DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS NETWORK SYSTEMS

• US 20100278530A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kummetz, Thomas, Cleary, Dennis M., Yan, Hongju, Schmalisch, Mathias, McAllister, Donald R., Pagano, Carmine, Hanson, Van, Eisenwinter, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2575 Radio-over-fibre, e.g. radio frequency signal modulated onto an optical carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A distributed antenna system is provided for communicating with a plurality of base stations. The distributed antenna system includes a system controller and a master unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of base stations. A remote unit communicates over a high data rate media with the master unit and/or a downstream remote unit. Alternatively, the distributed antenna system includes a controller and a digital time/space crosspoint switch controlled by the controller. A digitizing transceiver is in communication with the digital time/space crosspoint switch. The crosspoint switch is configured to transmit and receive digital data through the digitizing transceiver.

Claims

1. A distributed antenna system communicating with a plurality of base stations, the distributed antenna system comprising:

a system controller;

a master unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of base stations; and

a remote unit communicating over a digitally modulated optical channel with the master unit, the remote unit further communicating with at least one of a plurality of mobile units over a plurality of air interfaces and RF bands.

2. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is a first remote unit, the distributed antenna system further comprising:

a second remote unit communicating over a digitally modulated optical channel with the first remote unit, and further communicating with at least one of the plurality of mobile units over the plurality of air interfaces and RF bands.

3. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, wherein uplink signals received at the second remote unit are communicated to the master unit through the first remote unit, and wherein downlink signals sent from the master unit are communicated to the second remote unit through the first remote unit.

4. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, further comprising:

a third remote unit communicating over a digitally modulated optical channel with the second remote unit, and further communicating with at least one of the plurality of mobile units over the plurality of air interfaces and RF bands,

wherein the first, second, and third remote units are connected in a daisy chain fashion.

5. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a first optical fiber for carrying uplink signals; and

a second optical fiber for carrying downlink signals,

wherein the first and second optical fibers are configured as half duplex channels.

6. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

an optical fiber for carrying uplink and downlink signals on different wavelengths; and

a wavelength division multiplexer configured to combine or split the uplink and downlink signals on the optical fiber.

7. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel is replaced with a high data rate media selected from a group consisting of a coaxial cable, twisted pair copper wires, free space RF, shared networks, and combinations thereof.

8. The distributed antenna system of claim 7, wherein the shared networks are selected from a group consisting of Ethernet, SONET, SDH, ATM, PDH, and combinations thereof.

9. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the master unit communicates with the plurality of base stations via at least one wired connection.

10. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio channel of the master unit communicates with the plurality of base stations via a wireless connection.

11. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the master unit comprises:

a radio channel communicating with the at least one of the plurality of base stations;

a digitally modulated optical channel communicating with the radio channel and further communicating with the remote unit; and

a controller configured to monitor and control components of the master unit.

12. The distributed antenna system of claim 11, where the radio channel comprises:

a combiner/duplexer in communication with at least one of the plurality of base stations and configured to transmit uplink signals to at least one of the plurality of base stations and receive downlink signals from at least one of the plurality of base stations.

13. The distributed antenna system of claim 11, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter; and

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter, the electro-optical transceiver transmitting and receiving downlink and uplink signals to and from the remote unit on the digitally modulated optical channel.

14. The distributed antenna system of claim 11, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter;

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter; and

a wavelength division multiplexer in communication with the electro-optical transceiver, the wavelength configured to combine or split the uplink and downlink signals transmitted to and received from the remote unit on the digitally modulated optical channel.

15. The distributed antenna system of claim 11, wherein the master unit further comprises:

an Ethernet switch configured to communicate operation and maintenance data to and from the master unit.

16. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit comprises:

an antenna configured to transmit and receive signals from a mobile unit over the plurality of air interfaces and RF bands;

a radio channel communicating with the antenna;

a first digitally modulated optical channel communicating with the radio channel and further communicating with an upstream remote unit or the master unit; and

a controller configured to monitor and control the components of the remote unit.

17. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the remote unit further comprises:

a second digitally modulated optical channel communicating with the radio channel and further communicating with a downstream remote unit.

18. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, where the radio channel comprises:

a combiner/duplexer in communication with the antenna and configured to transmit uplink signals to the upstream remote unit or the master unit and receive downlink signals from the upstream remote unit or the master unit.

19. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter; and

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter, the electro-optical transceiver transmitting and receiving downlink and uplink signals to and from one of the master unit, the upstream remote unit, or a downstream remote unit, on the digitally modulated optical channel.

20. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter;

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter; and

a wavelength division multiplexer in communication with the electro-optical transceiver, the wavelength configured to combine or split the uplink and downlink signals transmitted to and received from one of the master unit, the upstream remote unit, or a downstream remote unit, on the digitally modulated optical channel.

21. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the remote unit further comprises:

an Ethernet switch configured to communicate operation and maintenance data to and from the master unit.

22. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the remote unit further comprises:

a digital to analog converter; and

a digital pre-distortion unit, the digital pre-distortion unit configured to compare a digitized uplink signal to a delayed downlink signal,

wherein a difference from the comparison in the digital pre-distortion unit is used to automatically adjust a gain and phase of a signal prior to conversion in the digital to analog converter.

23. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit comprises:

an antenna configured to transmit and receive signals from a mobile unit over the plurality of air interfaces and RF bands;

a radio channel communicating with the antenna;

a digital switch communicating with the radio channel and further communicating with an upstream remote unit and a downstream remote unit or the master unit; and

a controller configured to monitor and control the components of the remote unit and digital switch.

24. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is a first remote unit, the distributed antenna system further comprising:

an extension unit communicating over a first digitally modulated optical channel with the master unit and further communicating over a second digitally modulated optical channel with a second remote unit; and

a controller configured to monitor and control the components of the remote unit.

25. The distributed antenna system of claim 24, wherein the first and/or second digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter; and

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter, the electro-optical transceiver transmitting and receiving downlink and uplink signals to and from one of the master unit, the upstream remote unit, or a downstream remote unit, on the digitally modulated optical channel.

26. The distributed antenna system of claim 24, wherein the first or second digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

a formatter;

an electro-optical transceiver in communication with the formatter; and

a wavelength division multiplexer in communication with the electro-optical transceiver, the wavelength configured to combine or split the uplink and downlink signals transmitted to and received from one of the master unit, the upstream remote unit, or a downstream remote unit, on the digitally modulated optical channel.

27. The distributed antenna system of claim 24, wherein the extension unit further comprises:

a third digitally modulated optical channel for communication with a third remote unit.

28. The distributed antenna system of claim 24, wherein the extension unit further comprises:

an Ethernet switch configured to communicate operation and maintenance data to and from the master unit.

29. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the master unit is a first master unit and the remote unit is a first remote unit, the distributed antenna system further comprising:

a second master unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of base stations;

a second remote unit communicating over a digitally modulated optical channel with the second master unit and/or a downstream remote unit;

a combiner;

a crossband coupler; and

an antenna,

wherein the first and second master units communicate with the combiner and crossband coupler to transmit using a multi-band RF link over the antenna to communicate with at least one of the plurality of base stations.

30. A distributed antenna system communicating with a plurality of base stations, the distributed antenna system comprising:

a controller;

a digital time/space crosspoint switch controlled by the controller; and

a digitizing transceiver in communication with the digital time/space crosspoint switch, the crosspoint switch configured to transmit and receive digital data through the digitizing transceiver.

31. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, wherein the digitizing transceiver is configured to convert an analog downlink signal from a base station of the plurality of base stations to a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the switch.

32. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, wherein the digitizing transceiver is configured to convert a digital signal from the crosspoint switch to an analog signal and transmit the analog signal to a mobile unit.

33. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, wherein the digitizing transceiver is configured to convert an analog signal from a mobile unit to a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the crosspoint switch.

34. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, wherein the digitizing transceiver comprises:

a duplexer communicating with at least one power amplifier,

wherein the duplexer is implemented having two half duplex channels, one for uplink and one for downlink.

35. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, wherein the digitizing transceiver comprises:

a duplexer communicating with at least one power amplifier; and

a wavelength division multiplexer communicating with the duplexer and configured to combine or split the uplink and downlink signals,

wherein the duplexer is implemented as a single channel with the uplink and downlink signals carried on different wavelengths.

36. The distributed antenna system of claim 30, further comprising:

a summer/combiner in communication with the crosspoint switch and configured to sum uplink signals without summing noise for transmission.

37. A method for communicating over distributed antenna system having a plurality of base stations, the method comprising:

transceiving uplink and downlink signals between a master unit and at least one of the plurality of base stations; and

transceiving the uplink and the downlink signals between the master unit and a remote unit over a digitally modulated optical channel.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the remote unit is a first remote unit, the distributed antenna system further comprising:

transceiving the uplink and the downlink signals between the first remote unit and a second remote unit over a digitally modulated optical channel.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

transceiving uplink signals received at the second remote unit to the master unit through the first remote unit; and

transceiving downlink signals sent from the master unit to the second remote unit through the first remote unit.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

transceiving the uplink and the downlink signals between the second remote unit and a third remote unit over a digitally modulated optical channel,

wherein the first, second, and third remote units are connected in a daisy chain fashion.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein transceiving over the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

transceiving uplinks signals over a first optical fiber; and

transceiving downlink signals over a second optical fiber,

wherein the first and second optical fibers are configured as half duplex channels.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein transceiving over the digitally modulated optical channel comprises:

transceiving uplink and downlink signals over an optical fiber for on different wavelengths; and

combining or splitting the uplink and downlink signals with a wavelength division multiplexer on the optical fiber.

43. A method for communicating over distributed antenna system having a plurality of base stations, the method comprising:

transceiving signals with a digitizing transceiver; and

communicating the transcieved signals with a digital time/space crosspoint switch.

44. The method claim 43, further comprising:

converting an analog downlink signal from a base station of the plurality of base stations to a digital signal with the digitizing transceiver; and

transmitting the digital signal to the crosspoint switch.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

converting a digital signal from the crosspoint switch to an analog signal with the digitizing transceiver; and

transmitting the analog signal to a mobile unit.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

converting an analog signal from a mobile unit to a digital signal with the digitizing transceiver; and

transmitting the digital signal to the crosspoint switch.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein transceiving signals with the digitizing transceiver comprises:

transceiving uplinks signals over a first half duplex channel of a duplexer; and

transceiving downlink signals over a second half duplex channel of the duplexer,

48. The method of claim 43, wherein transceiving signals with the digitizing transceiver comprises:

transceiving uplink and downlink signals over a single channel in a duplexer; and

combining or splitting the uplink and downlink signals with a wavelength division multiplexer communicating with the duplexer.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

summing uplink signals in a summer/combiner without summing noise; and

communicating the summed signals with the crosspoint switch.