ANTENNA DETECTION WITH NON-VOLATILE MEMORY POWERED BY DC OVER COAXIAL CABLE

• US 20150111508A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Hansen, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,181,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

In one embodiment, an antenna unit is provided that includes an antenna and a coax connector. The coax connector includes an inner conductor configured to contact a signal conductor of a coaxial cable and a ground contact configured to contact a metal shield of the coaxial cable. The coax connector is coupled to the antenna such that RF signals on the inner conductor are coupled to the antenna and such that RF signals sensed by the antenna are coupled to the inner conductor. The antenna unit also includes a non-volatile memory coupled to the coax connector such that the non-volatile memory can send and receive signals over the inner conductor. The non-volatile memory is configured to obtain operating power from a direct current voltage provided over a coaxial cable. The non-volatile memory has an identifier stored therein for identifying the antenna unit.

Claims

1. An antenna unit comprising:

an antenna;

a coax connector configured to connect to a coaxial cable, the coax connector including an inner conductor configured to contact a signal conductor of a coaxial cable connected thereto and a ground contact configured to contact a metal shield of the coaxial cable connected thereto, the coax connector coupled to the antenna such that RF signals on the inner conductor are coupled to the antenna and radiated therefrom and such that RF signals sensed by the antenna are coupled to the inner conductor; and

a non-volatile memory coupled to the coax connector such that the non-volatile memory can send and receive signals over the inner conductor, the non-volatile memory configured to obtain operating power from a direct current voltage provided over a coaxial cable connected to the coax connector, wherein the non-volatile memory has an identifier stored therein for identifying the antenna unit and is configured to send the identifier over the inner conductor in response to a read request received over the inner conductor.

2. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to communicate over the inner conductor using a digital signal having a frequency significantly lower than a radio frequency used for signals over the antenna.

3. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory has a one-wire interface that is coupled to the inner conductor, the non-volatile memory configured to send the identifier from the one-wire interface in response to a read request received at the one-wire interface, the non-volatile memory configured to obtain operating power from the inner conductor.

4. The antenna unit of claim 2, comprising:

a capacitor coupled between a ground connection of the antenna and ground;

wherein the one-wire interface of the non-volatile memory is coupled to the ground connection of the antenna and a ground contact of the non-volatile memory is coupled to ground.

5. The antenna unit of claim 4, comprising:

a resistor coupled in series between the ground connection of the antenna and the one-wire interface of the non-volatile memory.

6. The antenna unit of claim 4, comprising:

an RF filter coupled in series between the inner conductor of the coax connector and the one-wire interface of the non-volatile memory.

7. The antenna unit of claim 2, comprising:

wherein the one-wire interface of the non-volatile memory is coupled to the RF path between the inner conductor of the coaxial connector and the antenna.

8. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory includes an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM).

9. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory includes attribute information corresponding to the antenna.

10. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the attribute information includes one or more of a location of the antenna, a type of the antenna, and a frequency band for the antenna.

11. A method of identifying an antenna, the method comprising:

sending and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals at a transceiver unit, the RF signals coupled over a coaxial cable between the transceiver unit and an antenna at which the RF signals are radiated or sensed;

coupling a direct current (DC) voltage onto the coaxial cable;

powering a non-volatile memory from the DC voltage over the coaxial cable, the non-volatile memory coupled to the coaxial cable and co-located with the antenna;

sending a read request from the transceiver unit over the coaxial cable to the non-volatile memory;

receiving the read request at the non-volatile memory;

sending a response to the read request from the non-volatile memory over the coaxial cable, wherein the non-volatile memory has an identifier stored therein for identifying the antenna and wherein non-volatile memory includes the identifier in the response; and

receiving the response at the transceiver unit, the response identifying the antenna to the transceiver unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the read request is sent via a digital signal having a frequency that is significantly lower than a frequency of the RF signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the read request at a non-volatile memory includes receiving the read request at a one-wire interface of the non-volatile memory;

and

wherein sending a response includes sending a response from the one-wire interface.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising:

blocking the DC signal from reaching a ground connection of the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising:

bypassing the RF signals past the non-volatile memory as the RF signals propagate between the antenna and the transceiver unit.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising:

filtering the RF signals before an input into the non-volatile memory.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the transceiver unit includes an RF transceiver configured to send and receive the radio frequency (RF) signals and an antenna identifying circuit configured to send the read request and receive the response.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

sending a request for attribute information from the antenna identifying circuit of the transceiver unit to the non-volatile memory;

receiving the request for attribute information at the non-volatile memory; and

sending a response including the attribute information from the non-volatile memory to the transceiver unit, the attribute information corresponding to the antenna.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

sending a write request from the antenna identifying circuit of the transceiver unit to the non-volatile memory, the write request including information to write to the non-volatile memory;

receiving the write request at the non-volatile memory; and

storing the informing in the write request in the non-volatile memory.

