HOST NODE DEVICE AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20160359547A1
• 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 10,103,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• 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: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a repeater device having a first coupler to extract downstream channel signals from first guided electromagnetic waves bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system. An amplifier amplifies the downstream channel signals to generate amplified downstream channel signals. A channel selection filter selects one or more of the amplified downstream channel signals to wirelessly transmit to the at least one client device via an antenna. A second coupler guides the amplified downstream channel signals to the transmission medium of the guided wave communication system to propagate as second guided electromagnetic waves. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A host node device comprising:

at least one access point repeater of a distributed antenna system configured to wirelessly communicate with a first plurality of client devices via a first antenna of the distributed antenna system;

a terminal interface configured to receive first channel signals from a communication network; and

a channel duplexer configured to transfer the first channel signals to the at least one access point repeater;

wherein the at least one access point repeater converts the first channel signals to a frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system based on a reference signal, and transmits the first channel signals and the reference signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system.

2. The host node device of claim 1, wherein the at least one access point repeater generates a control channel that includes instructions for the at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system to convert selected ones of the first channel signals from the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to first channel signals in a spectral segment for free space wireless communication with a second plurality of client devices via a second antenna of the distributed antenna system, and wherein the at least one access point repeater transmits the control channel to the at least one client node device in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system.

3. The host node device of claim 2, wherein the reference signal is transmitted at an out of band frequency relative to the control channel.

4. The host node device of claim 2, wherein the reference signal is transmitted at an in band frequency relative to the control channel.

5. The host node device of claim 2, wherein the control channel is transmitted via ultra-wideband signaling.

6. The host node device of claim 2, wherein the at least one access point repeater further transmits a clock signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system, wherein the clock signal synchronizes a digital signal processing by the at least one client node device in converting the first channel signals in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the spectral segment.

7. The host node device of claim 1, wherein the at least one access point repeater receives second channel signals from the distributed antenna system;

wherein the channel duplexer is further configured to transfer the second channel signals to the terminal interface; and

wherein the terminal interface is further configured to send the second channel signals to the communication network.

8. The host node device of claim 7, wherein a radio receives third channel signals from the at least one client node device via a second antenna;

wherein the channel duplexer is further configured to transfer the third channel signals to the terminal interface; and

wherein the terminal interface is further configured to send the third channel signals to the communication network.

9. The host node device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

10. The host 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 comprising:

receiving first channel signals from a communication network in a spectral segment;

wirelessly communicating the first channel signals with a first plurality of client devices via a first antenna of a distributed antenna system;

converting the first channel signals from the spectral segment to a frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system based on a reference signal; and

transmitting the first channel signals and the reference signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system, wherein the reference signal reduces a phase error in reconversion by the at least one client node device of the first channel signals from the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the spectral segment.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a control channel that includes instructions for the at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system to convert selected ones of the first channel signals from the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to first channel signals in a spectral segment for free space wireless communication with a second plurality of client devices via a second antenna of the distributed antenna system; and

transmitting the control channel to the at least one client node device in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal is transmitted at an out of band frequency relative to the control channel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal is transmitted at an in band frequency relative to the control channel.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the control channel is transmitted via ultra-wideband signaling.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a clock signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system, wherein the clock signal synchronizes a digital signal processing by the at least one client node device in converting the first channel signals in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the spectral segment.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving second channel signals from the distributed antenna system; and

sending the second channel signals to the communication network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving third channel signals from the at least one client node device via the first antenna; and

sending the third channel signals to the communication network.

19. A host node device comprising:

a terminal interface configured to receive first channel signals in a first spectral segment from a communication network and send second channel signals in a second spectral segment to the communication network;

at least one access point repeater configured to convert the first channel signals based on a first reference signal from the first spectral segment to a frequency spectrum of a distributed antenna system, to transmit the first channel signals and the first reference signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to at least one client node device of the distributed antenna system, to receive a first subset of the second channel signals and a second reference signal in the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system and to convert, based on the second reference signal, the first subset of the second channel signals from the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the second spectral segment; and

a radio configured to wirelessly transmit a subset of the first channel signals in the first spectral segment to the at least one client node device via an antenna and to wirelessly receive a second subset of the second channel signals in the second spectral segment from the at least one client node device via the t antenna.

20. The host node device of claim 19, wherein the second reference signal reduces a phase error in conversion of the first subset of the second channel signals from the frequency spectrum of the distributed antenna system to the second spectral segment.