Analog optical repeater and single optical line transmitting method for multi-band multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)

• US 10,084,543 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced RF Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced RF Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Won, Jung-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N
• Application Number:
  US15/395,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 398175, 375211
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2575 Radio-over-fibre, e.g. radio frequency signal modulated onto an optical carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A multi-band multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmitting apparatus and method of using an analog optical repeater that relays a downstream signal and an upstream signal between a base station and a terminal is provided. A head end of the analog optical repeater converts a frequency of a signal through a frequency converter to prevent the signal from overlapping with other signals having the same frequencies of a downstream multi-band, and uses a band already used by an optical module, and thus does not need to secure an additional band in the optical module. Accordingly, signals at the same frequency input into the HE can be transmitted through the optical cable and to the RU without overlapping. A flow of upstream signals received from the terminal are handled and transmitted similarly to the downstream signals, but in the opposite direction, whereby multi-band MIMO is implemented.

Claims

1. A head end (HE) of an analog optical repeater configured to communicate with a base station, and to communicate with a remote unit (RU) connected to the HE through an optical cable and configured to perform wireless communication with a terminal, the HE comprising:

a first frequency converting amplifier configured to perform amplification and frequency conversion with respect to a downstream multi-band multiple-input multiple output (MIMO);

a frequency combiner configured to combine the downstream multi-band MIMO;

a frequency divider configured to divide an upstream multi-band MIMO;

a second frequency converting amplifier configured to perform amplification and frequency conversion with respect to the upstream multi-band MIMO; and

an optical module configured to convert the downstream multi-band MIMO from the frequency combiner into a downstream optical signal to transmit to the RU, and to convert an upstream optical signal from the RU into the upstream multi-band MIMO to transmit to the frequency divider;

wherein the HE is configured to perform frequency conversion to prevent overlapping of signals having the same frequencies when the downstream optical signal is transmitted through the optical cable, and to perform inverse frequency conversion on the upstream optical signal from the RU to prevent overlapping of upstream signals received by the HE with respect to the same MIMO.

2. The HE of claim 1, further comprising a downlink frequency converter configured to convert a signal at a downlink frequency to a converted signal at an uplink frequency, and to filter a band to be used through a band-passer filter (BPF), wherein when two signals at the same downlink frequency are input to the HE, a frequency of a first one of the signals is converted to a signal at the uplink frequency through the frequency converter, while the other signal is transmitted without frequency conversion, to prevent the two signals from overlapping.

3. The HE of claim 2, wherein the downlink frequency converter comprises a mixer and an oscillator for converting the signal at the downlink frequency to the signal at the uplink frequency.

4. The HE of claim 2, wherein the downlink frequency is 1962.5 megahertz (MHz), and the uplink frequency is 1882.5 MHz.

5. The HE of claim 1, further wherein the frequency combiner is configured to combine frequencies corresponding to a multi-band input from the base station, and the frequency divider is configured to divide a combined signal received from the RU corresponding to a multi-band input from the terminal into corresponding frequency bands at the HE.

6. The HE of claim 1, wherein the downstream multi-band MIMO is an RF signal to be converted by the optical module into the downstream optical signal for transmission to the RU through the optical cable, and the upstream optical signal from the RU is to be converted by the optical module into an RF signal corresponding to the upstream multi-band MIMO.

7. The HE of claim 1, further comprising an uplink frequency converter configured to convert a signal at the downlink frequency to a converted signal at the uplink frequency and to filter a band to be used through a band-pass filter (BPF);

wherein when two signals at the same uplink frequency are input to the RU of the analog optical repeater, a frequency of a first one of the signals is converted to a signal at the downlink frequency through the frequency converter, while the other signal is transmitted without frequency conversion, to prevent the two signals from overlapping; and

wherein when the HE receives the two signals, the HE converts the frequency of the first signal from the downlink frequency to the first signal at the uplink frequency, and transmits the first signal and the other signal both at the uplink frequency to the base station.

8. The HE of claim 7, wherein the uplink frequency converter comprises a mixer and an oscillator for converting the signal at the downlink frequency to the signal at the uplink frequency.

9. The HE of claim 7, wherein the downlink frequency is 1962.5 megahertz (MHz), and the uplink frequency is 1882.5 MHz.

10. A remote unit (RU) of an analog optical repeater configured to communicate with a base station, wherein the RU is connected to a head end (HE) of the analog optical repeater through an optical cable and is configured to perform wireless communication with a terminal, the RU comprising:

a first frequency converting amplifier configured to perform amplification and frequency conversion with respect to a downstream multi-band multiple-input multiple output (MIMO);

a frequency divider configured to divide the downstream multi-band MIMO;

a frequency combiner configured to combine an upstream multi-band MIMO;

a second frequency converting amplifier configured to perform amplification and frequency conversion with respect to the upstream multi-band MIMO;

and

an optical module configured to convert the upstream multi-band MIMO from the frequency combiner into an upstream optical signal to transmit to the HE, and to convert a downstream optical signal from the HE into the downstream multi-band MIMO to transmit to the frequency divider;

wherein the RU is configured to perform frequency conversion to prevent overlapping of signals having the same frequencies when the upstream optical signal is transmitted through the optical cable, and to perform inverse frequency conversion on the downstream optical signal from the HE to prevent overlapping of downstream signals received by the RU with respect to the same MIMO.

11. The RU of claim 10, further comprising a downlink frequency converter configured to inversely convert a signal converted at the HE to an uplink frequency back to a signal at a downlink frequency, and to filter a band to be used through a band-pass filter (BPF), wherein, when the RU receives a first signal at the downlink frequency and a second signal at the uplink frequency from the HE, the RU is configured to inversely convert the second signal from the uplink frequency to a signal at the downlink frequency of through the frequency converter, while the first signal is transmitted without frequency conversion.

12. The RU of claim 11, wherein the downlink frequency converter comprises a mixer and an oscillator for converting the second signal from the uplink frequency to the downlink frequency.

13. The RU of claim 11, wherein the downlink frequency is 1962.5 megahertz (MHz), and the uplink frequency is 1882.5 MHz.

14. The RU of claim 10, wherein the frequency divider is configured to divide a combined signal into corresponding frequency bands corresponding to the multi-band input from the HE, and the frequency combiner is configured to combine a signal at an uplink frequency of a multi-band input from the terminal with a frequency-converted signal.

15. The RU of claim 10, wherein the downstream optical signal from the HE is to be converted by the optical module into an RF signal corresponding to the downstream multi-band MIMO and the upstream multi-band MIMO is an RF signal to be converted by the optical module into the upstream optical signal for transmission to the HE through the optical cable.

16. The RU of claim 10, further comprising an uplink frequency converter configured to convert a signal at an uplink frequency to a converted signal at a downlink frequency, and to filter a band to be used through a band-pass filter (BPF), wherein when two signals at the same uplink frequency are input to the HE, a frequency of a first one of the signals is converted to a signal at the downlink frequency through the frequency converter, while the other signal is transmitted without frequency conversion, to prevent the two signals from overlapping.

17. The RU of claim 16, wherein the uplink frequency converter comprises a mixer and an oscillator for converting the signal at the uplink frequency to the signal at the downlink frequency.

18. The RU of claim 16, wherein the downlink frequency is 1962.5 megahertz (MHz), and the uplink frequency is 1882.5 MHz.