

a receive buffer;

a receive engine;

a digital downeonverter; and

the transmit engine adapted to transfer a data stream from the digital downconverter to the receive buffer, the receive buffer adapted to store the data stream as a page of data samples, the receive buffer further adapted to output the page of data samples to the call processing software;

the memory adapted with digital downconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital downconverter parameters based on the bandwidth allocation information;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital downconverter parameters to the digital downconverter.

14. A radio head interface module, the module comprising:

a transmit buffer, the transmit buffer adapted to receive a data stream from a call processing software module and store the data stream as a page of data samples having a page header;

a transmit engine;

a digital upconverter, the transmit engine adapted to transfer the page of data samples from the transmit buffer to the digital upconverter;

a configuration management unit adapted to receive air interface protocol configuration parameters from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels, wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the air interface protocol configuration parameters; and

a memory adapted with digital upconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup associated digital upconverter parameters based on the air interface protocol configuration parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital upconverter parameters to the digital up converter;

a receive buffer;

a receive engine; and

a digital downconverter;

the receive engine adapted to transfer a data stream from the digital downconverter to the receive buffer, the receive buffer adapted to store the data stream as a page of data samples, the receive buffer further adapted to output the page of data samples to the call processing software;

the memory further adapted with digital downconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital downconverter parameters based on the protocol configuration parameters; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital downconverter parameters to the digital downconverter.

15. A radio head interface module, the module compnsing:

a transmit buffer, the transmit buffer adapted to receive a data stream from a call processing software module and store the data stream as a page of data samples having a page header;

a transmit engine;

a digital upconverter, the transmit engine adapted to transfer the page of data samples from the transmit buffer to the digital upconverter;

a configuration management unit adapted to receive signal bandwidth allocation parameters and a timing trigger from the call processing software module for one or more communication channels, wherein the radio head interface module reconfigures itself for one or more communications channels, based on the signal bandwidth allocation parameters; and

a memory adapted with digital upconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup associated digital upconverter parameters based on the signal bandwidth allocation parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital upconverter parameters to the digital up converter;

a receive buffer;

a receive engine; and

a digital downconverter;

the receive engine adapted to transfer a data stream from the digital downconverter to the receive buffer, the receive buffer adapted to store the data stream as a page of data samples, the receive buffer further adapted to output the page of data samples to the call processing software;

the memory further adapted with digital downconverter parameters;

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to access the memory to lookup the associated digital downconverter parameters based on the signal bandwidth allocation parameters; and

wherein the configuration management unit is further adapted to output the associated digital downconverter parameters to the digital downconverter.

Assignments (20)