DIGITAL MULTIPLEXER IN A DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEM

• US 20150303998A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dali Wireless Inc. (Dali Systems Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dali Systems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Stapleton, Shawn Patrick, Trajkovic, Sasa
• Granted Patent: US 10,637,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00

Abstract

A system for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) includes one or more Base Band Units (BBUs). Each of the one or more BBUs has one or more digital outputs. The system also includes a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs. Each of the plurality of DMUs is operable to receive one or more digital inputs from the one or more BBUs. The system further includes a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between the plurality of DRUs and one or more of the plurality of DMUs.

Claims

1. A system for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System, the system comprising:

one or more Base Band Units (BBUs), each of the one or more BBUs having one or more digital outputs;

a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs, wherein each of the plurality of DMUs is operable to receive one or more digital inputs from the one or more BBUs; and

a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between the plurality of DRUs and one or more of the plurality of DMUs.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more BBUs includes a plurality of sector connections operable to output the one or more digital outputs.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of sector connections comprises an optical output.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of DMUs are operable to receive digital signals from each of the plurality of BBUs.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of DMUs are coupled to each other and coupled to the plurality of DRUs via at least one of Ethernet cable, Optical Fiber, Microwave Line of Sight Link, Wireless Link, or Satellite Link.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the DRUs are connected in a daisy chain configuration.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the DRUs are connected to the plurality of DMUs in a star configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the DMUs are connected to the BBUs via at least one of a Ethernet cable, Optical Fiber, Microwave Line of Sight Link, Wireless Link, or Satellite Link.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the DRUs are connected in a loop to a plurality of DMUs.

10. A method for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System including a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) and a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs), the method comprising:

receiving, at ports of the plurality of DMUs, digital signals from sector ports of one or more Base Band Units (BBUs);

routing the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs; and

transporting the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs and a plurality of DRUs.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein routing the digital signals between the DMUs comprises using routing tables.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the routing tables are provided at a server coupled to the plurality of DMUs.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the routing tables are provided at one or more of the DRUs.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the routing tables comprise Merge Blocks.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein a power level of each carrier in each DRU is independently controlled.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein routing the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs comprises:

collating a first digital signal received from a first BBU and a second digital signal received from a second BBU; and

directing the collated digital signal to one of the plurality of DRUs.

17. A Distributed Antenna System (DAS) comprising:

a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs, wherein each of the plurality of DMUs includes a plurality of digital input ports operable to receive digital inputs from one of more of a plurality of BBUs, each of the plurality of BBUs including a plurality of digital output ports;

a plurality of Digital Access Units (DAUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DAUs, wherein each of the plurality of DAUs includes a plurality of analog input ports operable to receive analog RF inputs from one of more of a plurality of BTSs, each of the plurality of BTSs including a plurality of analog RF output ports; and

a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between DRUs and DMUs, each of the plurality of DRUs including a remote antenna.

18. The DAS of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of digital input ports of each of the DMUs is associated with a sector of a corresponding BBU of the plurality of BBUs.

19. The DAS of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of analog RF output ports of each of the plurality of BTSs is associated with a sector of a corresponding BTS of the plurality of BTSs.

20. The DAS of claim 17 wherein one of the plurality of digital output ports of one of the BBUs is connected to one of the plurality of digital inputs ports of the DMU using an optical fiber.