Method and system for communicating between a remote antenna system and a cellular base station via a cable television network

• US 7,933,572 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Harold Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US11/234,982
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562, 455/426.2, 455/102
• US Class Current: 455/153.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A typical cable television (CATV) network can be used as a communication link between a remote antenna system and a cellular base station (BTS). To do so, capacity of the typical CATV network is expanded to add use of an additional frequency spectrum, the added frequency is then divided into frequency channels (bands) of which each channel is digitized (e.g., using QAM) to produce a certain amount data bandwidth per channel, and a certain number of those channels are concatenated together to provide an aggregate data channel for carrying traffic between the cellular BTS and the remote antenna system (e.g., a distributed antenna system (DAS)).

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a remote antenna and a cellular wireless base station (BTS) via a cable television (CATV) distribution network comprising:

digitizing data channels of the CATV distribution network to produce an amount of data bandwidth per channel; and

concatenating a plurality of the digitized channels together to form a single transmission path to provide an aggregate data channel for carrying traffic between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular wireless BTS includes radio transceivers to produce a respective radiation pattern defining a cell site within which a mobile device may communicate wirelessly with the cellular wireless BTS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the CATV distribution network includes coaxial cable connecting subscribers to a cable multiple system operator (MSO) coax plant that delivers cable television service to the subscribers in the frequency range of about 5 MHz to about 860 MHz.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote antenna and the cellular wireless BTS are connected through the coaxial cable of the CATV distribution network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein digitizing data channels of the CATV distribution network to produce the amount of data bandwidth per channel comprises digitizing 6 MHz data channels of the CATV distribution network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein concatenating the plurality of the digitized channels together to provide the aggregate data channel for carrying traffic between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna comprises concatenating at least a number of digitized data channels that would result in an aggregate data channel being able to carry approximately 1.42 Gbps.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a frequency range between about 1 GHz to about 2 GHz for communications from the cellular wireless BTS to the remote antenna.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a frequency range between about 2.250 GHz to about 2.750 GHz for communications from the remote antenna to the cellular wireless BTS.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein concatenating the plurality of the digitized channels together to provide the aggregate data channel for carrying traffic between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna comprises using contiguous concatenation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein concatenating the plurality of the digitized channels together to provide the aggregate data channel for carrying traffic between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna comprises using virtual concatenation.

11. A method of communicating between a remote antenna and a cellular wireless base station (BTS) via a cable television (CATV) distribution network comprising:

receiving at the remote antenna signals from mobile devices;

encapsulating data within the signals using the generic framing procedure (GFP);

digitizing the encapsulated data;

virtually concatenating a plurality of channels of the CATV distribution network to form a single transmission path to provide an aggregate data channel for carrying the encapsulated data between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna; and

sending the encapsulated data from the remote antenna to the cellular wireless BTS via the concatenated channels of the CATV distribution network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein virtually concatenating the plurality of channels of the CATV distribution network comprises dividing the encapsulated data into separate data signals, and transporting the separate data signals individually through the CATV distribution network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising recombining the separate data signals at the cellular wireless BTS.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the separate data signals correspond to a group of data, the method further comprising buffering the separate data signals at the cellular wireless BTS until all the separate data signals corresponding to the group arrive at the cellular wireless BTS.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein digitizing the encapsulated data comprises using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

16. A system comprising:

a cellular wireless base station producing a radiation pattern defining a cell site within which mobile devices may communicate wirelessly with the cellular wireless base station;

a remote antenna coupled to the cellular wireless base station and extending a coverage area of the cell site; and

a cable television distribution network providing a communication link between the remote antenna and the cellular wireless base station, wherein data channels of the cable television distribution network are digitized to produce an amount of data bandwidth per channel and a plurality of the digitized channels are concatenated together to form a single transmission path to provide an aggregate data channel for carrying data between the cellular wireless BTS and the remote antenna.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cable television distribution network includes transmission lines connecting subscribers to a cable system that delivers cable television service to the subscribers by broadcasting a set of 6 MHz signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the cable television distribution network concatenates at least a number of digitized channels that would result in an aggregate data channel being able to carry approximately 1.42 Gbps.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein data is transferred over the cable television distribution network from the cellular wireless base station to the remote antenna using a frequency range between about 1 GHz to about 2 GHz.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein data is transferred over the cable television distribution network from the remote antenna to the cellular wireless base station using a frequency range between about 2.250 GHz to about 2.750 GHz.