SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION INTERFACE

• US 20150019979A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Van E., Williamson, Michael J., Alden, Sandra D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,425,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A user interface for a distributed antenna system (DAS) is provided. When executed by a processor, a signal distribution engine receives information about signals transported by the DAS and components of the DAS. The signal engine generates a signal set assignment user interface including a list of signals transported by the DAS and a signal set formation area for receiving a signal set. The signal engine also generates a signal distribution user interface that includes representations of signal sets, hardware components, and associations between hardware components. In response to receiving a request to associate the signal set with a specified hardware component, a command is output to configure a signal path so that signals in the signal set are provided to the specified hardware component.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a signal distribution engine is stored and which is executable by the processor device for;

receiving information about signals transported by a distributed antenna system (DAS) and about hardware components of the DAS that include a headend component and a remote component;

generating a signal set assignment user interface that includes a representation of signals transported by the system and a representation of signal sets that include the signals transported by the system;

generating a signal distribution user interface that includes representations of signal sets, hardware components, and associations between the signal sets and the hardware components; and

responsive to receiving a command via the signal distribution user interface to associate a signal set with a specified hardware component, outputting a command to cause the DAS to configure a signal path so that signals in the signal set are provided to the specified hardware component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal distribution engine is executable by the processor for generating the signal distribution user interface that includes an indicator of an alarm condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal distribution user interface includes:

an operational context in which events and alarms are viewable, signal status is viewable, or options for updating software are viewable; and

a setup context in which alarm settings are editable, hardware component parameters are received, or signal sources are associated with hardware components.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system is switchable between the operational context and the setup context.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the signal distribution engine is executable by the processor for generating the signal distribution user interface that includes generating a context-dependent grouping of visual cues based on whether the system is operating in the operational context or the setup context.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the signal distribution engine is executable by the processor for generating the signal distribution user interface that includes generating visual cues wherein a location of the visual cues is independent of the context in which the system is operating.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal distribution user interface includes:

a first list of signal sets transported by the system, the list of signal sets being positioned in a first pane;

a list of zones in the system and a second list of signals sets associated with each zone, the list of zones and the second list of signals sets being positioned in a second pane, wherein at least one of the zones is selectable; and

a list of remote units associated with a selected zone and a third list of signal sets associated with the selected zone, the list of remote units and the third list of signal sets being positioned in a third pane.

8. A method, the method comprising:

receiving information about signals transported by a distributed antenna system (DAS);

receiving identification and parameters from the controller in the DAS about hardware components of the DAS that include at least a headend component and a remote component;

generating a signal set assignment user interface that includes a list of signals transported by the system and a signal set formation area for receiving one or more signals constituting a signal set;

generating a signal distribution user interface that includes representations of signal sets, hardware components, and associations between the hardware components; and

responsive to receiving a command via the signal distribution user interface to associate the signal set to a specified hardware component, outputting a command to the controller to cause the DAS to configure a signal path so that signals in the signal set are provided to the specified hardware component.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing an indicator of an alarm condition in the signal distribution user interface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the signal distribution user interface further includes:

providing an operational context in which current events and alarms are viewable, signal status is viewable, and options for updating software are viewable; and

providing a setup context in which alarm settings are editable, hardware component parameters are received, or signal sources are associated with hardware components.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating visual cues, in the signal distribution user interface, that are located independent of the context in which the system is operating.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating representations of components in the distributed antenna system, in the signal distribution user interface, that are grouped based on whether the system is operating in the operational context or the setup context.

13. A signal distribution user interface, comprising:

a first pane that includes a representation of signal sets transported by a distributed antenna system; and

a second pane that includes a representation of hardware components in the distributed antenna system and a representation of associations between the signal sets and the hardware components in the distributed antenna system,

wherein the signal distribution user interface is configured to respond to receiving a command to associate a signal set with a specified hardware component by outputting a command to cause the distributed antenna system to configure a signal path to allow signals in the signal set to be provided to the specified hardware component,

wherein the user interface is configured to be generated by a processor device executing a signal distribution engine stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

14. The signal distribution user interface of claim 13, wherein the signal distribution user interface is configured to receive the signal sets from a signal set assignment user interface, where the signal set assignment user interface is configured to display an available signals pane that includes a representation of signals transported by the distributed antenna system that are available to be assigned to a signal set, and an assigned signals pane that includes a representation of signal sets transported by the distributed antenna system.

15. The signal distribution user interface of claim 13, wherein the second pane is further configured to display a list of zones in the system and signal sets associated with the zones, where the signal distribution user interface is configured to display a third pane displaying a list of remote units and signal sets associated with the remote units, the third pane being configured to display a zone selected from among the list of zones displayed in the second pane.

16. The signal distribution user interface of claim 15, wherein the signal distribution user interface is further configured to display:

an operational context in which current events and alarms are viewable, signal status is viewable, and options for updating software are viewable; and

a setup context in which alarm settings are editable, hardware component parameters are received, or signal sources are associated with hardware components.

17. The signal distribution user interface of claim 16, wherein a location of the first pane, the second pane, and the third pane is based on whether the system is operating in the operational context or the setup context.

18. The signal distribution user interface of claim 16, wherein a location of the first pane, the second pane, and the third pane is independent of the context in which the system is operating.

19. The signal distribution user interface of claim 16, further comprising a signal distribution user interface configured to be displayable on a display device, the signal distribution user interface being configured to display:

a first grouping of one or more visual cues, each visual cue representing a headend component of a distributed antenna system (DAS);

a second grouping of one or more visual cues, each visual cue representing one or more remote units in the DAS associated with a headend component of the first grouping; and

a list of signal sets, each signal set representing a group of signals to be transported in the DAS.

20. The signal distribution user interface of claim 19, further comprising a general alarm indicator representing an alarm status for all hardware components in the DAS and an individual alarm indicator representing an alarm status for an individual hardware component or a group of hardware components in the DAS.