Method and system for dynamically routing between a radio access network and distributed antenna system remote antenna units

• US 7,286,507 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Oh, Dae-Sik, Sill, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/243,023
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 370/334, 370/329, 370/328, 370/338, 370/312, 370/313, 370/340, 370/341, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/422, 455/403, 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/445, 455/500, 455/517, 455/561, 455/567.1, 455/560
• US Class Current: 370/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

An improved mechanism for routing communication traffic between a radio access network and distributed antenna system (DAS) remote antenna units. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a DAS hub and each DAS antenna unit served by the DAS hub will sit as a respective node on a packet-switched network. Further, the DAS hub will maintain or otherwise have access to a set of mapping data that correlates one or more radio access network coverage segments (e.g., cell sectors) with one or more DAS antenna unit addresses on the packet-switched network (e.g., IP addresses). Advantageously, an administrator of the DAS can then configure or alter the mapping data whenever desired, to conveniently set the RAN-DAS correlations and to thereby distribute RAN coverage in a desired manner throughout the DAS.

Claims

1. A distributed antenna system (DAS) comprising:

a DAS hub, wherein the DAS hub communicates with a cellular radio access network (RAN) on one or more RAN coverage segments defined by the RAN;

a plurality of DAS antenna units;

a packet-switched network connecting the DAS hub with the DAS antenna units, wherein each DAS antenna unit has an address on the packet-switched network, wherein the packet-switched network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and wherein each address on the packet-switched network comprises an IP address; and

data storage containing mapping data that correlates the DAS antenna units with the one or more RAN coverage segments, wherein the DAS hub uses the mapping data to route communication traffic between the one or more RAN coverage segments and the network addresses of the DAS antenna units, and wherein the mapping data is alterable to modify correlations between the one or more RAN coverage segments and the IP addresses of the DAS antenna units, so as to alter a distribution of RAN capacity among the DAS antenna units.

2. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein each RAN coverage segments defines a respective PN-offset, and wherein the mapping data correlates RAN coverage segment PN-offsets with DAS antenna unit IP addresses.

3. A distributed antenna system (DAS) comprising:

a DAS hub, wherein the DAS hub communicates with a cellular radio access network (RAN) on one or more RAN coverage segments defined by the RAN;

a plurality of DAS antenna units;

a packet-switched network connecting the DAS hub with the DAS antenna units, wherein each of the DAS antenna units has a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address on the packet-switched network; and

data storage containing mapping data that correlates the one or more RAN coverage segments with the IP addresses of the DAS antenna units,

wherein, when the DAS hub receives incoming communication traffic on a source RAN coverage segment, the DAS hub uses the mapping data to identify at least one DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source RAN coverage segment and the DAS hub forwards the incoming communication traffic via the packet-switched network to the at least one identified DAS antenna unit destination IP address, and

wherein the mapping data is alterable to modify correlations between the RAN coverage segments and the IP addresses of the DAS antenna units so as to alter a distribution of RAN capacity among the DAS antenna units.

4. The distributed antenna system of claim 3, wherein, when the DAS hub receives outgoing communication traffic via the packet-switched network from a source IP address of a source DAS antenna unit, the DAS hub uses the mapping data to identify at least one destination RAN coverage segment corresponding with the source IP address and the DAS hub forwards the outgoing communication traffic on the at least one identified destination RAN coverage segment to the RAN.

5. The distributed antenna system of claim 3, wherein the DAS hub contains the data storage.

6. The distributed antenna system of claim 3, wherein the DAS hub communicates with the RAN on each of the one or more RAN coverage segments via one or more connections each selected from the group consisting of a wireless connection, a fiber connection, and a cable connection.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the DAS hub includes a mobile station modem for receiving the incoming communication traffic from the RAN and for sending outgoing communication traffic to the RAN.

8. A distributed antenna system (DAS) comprising:

a DAS hub, wherein the DAS hub communicates with a cellular radio access network (RAN) on one or more RAN coverage segments defined by the RAN;

a plurality of DAS antenna units;

a packet-switched network connecting the DAS hub with the DAS antenna units wherein each of the DAS antenna units has a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address on the packet-switched network; and

data storage containing mapping data that correlates the one or more RAN coverage segments with the IP addresses of the DAS antenna units,

wherein, when the DAS hub receives incoming communication traffic on a source RAN coverage segment, the DAS hub uses the mapping data to identify at least one DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source RAN coverage segment and the DAS hub forwards the incoming communication traffic via the packet-switched network to the at least one identified DAS antenna unit destination IP address,

