Multiprotocol antenna system for multiple service providers
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a hub unit configured to receive a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) carriers from a plurality of base stations via a plurality of analog downlink signals;
a plurality of radio access nodes, each of the plurality of radio access nodes located remotely from the hub unit and communicatively coupled to the hub unit;
wherein the hub unit comprises a plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of the analog downlink signals;
wherein the hub unit is configured to generate downlink digital data indicative of the downlink RF carriers using a plurality of channelizers;
wherein the hub unit is configured to generate the downlink digital data from the digital versions of the analog downlink signals;
wherein the hub unit is reconfigurable to selectively provide, to each of the plurality of radio access nodes, the downlink digital data associated with a respective two or more of the downlink RF carriers; and
wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is configured to generate, from the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, a plurality of analog downlink RF signals using a plurality of digital-to-analog converters, wherein the plurality of analog downlink RF signals comprises the two or more downlink RF carriers associated with the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, wherein that radio access node radiates the plurality of analog downlink RF signals in a respective coverage area associated with that radio access node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radio access node is configured to digitize a first analog radio frequency signal in order to generate first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal and is configured to digitize a second analog radio frequency signal in order to generate second digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal. The first analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a first mobile unit using wireless service provided by a first wireless service provider. The second analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a second mobile unit using wireless service provided by a second wireless service provider. The first and second digital data are transported from the radio access node to the base unit using a shared transport medium. The base unit is configured to produce information derived from the first digital data and the second digital data that is used in performing base station processing for the first mobile unit and the second mobile unit.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a hub unit configured to receive a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) carriers from a plurality of base stations via a plurality of analog downlink signals; a plurality of radio access nodes, each of the plurality of radio access nodes located remotely from the hub unit and communicatively coupled to the hub unit; wherein the hub unit comprises a plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of the analog downlink signals; wherein the hub unit is configured to generate downlink digital data indicative of the downlink RF carriers using a plurality of channelizers; wherein the hub unit is configured to generate the downlink digital data from the digital versions of the analog downlink signals; wherein the hub unit is reconfigurable to selectively provide, to each of the plurality of radio access nodes, the downlink digital data associated with a respective two or more of the downlink RF carriers; and wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is configured to generate, from the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, a plurality of analog downlink RF signals using a plurality of digital-to-analog converters, wherein the plurality of analog downlink RF signals comprises the two or more downlink RF carriers associated with the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, wherein that radio access node radiates the plurality of analog downlink RF signals in a respective coverage area associated with that radio access node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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a hub unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of base stations; and a plurality of radio access nodes, each of the plurality of radio access nodes located remotely from the hub unit and communicatively coupled to the hub unit; wherein each radio access node is configured to receive a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers associated with that radio access node, wherein the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with that radio access node is transmitted from user equipment via one or more analog uplink signals; wherein each radio access node comprises a respective plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; wherein each radio access node is configured to generate uplink digital data indicative of the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with and received at that radio access node using a plurality of channelizers; wherein each radio access node is configured to generate the uplink digital data for that radio access node from the produced digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; wherein each radio access node is configured to provide, to the hub unit, the uplink digital data generated at that radio access node; and wherein the hub unit is configured to generate, from the uplink digital data provided to the hub unit from the plurality of radio access nodes, a plurality of uplink base station signals associated with the plurality of uplink RF carriers received at the radio access nodes and provide the uplink base station signals to the plurality of base stations. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a hub unit, a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) carriers from a plurality of base stations via a plurality of analog downlink signals; generating digital versions of the analog downlink signals using a plurality of analog-to-digital converters of the hub unit; generating downlink digital data indicative of the downlink RF carriers from the digital versions of the analog downlink signals using a plurality of channelizers of the hub unit; selectively providing, to each of a plurality of radio access nodes, the downlink digital data associated with a respective two or more of the downlink RF carriers, wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is located remotely from the hub unit and communicatively coupled to the hub unit; generating, for each of the plurality of radio access nodes, a plurality of analog downlink RF signals from the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node using a plurality of digital-to-analog converters of that radio access node, wherein the plurality of analog downlink RF signals comprise the two or more downlink RF carriers associated with the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node; and radiating, for each of the plurality of radio access nodes, the plurality of analog downlink RF signals in a respective coverage area associated with that radio access node. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method comprising:
