Scalable distributed radio network

• US 20060172775A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Solum, Jeff, Hermel, Michael J., Conyers, David J., Fischer, Larry G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A scalable network is provided. The network includes a remote device coupled to an antenna and adapted to communicate with subscriber units over an RF link, a switching device coupled to the remote device, and a radio suite coupled to the switching device. The radio suite includes two or more radios, each radio performs the functions of a base station transceiver. The switching device interconnects the radio suite with the remote device. Each radio supports one or more air interface standards.

Claims

1. A scalable network, comprising:

a remote device coupled to an antenna and adapted to communicate with subscriber units over an RF link;

a switching device coupled to the remote device; and

a radio suite coupled to the switching device;

wherein the radio suite includes two or more radios, each radio performs the functions of a base station transceiver; and

wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the remote device.

wherein each radio supports one or more air interface standards.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein a first radio of the at least two or more radios operates on a first set of radio channels associated with the remote device.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein a second radio of the at least two or more radios operates on a second set of radio channels and when a defined number of the first set of radio channels are in use the second set of radio channels is reallocated to the remote device.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the switching device includes a summer.

5. The network of claim 4, wherein the summer is a digital summation module and combines digital optical representation of RF signals from the two or more radios into a single digital optical representation of the RF signals.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the radio suite includes a plurality of electrical-to-optical modules.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the remote device digitizes and converts RF signals received over the RF link to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transmission to the switching device.

8. The network of claim 7, wherein the remote device further converts a single digital optical representation of voice/data signals received from the switching device to RF signals for transmission to subscribers over the RF link.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein, in a forward link, the switching device includes a passive optical splitter.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein the passive optical splitter receives output signals from the remote device and makes them available to the associated radios of the two or more radios.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein the one or more air interface standards include Global System for Mobile communications standard, Advanced Mobile Phone System, code division multiple access, wide-band CDMA, time division multiple access, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN).

12. The network of claim 1, wherein the two or more radios include one or more software defined radios.

13. The network of claim 1, wherein the two or more radios include one or more cognitive radios.

14. A cellular network, comprising:

a remote device coupled to an antenna and adapted to communicate with subscriber units over an RF link; and

a radio suite coupled to the remote device;

wherein the radio suite includes a radio that performs the functions of a base station transceiver;

wherein the radio supports one or more air interface standards.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the remote device digitizes and converts RF signals received over the RF link to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transport to the radio suite.

16. The network of claim 14, wherein the radio suite includes an electrical-to-optical module that decimates and converts the digital optical representation to electrical signals.

17. The network of claim 14, wherein the remote device converts a digital optical representation of voice/data signals received from the radio suite to RF signals for transmission to subscribers over the RF link.

18. The network of claim 14, wherein the radio suite generates a digital representation of RF signals received from a communication network and converts the digital representation of the RF signals to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transmission over a transport medium to the remote device.

19. The network of claim 14, wherein the one or more air interface standards include Global System for Mobile communications standard, Advanced Mobile Phone System, code division multiple access, wide-band CDMA, time division multiple access, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN).

20. The network of claim 18, wherein the transport medium is fiber optic.

21. The network of claim 18, wherein the transport medium is millimeter wave.

22. The network of claim 18, wherein the transport medium is dark fiber.

23. The network of claim 18, wherein the transport medium is Free Space Optics (FSO).

24. The network of claim 14, wherein the radio is one of a software defined radio and a cognitive radio.

25. A scalable network, comprising:

a plurality of remote devices, wherein each remote device is coupled to an associated antenna and adapted to communicate with subscriber units over an RF link;

a switching device coupled to the plurality of remote devices; and

a radio suite coupled to the switching device;

wherein the radio suite includes a radio that performs the functions of a base station transceiver;

wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the plurality of remote devices;

wherein the radio supports one or more air interface standards.

26. The network of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of remote devices converts RF signals received over the RF link to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transmission to the switching device.

27. The network of claim 26, wherein the radio suite includes an electrical-to-optical module and converts the digital optical representation of the RF signals to electrical signals.

28. The network of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of remote device converts a digital optical representation of RF signals received from the switching device to RF signals for transmission to subscribers over the RF link.

29. The network of claim 25, wherein the radio suite generates a digital representation of RF signals received from a communication network and converts the digital representation of the RF signals to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transmission over a transport medium to the switching device.

30. The network of claim 25, wherein the radio operates on a first set of radio channels associated with one of the plurality of remote devices.

31. The network of claim 30, wherein the radio is adapted to dynamically reassign the first set of radio channels to one or more of the other remote devices of the plurality of remote devices.

32. The network of claim 29, wherein the switching device includes a passive optical splitter that cross connects the digital optical representation of the RF signals from the radio suite and provides it to one or more of the plurality of remote devices.

33. The network of claim 25, wherein the switching device includes a digital summation module coupled to each of the plurality of remote devices and combines optical signals from the plurality of remote devices into a single digital optical representation of an RF signal.

34. The network of claim 25, wherein the one or more air interface standards include Global System for Mobile communications standard, Advanced Mobile Phone System, code division multiple access, wide-band CDMA, time division multiple access, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN).

35. The network of claim 29, wherein the communication network is the public switched telephone network.

36. The network of claim 29, wherein the communication network is the Internet.

37. The network of claim 29, wherein the communication network is a cable network.

38. The network of claim 25, wherein the radio is one of a software defined radio and a cognitive radio.

39. A scalable distributed radio network, comprising:

a plurality of remote devices each including an antenna and wherein each remote device is adapted to communicate with subscriber units over an RF link;

a switching device coupled to each of the plurality of remote devices;

a radio suite coupled to the switching device;

wherein the radio suite includes a plurality of radios, each radio performs the functions of a base station transceiver;

wherein the switching device interconnects the plurality of software radios with the plurality of remote devices;

wherein each software radio supports one or more air interface standards.

