Providing digital data services in optical fiber-based distributed radio frequency (RF) communication systems, and related components and methods

• US 9,042,732 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cune, William Patrick, Sauer, Michael, Schweiker, Wolfgang Gottfried Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): CURS, NATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/785,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 398/115
• US Class Current: 398/96
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/08 Arrangements for combining channels branching filters H01P1/213, H03H7/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing

Abstract

Optical fiber-based distributed communications systems that provide and support both RF communication services and digital data services are disclosed herein. The RF communication services and digital data services can be distributed over optical fiber to client devices, such as remote antenna units for example. In certain embodiments, digital data services can be distributed over optical fiber separate from optical fiber distributing RF communication services. In other embodiments, digital data services can be distributed over common optical fiber with RF communication services. For example, digital data services can be distributed over common optical fiber with RF communication services at different wavelengths through wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and/or at different frequencies through frequency-division multiplexing (FDM). Power distributed in the optical fiber-based distributed communications system to provide power to remote antenna units can also be accessed to provide power to digital data service components.

Claims

1. A distributed antenna system for distributing radio frequency (RF) communications and digital data services (DDS) to at least one remote antenna unit (RAU), comprising:

a head-end unit (HEU) configured to;

receive at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal;

convert the at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal into at least one downlink optical RF communications signal to be communicated over at least one communications downlink to the at least one RAU;

receive at least one uplink optical RF communications signal over at least one communications uplink from the at least one RAU; and

convert the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal into at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal;

a DDS controller configured to;

receive at least one downlink signal containing at least one DDS;

provide at least one downlink optical digital signal containing at least one DDS over at least one second communications downlink to the at least one RAU;

receive at least one uplink optical digital signal over at least one second communications uplink from the at least one RAU;

convert the at least one uplink optical digital signal to at least one uplink electrical digital signal;

receive at least one second uplink optical digital signal over the at least one second communications uplink from the at least one media controller (MC); and

convert the at least one second uplink optical digital signal to at least one second uplink electrical digital signal; and

an interconnect unit (ICU) located separately from, and in between, the DDS controller and the at least one RAU, the ICU configured to;

receive the at least one downlink optical RF communications signal from the HEU; and

receive the at least one downlink optical digital signal from the DDS controller.

2. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the distributed antenna system is deployed over multiple floors of a building infrastructure, the at least one RAU comprising a plurality of RAUs, a plurality of the RAUs being deployed on each floor of the building infrastructure.

3. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, wherein the at least one communications downlink and the at least one communications uplink include optical fiber.

4. The distributed antenna system of claim 3, wherein the at least one DDS is comprised from the group consisting of Ethernet, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and Long Term Evolution (LTE).

5. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, wherein the ICU is further configured to:

provide the at least one downlink optical RF communications signal over the at least one communications downlink to the at least one RAU; and

provide the at least one downlink optical digital signal over the at least one second communications downlink to the at least one RAU.

6. The distributed antenna system of claim 5, wherein the ICU is further configured to:

receive the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal from the at least one RAU over the at least one communications uplink;

provide the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal to the HEU;

receive the at least one uplink optical digital signal from the at least one RAU over the at least one second communications uplink; and

provide the at least one uplink optical digital signal to the DDS controller.

7. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, further comprising at least one wave-division multiplexer (WDM) configured to wave-division multiplex the at least one downlink optical RF communications signal and the at least one downlink optical digital signal at different wavelengths over at least one optical fiber communications downlink.

8. The distributed antenna system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one wave-division de-multiplexer (WDD) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to separate the at least one downlink optical RF communications signal from the at least one downlink optical digital signal received over the at least one communications downlink; and

at least one wave-division de-multiplexer (WDM) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to wave-division multiplex the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal and the at least one uplink optical digital signal at different wavelengths over the at least one communications uplink.

9. The distributed antenna system of claim 8, further comprising at least one wave-division de-multiplexer (WDD) configured to separate the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal from the at least one uplink optical digital signal received over the at least one communications uplink.

10. The distributed antenna system of claim 7, further comprising at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal and at least one downlink electrical digital signal at different frequencies over the at least one communications downlink.

11. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, further comprising at least one frequency-division de-multiplexer (FDD) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to separate the at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal from the at least one downlink electrical digital signal from the at least one communications downlink.

12. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, further comprising at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one uplink electrical digital signal at different frequencies from the at least one communications uplink.

13. The distributed antenna system of claim 12, further comprising at least one frequency-division de-multiplexer (FDD) configured to separate the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal from the at least one uplink electrical digital signal from the at least one communications uplink.

14. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one uplink electrical digital signal at different frequencies from at least one communications uplink; and

at least one frequency-division de-multiplexer (FDD) configured to separate the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal from the at least one uplink electrical digital signal from the at least one communications uplink.

15. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, wherein the at least one second communications downlink is comprised of at least one second optical fiber communications downlink.

16. The distributed antenna system of claim 2, wherein each remote antenna unit comprises:

an optical-to-electrical (O-E) converter configured to convert received downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signals to downlink electrical RF communications signals and provide the downlink electrical RF communications signals at at least one first port;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert uplink electrical RF communications signals received from the at least one first port to uplink optical RF communication signals; and

a digital data services (DDS) interface coupled to at least one second port and configured to;

convert downlink optical digital signals into downlink electrical digital signals to provide to the at least one second port; and

convert uplink electrical digital signals received from the at least one second port into uplink optical digital signals.

17. The distributed antenna system of claim 16, wherein the DDS interface further comprises a power interface configured to receive electrical power and provide the electrical power to the at least one second port, and wherein the at least one second port is configured to support Power-over-Ethernet (PoE).

18. The distributed antenna system of claim 17, wherein the DDS interface is configured to receive the electrical power from an electrical power line provided in at least one array cable.

19. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein each remote antenna unit comprises:

an optical-to-electrical (O-E) converter configured to convert received downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signals to downlink electrical RF communications signals and provide the downlink electrical RF communications signals at at least one first port;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert uplink electrical RF communications signals received from the at least one first port to uplink optical RF communication signals; and

a digital data services (DDS) interface coupled to at least one second port and configured to;

convert downlink optical digital signals into downlink electrical digital signals to provide to the at least one second port; and

convert uplink electrical digital signals received from the at least one second port into uplink optical digital signals,

wherein the DDS interface further comprises a power interface configured to receive electrical power and provide the electrical power to the at least one second port, and wherein the at least one second port is configured to support Power-over-Ethernet (PoE).

20. A distributed antenna system deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure for distributing radio frequency (RF) communications and digital data services (DDS), comprising:

a plurality of remote antenna units (RAUs), at least two of the RAUs being deployed on at least two different floors of the building infrastructure;

a head-end unit (HEU) configured to;

receive at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal;

convert the at least one downlink electrical RF communications signal into at least one downlink optical RF communications signal to be communicated over at least one communications downlink through at least one interconnect unit (ICU) to at least one of the RAUs;

receive at least one uplink optical RF communications signal over at least one communications uplink from at least one of the RAUs through at least one ICU; and

convert the at least one uplink optical RF communications signal into at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal; and

a DDS controller located separately from the HEU, the DDS controller comprising a media converter and configured to;

receive at least one downlink signal containing at least one DDS;

provide at least one downlink optical digital signal over at least one second communications downlink through at least one ICU to at least one of the RAUs;

receive at least one uplink optical digital signal over at least one second communications uplink from at least one of the RAUs through at least one ICU;

convert the at least one uplink optical digital signal to at least one uplink electrical digital signal;

receive at least one second uplink optical digital signal over the at least one second communications uplink from at least one media controller (MC); and

convert the at least one second uplink optical digital signal to the at least one second uplink electrical digital signal.

21. The distributed antenna system of claim 20, wherein each remote antenna unit comprises:

an optical-to-electrical (O-E) converter configured to convert received downlink optical radio frequency (RF) communications signals to downlink electrical RF communications signals and provide the downlink electrical RF communications signals at least one first port;

an electrical-to-optical (E-O) converter configured to convert uplink electrical RF communications signals received from the at least one first port to uplink optical RF communication signals; and

a digital data services (DDS) interface coupled to at least one second port and configured to;

convert downlink optical digital signals into downlink electrical digital signals to provide to the at least one second port; and

convert uplink electrical digital signals received from the at least one second port into uplink optical digital signals.

22. The distributed antenna system of claim 20, further comprising:

at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) associated with the at least one RAU and configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal and the at least one uplink electrical digital signal at different frequencies from the at least one communications uplink; and

at least one frequency-division de-multiplexer (FDD) configured to separate the at least one uplink electrical RF communications signal from the at least one uplink electrical digital signal from the at least one communications uplink.