Distributed amplifier network management system

• US 5,278,989 A
• Filed: 06/24/1992
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burke, Timothy, Junge, Hans-Hermann, Sohner, Harold K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US07/905,081
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/8-11.1, 455/14, 455/16, 455/40, 455/55.1, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 333/237, 371/8.2, 371/8.1, 340/825.01, 340/292, 379/4, 379/26, 379/221
• US Class Current: 455/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A communication system serving a plurality of radio units in a frequency blocked area includes a remotely controlled and remotely configurable network of radiating coaxial conductors. The radiating coaxial conductors, along with associated amplification devices, are arranged to provide radio communication to an area around the network using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating cables. Remote control to the system is provided by a control station which transmits control data to the amplification devices through the network of radiating coaxial conductors. The amplification devices are arranged to control the radiating coaxial conductors in such a way that, in response to receiving the control data, the radiating coaxial conductors may be reconfigured to overcome faults occurring in the system.

Claims

1. A management arrangement for a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of conductors, including a plurality of radiating transmission lines, said plurality of conductors being arranged to form a linked network of conductor sections having a first communication path therethrough, and a plurality of amplification devices arranged at periodic intervals along said linked network of conductor sections to amplify signals carried by the conductors and to allow radio communication among said plurality of radio units within a prescribed coverage area using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating transmission lines; and

(ii) means for switching said linked network of conductor sections to create a second communication path therethrough, said means for switching located along said link network so as being arranged at at least one of said amplification devices at said periodic intervals to interconnect at least one of two of said radiating transmission lines; and

(b) a control station for selectively controlling said means for switching, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the means for switching to create said second communication path through the network to overcome the fault.

2. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of radiating transmission lines includes radiating coaxial cables, and wherein said means for switching is arranged directly between said two radiating transmission lines.

3. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the radiating transmission lines are arranged in tandem segments, each segment being intercoupled with another tandem segment by one of the amplification devices to provide distinct paths of communication through the radiating transmission lines between the radio units and the communication system.

4. A management arrangement, according to claim 3, wherein selected ones of the plurality of amplification devices include means, responsive to control data, for changing at least one path of communication through the communication system.

5. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of amplification devices includes means, responsive to control data, for adjusting a gain factor of said at least one of said amplification devices.

6. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the radiating transmission lines include means for carrying a transmit frequency and a receive frequency and the amplification devices include means for amplifying both the transmit frequency and the receive frequency.

7. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of amplification devices includes means for generating operational status data, indicative of an operational characteristic of the amplification device, and for passing the status data to the control station.

8. A management arrangement, according to claim 7, wherein the control station includes display means, responsive to the received status data, for displaying the status data.

9. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein selected ones of the amplification devices includes means, coupled to the radiating transmission lines, for evaluating the integrity of the radiating transmission lines.

10. A management arrangement, according to claim 1, including a dedicated set of conductors which carry control data from the control station to the amplification devices.

11. A management arrangement, according to claim 10, wherein the control data is passed to the amplification devices using the radiating transmission lines to carry the control data.

12. A method for managing a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of conductors, including a plurality of radiating cables, to form at least one linked network of conductors, said conductors carrying signals to an from the radio units, and a plurality of amplification devices which are arranged at periodic intervals along said at least one linked network to amplify signals carried by the conductors and to provide a path of communication through the conductors such that radio communication is provided to a prescribed coverage area using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating cables;

providing a plurality of cable switching means respectively coupled to the amplification devices and between said conductors;

providing a control station, coupled to the amplification devices, for sending control data to the amplification devices and for receiving status data from the amplification devices, said status data being indicative of an operating condition of at least one of the amplification devices;

detecting a fault in the system by evaluating the status data sent to the control station from said at least one of the amplification devices; and

sending a command from the control station to a selected one of the amplification devices, as part of the control data, which instructs the selected one of the amplification devices to change the path of communication through at least one of the plurality of cable switching means to overcome the fault;

whereby the operation of said control station and said amplification devices is transparent to said plurality of radio units.

13. A method, according to claim 12, further including the step of programming a microcomputer within at least one of the amplification devices to monitor the status of the amplification device.

14. A method, according to claim 13, further including the step of providing input means coupled directly to the microcomputer to provide user control to the amplification device independently of the control station.

15. A management arrangement for a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a control station having a computer for transmitting control data; and

(b) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of amplification devices; and

(ii) a plurality of radiating cables arranged in tandem segments to form a cascaded network, each tandem segment being intercoupled with other tandem segments by one of the amplification devices to provide a first path of communication through the radiating cables between said radio units and the communication system, said control data being transmitted to selected ones of the amplification devices to alter an operational characteristic of said selected ones of the amplification devices, said selected ones of the amplification devices including means, responsive to the control data and arranged between said tandem segments, for creating a second path of communication through the radiating cables, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the means for creating a second path of communication to switch the communication path through the network to overcome the fault.