wherein each of at least a plurality of the RAN coverage segments is a code division multiple access (CDMA) sector defining a respective PN-offset, wherein the mapping data correlates the plurality of RAN coverage segments with the IP addresses of the DAS antenna units at least in part by correlating the RAN coverage segment PN-offsets with the DAS antenna unit IP addresses, and

wherein when the DAS hub receives the incoming communication traffic on an RAN coverage segment defining a source PN-offset, the DAS hub uses the mapping data to identify at least one DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source PN-offset and the DAS hub routes the incoming communication traffic to the at least one identified DAS unit destination IP address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the DAS hub includes a rake receiver that distinguishes between incoming communication traffic on one RAN coverage segment defining one PN-offset and incoming communication traffic on another RAN coverage segment defining another PN-offset.

10. A method comprising:

maintaining at a distributed antenna system (DAS) a set of mapping data that correlates Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of DAS antenna units with one or more coverage segments of a cellular radio access network (RAN);

using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses; and

changing the mapping data so as to alter correlations between the one or more RAN coverage segments and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses, to thereby alter distribution of RAN capacity among the DAS antenna units.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the mapping data so as to alter correlations between the one or more RAN coverage segments and the distributed antenna unit IP addresses comprises making a change selected from the group consisting of:

(i) correlating a given RAN coverage segment with at least one additional DAS antenna unit IP address, and

(ii) correlating a given DAS antenna unit IP address with at least one additional RAN coverage segment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the mapping data comprises receiving user input indicative of at least one change to the mapping data, and responsively saving altered mapping data for subsequent use in routing communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses comprises:

receiving incoming communication traffic into the DAS on a source coverage segment of the RAN, using the mapping data to identify a DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source RAN coverage segment, and forwarding the incoming communication traffic via a packet-switched network to the identified DAS antenna unit destination IP address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving incoming communication traffic into the DAS on the source coverage segment of the RAN comprises receiving the incoming communication traffic via a link selected from the group consisting of a wireless link, an optical link, and a cable link.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving outgoing communication traffic from a source IP address of a source DAS antenna unit, using the mapping data to identify a destination RAN coverage segment corresponding with the source IP address, and forwarding the outgoing communication traffic to the RAN on the identified destination RAN coverage segment.

15. A method comprising:

maintaining at a distributed antenna system (DAS) a set of mapping data that correlates Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of DAS antenna units with one or more coverage segments of a cellular radio access network (RAN); and

using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses,

wherein using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses comprises receiving incoming communication traffic into the DAS on a source coverage segment of the RAN using the mapping data to identify a DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source RAN coverage segment, and forwarding the incoming communication traffic via a packet-switched network to the identified DAS antenna unit destination IP address,

wherein each of the one or more RAN coverage segments defines a respective PN-offset, wherein the mapping data correlates the DAS antenna unit IP addresses with the RAN coverage segments at least in part by correlating RAN coverage segment PN-offsets with DAS antenna unit IP addresses, and wherein;

using the mapping data to identify the DAS antenna unit IP address corresponding with the source coverage segment of the RAN comprises using the mapping data to identify the DAS antenna unit IP address corresponding with the PN-offset of the source RAN coverage segment.

17. A method comprising:

maintaining at a distributed antenna system (DAS) a set of mapping data that correlates Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of DAS antenna units with one or more coverage segments of a cellular radio access network (RAN);

using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses; and

receiving outgoing communication traffic from a source IP address of a source DAS antenna unit, using the mapping data to identify a destination RAN coverage segment corresponding with the source IP address, and forwarding the outgoing communication traffic to the RAN on the identified destination RAN coverage segment,

wherein using the mapping data to route communication traffic between the RAN and the DAS antenna unit IP addresses comprises receiving incoming communication traffic into the DAS on a source coverage segment of the RAN, using the mapping data to identify a DAS antenna unit destination IP address corresponding with the source RAN coverage segment and forwarding the incoming communication traffic via a packet-switched network to the identified DAS antenna unit destination IP address,

wherein each RAN coverage segment defines a respective PN-offset, wherein the mapping data correlates the DAS antenna units with the RAN coverage segments at least in part by correlating RAN coverage segment PN-offsets with DAS antenna unit IP addresses, and wherein;

using the mapping data to identify the destination RAN coverage segment corresponding with the source IP address comprises using the mapping data to identify the RAN coverage segment PN-offset corresponding with the source IP address, and

forwarding the outgoing communication traffic to the RAN on the identified destination RAN coverage segment comprises forwarding the outgoing communication traffic to the RAN on the RAN coverage segment having the identified RAN coverage segment PN-offset.