DISTINCT TRANSPORT PATH FOR MIMO TRANSMISSIONS IN DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEMS

• US 20120177026A1
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Uyehara, Lance K., Hart, David, Zavadsky, Dean, Fischer, Larry G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems

Abstract

A hybrid expansion unit includes at least one digital communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of N-bit words of digitized spectrum with an upstream device. The hybrid expansion unit further includes at least one analog communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of bands of analog spectrum with a downstream device. The hybrid expansion unit is adapted to convert between the first set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the first set of bands of analog spectrum. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to convert between the second set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum. The first set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the second set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range. The first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a first master host unit adapted to communicate first wireless spectrum with a first service provider interface using a first set of bands of analog spectrum, the first master host unit further adapted to communicate second wireless spectrum with a second service provider interface using a second set of bands of analog spectrum;

a plurality of digital communication links coupled to the first master host unit, wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to communicate a first digitized spectrum in first N-bit words over the plurality of digital communication links, wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to communicate a second digitized spectrum in second N-bit words over the plurality of digital communication links;

wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to convert between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum;

wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to convert between the second set of bands of analog spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum;

a first hybrid expansion unit communicatively coupled to the first master host unit by a first digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links and adapted to communicate the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum with the first master host unit across the first digital communication link, the first hybrid expansion unit further adapted to convert between the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a third set of bands of analog spectrum, the first hybrid expansion unit further adapted to convert between the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a fourth set of bands of analog spectrum;

a first analog communication link coupled to the first hybrid expansion unit, wherein the first hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to communicate the third set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum across the first analog communication link; and

a first analog remote antenna unit communicatively coupled to the first hybrid expansion unit by the first analog communication link and adapted to communicate the third set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum with the first hybrid expansion unit across the first analog communication link, the first analog remote antenna unit further adapted to communicate first wireless signals over a first air interface using a first antenna, and the first analog remote antenna unit further adapted to communicate second wireless signals over a second air interface using a second antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless signals are associated with the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the second wireless signals are associated with the second set of bands of analog spectrum.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the third set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first analog remote antenna unit is part of a first analog remote antenna cluster that includes:

a master analog remote antenna unit adapted to communicate the third set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum with the first hybrid expansion unit across the first analog communication link; and

wherein the master analog remote antenna unit distributes the third set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum to the first analog remote antenna unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the master analog remote antenna unit is the same as the first analog remote antenna unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first service provider interface and the second service provider interface are multiple-input multiple-output interfaces.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless spectrum and the second wireless spectrum comprise related multiple-input multiple-output signals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum are communicated as a time multiplexed data stream between the first master host unit and the first hybrid expansion unit.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first digital remote antenna unit communicatively coupled to the first master host unit by a second digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links and adapted to communicate third N-bit words of digitized spectrum and fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum with the first master host unit across the second digital communication link, the first digital remote antenna unit is further adapted to communicate third wireless signals over a third air interface using a third antenna, and the first digital remote antenna unit is further adapted to communicate fourth wireless signals over a fourth air interface using a fourth antenna;

wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to convert between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum; and

wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to convert between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein first N-bit words of digitized spectrum equal the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum in the downstream;

and

wherein the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum equal the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum in the downstream.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the third wireless signals are associated with the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth wireless signals are associated with the second set of bands of analog spectrum.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum are communicated as a time multiplexed data stream between the first master host unit and the first digital remote unit.

14. A method comprising:

converting first wireless spectrum between a first set of bands of analog spectrum and first N-bit words of digitized spectrum at a first master host unit;

converting second wireless spectrum between a second set of bands of analog spectrum and second N-bit words of digitized spectrum at a first master host unit;

transporting the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum on a first digital medium between the first master host unit and a first hybrid expansion unit;

converting first wireless spectrum between the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a third set of bands of analog spectrum at the first hybrid expansion unit;

converting second wireless spectrum between the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a fourth set of bands of analog spectrum at the first hybrid expansion unit;

transporting the third set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum on a first analog medium between the first hybrid expansion unit and a first analog remote antenna unit;

communicating first wireless spectrum over a first air interface at the first analog remote antenna unit using a first antenna; and

communicating second wireless spectrum over a second air interface at the first analog remote antenna unit using a second antenna.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless signals are associated with the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the second wireless signals are associated with the second set of bands of analog spectrum.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the third set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the fourth set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range are intermediate frequencies.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless spectrum is communicated as a fifth band of analog spectrum and wherein the second wireless spectrum is communicated as a sixth band of analog spectrum.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fifth band of analog spectrum is equivalent to the first band of analog spectrum and wherein the sixth band of analog spectrum is equivalent to the second band of analog spectrum.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless spectrum and the second wireless spectrum comprise multiple-input multiple-output signals.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum are communicated as a time multiplexed data stream between the first master host unit and the first hybrid expansion unit.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

converting the first wireless spectrum between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and third N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the first master host unit;

converting the second wireless spectrum between the second set of bands of analog spectrum and fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the first master host unit;

transporting the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum on a second digital medium between the first master host unit and a first digital remote antenna unit;

communicating third wireless spectrum over a third air interface at the first digital remote antenna unit using a third antenna; and

communicating fourth wireless spectrum over a fourth air interface at the first digital remote antenna unit using a fourth antenna.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein converting the first wireless spectrum between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the first master host unit and converting the first wireless spectrum between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the first master host unit are the same operation;

and

wherein converting the second wireless spectrum between the second set of bands of analog spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the second master host unit and converting the second wireless spectrum between the second set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum at the first master host unit are the same operation.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the third wireless signals are associated with the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the fourth wireless signals are associated with the second set of bands of analog spectrum.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the third N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the fourth N-bit words of digitized spectrum are communicated as a time multiplexed data stream between the first master host unit and the first digital remote antenna unit.

27. A hybrid expansion unit comprising:

at least one digital communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of N-bit words of digitized spectrum with an upstream device;

at least one analog communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of bands of analog spectrum with a downstream device;

wherein the hybrid expansion unit is adapted to convert between the first set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the first set of bands of analog spectrum;

wherein the hybrid expansion unit is adapted to convert between the second set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum;

wherein the first set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the second set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range; and

wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.

28. The hybrid expansion unit of claim 27, wherein the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum comprise multiple-input multiple-output signals.

29. A method comprising:

transporting first and second sets of N-bit words of digitized spectrum with a upstream device;

simultaneously transporting first and second sets of bands of analog spectrum with a downstream device;

converting between the first set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the first set of bands of analog spectrum;

converting between the second set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum;

wherein the first set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the second set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range; and

wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum comprise multiple-input multiple-output signals.