20. An in-line antenna identifying device comprising:

a first coax connector configured to connect to a coaxial cable, the first coax connector including an inner conductor configured to contact a signal conductor of a coaxial cable connected thereto and a ground contact configured to contact a metal shield of the coaxial cable connected thereto;

a second coax connector configured to connect to a coaxial cable, the second coax connector including an inner conductor configured to contact a signal conductor of a coaxial cable connected thereto and a ground contact configured to contact a metal shield of the coaxial cable connected thereto, wherein radio frequency (RF) signals received on either of the inner conductors are coupled to the other of the inner conductors; and

a non-volatile memory coupled to the first coax connector such that the non-volatile memory can send and receive signals over the inner conductor of the first coax connector, the non-volatile memory configured to obtain operating power from a direct current voltage provided over a coaxial cable connected to the first coax connector, wherein the non-volatile memory has an identifier stored therein for identifying an antenna coupled to the second coax connector and is configured to send the identifier over the inner conductor in response to a read request received over the inner conductor.

21. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 20, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to communicate over the inner conductor of the first coax connector using a digital signal having a frequency significantly lower than a radio frequency used for the RF signals coupled from either of the inner conductors to the other inner conductor.

22. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 21, wherein the non-volatile memory has a one-wire serial interface coupled to the inner conductor of the first coax connector and a ground contact coupled to the inner conductor of the second coax connector, such that the non-volatile memory is grounded when a grounded antenna is coupled to the second coax connector thereby coupling a ground to the inner conductor of the second coax connector.

23. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 22, comprising:

a capacitor in series between the first coax connector and the second coax connector such that a first end of the capacitor is coupled to the inner conductor of the first coax connector and the second end of the capacitor is coupled to the inner conductor of the second coax connector, wherein the one-wire serial interface of the non-volatile memory is coupled to the first end of the capacitor and the ground contact of the non-volatile memory is coupled to the second end of the capacitor.

24. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 22, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to send the identifier from the one-wire serial interface in response to a read request received at the one-wire serial interface, and wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to obtain operating power from the inner conductor of the first coax connector.

25. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 20, wherein the non-volatile memory includes an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM).

26. The in-line antenna identifying device of claim 20, wherein the non-volatile memory includes attribute information corresponding to the antenna.

27. The antenna unit of claim 26, wherein the attribute information includes one or more of a location of the antenna, a type of the antenna, and a frequency band for the antenna.

28. A transceiver unit comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a coax connector and configured to send and receive RF signals over an inner conductor of the coax connector;

a processing device coupled to the inner conductor of the coax connector, the processing device configured to send a read request over the inner conductor to one or more non-volatile memory, and to receive respective responses from the one or more non-volatile memory identifying one or more antennas that are coupled to the coax connector; and

a direct current (DC) voltage coupled to the inner conductor to power the one or more non-volatile memory devices.

29. The transceiver unit of claim 28, comprising:

a first capacitor coupled in series between the RF transceiver and the inner conductor of the coax connector;

an inductor coupled on a first end to the inner conductor of the coax connector, between the first capacitor and the coax connector and on a second end to the processing device; and

a second capacitor coupled on a first end to the second end of the inductor and on a second end to ground.

30. The transceiver unit of claim 28, wherein the (DC) voltage is coupled to the inner conductor by a resistive device coupled between a DC rail and the second end of the inductor.

31. The transceiver unit of claim 28, wherein the transceiver unit is a remote unit in a distributed antenna system (DAS) and is configured to communicate with a host unit and to transmit and receive signals over one or more antennas coupled to the remote unit.

32. The transceiver unit of claim 31, wherein the processing device is configured to receive a request to identify antennas coupled thereto from the host unit and to send the read request in response thereto, wherein the processing device is configured to send information identifying the one or more antennas to the host unit.

33. The transceiver unit of claim 28, wherein the processing device is configured to:

send a request for attribute information over the inner conductor to a non-volatile memory of the one or more non-volatile memory; and

receive a response including the attribute information, the attribute information corresponding to the antenna of the one or more antennas associated with the one of the non-volatile memory.

34. The transceiver unit of claim 33, wherein the processing device is configured to:

send a write request over the inner conductor to the non-volatile memory, the write request including information to write to the non-volatile memory.

35. A system for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals at one or more antennas, the system comprising:

a transceiver unit coupled to a first coaxial cable and configured to send and receive the RF signals over a signal conductor of the first coaxial cable;

a first antenna coupled to the first coaxial cable or a coaxial cable in series between the first antenna and the first coaxial cable; and

a first non-volatile memory co-located with the first antenna and coupled to the first coaxial cable or the coaxial cable in series between the first antenna and the first coaxial cable such that the first non-volatile memory can send and receive signals over the first coaxial cable, the first non-volatile memory configured to obtain operating power from a direct current (DC) voltage provided over the first coaxial cable;

wherein the transceiver unit includes an antenna identifying circuit configured to send a read request over the first coaxial cable to the first non-volatile memory; and

wherein the first non-volatile memory has an identifier stored therein for identifying the first antenna and is configured to send the identifier over the first coaxial cable in response to the read request received over the first coaxial cable.

