Extremely high frequency (EHF) distributed antenna systems, and related components and methods

• US 10,110,305 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Jacob, Ng'Oma, Anthony, Ruffin, Alranzo Boh, Sauer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US15/790,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20180062743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 398115, 398116, 398117, 398 66, 398 67, 398 68, 398 69, 398 70, 398 71, 398 72, 398 79, 398182, 398183, 398187, 398186, 398 98, 398 99, 398100, 370328, 370329, 370338, 370352, 370392, 370468, 370389, 455561, 4555621, 455445, 455422
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25751 Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25759 Details of the reception of RF signal or the optical conversion before the optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0035 using miscellaneous components, e.g. circulator, polarisation, acousto/thermo optical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0037 Operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Extremely High Frequency (EHF) distributed antenna systems and related components and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a base unit for distributing EHF modulated data signals to a RAU(s) is provided. The base unit includes a downlink data source input configured to receive downlink electrical data signal(s) from a data source. The base unit also includes an E-O converter configured to convert downlink electrical data signal(s) into downlink optical data signal(s). The base unit also includes an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in the EHF band. The base unit also includes a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical data signal(s) with the electrical carrier signal to form downlink modulated optical signal(s) comprising a downlink optical data signal(s) modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal. The modulator is further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal to the RAU(s).

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to a plurality of remote units (RUs) distributed in a building infrastructure, comprising:

a downlink input configured to receive at least one downlink optical data signal;

an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in an EHF band;

a modulator configured to combine the at least one downlink optical data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the at least one downlink optical data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal, the modulator further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal via a fiber optic array cable to two or more of the plurality of RUs in the building infrastructure and to at least one RU in an outbuilding separate from the building infrastructure; and

an uplink receiver comprising at least one antenna, the uplink receiver configured to operate at a frequency substantially lower than EHF to receive uplink electromagnetic signals from a plurality of wireless clients located in the building infrastructure and from at least one wireless client located in the outbuilding through the at least one antenna,

wherein the apparatus is configured to be positioned outside the building infrastructure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical carrier signal operates at approximately 60 GHz.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uplink receiver is configured to operate according to a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and/or a BLUETOOTH defined protocol.

4. A method for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to a plurality of remote units (RUs) distributed in a building infrastructure, comprising:

receiving, in a base unit located outside the building infrastructure, at least one downlink optical data signal;

combining, in the base unit, the at least one downlink optical data signal with an electrical carrier signal operating in an EHF band to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the at least one downlink optical data signal modulated at a center frequency of the electrical carrier signal;

sending, from the base unit, the downlink modulated optical signal over a fiber optic array cable to the plurality of RUs located in the building infrastructure and to at least RU in an outbuilding separate from the building infrastructure; and

receiving, at the base unit, an uplink electromagnetic signal from a plurality of wireless clients located in the building infrastructure and from at least one wireless client located in the outbuilding, the uplink electromagnetic signal having a frequency substantially lower than the EHF band.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising converting the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink electromagnetic signal at at least one RU of the plurality of RUs and sending the downlink electromagnetic signal to at least one wireless client.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the uplink electromagnetic signal from at least one wireless client of the plurality of wireless clients comprises receiving a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and/or a BLUETOOTH uplink signal.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the electrical carrier signal comprises a signal at approximately 60 GHz.

8. A system for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to at least one remote unit (RU), the system comprising:

a downlink input configured to receive at least one downlink optical data signal;

an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in an EHF band; and

a modulator configured to combine the at least one downlink optical data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the at least one downlink optical data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal;

a plurality of remote units (RUs) distributed in a building infrastructure, each of the RUs comprising an antenna, each RU of the plurality of RUs configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator, convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electromagnetic signal, and transmit the downlink modulated electromagnetic signal to a wireless client;

at least one RU located in an outbuilding separate from the building infrastructure, the at least one RU located in the outbuilding comprising an antenna and configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator, convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electromagnetic signal, and transmit the downlink modulated electromagnetic signal to a wireless client located in the outbuilding;

at least one fiber optic array cable coupling the modulator to the plurality of RUs distributed in the building infrastructure and configured to carry the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator to the plurality of RUs in the building infrastructure; and

a splitter located in the building infrastructure configured to allow the at least one fiber optic array cable to be extended to the outbuilding so that the at least one fiber optic array cable is further configured to carry the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator to the at least one RU in the outbuilding.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one RU of the plurality of RUs further comprises an optical to electrical (O-E) converter configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal and convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electrical signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the antenna of at least one RU of the plurality of RUs is remotely positioned relative to the modulator.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the center frequency is approximately 60 GHz.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a channel width associated with the downlink modulated optical signal is approximately 7 GHz.

13. A system for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to a plurality of remote units (RUs), the system comprising:

a downlink input configured to receive at least one downlink optical data signal;

an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in an EHF band;

a modulator configured to combine the at least one downlink optical data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the at least one downlink optical data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal;

a plurality of RUs distributed in a building infrastructure, at least one RU of the plurality of RUs being optically coupled to the modulator and comprising;

an optical to electrical (O-E) converter configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator and convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electrical signal; and

one or more antennas configured to transmit the downlink modulated electrical signal as an electromagnetic signal to a wireless client, and to receive uplink electromagnetic signals from a wireless client; and

at least one RU located in an outbuilding separate from the building infrastructure, the at least one RU located in the outbuilding comprising;

an optical to electrical (O-E) converter configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator and convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electrical signal; and

one or more antennas configured to transmit the downlink modulated electrical signal as an electromagnetic signal to a wireless client located in the outbuilding, and to receive uplink electromagnetic signals from a wireless client located in the outbuilding.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one RU of the plurality of RUs is optically coupled to the modulator by at least one optical fiber, the center frequency is approximately 60 GHz, and a channel width associated with the downlink modulated optical signal is approximately 7 GHz.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the downlink input is configured to receive a plurality of downlink optical data signals from a plurality of sources, the downlink optical data signals comprising at least one high definition video signal, the system further comprising a switch configured to multiplex the plurality of downlink optical data signals.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the EHF band is between 30 and 300 GHz.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more antennas is configured to receive the uplink electromagnetic signals from the wireless client at a frequency substantially lower than the EHF band.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more antennas are configured to receive the uplink electromagnetic signals from the wireless client at a frequency lower than 15 GHz.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more antennas are configured to receive uplink Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and/or BLUETOOTH signals.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one RU of the plurality of RUs is configured to receive cellular telephone communications from one or more client devices.