NODE-B/BASE STATION RAKE FINGER POOLING, PARTICULARLY FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF SIGNALS DURING SOFTER-HANDOVER

• Main Authors: KOCH MICHAEL, BASS DAVID S, REZNIK ALEXANDER, HACKETT WILLIAM C, HEPLER EDWARD L, MEYER JAN, BOHNHOFF PETER, BERGHIUS TIMOTHY, KAEWELL JOHN DAVID JR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 06.07.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; TRANSMISSION

PURPOSE: A node-B/base station rake finger pooling is provided to facilitate softer handover by easily combining a plurality of sector components received by a user from multiple sectors by not allocating a rake finger to a sector. CONSTITUTION: A cell is divided into the M number of sectors(261-26M). Each sector has the N number of antennas(2811-281N-28M1-28MN) for receiving user communication. The antennas(2811-281N-28M1-28MN) are connected to an antenna/rake finger pool interface(30). The interface(30) connects its antenna output to rake fingers(321-320) of a rake finger pool. Each rake finger is allocated received multi-path components to be restored of a specific user. In order to restore the components, each rake finger is allocated a code related to the received components and a code phase. The antennas(2811-281N-28M1-28MN) within the sectors(261-26M) in which a UE resides are connected to the rake fingers(321-320) through the antenna/rake finger pool interface(30). The code used by the UE is provided to a code phase of a certain multi-path component as well as to the rake fingers(321-320). The rake fingers(321-320) restore the multi-path component, and then weigh it before they are coupled to a different multi-path component of the user.