1. A method for manufacturing lighting devices comprising at least one lighting module, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of lighting modules, wherein each lighting module comprises a first set of contacts placed at a first end of said lighting module and a second set of contacts placed in corresponding positions at a second end of said lighting module;
connecting together a plurality of said lighting modules for forming a series of lighting modules, wherein each lighting module is connected to the next lighting module by means of interconnection elements which connect the first set of contacts of each lighting module to the second set of contacts of the next lighting module; and
cutting said series of lighting modules into lighting devices comprising at least one lighting module, wherein the interconnection elements of the last lighting module of each lighting device are cut along their transverse axes,
wherein said interconnection elements comprise a base plate and a hollow portion in order to form female connectors when said interconnection elements are cut along their transverse axis.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the application of a protective material to said series of lighting modules before said series is cut in lighting devices comprising at least one lighting module.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said protective material is applied to said series of lighting modules by a potting, coating or co-extrusion process.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said protective material is a transparent material, such as silicone, PVC, or polyurethane.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interconnection element has a cup shape with wings.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interconnection element has a tubular shape.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interconnection element is symmetrical with respect to a transverse plane of symmetry.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lighting modules are LED modules comprising at least one light emitting diode.
9. A lighting device comprising a plurality of lighting modules,
wherein each lighting module comprises a first set of contacts placed at a first end of said lighting module and a second set of contacts placed in corresponding positions at a second end of said lighting module,
wherein said lighting modules are connected in series, each lighting module being connected to the next lighting module by interconnecting elements which connect the first set of contacts of each lighting module to the second set of contacts of the next lighting module, and
wherein each interconnecting element comprises a base plate and a hollow portion, and the last lighting module of said lighting device comprises interconnecting elements which have been cut along their transverse axes to form female connectors.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method performed by a base station of a cellular network, the base station serving pluralities of same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals, and the cellular network including neighboring-cell base stations that serve respective pluralities of same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals, the method comprising:
selecting a same-cell and one or more neighboring cells within the cellular network, the same-cell and one or more neighboring cells comprising a truncated network;
obtaining a plurality of slow-fading coefficients, each of the plurality of slow-fading coefficients being associated with channel state information for communication within the truncated network between a neighboring-cell base station and one of the respective same-cell terminals or neighboring-cell terminals; and
generating a set of slow-fading precoding coefficients for transmitting signals within the truncated network to same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals based on the plurality of slow-fading coefficients.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the same-cell and the one or more neighboring cells are selected by a neighboring-cell base station to comprise a neighboring truncated network that intersects with the truncated network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients comprises determining optimized slow-fading precoding coefficients.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein each optimized slow-fading precoding coefficient is determined based on one of maximizing a minimum signal to interference and noise ratio, maximizing a sum of data transmission rates, or maximizing a sum of logarithms of data transmission rates for transmitting a signal to same-cell terminals and other-cell terminals.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients includes performing an iterative function, wherein the iterative function is terminated based on a precision control threshold.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the iterative function includes a quasi-convex optimization algorithm.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data signals intended for one or more of the same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals located within the truncated network.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station comprises a central hub of the truncated network.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining pilot signals from the pluralities of same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals; and
beam-forming signals to one or more of the same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals based on the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the beam-forming is based on a set of fast-fading coefficients.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the beam-forming is performed using OFDM modulation.
12. A base station apparatus for serving pluralities of same-cell terminals and other-cell terminals in a cellular network, the network hub apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to select a same-cell and one or more neighboring cells within the cellular network, the same-cell and one or more neighboring cells comprising a truncated network;
a receiver module configured to obtain a plurality of slow-fading coefficients, each of the plurality of slow-fading coefficients being associated with channel state information for communication within the truncated network between a neighboring-cell base station and one of the respective same-cell terminals or neighboring-cell terminals; and
a precoding module configured to generate a set of slow-fading precoding coefficients for transmitting signals within the truncated network to same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals based on the plurality of slow-fading coefficients.
13. The base station apparatus of claim 12, wherein generating the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients comprises determining optimized slow-fading precoding coefficients.
14. The base station apparatus of claim 13, wherein each optimized slow-fading precoding coefficient is determined based on one of maximizing a minimum signal to interference and noise ratio, maximizing a sum of data transmission rates, or maximizing a sum of logarithms of data transmission rates for transmitting a signal to same-cell terminals and other-cell terminals.
15. The base station apparatus of claim 13, wherein generating the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients includes performing an iterative function, wherein the iterative function is terminated based on a precision control threshold.
16. The base station apparatus of claim 15, wherein the iterative function includes a quasi-convex optimization algorithm.
17. The base station apparatus of claim 12, wherein the receiver module is further configured to receive data signals intended for one or more of the same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals located within the truncated network.
18. The base station apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a central hub of the truncated network.
19. The base station apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
the receiver module is further configured to obtain pilot signals from the pluralities of same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals; and
a beam-forming module is configured to beam-form signals to one or more of the same-cell terminals and neighboring-cell terminals based on the set of slow-fading precoding coefficients.
20. The base station apparatus of claim 19 wherein the beam-forming is based on a set of fast-fading coefficients.
21. The base station apparatus of claim 19, wherein the beam-forming is performed using OFDM modulation.