40. The network of claim 39, wherein the plurality of radios are software defined radios.

41. The network of claim 39, wherein a first radio of the plurality of radios operates on a first set of radio channels associated with a first remote device of the plurality of remote devices.

42. The network of claim 41, wherein a second radio of the plurality of radios operates on a second set of radio channels associated with a second remote device of the plurality of remote devices, and when a defined number of the first set of radio channels are in use the second set of radio channels is reallocated to the first remote device.

43. The network of claim 39, wherein each of the plurality of remote devices converts RF signals received over the RF link to a digital optical representation of the RF signals for transmission to the switching device.

44. The network of claim 43, wherein the radio suite includes a plurality of electrical-to-optical modules and each electrical-to-optical module decimates the digital optical representation of the RF signals.

45. The network of claim 39, wherein the radio suite generates a digital optical representation of RF signals received from one or more communication networks for to the switching device.

46. The network of claim 45, wherein each of the plurality of remote devices converts the digital optical representations of the RF signals received from the switching device to RF signals for transmission to subscribers over the RF link.

47. The network of claim 41, wherein the first radio is adapted to dynamically reassign the first set of radio channels to one or more of the other remote devices of the plurality of remote devices.

48. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device includes a passive optical splitter that takes a single digital optical representation of RF signals and provides it to one or more of the plurality of remote devices.

49. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device includes a digital summation module coupled to each of the plurality of remote devices and combines optical signals from the plurality of remote devices into a single digital optical representation of an RF signal.

50. The network of claim 44, wherein the switching device includes a digital summation module coupled to each of the plurality of electrical-to-optical devices modules and combines each of the digital optical representation of RF signals into a single digital optical representation of an RF signal.

51. The network of claim 49, wherein the switching device includes a passive optical summer adapted to receive the single digital optical representation of an RF signal and makes it available to the associated radios of the plurality of software radios.

52. The network of claim 39, wherein the one or more air interface standards include Global System for Mobile communications standard, Advanced Mobile Phone System, code division multiple access, wide-band CDMA, time division multiple access, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN).

53. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the plurality of remote devices using an active optical switch.

54. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the plurality of remote devices using a passive cross connect.

55. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the plurality of remote devices using a passive interconnect.

56. The network of claim 39, wherein the switching device interconnects the radio suite with the plurality of remote devices using a direct connection with fiber optic patch cords.

57. The network of claim 39, wherein the plurality of radios comprises a plurality of software defined radios.

58. A method of communicating in a cellular network, the method comprising:

receiving one or more radio frequency (RF) signals over an air interface;

converting the one or more radio frequency signals to a digital optical representation of the RF signals;

transmitting the digital optical representation of the RF signals over an optical medium;

dividing the digital optical representation of the RF signals into a plurality of digital optical signals;

converting each of the divided digital optical signals into digital RF signals at one of a plurality of electrical-to-optical modules;

decimating the digital RF signals;

at each electrical-to-optical modules, passing only channels assigned to an associated software radio;

wherein each software radio supports one or more air interface standards;

performing signal processing;

and transmitting the processed signals to one or more communication networks.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein converting the one or more radio frequency signals to a digital optical signal comprises digitizing the one or more radio frequency signals.

60. A method of communicating in a cellular network having a plurality of software radios, the method comprising:

receiving RF signals over a communication network for associated software radios of the plurality of software radios;

wherein each software radio supports one or more air interface standards;

generating, at each software radio, a digital representation of the received RF signals;

converting each digital representation into a digital optical representation of the RF signals;

combining the digital optical signals representations into a single digital optical representation;

transmitting the single digital optical representation over an optical medium to an associated remote device;

converting the single digital optical representation into radio frequency signals; and

transmitting the radio frequency signals to subscriber units over a radio frequency link.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein generating a digital representation of the received radio frequency signals includes modulating the RF signals.

62. A method of communicating in a cellular network, the method comprising:

receiving associated radio frequency uplink signals over an air interface at each of a plurality of remote devices;

converting the radio frequency signals to a digital optical representation of the RF signal at each of the plurality of remote devices;

digitally summing the digital optical representations from each of the plurality of remote devices into a single digital optical representation;

transmitting the single digital optical representation of the radio frequency signals over an optical medium;

dividing the digital optical representation into a plurality of digital optical signals;

decimating the digital RF signals;

converting each of the divided digital optical signals into digital RF signals at one of a plurality of electrical-to-optical modules;

at each electrical-to-optical modules, passing only channels assigned to an associated software radio;

wherein each software radio supports one or more air interface standards;

performing signal processing;

and transmitting the processed signals to one or more communication networks.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein converting the radio frequency signals comprises digitizing the radio frequency signals.

64. A method of communicating in a cellular network having a plurality of software radios, the method comprising:

receiving RF signals over a public switched telephone network for associated software radios of the plurality of software radios;

wherein each software radio supports one or more air interface standards;

generating, at each software radio, a digital representation of the received RF signals;

converting each digital representation into a digital optical representation;

combining the digital optical representations into a single digital optical representation of the voice/data signals;

passing the single digital optical representation over an optical medium to a passive optical summer;

dividing the single digital optical representation and transmitting the divided optical signals to a plurality of remote devices;

converting the divided digital optical representations into radio frequency signals at each of the plurality of remote devices; and

transmitting the radio frequency signals to subscriber units over a radio frequency link.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein generating at each software radio, a digital representation of the received radio frequency signals includes modulating voice and data signals.