Multi-port accumulator for radio-over-fiber (RoF) wireless picocellular systems
First Claim
1. A radio over fiber (RoF) wireless picocellular system, comprising:
- a head-end unit configured to be operably connected to an outside network and receive downlink signals from the outside network;
a plurality of tail cables, each of the tail cables comprising a plurality of optical fibers;
a distribution unit optically coupled to the head-end unit via a primary optical fiber RF communications link, the distribution unit configured to divide the primary optical fiber RF communication link into the plurality of tail cables and direct the downlink signals onto the tail cables;
a plurality of multi-port accumulators, each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators receiving a respective tail cable among the plurality of tail cables, and each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators comprising at least two transponders, each transponder configured to direct uplink and downlink signals,wherein each of the at least two transponders is coupled to the primary optical fiber RF communication link via at least two of the plurality of optical fibers in the respective tail cable, and each of the at least two transponders and is configured to form a picocell coverage area and to wirelessly communicate with a client device within the picocell coverage area using the uplink and downlink signals; and
wherein each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators further comprises;
a housing including a plurality of sidewalls, at least a portion of the plurality of sidewalls includes a plurality of transponder connector ports, and a tail cable port configured to be optically and electrically coupled to one of the plurality of tail cables, such that individual optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers in each tail cable are coupled from the tail cable port to respective transponder connector ports; and
wherein the at least two transponders for each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators are each optically and electrically connected to one of the plurality of transponder connector ports for the respective multi-port accumulator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-port accumulator apparatus for a radio-over-fiber (RoF) wireless picocellular system comprising a housing supporting a tail cable port and transponder ports. The tail cable port is optically coupled to the RoF transponder ports to provide for transmission of uplink and downlink optical signals between the tail cable port and each of the transponder ports. The tail cable port is also electrically coupled to provide power to each transponder port. The multi-port accumulator supports RoF transponders, one at each of the transponder ports. Each RoF transponder includes a directional antenna system forming a picocellular coverage sub-area, with the combined sub-areas constituting a picocellular coverage area for the multi-port accumulator. The multi-port accumulator permits quick installation and deployment of large numbers of RoF transponders without individually connecting each RoF transponder to downlink and uplink optical fibers in an optical fiber RF communication link.
713 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A radio over fiber (RoF) wireless picocellular system, comprising:
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a head-end unit configured to be operably connected to an outside network and receive downlink signals from the outside network; a plurality of tail cables, each of the tail cables comprising a plurality of optical fibers; a distribution unit optically coupled to the head-end unit via a primary optical fiber RF communications link, the distribution unit configured to divide the primary optical fiber RF communication link into the plurality of tail cables and direct the downlink signals onto the tail cables; a plurality of multi-port accumulators, each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators receiving a respective tail cable among the plurality of tail cables, and each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators comprising at least two transponders, each transponder configured to direct uplink and downlink signals, wherein each of the at least two transponders is coupled to the primary optical fiber RF communication link via at least two of the plurality of optical fibers in the respective tail cable, and each of the at least two transponders and is configured to form a picocell coverage area and to wirelessly communicate with a client device within the picocell coverage area using the uplink and downlink signals; and wherein each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators further comprises; a housing including a plurality of sidewalls, at least a portion of the plurality of sidewalls includes a plurality of transponder connector ports, and a tail cable port configured to be optically and electrically coupled to one of the plurality of tail cables, such that individual optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers in each tail cable are coupled from the tail cable port to respective transponder connector ports; and wherein the at least two transponders for each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators are each optically and electrically connected to one of the plurality of transponder connector ports for the respective multi-port accumulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of establishing a wireless connection between a network and a client device, comprising:
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operably connecting a head-end unit to an outside network; optically coupling a distribution unit to the head-end unit via a primary optical fiber RF communications link, the distribution unit dividing a primary optical fiber RF communication link into a plurality of tail cables, each of the plurality of tail cables comprising a plurality of individual optical fibers; receiving a respective tail cable of the plurality of tail cables at one of the plurality of multi-port accumulators, each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators including at least two transponders, each transponder configured to direct uplink and downlink signals; coupling each of the at least two transponders to the primary optical fiber RF communications link through individual optical fibers in the respective tail cable; forming a picocell coverage area with each of the at least two transponders to wirelessly communicating with a client device within the picocell coverage area; optically and electrically coupling the at least two transponders of each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators to corresponding ones of a plurality of transponder connector ports for the respective multi-port accumulator; optically and electrically coupling one of the plurality of tail cables to a tail cable port of each multi-port accumulator among the plurality of multi-port accumulators; and wherein the each of the plurality of multi-port accumulators comprises a housing including a plurality of sidewalls at least a portion of the plurality of sidewalls includes the plurality of transponder connector ports and the tail cable port. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification