Direct communicative coupling of a radio source to a remote unit for exchanging communications services with a distributed communications system (DCS)

• US 10,020,885 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mizrahi, Gavriel, Shekalim, Parwiz
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLDEKIDAN, HIBRET ASNAKE
• Application Number:
  US15/278,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 398115, 398 66- 72, 398 73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25891 Transmission components H04B10/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15514 for shadowing compensation for satellite mobile telephony service systems H04B7/18536
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

Direct communicative coupling of a base station(s) to a remote unit for exchanging communications services with a distributed communications system (DCS) is disclosed. For example, the remote unit may include a remote antenna unit that is provided in a distributed antenna system (DAS) as one type of DCS. In this manner, the remote unit can facilitate distribution of communications services from a base station into the DCS at locations other than at a centralized location in the DCS, such as at a central unit or head-end equipment. Various DCS configurations are possible that include a remote unit supporting the direct communicatively coupling to a base station(s) for distributing communications services in a DCS.

Claims

1. A distributed communications system, comprising:

a central unit configured to receive downlink communications signals from at least one radio source and distribute the downlink communications signals to be received by a plurality of remote units, and receive uplink communications signals received by the plurality of remote units;

each of the plurality of remote units configured to receive the downlink communications signals and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device, and receive uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals to be received by the central unit; and

one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units each configured to;

receive remote downlink communications signals from at least one remote radio source directly communicatively coupled to the one or more radio source remote units;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to be received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units;

distribute the uplink communications signals received from the at least one client device to the at least one remote radio source; and

distribute the uplink communications signals received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units to the at least one remote radio source.

2. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio source remote units is configured to be physically connected to the at least one remote radio source by a wired communications medium.

3. The distributed communications system of claim 2, wherein the one or more radio source remote units is configured to be directly physically connected to the wired communications medium directly physically connected to the at least one remote radio source.

4. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio source remote units is configured to be wirelessly connected to the at least one remote radio source.

5. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein:

the central unit is configured to distribute the downlink communications signals directly to the plurality of remote units, and receive uplink communications signals directly from the plurality of remote units;

each of the plurality of remote units is configured to receive the downlink communications signals directly from the central unit and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device, and receive uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals directly to the central unit; and

the one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units is configured to;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals directly to the central unit; and

distribute the uplink communications signals received directly from the central unit to the at least one remote radio source.

6. The distributed communications system of claim 5, wherein the one or more radio source remote units each comprise:

a client device input interface configured to distribute the downlink communications signals and the remote downlink communications signals to the at least one client device;

a client device output interface configured to receive the uplink communications signals from one or more upstream remote units;

a remote input interface configured to receive the remote downlink communications signals from the at least one remote radio source;

a remote output interface configured to receive the uplink communications signals from the at least one client device;

a central input interface configured to receive the downlink communications signals from the central unit; and

a central output interface configured to receive the uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and the remote downlink communications signals from the at least one remote radio source to be distributed to the central unit.

7. The distributed communications system of claim 5, wherein the one or more radio source remote units each comprise at least one band circuit configured to:

receive the downlink communications signals to be distributed to the at least one client device;

filter the received downlink communications signals to at least one radio-frequency (RF) band;

receive the remote downlink communications signals to be distributed to the at least one client device;

filter the received remote downlink communications signals to at least one RF band;

receive the uplink communications signals from at least one client device; and

filter the received uplink communications signals to at least one RF band.

8. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein:

the central unit is configured to distribute the downlink communications signals to one or more upstream remote units among the plurality of remote units, and receive upstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units;

one or more downstream remote units among the plurality of remote units are each configured to;

receive the downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device; and

receive the uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units; and

the one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units each configured to;

receive upstream downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units and distribute the upstream downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

distribute the uplink communications signals as upstream uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units;

receive downstream downlink communications signals from the one or more downstream remote units and distribute the downstream downlink communications signals to at least one client device; and

distribute the uplink communications signals as downstream uplink communications signals to the one or more downstream remote units.

9. The distributed communications system of claim 8, wherein the one or more radio source remote units each comprise:

an upstream input interface configured to receive the upstream downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units;

a client device output interface configured to distribute the upstream downlink communications signals and distribute the downstream downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

a client device input interface configured to receive the uplink communications signals from the at least one client device;

an upstream output interface configured to distribute the uplink communications signals as upstream uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units;

a downstream input interface configured to receive downstream downlink communications signals from the one or more downstream remote units; and

a downstream output interface configured to distribute the downstream uplink communications signals to the one or more downstream remote units.

10. The distributed communications system of claim 9, wherein the one or more radio source remote units are each configured to:

distribute the received uplink communications signals from the at least one client device to the at least one remote radio source;

distribute the received upstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units to the at least one remote radio source; and

distribute the received downstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units to the at least one remote radio source.

11. The distributed communications system of claim 9, wherein the one or more radio source remote units each comprise:

a remote output interface configured to distribute the received uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and the received upstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units to the at least remote radio source; and

a remote input interface configured to distribute the received downstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units to the at least one remote radio source.

