Digital distributed antenna system

• US 8,855,036 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Powerwave Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sabat, John, Porte, David
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JENEE LAUREN
• Application Number:
  US12/340,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A digital distributed antenna system (DDAS) that regains the capability to perform simulcast to multiple simulcast groups while using a base station'"'"'s direct digital output is provided. The User Plane data is adapted for simulcast and also for eliminating time delay ambiguities across multiple simulcast digital radios. In addition, the Control and Management Plane is aggregated across multiple remote units to allow a non-modified donor digital base station to control simulcast groups. The result is a low cost digital DAS that can efficiently distribute the capacity of a digital base station to solve coverage and capacity requirements in a manner similar to that now accomplished using a traditional base station with RF in/out.

Claims

1. A digital distributed wireless communication system, comprising:

a base station providing and receiving a full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal comprising a donor digital multiplexed communication signal and a remotes digital multiplexed communication signal;

a plurality of remote transceiver units transmitting a plurality of digital multiplexed signals, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units transmits a corresponding one of the plurality of digital multiplexed signals;

a digital distributed interface unit coupled to the base station and the plurality of remote transceiver units providing the donor digital multiplexed communication signal in a 1;

N simulcast distribution to, and providing time alignment of the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from, the plurality of remote transceiver units and providing the remotes digital multiplexed communication signal to the base station;

a Control &

Management (C&

M) processor for processing C&

M data plane provided to the plurality of remote transceiver units, wherein the C&

M processor is arranged to aggregate by arithmetic summation the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of remote transceiver units into a single combined reverse-link signal for transmission as the remotes digital communication signal from the digital distributed interface unit to the base station; and

a plurality of fiber optic digital interface links, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units has a corresponding single fiber optic digital interface link of the plurality of fiber optic digital interface links, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units receives the donor digital multiplexed communication signal and transmits a corresponding one of the plurality of digital multiplexed signals on a corresponding single fiber optic digital interface link.

2. The digital distributed wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the digital distributed interface unit manages a remote digital interface delay to align the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of remote transceiver units.

3. The digital distributed wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units comprises a programmable delay to equalize propagation time to the digital distributed interface unit.

4. The digital distributed wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the digital distributed interface unit provides control commands to each of the plurality of remote transceiver units.

5. The digital distributed wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal is a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) Open Basestation Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) signal.

6. The digital distributed wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote transceiver units are Digital Distributed Radio (DDR) units providing an airlink to remote users.

7. A digital distribution communication network, comprising:

a host digital base station providing and receiving a full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal comprising a donor digital multiplexed communication signal and a remotes digital multiplexed communication signal;

a plurality of digital distributed radio (DDR) remotes coupled to receive the donor digital multiplexed communication signal from the host digital base station and to transmit a plurality of digital multiplexed signals, wherein each of the plurality of DDR remotes transmits a corresponding one of the plurality digital multiplexed signals; and

a DDR Hub configured to provide a 1;

N simulcast of the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal to and from the plurality of DDR remotes, the DDR Hub coupled to the host digital base station and to each of the plurality of DDR remotes, wherein the DDR Hub comprises;

a multiplexer coupled to the host digital base station;

a plurality of fiber optic digital interface links coupled to plurality of DDR remotes and wherein a corresponding one of the plurality of fiber optic digital interface links is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of DDR remotes, wherein each corresponding one of the plurality of fiber optic digital interface links provides the donor digital multiplexed communication signal to a corresponding one of the plurality of DDR remotes and provides to the multiplexer the corresponding one of the plurality digital multiplexed signals from a corresponding one of the plurality of DDR remotes;

a Control and Management (C&

M) processor for processing C&

M data plane from both the host digital base station and the plurality of DDR remotes and managing simulcast distribution of the C&

M data plane to the plurality of DDR remotes, wherein the C&

M processor is arranged to aggregate by arithmetic summation the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of DDR remotes into a single combined reverse-link signal for transmission as the remotes digital multiplexed communication signal to the host digital base station; and

a user plane processor for implementing summation and splitting operations, and providing a programmable delay for providing a common delay value to the donor digital multiplexed communication signal to, and the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from, the plurality of DDR remotes.

8. The digital distribution communication network of claim 7, wherein the DDR hub manages a remote digital interface delay to align the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of DDR remotes.

9. The digital distribution communication network of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of DDR remotes comprises a programmable delay for equalizing propagation times for all of the plurality of DDR remotes to the DDR Hub.

10. The digital distribution communication network of claim 7, wherein the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal is a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) signal.

11. A method for providing a digital communication signal between a digital base station and a plurality of remote transceiver units, the method comprising:

providing and receiving a full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal at a digital base station via a digital distributed interface unit, wherein the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal comprises a donor digital multiplexed communication signal and a remotes digital multiplexed communication signal;

processing the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal for controlled distribution of a 1;

N simulcast distribution of the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal to and from a plurality of remote transceiver units, wherein the plurality of remote transceiver units transmits a plurality of digital multiplexed signals, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units transmits a corresponding one of the plurality of digital multiplexed signals;

coupling the plurality of digital multiplexed signals to a plurality of fiber optic digital interface links, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units has a corresponding single fiber optic digital interface link of the plurality of fiber optic digital interface links, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units receives the donor digital multiplexed communication signal and transmits a corresponding one of the plurality of digital multiplexed signals on a corresponding single fiber optic digital interface link;

processing Control &

Management (C&

M) data plane from both the digital base station and the plurality of remote transceiver units, including by aggregating by arithmetic summation the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of remote transceiver units into a single combined reverse-link signal for transmission as the remotes digital multiplexed communication signal to the digital base station; and

managing simulcast distribution of the C&

M data plane to the plurality of remote transceiver units,

wherein the digital distributed interface unit manages a remote digital interface delay to align the plurality of digital multiplexed signals from the plurality of remote transceiver units.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of remote transceiver units comprises a programmable delay to equalize propagation time to the digital distributed interface unit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the full duplex digital multiplexed communication signal is a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or Open Basestation Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) signal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of remote transceiver units provide airlink transmissions to and from remote users.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising commanding each of the plurality of remote transceiver units via a set of remote Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or Open Basestation Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) commands transmitted via the corresponding one of the plurality of fiber optic digital interface links.