Supporting an add-on remote unit (RU) in an optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) over an existing optical fiber communications medium using radio frequency (RF) multiplexing
First Claim
1. A remote unit (RU) system in wireless communications system, comprising:
- an existing RU comprising an existing RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one existing downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signal received from at least one existing RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal;
an add-on RU comprising an add-on RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal received from at least one add-on RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal different from the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal; and
a RU frontend interface comprising;
a first optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter coupled to a downlink optical fiber;
an RF de-multiplexer coupled to the first O/E converter;
a first electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and at least one existing RU;
a second O/E converter coupled to the at least one existing RU;
a third O/E converter coupled to at least one add-on RU;
an RF multiplexer coupled to the second O/E converter and the third O/E converter;
a second E/O converter coupled to an uplink optical fiber and the RF multiplexer; and
a third E/O converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and the at least one add-on RU;
wherein the RU frontend interface is configured to;
receive a downlink multiplexed optical signal over the downlink optical fiber;
convert the downlink multiplexed optical signal into a downlink multiplexed RF signal;
de-multiplex the downlink multiplexed RF signal and generate the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal;
convert the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one existing downlink optical RF communications signal; and
convert the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include supporting an add-on remote unit(s) (RU) in an optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) over existing optical fiber communications medium using radio frequency (RF) multiplexing. An existing DAS comprises at least one existing head end equipment (HEE) communicatively coupled to a plurality of existing RUs through an existing optical fiber communications medium. In aspects disclosed herein, an add-on RU is added to the existing DAS to support additional wireless communications. No new optical fibers are required to be deployed to support communications to the add-on RU in the existing DAS. Instead, the existing DAS is configured to support the add-on RU through the existing optical fiber communications medium using RF multiplexing. As a result, the add-on RU can be added to the existing optical fiber-based DAS without adding new optical fibers, thus leading to reduced service disruptions and deployment costs.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A remote unit (RU) system in wireless communications system, comprising:
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an existing RU comprising an existing RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one existing downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signal received from at least one existing RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal; an add-on RU comprising an add-on RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal received from at least one add-on RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal different from the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal; and a RU frontend interface comprising; a first optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter coupled to a downlink optical fiber; an RF de-multiplexer coupled to the first O/E converter; a first electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and at least one existing RU; a second O/E converter coupled to the at least one existing RU; a third O/E converter coupled to at least one add-on RU; an RF multiplexer coupled to the second O/E converter and the third O/E converter; a second E/O converter coupled to an uplink optical fiber and the RF multiplexer; and a third E/O converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and the at least one add-on RU; wherein the RU frontend interface is configured to; receive a downlink multiplexed optical signal over the downlink optical fiber; convert the downlink multiplexed optical signal into a downlink multiplexed RF signal; de-multiplex the downlink multiplexed RF signal and generate the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal; convert the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one existing downlink optical RF communications signal; and convert the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A remote unit (RU) system in communications system, comprising:
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an existing RU comprising an existing RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one existing downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signal received from at least one existing RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal; an add-on RU comprising an add-on RU downlink communications signal path configured to convert at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal received from at least one add-on RU downlink optical signal interface into at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal different from the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal; a RU frontend interface comprising; a first optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter coupled to a downlink optical fiber; an RF de-multiplexer coupled to the first O/E converter; a first electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and at least one existing RU; and a second O/E converter coupled to the at least one existing RU; and wherein the RU frontend interface is configured to; receive a downlink multiplexed optical signal over the downlink optical fiber; convert the downlink multiplexed optical signal into a downlink multiplexed RF signal; de-multiplex the downlink multiplexed RF signal and generate the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal; convert the at least one existing downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one existing downlink optical RF communications signal; convert the at least one add-on downlink electrical RF communications signal into the at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal; provide the at least one existing downlink optical RF communications signal to the existing RU downlink communications signal path via the at least one existing RU downlink optical signal interface; and provide the at least one add-on downlink optical RF communications signal to the add-on RU downlink communications signal path via the at least one add-on RU downlink optical signal interface; and at least one cable, wherein the RU frontend interface further comprises; a third O/E converter coupled to at least one add-on RU; an RF multiplexer coupled to the second O/E converter and the third O/E converter; a second E/O converter coupled to an uplink optical fiber and the RF multiplexer; and a third E/O converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and the at least one add-on RU. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A communications system, comprising:
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a head end equipment (HEE), comprising; at least one existing radio interface; at least one add-on radio interface; at least one existing optical interface module (OIM) coupled to the at least one existing radio interface and the at least one add-on radio interface; and wherein the at least one existing OIM comprises a HEE frontend interface; a remote unit (RU) system, further comprising; at least one existing RU; at least one add-on RU; and a RU frontend interface comprising; a first optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter coupled to a downlink optical fiber; a radio frequency (RF) de-multiplexer coupled to the first O/E converter and the at least one add-on RU; a first electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter coupled to the RF de-multiplexer and the at least one existing RU; and a second O/E converter coupled to the at least one existing RU; the downlink optical fiber configured to connect the HEE frontend interface to the RU frontend interface; and the uplink optical fiber configured to connect the RU frontend interface to the HEE frontend interface; and a plurality of cables, wherein the RU frontend interface further comprises; an RF multiplexer coupled to the second O/E converter and the at least one add-on RU; and a second E/O converter coupled to the RF multiplexer and an uplink optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification