Distributed antenna system

• US 10,080,178 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dali Wireless Inc. (Dali Systems Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dali Wireless Inc. (Dali Systems Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stapleton, Shawn Patrick, Lemson, Paul, Lin, Bin, Lee, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Wei
• Application Number:
  US15/223,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3247 using feedback acting on predistortion circuits H03F1/3264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/57 Separate feedback of real and complex signals being present
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3224 Predistortion being done for compensating memory effects
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3233 Adaptive predistortion using lookup table, e.g. memory, RAM, ROM, LUT, to generate the predistortion
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0425 with linearisation using predistortion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03414 Multicarrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2618 Reduction thereof using auxiliary subcarriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

The present disclosure is a novel utility of a software defined radio (SDR) based Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that is field reconfigurable and support multi-modulation schemes (modulation-independent), multi-carriers, multi-frequency bands and multi-channels. The present invention enables a high degree of flexibility to manage, control, enhance, facilitate the usage and performance of a distributed wireless network such as Flexible Simulcast, automatic traffic load-balancing, network and radio resource optimization, network calibration, autonomous/assisted commissioning, carrier pooling, automatic frequency selection, frequency carrier placement, traffic monitoring, traffic tagging, pilot beacon, etc. As a result, a DAS in accordance with the present invention can increase the efficiency and traffic capacity of the operators'"'"' wireless network.

Claims

1. A host unit for use in the transport of wireless communications, comprising:

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of remote units, including at least a first remote unit;

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a plurality of downlink channel signals from the at least one signal source;

wherein the host unit is configured to send digital representations of the plurality of downlink channel signals to the plurality of remote units;

wherein the host unit is configurable to send digital representations of a first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit at a first point in time, the first set of downlink channel signals for transmission at an antenna of the first remote unit;

wherein the host unit is configurable to send digital representations of a second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit at a second point in time, the second set of downlink channel signals for transmission at the antenna of the first remote unit; and

wherein a number of downlink channel signals in the first set of downlink channel signals is different from a number of downlink channel signals in the second set of downlink channel signals.

2. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configurable to dynamically change from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

3. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configurable, based on a change in network conditions, to dynamically change from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

4. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configurable, based on load balancing, to dynamically change from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

5. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configurable, based on a change in subscriber needs, to dynamically change from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

6. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configurable, based on a schedule, to dynamically change from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

7. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to the plurality of remote units comprises an optical interface.

8. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configured to packetize each digital representation of a downlink channel signal.

9. The host unit of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configured to packetize each digital representation of a downlink channel signal in compliance with the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) standard.

10. A system for transporting wireless communications, comprising:

a host unit;

a plurality of remote units, including at least a first remote unit and a second remote unit;

wherein the host unit comprises at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a plurality of downlink channel signals from the at least one signal source;

wherein the host unit is configured to send digital representations of the plurality of downlink channel signals to the plurality of remote units;

wherein the host unit is configurable to send digital representations of a first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit at a first point in time, the first set of downlink channel signals for transmission at an antenna of the first remote unit;

wherein the host unit is configurable to send digital representations of a second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit at a second point in time, the second set of downlink channel signals for transmission at the antenna of the first remote unit;

wherein a number of downlink channel signals in the first set of downlink channel signals is different from a number of downlink channel signals in the second set of downlink channel signals; and

wherein the host unit is configured to receive digital signals from each of the plurality of remote units.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the host unit is configured to packetize each digital representation of a downlink channel signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the host unit is connected to each of the plurality of remote units through a direct connection.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the host unit is connected to each of the plurality of remote units through an indirect connection.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each remote unit comprises at least one interface to communicatively couple the remote unit to another one of the plurality of remote units in a daisy-chain configuration.

15. A method for providing digital signals in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), comprising:

transmitting from a host unit, at a first point in time, digital representations of a first set of downlink channel signals to a first remote unit, the first set of downlink channel signals for transmission at an antenna of the first remote unit;

transmitting from the host unit, at a second point in time, digital representations of a second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit, the second set of downlink channel signals for transmission at the antenna of the first remote unit;

wherein a number of downlink channel signals in the first set of downlink channel signals is different from a number of downlink channel signals in the second set of downlink channel signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the host unit dynamically changes based on a change in network conditions from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the host unit dynamically changes based on load balancing from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the host unit dynamically changes based on a schedule from (a) sending the digital representations of the first set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit to (b) sending the digital representations of the second set of downlink channel signals to the first remote unit.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the downlink channel signals are packetized.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the downlink channel signals are packetized in compliance with the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) standard.

21. A host unit for use in the transport of wireless communications, comprising:

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a plurality of downlink signals from the at least one signal source, each downlink signal of the plurality of downlink signals comprising a plurality of carriers;

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of remote units, including at least a first remote unit and a second remote unit;

wherein the host unit is configured to send a digital representation of any carrier of any downlink signal it receives to any of the plurality of remote units;

wherein the host unit is configured to transmit a digital representation of a first portion of the plurality of carriers to the first remote unit and a digital representation of a second portion of the plurality of carriers to the second remote unit, wherein the digital representation of the first portion includes destination information identifying the first remote unit and the digital representation of the second portion includes destination information identifying the second remote unit, the first portion being different than the second portion; and

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a digital representation of at least one uplink signal from each of the plurality of remote units.

22. The host unit of claim 21 wherein the host unit is configured to packetize the plurality of downlink signals it receives in compliance with the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) standard to provide at least the digital representation of the first portion and the digital representation of the second portion.

23. The host unit of claim 21 wherein the destination information identifying the first remote unit is provided in a header of the digital representation of the first portion, and the destination information identifying the second remote unit is provided in a header of the digital representation of the second portion.

24. The host unit of claim 21 wherein the at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to the plurality of remote units comprises an optical interface.

25. The host unit of claim 21 wherein the host unit is configured to I/Q map and frame the plurality of downlink signals it receives to provide at least the digital representation of the first portion and the digital representation of the second portion.

26. A host unit for use in the transport of wireless communications, comprising:

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a plurality of downlink signals from the at least one signal source, each downlink signal of the plurality of downlink signals comprising a plurality of carriers;

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to one or more additional host units;

wherein the host unit is configured to send a digital representation of any carrier of any downlink signal it receives to the one or more additional host units;

at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of remote units, including at least a first remote unit and a second remote unit;

wherein the host unit is configured to send a digital representation of any carrier of any downlink signal it receives to any of the plurality of remote units;

wherein the host unit is configured to transmit a digital representation of a first portion of the plurality of carriers to the first remote unit and a digital representation of a second portion of the plurality of carriers to the second remote unit, the first portion being different than the second portion; and

wherein the host unit is configured to receive a digital representation of at least one uplink signal from each of the plurality of remote units.

27. The host unit of claim 26 wherein the at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to the one or more additional host units comprises an optical interface.

28. The host unit of claim 26 wherein the one or more additional host units includes a plurality of additional host units, and the host unit is connected to at least one of the plurality of additional host units through a direct connection and at least one of the plurality of additional host units through an indirect connection.

29. The host unit of claim 26 wherein the at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to the at least one signal source includes a plurality of interfaces to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of signal sources.

30. The host unit of claim 26 wherein the digital representation of the first portion includes destination information identifying the first remote unit and the digital representation of the second portion includes destination information identifying the second remote unit.