CLIENT NODE DEVICE AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20160359530A1
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, Thomas M. III
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a client node device having a radio configured to wirelessly receive downstream channel signals from a communication network. An access point repeater (APR) launches the downstream channel signals on a guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium and to wirelessly transmit the downstream channel signals to at least one client device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A client node device of a distributed antenna system comprising:

a first wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive first channel signals from a host node device of the distributed antenna system, the first channel signals including signals from at least two different communication networks and formatted according to at least two corresponding communication protocols;

an amplifier configured to amplify the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals;

a first wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the amplified first channel signals to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system; and

a second wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate free space wireless signals to at least one client device via an antenna, based on an analog signal processing of the amplified first channel signals.

2. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transmitter does not require either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion.

3. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transmitter generates the free space wireless signals via one of:

a frequency up-conversion of the amplified first channel signals or a frequency down-conversion of the amplified first channel signals.

4. The client node device of claim 1, further comprising:

a channel selection filter configured to select one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly communicate with the at least one client device via the second wireless transmitter.

5. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the host node device is mounted to a first utility pole, the client node device is mounted to a second utility pole and the other client node device is mounted to a third utility pole.

6. The client node device of claim 5, wherein the first utility pole, the second utility pole and the third utility pole support a transmission medium of an electric power distribution network.

7. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transmitter includes an analog radio that generates the free space wireless signals communicated to the at least one client device by downconverting radio first channel signals from higher carrier frequencies relative to carrier frequencies of the free space wireless signals.

8. The client node device of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless receiver configured to receive second channel signals from the other client node device of the distributed antenna system;

wherein the amplifier amplifies the second channel signals to generate amplified second channel signals; and

a third wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the second channel signals to the host node device of the distributed antenna system.

9. The client node device of claim 8, further comprising a third wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive third channel signals from the at least one client device for transmission to the host node device via the distributed antenna system.

10. The client node device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

11. A method for use in a client node device, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving first channel signals from a host node device of a distributed antenna system, the first channel signals including signals from at least two different communication networks and formatted in at least two corresponding communication protocols;

amplifying the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals;

wirelessly transmitting the amplified first channel signals to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system; and

wirelessly communicating free space wireless signals, based on an analog signal processing of the amplified first channel signals, to at least one client device via an antenna.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the analog signal processing does not require either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the analog signal processing includes one of:

a frequency up-conversion of the amplified first channel signals or a frequency down-conversion of the amplified first channel signals.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly communicate with the at least one client device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the host node device is mounted to a first utility pole, the client node device is mounted to a second utility pole and the other client node device is mounted to a third utility pole.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first utility pole, the second utility pole and the third utility pole support a transmission medium of an electric power distribution network.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the free space wireless signals communicated to the at least one client device are generated by downconverting radio first channel signals from higher carrier frequencies relative to carrier frequencies of the free space wireless signals.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving second channel signals from the other client node device of the distributed antenna system;

amplifying the second channel signals to generate amplified second channel signals; and

wirelessly transmitting the second channel signals to the host node device of the distributed antenna system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

20. A client node device of a distributed antenna system comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive channel signals from a host node device of the distributed antenna system, the channel signals including signals from at least two different communication networks and formatted in at least two corresponding communication protocols;

an amplifier configured to amplify the channel signals to generate amplified channel signals;

a first wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the amplified channel signals to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system; and

a second wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly communicates free space wireless signals to at least one client device via an antenna, based on an analog signal processing of the amplified channel signals that includes a frequency conversion, wherein the second wireless transmitter does not require either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion.