Multi-point optical transmission system

• US 6,392,770 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Masuda, Koichi, Sasai, Hiroyuki, Maeda, Kazuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/320,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 359/136, 359/145, 359/125, 359/167, 379/56.1, 379/56.2, 379/56.3, 455/422
• US Class Current: 398/99
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]

Abstract

Radio base stations subject each code-division multiplex signal to frequency conversion so as to vary each frequency thereof according to the radio base stations and then converts the signal to an optical signal before transmitting the same to a switching station. The switching station multiplexes the optical signals, subjects a signal obtained after multiplexing to optical-electrical conversion, and extracts the code-division multiplex signal from the respective electrical signal obtained after the conversion. Consequently, each signal to be demodulated by demodulating sections includes nothing but the code-division multiplex signal outputted from the radio base stations. Therefore, a code-division multiplex signal outputted from a desired base station is not disturbed by code-division multiplex signals outputted from the other stations as a noise as will be in a conventional system.

Claims

1. A multi-point optical transmission system for optically transmitting code-division multiplex signals from a plurality of slave stations to a master station,

said slave stations having each varied carrier frequency assigned, each of said slave stations comprising:

frequency conversion means for subjecting each code-division multiplex signal having a predetermined frequency to be transmitted to said master station to frequency conversion to equalize the predetermined frequency thereof with the carrier frequency assigned to one own station;

drive means for applying a bias to a signal obtained after the conversion by said frequency conversion means; and

electrical-optical conversion means for converting an electrical signal obtained through the bias applied by said drive means into an optical signal whose intensity is modulated by the electrical signal, and

said master station comprising;

optical multiplex means for multiplexing optical signals obtained after conversion by said electrical-optical conversion means;

optical-electrical conversion means for converting an optical signal obtained after multiplexing by said optical multiplex means into an electrical signal;

band pass filter means for extracting a signal equal in frequency to the carrier frequency assigned to each of said slave stations from the electrical signal obtained after conversion by said optical-electrical conversion means; and

frequency re-conversion means for subjecting each signal extracted by said band pass filter means to frequency re-conversion to equalize each frequency thereof with said predetermined frequency.

2. The multi-point optical transmission system according to claim 1, wherein each of said slave stations has varied downlink carrier frequency further assigned,

said master station further comprises:

downlink frequency conversion means for subjecting each downlink signal having another predetermined frequency to be transmitted to said slave stations to frequency conversion to equalize the other predetermined frequency thereof with the downlink carrier frequency assigned to each of the slave station;

multiplex means for multiplexing downlink signals obtained after the conversion by said downlink frequency conversion means;

downlink drive means for applying a bias to a signal obtained after multiplexing by said multiplex means;

downlink electrical-optical conversion means for converting an electrical signal obtained through the bias applied by said downlink drive means into an optical signal whose intensity is modulated by the signal; and

optical branch means for branching the optical signal obtained after conversion by said downlink electrical-optical conversion means, and

each of said slave stations further comprises;

downlink optical-electrical conversion means for converting one of a plurality of optical signals obtained after branching by said optical branch means into an electrical signal;

downlink band pass filter means for extracting a signal equal in frequency to a downlink carrier frequency assigned to the own station from the electrical signal obtained after conversion by said downlink optical-electrical conversion means; and

downlink frequency re-conversion means for subjecting the downlink signal extracted by said downlink band pass filter means to frequency re-conversion to equalize a frequency thereof with said other predetermined frequency.

3. The multi-point optical transmission system according to claim 2, wherein each of said slave stations has varied pilot signal frequency further assigned, and

further comprises pilot signal multiplex means for multiplexing a pilot signal having a pilot signal frequency assigned to the own station on a code-division multiplex signal to be transmitted to said master station,

said master station further comprises downlink pilot signal multiplex means for multiplexing a downlink pilot signal on each of downlink signals to be transmitted to said slave stations,

said downlink pilot signal multiplex means examines the electrical signal obtained after conversion by said optical-electrical conversion means to measure power of said pilot signal, and then generates control information indicating a difference between a measured value and a predetermined threshold to apply the same as a modulation component to said downlink pilot signal to be multiplexed,

said downlink band pass filter means further extracts the downlink pilot signal from the electrical signal obtained after the conversion by said downlink optical-electrical conversion means, and

in accordance with said control information supplied to the downlink pilot signal extracted by said downlink band pass filter means, said drive means adjusts power of a bias to be applied so that power of said code-division multiplex signal at time of reaching said master station are equalized.

4. The multi-point optical transmission system according to claim 3, wherein when converting the electrical signal into the optical signal, said electrical-optical conversion means adjusts each optical modulation level of the optical signal to equalize the same.

5. The multi-point optical transmission system according to claim 3, wherein each of said code-division multiplex signals is a signal into which a plurality of radio signals transmitted from a mobile station in each cell of said slave stations are code-division-multiplexed,

each of said downlink signals is a signal into which a plurality of radio signals to be transmitted to the mobile station in said cell are multiplexed, and

each of said slave stations further comprises:

an antenna for transmitting and receiving the radio signals to and from the mobile station located in one own cell; and

a circulator for supplying an output from said antenna to said frequency conversion means and an output from said downlink frequency re-conversion means to said antenna.