Supporting distinct single-input single-output (SISO) services in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) baseband circuit, particularly suited for a distributed antenna system (DAS)

• US 10,044,419 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Daniel, Liav Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Siu
• Application Number:
  US15/424,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 375259, 375260, 375267, 375295, 375299
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0042 Digital filtering H04B1/0035 takes precedence; digital filters per se H03H17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

One embodiment of the disclosure relates to supporting distinct single-input single-output (SISO) services in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) baseband circuit, particularly suited for a distributed antenna system (DAS). In this regard, in one aspect, two communication paths in the MIMO baseband circuit are reconfigured to distribute two distinct SISO signals. A quadrature modulator modulates the two distinct SISO signals to two different radio frequency (RF) bands, respectively, based on a modulation frequency. In another aspect, the two or more distinct SISO signals are provided to the quadrature modulator using two intermediate frequencies (IFs) that are determined based on the center frequencies and bandwidths of the two different RF bands. By reconfiguring the MIMO baseband circuit to distribute the two distinct SISO signals, it is possible to retro-support new wireless communication services and/or new RF bands in existing DAS installations without replacing the MIMO baseband circuit.

Claims

1. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) baseband circuit configured to support distinct single-input single-output (SISO) services, comprising:

a first MIMO path configured to distribute a first SISO signal;

a second MIMO path configured to distribute a second SISO signal;

a first quadrature modulator comprising a first SISO signal input coupled to the first MIMO path, the first SISO signal input configured to receive the first SISO signal; and

a second quadrature modulator comprising a second SISO signal input coupled to the second MIMO path, the second SISO signal input configured to receive the second SISO signal;

wherein;

the first quadrature modulator is configured to modulate the first SISO signal to a first radio frequency (RF) band based on a modulation frequency;

the second quadrature modulator is configured to modulate the second SISO signal to a second RF band based on the modulation frequency, wherein the second RF band is different from the first RF band;

the first SISO signal comprises a first in-phase (I) signal and a first quadrature (Q) signal; and

the second SISO signal comprises a second I signal and a second Q signal.

2. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the first quadrature modulator is further configured to modulate the first I signal and the first Q signal to generate a first RF signal for communicating on the first RF band; and

the second quadrature modulator is further configured to modulate the second I signal and the second Q signal to generate a second RF signal for communicating on the second RF band.

3. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the first RF band comprises a first center frequency and a first bandwidth;

the second RF band comprises a second center frequency and a second bandwidth;

the modulation frequency resides between the first center frequency of the first RF band and the second center frequency of the second RF band;

the first SISO signal is received by the first SISO signal input on a first intermediate frequency (IF) band; and

the second SISO signal is received by the second SISO signal input on a second IF band.

4. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 3, wherein:

the first IF band comprises a first IF center frequency and a first IF bandwidth, wherein;

the first IF center frequency is determined by subtracting the modulation frequency from the first center frequency; and

the first IF bandwidth is equal to the first bandwidth of the first RF band; and

the second IF band comprises a second IF center frequency and a second IF bandwidth,

wherein;

the second IF center frequency is determined by subtracting the modulation frequency from the second center frequency; and

the second IF bandwidth is equal to the second bandwidth of the second RF band.

5. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 3, wherein the modulation frequency is lower than the first center frequency of the first RF band.

6. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 5, wherein the modulation frequency is higher than the second center frequency of the second RF band.

7. The MIMO baseband circuit of claim 3, wherein the modulation frequency is higher than the second center frequency of the second RF band.

8. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a plurality of remote antenna units (RAUs) communicatively coupled to an optical fiber-based communications medium;

wherein at least one RAU among the plurality of RAUs comprises an adaptive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications system configured to;

receive and modulate a first single-input single-output (SISO) signal to generate a first radio frequency (RF) signal for distribution on a first RF band; and

receive and modulate a second SISO signal to generate a second RF signal for distribution on a second RF band that is different from the first RF band,

the adaptive MIMO communications system comprising a MIMO baseband circuit comprising;

a first MIMO path configured to distribute the first SISO signal;

a second MIMO path configured to distribute the second SISO signal;

a first quadrature modulator comprising a first SISO signal input coupled to the first MIMO path, the first SISO signal input configured to receive the first SISO signal; and

a second quadrature modulator comprising a second SISO signal input coupled to the second MIMO path, the second SISO signal input configured to receive the second SISO signal.

9. The wireless communications system of claim 8, wherein:

the first quadrature modulator is configured to modulate the first SISO signal to generate the first RF signal for distribution on the first RF band based on a modulation frequency; and

the second quadrature modulator is configured to modulate the second SISO signal to generate the second RF signal for distribution on the second RF band that is different from the first RF band based on the modulation frequency.

10. The wireless communications system of claim 9, wherein the adaptive MIMO communications system further comprises:

a first in-phase (I)/quadrature (Q) signal generator (I/Q signal generator) configured to provide the first SISO signal to the first MIMO path;

a second I/Q signal generator configured to provide the second SISO signal to the second MIMO path;

a first filter coupled to the first quadrature modulator, the first filter configured to pass the first RF signal in the first RF band; and

a second filter coupled to the second quadrature modulator, the second filter configured to pass the second RF signal in the second RF band.

11. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein:

the first RF band comprises a first center frequency and a first bandwidth;

the second RF band comprises a second center frequency and a second bandwidth; and

the modulation frequency resides between the first center frequency of the first RF band and the second center frequency of the second RF band.

12. The wireless communications system of claim 11, wherein the modulation frequency resides in the middle of the first center frequency of the first RF band and the second center frequency of the second RF band.

13. The wireless communications system of claim 12, wherein:

the first SISO signal is received by the first SISO signal input on a first IF band;

the second SISO signal is received by the second SISO signal input on a second IF band;

the first IF band comprises a first IF center frequency and a first IF bandwidth, wherein;

the first IF center frequency is determined by subtracting the modulation frequency from the first center frequency; and

the first IF bandwidth is equal to the first bandwidth of the first RF band; and

the second IF band comprises a second IF center frequency and a second IF bandwidth,

wherein;

the second IF center frequency is determined by subtracting the modulation frequency from the second center frequency; and

the second IF bandwidth is equal to the second bandwidth of the second RF band.

14. The wireless communications system of claim 11, wherein the modulation frequency is lower than the first center frequency of the first RF band and the modulation frequency is higher than the second center frequency of the second RF band.

15. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein:

the first SISO signal comprises a first I signal and a first Q signal;

the second SISO signal comprises a second I signal and a second Q signal;

the first quadrature modulator is further configured to modulate the first I signal and the first Q signal to generate the first RF signal for communicating on the first RF band; and

the second quadrature modulator is further configured to modulate the second I signal and the second Q signal to generate the second RF signal for communicating on the second RF band.

16. The wireless communications system of claim 15, wherein:

the first I/Q signal generator is configured to;

generate the first I signal based on a first digital I signal received from a digital signal processor (DSP); and

generate the first Q signal based on a first digital Q signal received from the DSP; and

the second I/Q signal generator is configured to;

generate the second I signal based on a second digital I signal received from the DSP; and

generate the second Q signal based on a second digital Q signal received from the DSP.

17. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein:

the first I/Q signal generator comprises a zero-IF modulator configured to provide the first SISO signal to the first MIMO path; and

the first I/Q signal generator comprises a complex-IF modulator configured to provide the first SISO signal to the first MIMO path.

18. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein:

the second I/Q signal generator comprises a zero-IF modulator configured to provide the second SISO signal to the second MIMO path; and

the second I/Q signal generator comprises a complex-IF modulator configured to provide the second SISO signal to the second MIMO path.