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receiving, at each radio access node of a plurality of radio access nodes, a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers associated with that radio access node, wherein the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with that radio access node is transmitted from user equipment via one or more analog uplink signals, wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is located remotely from and is communicatively coupled to a hub unit; generating, for each radio access node, digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals using a respective plurality of analog-to-digital converters; and generating, at each radio access node, uplink digital data indicative of the uplink RF carriers associated with and received at that radio access node using a respective plurality of channelizers; generating, at each radio access node, the uplink digital data for that radio access node from the generated digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; providing, from each radio access node, to the hub unit, the uplink digital data generated at that radio access node; generating, from the uplink digital data provided to the hub unit by the plurality of radio access nodes, a plurality of uplink base station signals associated with the plurality of uplink RF carriers received at the radio access nodes; and providing the uplink base station signals to a plurality of base stations. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A hub unit comprising:
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a plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of a plurality of analog downlink signals, wherein the hub unit is configured to receive a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) carriers from a plurality of base stations via the plurality of analog downlink signals; wherein the hub unit is configured to generate downlink digital data indicative of the downlink RF carriers using a plurality of channelizers; wherein the hub unit is configured to generate the downlink digital data from the digital versions of the analog downlink signals; wherein the hub unit is reconfigurable to selectively provide, to each of a plurality of radio access nodes, the downlink digital data associated with a respective two or more of the downlink RF carriers; wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is located remotely from the hub unit and is communicatively coupled to the hub unit; and wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is configured to generate, from the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, a plurality of analog downlink RF signals using a plurality of digital-to-analog converters, wherein the plurality of analog downlink RF signals comprises the two or more downlink RF carriers associated with the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, wherein that radio access node radiates the plurality of analog downlink RF signals in a respective coverage area associated with that radio access node. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A radio access node comprising:
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a plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of one or more analog uplink signals, wherein the radio access node is configured to receive a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers transmitted from user equipment via the one or more analog uplink signals; wherein the radio access node is configured to generate uplink digital data indicative of the uplink RF carriers received at the radio access node using a plurality of channelizers; wherein the radio access node is configured to generate the uplink digital data from the produced digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at the radio access node; wherein the radio access node is configured to provide the uplink digital data generated at the radio access node to a hub unit located remotely from the radio access node and communicatively coupled to the radio access node; and wherein the hub unit is configured to generate, at least in part from the uplink digital data provided to the hub unit from the radio access node, a plurality of uplink base station signals associated with the plurality of uplink RF carriers received at the radio access node and provide the uplink base station signals to base stations communicatively coupled to the hub unit. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A system comprising:
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at least one base unit; and a plurality of radio access nodes, each of the plurality of radio access nodes located remotely from the at least one base unit and communicatively coupled to the at least one base unit; wherein each radio access node is configured to receive a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers associated with that radio access node, wherein the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with that radio access node is transmitted from user equipment via one or more analog uplink signals; wherein each radio access node comprises a respective plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; wherein each radio access node is configured to generate uplink digital data indicative of the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with and received at that radio access node using a plurality of channelizers; wherein each radio access node is configured to generate the uplink digital data for that radio access node from the produced digital versions of the respective one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; wherein each radio access node is configured to provide, to the at least one base unit, the uplink digital data generated at that radio access node; and wherein the at least one base unit is configured to perform base station processing for the user equipment using information derived from the uplink digital data provided to the at least one base unit from the plurality of radio access nodes. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method comprising:
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receiving, at each radio access node of a plurality of radio access nodes, a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers associated with that radio access node, wherein the plurality of uplink RF carriers associated with that radio access node is transmitted from user equipment via one or more analog uplink signals, wherein each of the plurality of radio access nodes is located remotely from and is communicatively coupled to at least one base unit; generating, for each radio access node, digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals using a respective plurality of analog-to-digital converters; and generating, at each radio access node, uplink digital data indicative of the uplink RF carriers associated with and received at that radio access node using a respective plurality of channelizers; generating, at each radio access node, the uplink digital data for that radio access node from the generated digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at that radio access node; providing, from each radio access node, to the at least one base unit, the uplink digital data generated at that radio access node; and performing base station processing for the user equipment using information derived from the uplink digital data provided to the at least one base unit by the plurality of radio access nodes. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A radio access node comprising:
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a plurality of analog-to-digital converters to produce digital versions of one or more analog uplink signals, wherein the radio access node is configured to receive a plurality of uplink radio frequency (RF) carriers transmitted from user equipment via the one or more analog uplink signals; wherein the radio access node is configured to generate uplink digital data indicative of the uplink RF carriers received at the radio access node using a plurality of channelizers; wherein the radio access node is configured to generate the uplink digital data from the produced digital versions of the one or more analog uplink signals received at the radio access node; wherein the radio access node is configured to provide the uplink digital data generated at the radio access node to a base unit located remotely from the radio access node and communicatively coupled to the radio access node; and wherein the base unit is configured to perform base station processing for the user equipment using information derived from the uplink digital data provided to the base unit. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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Specification