Scalable telecommunications system

• US 10,271,380 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dussmann, Alfons, Kummetz, Thomas, Schmid, Peter, Fackler, Karl-Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Tse, Young T
• Application Number:
  US15/637,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 375211, 375219, 375220, 375222, 375259, 370254, 370257, 370258, 370270, 370277-279, 370282, 370293, 3703102, 370315, 370328, 370338, 455500, 455507, 455522, 455526, 455 73, 4555531
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/026 Arrangements for coupling transmitters, receivers or transceivers to transmission lines; Line drivers duplexing arrangements H04L5/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0264 Arrangements for coupling to transmission lines duplexing arrangements H04L5/14; line equalisers, line build-out devices H04L25/03878
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Scalable telecommunications systems and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a node unit for a scalable telecommunications system comprises: a plurality of universal digital RF transceivers each configured to communicatively couple the node unit to external equipment; one or more universal digital transport interfaces each configured to communicatively couple the node unit to a respective transport link; a universal backplane communicatively coupled to the universal digital RF transceivers and universal digital transport interfaces; and a system controller; wherein each of the universal digital RF transceivers is configured to couple to a respective modular power amplifier and a modular duplexer inserted within the node unit. The system controller is configured to detect capabilities of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the modular power amplifier and modular duplexer, and adjust parameters of the node unit in response to the detected capabilities.

Claims

1. A node unit for a scalable telecommunications system, the node unit comprising:

a plurality of universal digital radio frequency (RF) transceivers, wherein each of the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers is configured to communicatively couple the node unit to a respective external equipment;

one or more universal digital transport interfaces, wherein each of the one or more universal digital transport interfaces is configured to communicatively couple the node unit to a respective transport link;

a universal backplane communicatively coupled to the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers and to the one or more universal digital transport interfaces; and

a system controller;

wherein each of the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers is configured to couple to a respective modular power amplifier and a respective modular duplexer inserted within the node unit; and

wherein the system controller is configured to detect capabilities of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective modular power amplifier and the respective modular duplexer, and adjust parameters of the node unit in response to the detected capabilities.

2. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the system controller adjusts the parameters of the node unit via software.

3. The node unit of claim 2, wherein the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers, the one or more universal digital transport interfaces, and the universal backplane are each reconfigurable at least partially through the software.

4. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the system controller is separate from any of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective modular power amplifier and the respective modular duplexer.

5. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the system controller is comprised within one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective modular power amplifier and the respective modular duplexer.

6. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the node unit is configured to communicatively couple an input of each modular power amplifier to a respective output of a universal digital RF transceiver of the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers.

7. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the node unit is configured to communicatively couple each universal digital RF transceiver to the respective external equipment via the respective modular duplexer.

8. The node unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective modular power amplifier, and the respective modular duplexer comprises a respective module ID.

9. The node unit of claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to read the respective module ID and to configure the operation of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, and the universal backplane based on the respective module ID.

10. The node unit of claim 8, wherein each module ID is stored in at least one of:

a memory device, a bar code label, a quick response (QR) code label, and a radio frequency identifier (RFID) chip.

11. The node unit of claim 10, wherein the node unit further comprises a reader configured to read the respective module ID.

12. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the node unit is configured to communicate via a universal combiner harness that is coupled to each of the modular duplexers.

13. The node unit of claim 1, wherein each universal digital RF transceiver is configured to receive a first input from the respective external equipment and output respective first digital samples associated with the respective first input to the universal backplane;

wherein each universal digital transport interface is configured to receive respective second digital samples from the universal backplane and to output a respective first output to the respective transport link;

wherein the respective second digital samples received at each universal digital transport interface are derived from the respective first digital samples output from one or more of the universal digital RF transceivers;

wherein each universal digital transport interface is configured to receive a second input from the respective transport link and output respective third digital samples associated with the respective second input to the universal backplane;

wherein each universal digital RF transceiver is configured to receive respective fourth digital samples from the universal backplane and to output a respective second output to the respective external equipment; and

wherein the respective fourth digital samples received at each universal digital RF transceiver are derived from the respective third digital samples output from one or more of the universal digital transport interfaces.

14. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the universal backplane comprises at least one of an active universal backplane and a passive universal backplane.

15. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to configure the operation of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, and the universal backplane based on a respective module ID by at least one of:

identifying the system controller from among a number of other controllers in the scalable telecommunications system;

configuring routing in the universal backplane;

configuring a signal path in at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers;

configuring cooling of the node unit; and

detecting a frequency range of at least one duplexer.

16. The node unit of claim 15, wherein configuring the signal path in at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers comprises configuring at least one of an RF frequency band for the signal path, a gain in the signal path, a connector in the signal path, and a power level in the signal path.

17. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the node unit is configured to function as at least one of:

a master unit of a distributed antenna system, a remote unit of a distributed antenna system, a donor unit of a repeater, and a coverage unit of a repeater.

18. The node unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers, the one or more universal digital transport interfaces, and the universal backplane are each reconfigurable by the system controller with respect to at least one of frequency, power, and duplexing technology.

19. A method for a scalable telecommunications system, the method comprising:

coupling within a node unit of the scalable telecommunications system, a plurality of universal digital radio frequency (RF) transceivers to one or more universal digital transport interfaces through a universal backplane, wherein each of the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers is configured to communicatively couple the node unit to a respective external equipment, wherein each of the one or more universal digital transport interfaces is configured to communicatively couple the node unit to a respective transport link;

coupling within the node unit, a respective modular power amplifier and a respective modular duplexer to each of the plurality of universal digital RF transceivers;

detecting capabilities of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective modular power amplifier and the respective modular duplexer; and

adjusting parameters of the node unit in response to the detected capabilities.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a system controller adjusts parameters of the node unit via software.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, the universal backplane, the respective power amplifier, and the respective modular duplexer comprises a respective module ID, the method further comprising:

reading the respective module ID; and

configuring configure operation of at least one of the universal digital RF transceivers, the universal digital transport interfaces, and the universal backplane based on the respective module ID.