Software configurable distributed antenna system and method for reducing uplink noise

• US 8,817,848 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dali Wireless Inc. (Dali Systems Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dali Systems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lemson, Paul, Stapleton, Shawn Patrick, Trajkovic, Sasa
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, PHUONG M
• Application Number:
  US13/602,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140072064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 375/211, 375/214, 375/215, 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/223, 375/257, 398/116, 370/279, 370/315, 370/321, 370/325
• US Class Current: 375/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A distributed antenna system includes a master unit including a downlink RF input operable to receive an RF input signal from a downlink port of a base station, a first optical port, and a second optical port. The distributed antenna system also includes a first remote unit coupled to the first optical port. The first remote unit comprises a downlink antenna port and a first uplink antenna port and a second remote unit coupled to the second optical port of the master unit. The second remote unit comprises a downlink antenna port and a second uplink antenna port. The master unit is operable to transmit a first RF signal associated with the first RF uplink signal to a first uplink port of the base station and transmit a second RF signal associated with the second RF uplink signal to a second uplink port of the base station.

Claims

1. A method of operating a distributed antenna system, the method comprising:

providing a processor;

receiving a list of remote units, each of the remote units having an antenna port, wherein the list of remote units includes a number of non-diversity remote units;

computing, for a sector, a number of diversity remote units and a number of non-diversity remote units;

computing, using the processor, a percentage of the number of non-diversity remote units in the list of remote units;

assigning, for each of the remote units, the antenna port to either a first uplink port of a master unit or a second uplink port of the master unit;

transmitting the assignments to the remote units;

receiving a first RF uplink signal at an antenna port of a first remote unit;

receiving a second RF uplink signal at an antenna port of a second remote unit;

transmitting an RF signal associated with the first RF uplink signal to the first uplink port of the master unit; and

transmitting a second RF signal associated with the second RF uplink signal to the second uplink port of the master unit.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the assignments to the master unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed antenna system comprises one or more master units and a plurality of remote units.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote units comprise at least a diversity remote unit or a non-diversity remote unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF signal associated with the first RF uplink signal comprises information associated with an RF uplink signal associated with another remote unit.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the master unit comprises:

a downlink RF input operable to receive an RF input signal from a downlink port of a base station;

a first optical port; and

a second optical port.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the remote units comprises a non-diversity remote unit including a single uplink antenna port and the second remote unit comprises a non-diversity remote unit including a single uplink antenna port.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the master unit comprises a digital access unit.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the antenna port of one or more of the remote units comprises a first uplink antenna port and a second uplink antenna port.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first remote unit and the second remote unit are coupled to the master unit using a fiber optic connection.