IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,413,257
Granted Patent B2
US 12,413,257 · App. 18/157,976 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Downlink transmitting system and switching method

Inventors: Ni Ma (Shanghai, CN); Guanxi Zhang (Shanghai, CN); Long Shen (Shanghai, CN); Xi Chen (Madrid, ES); Xin Yu (Shenzhen, CN); Yaqi Wu (Shenzhen, CN); Wei Gu (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04B1/0483H04B1/0458
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,413,257
App. No.
18/157,976
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application provides a downlink transmitting system and a switching method. An example downlink transmitting system includes at least one digital intermediate frequency module group, at least one Tx port group, a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs), at least one switching switch, and an antenna array. The plurality of PAs are connected to the antenna array. The plurality of PAs are connected to all Tx ports included in the downlink transmitting system in a one-to-one correspondence. The at least one digital intermediate frequency module group is in a one-to-one correspondence with the at least one Tx port group. Each of the at least one Tx port group is connected to each digital intermediate frequency module in a corresponding digital intermediate frequency module group through one of the at least one switching switch. The each of the at least one Tx port group includes a plurality of Tx ports.

Claims (67)

1. A downlink transmitting system, comprising:

at least one digital intermediate frequency module group;

at least one transmit (Tx) port group;

a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs);

at least one switching switch; and

an antenna array, wherein:

the plurality of PAs are connected to the antenna array,

the plurality of PAs are connected to all Tx ports comprised in the downlink transmitting system in a one-to-one correspondence,

the at least one digital intermediate frequency module group is in a one-to-one correspondence with the at least one Tx port group,

each of the at least one Tx port group is connected to each digital intermediate frequency module in a corresponding digital intermediate frequency module group through one of the at least one switching switch,

the each of the at least one Tx port group comprises a plurality of Tx ports,

a quantity of digital intermediate frequency modules comprised in each digital intermediate frequency module group is equal to a quantity of Tx ports comprised in a corresponding Tx port group,

each of the at least one switching switch has at least two connection states,

quantities of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in a digital intermediate frequency module group connected to the each of the at least one switching switch in different connection states are different, and

all Tx ports in a Tx port group connected to the each of the at least one switching switch in the different connection states are in an enabled state.

2. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least two connection states comprise a first connection state and a second connection state, and a quantity of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in the first connection state is greater than a quantity of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in the second connection state, wherein

in response to at least that a connection state of a first switching switch is the first connection state, a first plurality of Tx ports in a first Tx port group are connected to a plurality of digital intermediate frequency modules in a first digital intermediate frequency module group in a one-to-one correspondence, the first Tx port group and the first digital intermediate frequency module group are connected through the first switching switch, and the first switching switch is one of the at least one switching switch; and

in response to at least that the connection state of the first switching switch is the second connection state, at least one first digital intermediate frequency module in the first digital intermediate frequency module group is connected to at least two Tx ports in the first Tx port group, and at least one second digital intermediate frequency module in the first digital intermediate frequency module group is not connected to all Tx ports in the first Tx port group.

3. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 2 , wherein

a connection state of one of the at least one switching switch is the first connection state in response to at least that a first condition is met, and the first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions:

a quantity of users served by the downlink transmitting system is greater than or equal to a first threshold; and

a vertical spacing between at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to a ground is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

4. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 2 , wherein

a connection state of one of the at least one switching switch is the second connection state in response to at least that a second condition is met, and the second condition is as follows:

a quantity of users served by the downlink transmitting system is less than a first threshold, and a vertical spacing between any two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to a ground is less than a second threshold.

5. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 1 , wherein the downlink transmitting system further comprises a baseband processor, and the baseband processor is configured to control a connection state of the each of the at least one switching switch.

6. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 5 , wherein the baseband processor is a baseband lower (BBL).

7. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 5 , wherein the baseband processor is configured to control the connection state of the each of the at least one switching switch based on a quantity of users served by the downlink transmitting system and a vertical spacing between at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to a ground.

8. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 7 , wherein the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system and the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground are determined based on a received channel state information beam identifier.

9. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 1 , wherein the each of the at least one switching switch is a bridge.

10. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 1 , wherein the downlink transmitting system further comprises a plurality of phase shifters, and the plurality of phase shifters are connected to all the Tx ports comprised in the downlink transmitting system in a one-to-one correspondence.

11. The downlink transmitting system according to claim 1 , wherein the each of the at least one switching switch includes a single-pole double-throw switch.