36. The system of claim 35, comprising:

one or more second antennas, each second antenna coupled to a respective coaxial cable in series between the respective second antenna and the first coaxial cable;

one or more second non-volatile memories, each second non-volatile memory co-located with a respective second antenna, each second non-volatile memory coupled to the respective coaxial cable that is coupled to the respective co-located second antenna such that each second non-volatile memory can send and receive signals over the respective coaxial cable, each second non-volatile memory configured to obtain operating power from the DC voltage provided over the first coaxial cable, each second non-volatile memory having a respective identifier stored therein for identifying the respective co-located second antenna, each second non-volatile memory configured to send the respective identifier over the respective coaxial cable in response to a read request received over the respective coaxial cable.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to send a generic read request over the first coaxial cable, the generic read request configured to cause any antenna identifying non-volatile memories coupled to the first coaxial cable or a coaxial cable in series with the first coaxial cable to respond with their respective identifier.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the first antenna is coupled to the coaxial cable in series between the first antenna and the first coaxial cable, the system comprising:

a splitter/combiner coupled to the first coaxial cable and a plurality of coaxial cables in series between the first coaxial cable and respective antennas of a plurality of antennas, wherein the plurality of antennas includes the first antenna and the one or more second antennas and wherein the plurality of coaxial cables include the coaxial cable in series between the first antenna and the first coaxial cable and the respective antennas between the respective second antennas and the first coaxial cable, the splitter/combiner configured to split and combine RF signals between the first coaxial cable and a plurality of coaxial cables, wherein the splitter/combiner is configured to pass the DC voltage from the first coaxial cable to the plurality of coaxial cables and is configured to couple a read request on the first coaxial cable to the plurality of coaxial cables and is configured to couple a response on any of the plurality of coaxial cables to the first coaxial cable.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the first non-volatile memory is integrated in a device with the first antenna.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the first non-volatile memory is an in-line device separate from the first antenna and is configured to be coupled between the first antenna and the coaxial cable in series between the first coaxial cable and the first antenna.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to couple the DC voltage to the first coaxial cable.

42. The system of claim 35, comprising:

a host unit for a digital antenna system (DAS); and

wherein the transceiver unit is located remotely from the host unit and is communicatively coupled to the host unit, wherein the host unit is configured to communicate a downstream transport signal from the host unit to the transceiver unit;

wherein the transceiver unit is configured to use the downstream transport signal to generate a downstream RF signal to send over the first coaxial cable for radiation from the first antenna.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to generate an upstream transport signal from an upstream RF signal received via the first antenna;

wherein the transceiver unit is configured to communicate the upstream transport signal from the transceiver unit to the host unit; and

wherein the host unit is configured to use the upstream transport signal to generate a upstream signal that is provided by the host unit to at least one base-station related node.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to generate the upstream transport signal by doing at least one of:

down-converting a signal derived from the upstream radio frequency signal; and

performing an analog-to-digital conversion (A/D) process on a signal derived from the upstream radio frequency signal.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the host unit is configured to do at least one of the following in connection with generating the upstream signal from the upstream transport signal:

performing a digital-to-analog conversion on a signal derived from the upstream transport signal; and

upconverting a signal derived from the upstream transport signal.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the host unit is coupled to a base-station related node.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the base-station related node comprises at least one of a base station, a radio access controller, and a base station controller.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the host unit is configured to receive downstream RF signal from a base station and to generate the downstream transport signal from the downstream radio frequency signal.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein the host unit is configured to receive digital downstream baseband data from a base station related node and to generate the downstream transport signal from the digital downstream baseband data.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein DAS comprises at least one of an analog DAS and a digital DAS.

51. The system of claim 42, wherein the host unit is configured to generate the downstream transport signal by doing at least one of:

generating digital downstream baseband data using a base band module or a base station module included in the host unit;

performing an analog-to-digital conversion on a signal derived from the downstream signal; and

frequency shifting a signal derived from the downstream signal.

52. The system of claim 42, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to do at least one of the following in connection with generating the downstream RF signal from the downstream transport signal:

performing a digital-to-analog conversion on a signal derived from the downstream transport signal;

up-converting a signal derived from the downstream transport signal;

filtering a signal derived from the downstream transport signal; and

amplifying a signal derived from the downstream transport signal.

53. The system of claim 42, wherein the host unit is configured to send a request to the transceiver unit, the request to identify antennas coupled to the transceiver unit;

and

wherein the transceiver unit is configured to send the read request in response to the request to identify antennas, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to provide the identifier for the first antenna to the host unit.

54. The system of claim 42, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to send a request for attribute information from the antenna identifying circuit to the non-volatile memory;

wherein the first non-volatile memory is configured to receive the request for attribute information and send a response including the attribute information to the transceiver unit, the attribute information corresponding to the first antenna.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to send a write request from the antenna identifying circuit to the first non-volatile memory, the write request including information to write to the first non-volatile memory;

wherein the first non-volatile memory is configured to store the informing in the write request in the non-volatile memory.