Radio-over-fiber (ROF) system for protocol-independent wired and/or wireless communication

• US 9,485,022 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Jacob, Sauer, Michael, Thelen, Dean Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US14/966,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 398/115, 398/116, 398/117, 398/45, 398/48, 398/49, 398/50, 398/56, 398/57, 398/58, 398/66, 398/68, 398/72, 398/79, 398/118, 398/128, 398/130, 370/328, 370/338, 370/352, 370/389, 370/392, 370/503, 370/329, 370/351, 370/342, 455/561, 455/562, 455/562.1, 455/445, 455/422, 455/524, 455/560
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25751 Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25754 Star network topology
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• 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: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A switched wireless system is used to increase the range of peer-to-peer communications. The optically-switched fiber optic communication system includes a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank. Cables couple the HEU to one or more remote access points in different coverage areas. The switch bank in the HEU provides a link between the remote access points in the different coverage areas such that devices in the different cellular coverage areas communicate with each other, such as through videoconferencing. By using the switched communication system, the range and coverage of communication between devices may be extended such that devices in different coverage areas and devices using different communication protocols can communicate.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

an optical switch bank;

a plurality of remote access points distributed throughout multiple floors of a building infrastructure; and

at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers and being configured to carry Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) signals from the optical switch bank for communication with the remote access points, wherein

a first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding first coverage area,

a second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding second, different coverage area,

the optical switch bank is configured to establish a RoF-based optical link over at least one of the fiber optic cables such that a first peer device in the first coverage area can communicate with a second peer device in the second coverage area at least in part over the RoF-based optical link, and

at least one of the first and second ones of the plurality of remote access points is configured to communicate via both Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and broadband signals.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six optical fibers, and wherein the first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first peer device using a different wireless communication protocol than a protocol used by the second one of the plurality of remote access points to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein

the first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first peer device;

and

the second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the system is configured to automatically establish the RoF-based optical link between the first coverage area and the second coverage area when signals received from the first peer device in the first coverage area and signals received from the second peer device in the second coverage area have common radio frequencies.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, further comprising at least one WLAN access point configured to receive a request from a device other than the first and second peer devices to establish communications between the first and second peer devices.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 3, further comprising at least one WLAN access point configured to receive a request from a device other than the first and second peer devices to establish communications between the first and second peer devices.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 6, wherein the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six optical fibers and comprises at least one riser cable.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first peer device using a different wireless communication protocol than a protocol used by the second one of the plurality of remote access points to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of remote access units further comprises at least one of a radio frequency (RF) input/output, a DC input/output, and an optical input/output.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six optical fibers and comprises at least one riser cable.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six uplink optical fibers and comprises at least one riser cable, and wherein the optical switch bank dynamically selects an appropriate optical fiber so that the first peer device can communicate with a second peer device.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the optical switch bank is located at a head-end unit (HEU), the HEU being configured to receive a request from the first peer device to communicate with a second peer device via at least one WLAN access point.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 12, wherein the HEU further comprises a video broadcast unit configured to split a video signal received at the HEU.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six optical fibers, and wherein the system is configured to automatically establish the RoF-based optical link between the first coverage area and the second coverage area when signals received from the first peer device in the first coverage area and signals received from the second peer device in the second coverage area have common radio frequencies.

15. A wireless communication system, comprising:

an optical switch bank;

a plurality of remote access points distributed throughout multiple floors of a building infrastructure; and

at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers and being configured to carry Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) signals from the optical switch bank for communication with the remote access points, wherein

a first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding first coverage area,

a second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding second, different coverage area,

the optical switch bank is configured to establish a RoF-based optical link over at least one of the fiber optic cables such that a first peer device in the first coverage area can communicate with a second peer device in the second coverage area at least in part over the RoF-based optical link,

at least one of the first and second ones of the plurality of remote access points is configured to communicate via at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and broadband signals,

the at least one optical fiber cable includes thirty-six optical fibers, and

the system is configured to automatically establish the RoF-based optical link between the first coverage area and the second coverage area when signals received from the first peer device in the first coverage area and signals received from the second peer device in the second coverage area have common radio frequencies.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 15, the at least one fiber optic cable includes at least one riser cable.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 16, the at least one fiber optic cable includes uplink cables and downlink cables.