12. The distributed communications system of claim 8, wherein the one or more radio source remote units each comprise at least one band circuit configured to:

receive the upstream downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units to be distributed to at least one client device;

filter the received upstream downlink communications signals to at least one radio-frequency (RF) communications band;

receive the uplink communications signals from at least one client device to be distributed as the upstream uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units;

filter the received uplink communications signals to at least one RF communications band;

receive the downstream downlink communications signals from the one or more downstream remote units to be distributed to the at least one client device; and

filter the received downstream downlink communications signals to at least one RF communications band;

receive the uplink communications signals from at least one client device to distribute the uplink communications signals as the downstream uplink communications signals to the one or more downstream remote units; and

filter the received uplink communications signals from the at least one client device to at least one RF communications band.

13. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio source remote units comprises the at least one remote radio source.

14. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio source remote units further comprises a digital processing circuit configured to:

route the remote downlink communications signals to the at least one client device;

route the remote downlink communications signals to be received by the at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units;

route the uplink communications signals received from the at least one client device to the at least one remote radio source; and

route the uplink communications signals received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units to the at least one remote radio source.

15. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein:

the central unit comprises an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter and an optical-to-electrical (O-E) converter;

the central unit configured to;

receive the downlink communications signals comprising electrical downlink communications signals from the at least one radio source;

convert the received electrical downlink communications signals into optical downlink communications signals;

distribute the optical downlink communications signals over at least one optical fiber communications medium to be received by the plurality of remote units;

receive the uplink communications signals comprising optical uplink communications signals over the at least one optical fiber communications medium;

convert the received optical uplink communications signals into electrical uplink communications signals; and

distribute the received electrical uplink communications signals to the at least one radio source.

16. The distributed communications system of claim 15, wherein the at least one optical fiber communications medium is comprised of at least one downlink optical fiber communications medium and at least one uplink optical fiber communications medium;

the central unit configured to distribute the optical downlink communications signals over the at least one downlink optical fiber communications medium to be received by the plurality of remote units, and receive the optical uplink communications signals received by the plurality of remote units over the at least one uplink optical fiber communications medium.

17. The distributed communications system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of remote units comprises an E-O converter and an O-E converter;

the O-E converter configured to convert the received optical downlink communications signals into electrical downlink communications signals;

the E-O converter configured to convert the received electrical uplink communications signals into optical uplink communications signals; and

each of the plurality of remote units configured to;

receive the optical downlink communications signals over the at least one optical fiber communications medium;

distribute the electrical downlink communications signals to the at least one client device;

receive the uplink communications signals comprising electrical uplink communications signals from the at least one client device; and

distribute the received optical uplink communications signals to be received by the central unit over the at least one optical fiber communications medium.

18. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote radio source comprises at least one cellular base station.

19. The distributed communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote radio source comprises at least one baseband unit.

20. A distributed communications system, comprising:

a central unit configured to receive downlink communications signals from at least one radio source and distribute the downlink communications signals to be received by a plurality of remote units, and receive uplink communications signals received by the plurality of remote units;

each of the plurality of remote units configured to receive the downlink communications signals and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device, and receive uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals to be received by the central unit; and

one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units each configured to;

receive remote downlink communications signals from at least one remote radio source directly communicatively coupled to the one or more radio source remote units;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to be received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units;

distribute the uplink communications signals received from the at least one client device to the at least one remote radio source; and

distribute the uplink communications signals received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units to the at least one remote radio source,

wherein;

the central unit is configured to distribute the downlink communications signals directly to the plurality of remote units, and receive uplink communications signals directly from the plurality of remote units;

each of the plurality of remote units is configured to receive the downlink communications signals directly from the central unit and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device, and receive uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals directly to the central unit; and

the one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units is configured to;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals directly to the central unit; and

distribute the uplink communications signals received directly from the central unit to the at least one remote radio source.

21. A distributed communications system, comprising:

a central unit configured to receive downlink communications signals from at least one radio source and distribute the downlink communications signals to be received by a plurality of remote units, and receive uplink communications signals received by the plurality of remote units;

each of the plurality of remote units configured to receive the downlink communications signals and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device, and receive uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals to be received by the central unit; and

one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units each configured to;

receive remote downlink communications signals from at least one remote radio source directly communicatively coupled to the one or more radio source remote units;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

distribute the remote downlink communications signals to be received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units;

distribute the uplink communications signals received from the at least one client device to the at least one remote radio source; and

distribute the uplink communications signals received by at least one other remote unit among the plurality of remote units to the at least one remote radio source,

wherein;

the central unit is configured to distribute the downlink communications signals to one or more upstream remote units among the plurality of remote units, and receive upstream uplink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units;

one or more downstream remote units among the plurality of remote units are each configured to;

receive the downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units and distribute the downlink communications signals to at least one client device; and

receive the uplink communications signals from the at least one client device and distribute the received uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units; and

the one or more radio source remote units among the plurality of remote units each configured to;

receive upstream downlink communications signals from the one or more upstream remote units and distribute the upstream downlink communications signals to at least one client device;

distribute the uplink communications signals as upstream uplink communications signals to the one or more upstream remote units;

receive downstream downlink communications signals from the one or more downstream remote units and distribute the downstream downlink communications signals to at least one client device; and

distribute the uplink communications signals as downstream uplink communications signals to the one or more downstream remote units.