16. A management arrangement for a two-way communication system serving a plurality of radio units through an elongated coverage area, comprising:

(a) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of conductors, including radiating coaxial cables, and a plurality of amplification devices for amplifying signals carried by the radiating coaxial cables coupled with the plurality of conductors, wherein the radiating coaxial cables are arranged in tandem segments to form a network, each segment being intercoupled with another tandem segment by one of the amplification devices to provide a two-way path of communication between said radio units and the communication system; and

(ii) switching means, coupled to the amplification devices and responsive to control data, for changing the path of communication through the communication system, said switching means arranged between said tandem segments; and

(b) a control station, coupled to the amplification devices, for monitoring and controlling the amplification devices by sending said control data to and receiving status data from the amplification devices, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the switching means to switch the communication path through the network and overcome the fault.

17. A circuit for use in a communication system using radiating cables as an antenna to allow communication among a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network having a cable switching unit and a plurality of lines of segmented radiating cables, said cable switching unit arranged to interconnect the plurality of lines of segmented radiating cables such that a communication path is provided through selected ones of the interconnected cables and the cable switching unit, said cable switching unit responding to control signals by changing at least one of the interconnected cables and thereby changing the communication path in the presence of a fault on said one of the plurality of lines to overcome the fault; and

(b) processing means, coupled to the cable switching unit, for generating said control signals;

wherein said processing means commands said cable switching unit so as to maintain radio communication integrity for said plurality of radio units.

18. A circuit, according to claim 17, further including sensing means, coupled to the processing means, for determining if at least one of the radiating cables includes said fault.

19. A circuit, according to claim 17, further including a signal processing amplification circuit, coupled to the cable switching unit, for amplifying signals carried by the radiating cables and for monitoring parameters which control signal amplification.

20. A management arrangement for a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of conductors, including a plurality of radiating transmission lines, said plurality of conductors being arranged to form a linked network of conductor sections having a first communication path therethrough, and a plurality of amplification devices arranged at periodic intervals along said linked network of conductor sections to amplify signals carried by the conductors and to allow radio communication among said plurality of radio units within a prescribed coverage area using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating transmission lines; and

(ii) means for switching said linked network of conductor sections to create a second communication path therethrough, said means for switching being arranged between said conductor sections; and

(b) a control station for selectively controlling said means for switching, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the means for switching to create said second communication path through the network to overcome the fault, wherein at least one of the plurality of amplification devices includes means for generating operational status data, indicative of an operational characteristic of the amplification device, and for passing the status data onto an associated one of the radiating transmission lines for reception by the control station.

21. A circuit for use in a communication system using radiating cables as an antenna to allow communication among a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network having a cable switching unit arranged to interconnect two lines of radiating cables such that a communication path is provided through one of the two lines and the cable switching unit, said cable switching unit responding to control signals by changing the communication path to include the other of said two lines in the presence of a fault indicated on said one of the two lines to overcome the fault;

(b) processing means, coupled to the cable switching unit, for generating said control signals; and

(c) a signal processing amplification circuit, coupled to the cable switching unit, for amplifying signals carried by the radiating cables and for monitoring parameters which control signal amplification.

22. A management arrangement for a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of conductors, including a plurality of radiating transmission lines, said plurality of conductors being arranged to form a linked network of conductor sections having a first communication path therethrough, and a plurality of amplification devices arranged at periodic intervals along said linked network of conductor sections to amplify signals carried by the conductors and to allow radio communication among said plurality of radio units within a prescribed coverage area using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating transmission lines; and

(ii) means for switching said linked network of conductor sections to create a second communication path therethrough, said means for switching being arranged between said radiating transmission lines; and

(b) a control station for selectively controlling said means for switching, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the means for switching to create said second communication path through the network to overcome the fault, wherein selected ones of the amplification devices include means, coupled to the radiating transmission lines, for evaluating the integrity of the radiating transmission lines.

23. A management arrangement for a communication system serving a plurality of radio units, comprising:

(a) a communication network, including;

(i) a plurality of conductors, including a plurality of radiating transmission lines, said plurality of conductors being arranged to form a linked network of conductor sections having a first communication path therethrough, and a plurality of amplification devices arranged at periodic intervals along said linked network of conductor sections to amplify signals carried by the conductors and to allow radio communication among said plurality of radio units within a prescribed coverage area using radio frequency radiation released by the plurality of radiating transmission lines; and

(ii) means for switching said linked network of conductor sections to create a second communication path therethrough, said means for switching being arranged between said radiating transmission lines; and

(b) a control station for selectively controlling said means for switching, said control station responding to a fault in the network of conductors by commanding the means for switching to create said second communication path through the network to overcome the fault; and

(c) a dedicated set of conductors which carry control data from the control station to the amplification devices.