12. A method for switching, applied to a downlink transmitting system, wherein the downlink transmitting system comprises:

at least one digital intermediate frequency module group;

at least one transmit (Tx) port group;

a plurality of power amplifiers (PAS);

at least one switching switch; and

an antenna array, wherein:

the plurality of PAs are connected to the antenna array,

the plurality of PAs are connected to all Tx ports comprised in the downlink transmitting system in a one-to-one correspondence,

the at least one digital intermediate frequency module group is in a one-to-one correspondence with the at least one Tx port group,

each of the at least one Tx port group is connected to each digital intermediate frequency module in a corresponding digital intermediate frequency module group through one of the at least one switching switch,

the each of the at least one Tx port group comprises a plurality of Tx ports,

a quantity of digital intermediate frequency modules comprised in each digital intermediate frequency module group is equal to a quantity of Tx ports comprised in a corresponding Tx port group,

each of the at least one switching switch has at least two connection states,

quantities of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in a digital intermediate frequency module group connected to the each of the at least one switching switch in different connection states are different,

all Tx ports in a Tx port group connected to the each of the at least one switching switch in the different connection states are in an enabled state, and

the method comprises:

controlling a connection state of the at least one switching switch based on a quantity of users served by the downlink transmitting system and a vertical spacing between at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to a ground.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

the at least two connection states comprise a first connection state and a second connection state, and a quantity of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in the first connection state is greater than a quantity of enabled digital intermediate frequency modules in the second connection state, wherein

in response to at least that a connection state of a first switching switch is the first connection state, a first plurality of Tx ports in a first Tx port group are connected to a plurality of digital intermediate frequency modules in a first digital intermediate frequency module group in a one-to-one correspondence, the first Tx port group and the first digital intermediate frequency module group are connected through the first switching switch, and the first switching switch is one of the at least one switching switch; and

in response to at least that the connection state of the first switching switch is the second connection state, at least one first digital intermediate frequency module in the first digital intermediate frequency module group is connected to at least two Tx ports in the first Tx port group, and at least one second digital intermediate frequency module in the first digital intermediate frequency module group is not connected to all Tx ports in the first Tx port group.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the controlling the connection state of the at least one switching switch based on the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system and the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground comprises:

in response to at least that a first condition is met, controlling the connection state of the at least one switching switch to be the first connection state, wherein the first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions:

the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system is greater than or equal to a first threshold; and

the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the controlling the connection state of the at least one switching switch based on the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system and the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground comprises:

in response to at least that a second condition is met, controlling the connection state of the at least one switching switch to be the second connection state, wherein the second condition is as follows:

the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system is less than a first threshold, and the vertical spacing between any two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground is less than a second threshold.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system and the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system relative to the ground based on a received channel state information beam identifier.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the downlink transmitting system includes a baseband processor, and the baseband processor is configured to control the connection state of the at least one switching switch based on the quantity of the users served by the downlink transmitting system and the vertical spacing between the at least two of the users served by the downlink transmitting system.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the each of the at least one switching switch is a bridge.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the each of the at least one switching switch includes a single-pole double-throw switch.

20. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the downlink transmitting system further comprises a plurality of phase shifters, and the plurality of phase shifters are connected to all the Tx ports comprised in the downlink transmitting system in a one-to-one correspondence.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2025
From: MA, NI; ZHANG, GUANXI; SHEN, LONG; CHEN, XI; YU, XIN; WU, YAQI; GU, WEI
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 071482/0698 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010716226.7 · Jul 23, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2021104770 · Jul 6, 2021
Related Publication 20230155616A1 · May 18, 2023
References Cited (22)
US 7526321B2 · Liu · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 9184829B2 · Miller · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 10608678B1 · Hormis · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11184066B2 · Clifton · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11411641B2 · Hormis · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11848898B2 · Hormis · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20170062948A1 · Artemenko · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20190260442A1 · Clifton · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200028556A1 · Inoue · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 101021561A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
CN 102131211A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 102917460A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 106506036A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 108092698A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 110011721A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110915174A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 110999419A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018098634A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019200570A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CMCC, “Hybrid Beamforming for Massive MIMO,” 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #85, R1-164893, Nanjing, China, May 23-27, 2016, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action in Chinese Appln. No. 202010716226.7, dated Jun. 8, 2022, 13 pages (with English translation). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion in International Appln. No. PCT/CN2021/104770, mailed on Sep. 28, 2021, 15 pages (with English translation). [cited by applicant]