EXTREMELY HIGH FREQUENCY (EHF) DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEMS, AND RELATED COMPONENTS AND METHODS

• US 20140286643A1
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Jacob, Ng'Oma, Anthony, Ruffin, Alranzo Boh, Sauer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25751 Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25759 Details of the reception of RF signal or the optical conversion before the optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0035 using miscellaneous components, e.g. circulator, polarisation, acousto/thermo optical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0037 Operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Extremely High Frequency (EHF) distributed antenna systems and related components and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a base unit for distributing EHF modulated data signals to a RAU(s) is provided. The base unit includes a downlink data source input configured to receive downlink electrical data signal(s) from a data source. The base unit also includes an E-O converter configured to convert downlink electrical data signal(s) into downlink optical data signal(s). The base unit also includes an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in the EHF band. The base unit also includes a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical data signal(s) with the electrical carrier signal to form downlink modulated optical signal(s) comprising a downlink optical data signal(s) modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal. The modulator is further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal to the RAU(s).

Claims

1. A base unit for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to at least one remote antenna unit (RAU), comprising:

a downlink data source input configured to receive a downlink electrical data signal from a data source;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert the downlink electrical data signal into a downlink optical data signal;

an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in an EHF band; and

a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the downlink optical data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal, the modulator further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal to at least one RAU.

2. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the data source is remote from the downlink data source input.

3. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the downlink data source input is configured to receive a high definition (HD) video signal.

4. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the electrical carrier signal operates at approximately 60 GHz.

5. The base unit of claim 4, further comprising an uplink receiver adapted to operate a frequency substantially lower than 60 GHz to receive signals from a remote client.

6. The base unit of claim 5, wherein the uplink receiver operates of a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), BLUETOOTH defined protocol, or other frequency lower than EHF.

7. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the downlink data source input is configured to receive input from a plurality of downlink data sources.

8. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the E-O converter comprises a laser diode.

9. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises an intensity modulator.

10. A method for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to at least one remote antenna unit (RAU), comprising:

receiving a downlink electrical data signal from a downlink data source;

converting the downlink electrical data signal into a downlink optical data signal;

combining the downlink optical data signal with an electrical carrier signal operating in an EHF band to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the downlink optical data signal modulated at a center frequency of the electrical carrier signal; and

sending the downlink modulated optical signal to at least one RAU.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising converting the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink electromagnetic signal at the RAU and sending the downlink electromagnetic signal to a wireless client.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an uplink signal from a wireless client.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the uplink signal from the wireless client comprises receiving an uplink signal at a frequency substantially lower than the EHF band.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the uplink signal from the wireless client comprises receiving a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) or BLUETOOTH uplink signal.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the downlink electrical data signal from the downlink data source comprises receiving a high definition (HD) video signal.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrical carrier signal comprises a signal at approximately 60 GHz.

17. A system for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to at least one remote antenna unit (RAU), the system comprising:

a downlink data source input configured to receive a downlink electrical data signal from a data source;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert the downlink electrical data signal into a downlink optical data signal;

an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in a EHF band; and

a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the downlink optical data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal; and

at least one RAU comprising an antenna and the at least one RAU configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal from the modulator, convert the downlink modulated optical signal to a downlink modulated electromagnetic signal, and transmit the downlink modulated electromagnetic signal to a wireless client.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one RAU further comprises an optical to electrical (O-E) converter configured to receive the downlink modulated optical signal and convert the downlink modulated optical signal into a downlink modulated electrical signal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the O-E converter comprises a photodiode.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the antenna is remotely positioned relative to the modulator.

21. The system of claim 17, the at least one RAU comprises a plurality of RAUs.

22. The system of claim 17, the center frequency is approximately 60 GHz.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a channel width associated with the downlink modulated optical signal is approximately 7 GHz.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising an optical fiber configured to convey the downlink modulated optical signal to the at least one RAU.

25. A base unit for distributing extremely high frequency (EHF) modulated data signals to at least one remote antenna unit, comprising:

a downlink digital data source input configured to receive a downlink electrical digital data signal from a data source;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert the downlink electrical digital data signal into a downlink optical digital data signal, wherein the E-O converter comprises a laser diode;

a local oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency at approximately 60 GHz; and

a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical digital data signal with the electrical carrier signal to form a downlink modulated optical signal comprising the downlink optical digital data signal modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal, the modulator further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal to at least one RAU.

26. The base unit of claim 25, further comprising an uplink receiver configured to receive a signal from a wireless client.

27. The base unit of claim 26, wherein the uplink receiver operates at a frequency substantially lower than 60 GHz.