Point-to-multipoint digital radio frequency transport
First Claim
1. A distributed antenna system comprising:
- a host unit including at least one base station interface configured to couple the host unit to at least one transmitter of a base station and at least one receiver of the base station via an external interface of the base station, the host unit further including at least one cable interface, the host unit configured to derive a transmitted digital signal from a downlink analog radio frequency signal in a form suitable for wireless transmission to wireless units, the transmitted digital signal for transmission using the at least one cable interface, the host unit configured to receive the downlink analog radio frequency signal from the at least one transmitter of the base station via the at least one base station interface and the external interface of the base station, the at least one cable interface configured to receive a received digital signal, the host unit configured to derive an uplink analog radio frequency signal in a form suitable for wireless transmission to the base station via the external interface of the base station from the received digital signal, wherein the host unit is configured to output the uplink analog radio frequency signal to the at least one receiver of the base station via the at least one base station interface and the external interface of the base station;
a plurality of remote antenna units, each remote unit located at a respective site and communicatively coupled with the host unit through at least one cable, each remote unit configured to transmit an analog representation of the transmitted digital signal to a respective coverage area of the respective site, each remote antenna unit further configured to receive radio frequency signals from the respective coverage area of the respective site and to convert the radio frequency signals into a digitized received spectrum;
a summing unit communicatively coupled to the host unit through at least a first cable and at least one remote antenna unit of the plurality of remote antenna units through at least a second cable, the summing unit positioned downstream of and remote from the host unit and upstream of and remote from the at least one remote antenna unit, the summing unit including a digital summer configured to sum a first digitized spectrum derived from a signal received by the summing unit from the at least one remote antenna unit with a second digitized spectrum to generate a digitally summed signal, the second digitized spectrum being from at least one site different than the site where the at least one remote antenna unit is located, wherein the digitally summed signal is transmitted toward the host unit; and
wherein the received digital signal is derived from the digitally summed signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment is directed to a system for use with a coverage area in which one or more wireless units wirelessly transmit using a wireless radio frequency spectrum. The system comprises a first unit, and a plurality of second units communicatively coupled to the first unit using at least one communication medium. Each of the plurality of second units generates respective digital RF samples indicative of a respective analog wireless signal received at that second unit. Each of the plurality of second units communicates the respective digital RF samples generated by that second unit to the first unit using the at least one communication medium. The first unit digitally sums corresponding digital RF samples received from the plurality of second units to produce summed digital RF samples. The system is configured so that an input used for base station processing is derived from the resulting summed digital RF samples.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A distributed antenna system comprising:
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a host unit including at least one base station interface configured to couple the host unit to at least one transmitter of a base station and at least one receiver of the base station via an external interface of the base station, the host unit further including at least one cable interface, the host unit configured to derive a transmitted digital signal from a downlink analog radio frequency signal in a form suitable for wireless transmission to wireless units, the transmitted digital signal for transmission using the at least one cable interface, the host unit configured to receive the downlink analog radio frequency signal from the at least one transmitter of the base station via the at least one base station interface and the external interface of the base station, the at least one cable interface configured to receive a received digital signal, the host unit configured to derive an uplink analog radio frequency signal in a form suitable for wireless transmission to the base station via the external interface of the base station from the received digital signal, wherein the host unit is configured to output the uplink analog radio frequency signal to the at least one receiver of the base station via the at least one base station interface and the external interface of the base station; a plurality of remote antenna units, each remote unit located at a respective site and communicatively coupled with the host unit through at least one cable, each remote unit configured to transmit an analog representation of the transmitted digital signal to a respective coverage area of the respective site, each remote antenna unit further configured to receive radio frequency signals from the respective coverage area of the respective site and to convert the radio frequency signals into a digitized received spectrum; a summing unit communicatively coupled to the host unit through at least a first cable and at least one remote antenna unit of the plurality of remote antenna units through at least a second cable, the summing unit positioned downstream of and remote from the host unit and upstream of and remote from the at least one remote antenna unit, the summing unit including a digital summer configured to sum a first digitized spectrum derived from a signal received by the summing unit from the at least one remote antenna unit with a second digitized spectrum to generate a digitally summed signal, the second digitized spectrum being from at least one site different than the site where the at least one remote antenna unit is located, wherein the digitally summed signal is transmitted toward the host unit; and wherein the received digital signal is derived from the digitally summed signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for digital transport of a wireless spectrum, the system comprising:
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a first unit located at a first site, the first unit including at least one cable interface; a second unit remotely located from the first unit at a second site and communicatively coupled to the first unit by at least a first cable communicatively coupled to the at least one cable interface; a third unit remotely located from the first unit at a third site and communicatively coupled to the second unit; wherein the third unit is configured to receive, at the third site, a first analog wireless signal comprising first wireless spectrum and any transmissions from any wireless units within a first coverage area associated with the third unit; wherein the third unit is configured to generate first digital samples indicative of at least a first portion of the first wireless spectrum of the first analog wireless signal; wherein the third unit is configured to communicate the first digital samples to the second unit; wherein the second unit is configured to digitally sum the first digital samples with second digital samples indicative of at least a second portion of a second wireless spectrum of a second analog wireless signal to produce first summed digital samples; wherein the second unit is configured to communicate the first summed digital samples to the first unit using the first cable; and wherein the first unit is configured to derive an uplink analog radio frequency signal, in a form suitable for wireless transmission to a base station via an external interface of the base station, from the first summed digital samples, wherein the first unit is configured to output the uplink analog radio frequency signal to at least one receiver of the base station via the external interface of the base station. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A first unit used in digital transport of a wireless spectrum, the first unit comprising:
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a first cable interface configured to communicatively couple the first unit to a second upstream unit located remotely from the first unit at a second site through a first cable; a second cable interface configured to communicatively couple the first unit to a third downstream unit located remotely from the first unit at a third site, the second cable interface configured to receive first digital samples from the third downstream unit, the first digital samples indicative of at least a first portion of a first wireless spectrum of a first analog wireless signal comprising the first wireless spectrum and any transmission received at the third downstream unit positioned at the third site from any wireless units within a first coverage area associated with the third downstream unit; a digital summer configured to digitally sum the first digital samples with second digital samples indicative of at least a second portion of a second wireless spectrum of a second analog wireless signal to produce first summed digital samples; wherein the first cable interface is configured to communicate the first summed digital samples to the second upstream unit using the first cable, wherein the second upstream unit is configured to derive an uplink analog radio frequency signal from the first summed digital samples in a form suitable for wireless transmission to a base station via an external interface of the base station, wherein the second upstream unit is configured to output the uplink analog radio frequency signal to at least one receiver of the base station via the external interface of the base station. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification