System and method for an agile cloud radio access network
First Claim
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1. A cloud radio access network (C-RAN) comprising:
- a first plurality of antennas;
a first plurality of radio remote units (RRUs) coupled to the first plurality of antennas;
a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs);
a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs, wherein the first photonic switch is configured to link RRUs of the first plurality of RRUs to BBUs of the first plurality of BBUs, and wherein the first photonic switch is at a first location; and
a plurality of photonic switches optically coupled between the first photonic switch and the first plurality of RRUs, wherein the plurality of photonic switches comprises a second photonic switch, wherein the second photonic switch is at a second location, wherein the first location is different than the second location, and wherein the first photonic switch and the plurality of photonic switches form a mesh network, a tree-and-branch network, or a duplicated tree-and-branch network.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) includes a first plurality of antennas and a first plurality of radio remote units (RRUs) coupled to the plurality of antennas. The C-RAN also includes a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs) and a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs.
33 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A cloud radio access network (C-RAN) comprising:
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a first plurality of antennas; a first plurality of radio remote units (RRUs) coupled to the first plurality of antennas; a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs); a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs, wherein the first photonic switch is configured to link RRUs of the first plurality of RRUs to BBUs of the first plurality of BBUs, and wherein the first photonic switch is at a first location; and a plurality of photonic switches optically coupled between the first photonic switch and the first plurality of RRUs, wherein the plurality of photonic switches comprises a second photonic switch, wherein the second photonic switch is at a second location, wherein the first location is different than the second location, and wherein the first photonic switch and the plurality of photonic switches form a mesh network, a tree-and-branch network, or a duplicated tree-and-branch network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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15. A method for adjusting links in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN), the method comprising:
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detecting a fault to produce a detected fault, wherein detecting the fault comprises receiving an alert; unlinking, by a photonic switch, a first radio remote unit (RRU) of a plurality of RRUs from a first broadband base unit (BBU) of a plurality of BBUs in accordance with the detected fault, wherein the photonic switch is optically coupled between the first RRU and the first BBU; and linking, by the photonic switch, a second RRU of the plurality of RRUs to the first BBU, wherein the photonic switch is optically coupled between the first BBU and the second RRU. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for adjusting links in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN), the method comprising:
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deciding to adjust an old mapping between a plurality of BBUs and a plurality of RRUs to a new mapping only in accordance with a schedule, wherein a photonic switch is optically coupled between the plurality of RRUs and the plurality of BBUs; determining a new mapping between the plurality of BBUs and the plurality of RRUs; and adjusting a plurality of links between the plurality of BBUs and the plurality of RRUs in accordance with the new mapping. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification