METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A RADIO DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEM HAVING A CLOCK REFERENCE

• US 20180351717A1
• Filed: 08/06/2018
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• 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: Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0638 Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation synchronization for ring networks H04L12/422; data switching networks with synchronous transmission H04L12/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0008 Synchronisation information channels, e.g. clock distribution lines

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a network element of a distributed antenna system, a clock signal, a control channel and a first modulated signal at a first carrier frequency, the first modulated signal including first communications data provided by a base station and directed to a mobile communication device. The clock signal synchronizes timing of digital control channel processing by the network element to recover instructions from the control channel. The instructions in the control channel direct the network element of the distributed antenna system to convert the first modulated signal at the first carrier frequency to the first modulated signal in a first spectral segment. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system including circuitry, a modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol of a mobile communication device;

converting, by the system, the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the modulated signal in a second spectral segment based on a signal processing of the modulated signal and without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the second spectral segment is outside the first spectral segment;

transmitting, by the system, instructions in a control channel to direct a network element of a distributed antenna system to convert the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment; and

transmitting, by the system, a clock signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system, wherein the clock signal synchronizes timing of digital control channel processing of the network element to recover the instructions from the control channel and wherein the clock signal is transmitted outside a frequency spectrum of the control channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the system, a reference signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment for wireless distribution of the modulated signal to the mobile communication device in the first spectral segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the clock signal is transmitted via modulation of the reference signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are transmitted as digital data via the control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second spectral segment is in a millimeter-wave frequency band.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulated signal is generated by modulating signals in a plurality of frequency channels according to the signaling protocol to generate the modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling protocol comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol or a fifth generation cellular communications protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting by the system comprises up-converting the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the modulated signal in the second spectral segment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the converting by the network element comprises down-converting the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting by the system comprises down-converting the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the modulated signal in the second spectral segment.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the converting by the network element comprises up-converting the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second spectral segment is within a millimeter wave frequency range.

13. A device, comprising:

a base station interface configured to receive from a base station a modulated signal in a first spectral segment for transmission, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol of a mobile communication device; and

a transceiver configured to convert the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the modulated signal at a second spectral segment based on a signal processing of the modulated signal and without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit instructions in a control channel to direct a network element of a distributed antenna system to convert the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment and to transmit a clock signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system, wherein the clock signal synchronizes timing of digital control channel processing of the network element to recover the instructions from the control channel and wherein the clock signal is transmitted outside a frequency spectrum of the control channel.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a reference signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system for wireless distribution of the modulated signal to the mobile communication device in the first spectral segment, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error during processing of the modulated signal from the second spectral segment to the first spectral segment, wherein the reference signal is transmitted at an in-band frequency relative to the control channel.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the clock signal is transmitted via modulation of the reference signal.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the second spectral segment differs from the first spectral segment.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the clock signal is transmitted via modulation of a reference signal.

18. A device, comprising:

means for receiving a modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the modulated signal conforms to a signaling protocol of a mobile communication device;

means for converting the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to the modulated signal in a second spectral segment based on a signal processing of the modulated signal and without modifying the signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the second spectral segment is outside the first spectral segment;

means for transmitting instructions in a control channel to direct a network element of a distributed antenna system to convert the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment; and

means for transmitting a clock signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system, wherein the clock signal synchronizes timing of digital control channel processing of the network element to recover the instructions from the control channel and wherein the clock signal is transmitted outside a frequency spectrum of the control channel.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for transmitting a reference signal with the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the network element of the distributed antenna system, the reference signal enabling the network element to reduce a phase error when reconverting the modulated signal in the second spectral segment to the modulated signal in the first spectral segment for wireless distribution of the modulated signal to the mobile communication device in the first spectral segment.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the second spectral segment is within a millimeter wave frequency range.