Radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip(s) for providing distributed antenna system functionalities, and related components, systems, and methods

• US 9,485,803 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Saban, Ofer, Shapira, Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US15/137,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/525, 455/524, 455/452.1, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0075 using different intermediate frequencied for the different bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuit (RFIC) chip(s) allow for the integration of multiple electronic circuits on a chip to provide distributed antenna system functionalities. RFIC chips are employed in central unit and remote unit components, reducing component cost and size, increasing performance and reliability, while reducing power consumption. The components are also easier to manufacture. The RFIC chip(s) can be employed in distributed antenna systems and components that support RF communications services and/or digital data services.

Claims

1. A method for providing communications signals in a central unit in a distributed antenna system, comprising:

receiving downlink radio-frequency (RF) communication signals at a RF communications frequency for a RF communications service in a communications interface;

receiving uplink RF communication signals at the RF communications frequency for the RF communications service in the communications interface;

shifting a frequency of the downlink RF communication signals to an intermediate frequency (IF) having a different frequency than the RF communications frequency, to provide downlink IF communications signals in a first frequency conversion circuitry;

shifting the frequency of uplink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency to provide the uplink RF communications signals in a second frequency conversion circuitry, wherein at least one of the first frequency conversion circuitry and the second frequency conversion circuitry are provided in at least one RF integrated circuit (IC) (RFIC) chip;

receiving second downlink RF communication signals at a second RF communications frequency for a second RF communications service in the communications interface;

receiving second uplink RF communication signals at the second RF communications frequency for the second RF communications service in the communications interface;

shifting the frequency of the second downlink RF communication signals to a second IF having a different frequency than the second RF communications frequency, in a third frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide second downlink IF communications signals; and

shifting the frequency of second uplink IF communication signals to the second RF communications frequency in a fourth frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide the second uplink RF communications signals.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising a communications interface comprising communications circuitry provided in a communications interface RFIC chip, the communications circuitry configured to:

receive the downlink IF communications signals in the communications interface;

provide the downlink IF communications signals from the communications interface to one or more remote units (RUs);

receive the uplink IF communication signals from the one or more RUs in the communications interface; and

provide the uplink IF communication signals from the communications interface to the at least one RFIC chip.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

synthesizing in synthesizer circuitry in the at least one RFIC chip, at least one first local oscillator (LO) signal and at least one second LO signal;

providing the first LO signal to the at least one RFIC chip; and

providing the second LO signal to the at least one RFIC chip.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one RFIC chip comprises a synthesizer RFIC chip comprising the synthesizer circuitry.

5. A method for providing communications signals in a central unit in a distributed antenna system, comprising:

receiving downlink radio-frequency (RF) communication signals at a RF communications frequency for a RF communications service in a communications interface;

receiving uplink RF communication signals at the RF communications frequency for the RF communications service in the communications interface;

shifting a frequency of the downlink RF communication signals to an intermediate frequency (IF) having a different frequency than the RF communications frequency, to provide downlink IF communications signals in a first frequency conversion circuitry;

shifting the frequency of uplink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency to provide the uplink RF communications signals in a second frequency conversion circuitry, wherein

at least one of the first frequency conversion circuitry and the second frequency conversion circuitry are provided in at least one RF integrated circuit (IC) (RFIC) chip,

the downlink RF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink RF communication signals,

the uplink RF communications signals are comprised of MIMO uplink RF communication signals,

the downlink IF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink IF communication signals, and

the uplink IF communications signals are comprised of MIMO uplink IF communications signals;

receiving second MIMO downlink RF communication signals at the RF communications frequency for the RF communications service in the communications interface;

receiving second MIMO uplink RF communication signals at the RF communications frequency for the RF communications service in the communications interface;

shifting the frequency of the second MIMO downlink RF communication signals to a second intermediate frequency (IF) having a different frequency than the RF communications frequency in a third frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide second MIMO downlink IF communications signals; and

shifting the frequency of second MIMO uplink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency in a fourth frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide the second MIMO uplink RF communications signals.

6. A method of providing received communications signals in a remote unit (RU), comprising:

receiving downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at an IF for a radio-frequency (RF) communications service in a RF communications interface;

receiving uplink RF communication signals at a RF communications frequency for a RF communications service in a RF communications interface;

shifting a frequency of downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency of the RF communications service in a first frequency conversion circuitry provided in at least one RF integrated circuit (IC) (RFIC) chip, to radiate downlink RF communications signals over a first antenna element;

shifting the frequency of uplink RF communication signals received from a second antenna element to the IF in a second frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide uplink IF communications signals;

receiving second downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at a second IF for a second RF communications service in the RF communications interface;

receiving second uplink RF communication signals at a second RF communications frequency for the second RF communications service;

shifting the frequency of the second downlink IF communication signals to the second RF communications frequency of second RF communications service in a third frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to radiate a second downlink RF communications signals over a third antenna element; and

shifting the frequency of second uplink RF communication signals received from a fourth antenna element to the second IF in a fourth frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide second uplink IF communications signals.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising synthesizing, in synthesizer circuitry provided in a synthesizer RFIC chip, at least one first local oscillator (LO) signal provided to a first RFIC chip, and at least one second LO signal provided to a second RFIC chip.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving in the first frequency conversion circuitry the at least one first frequency conversion LO signal to shift the frequency of the downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency to provide the downlink RF communications signals; and

receiving in the second frequency conversion circuitry the at least one second LO signal to shift the frequency of the uplink RF communication signals to the IF to provide the uplink IF communications signals.

9. A method of providing received communications signals in a remote unit (RU), comprising:

receiving downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at an IF for a radio-frequency (RF) communications service in a RF communications interface;

receiving uplink RF communication signals at a RF communications frequency for a RF communications service in a RF communications interface;

shifting a frequency of downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency of the RF communications service in a first frequency conversion circuitry provided in at least one RF integrated circuit (IC) (RFIC) chip, to radiate downlink RF communications signals over a first antenna element;

shifting the frequency of uplink RF communication signals received from a second antenna element to the IF in a second frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide uplink IF communications signals, wherein

the downlink RF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink RF communication signals,

the uplink RF communications signals are comprised of MIMO uplink RF communication signals,

the downlink IF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink IF communication signals, and

the uplink IF communications signals are comprised of MIMO IF communications signals;

receiving second downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at a second IF for the RF communications service in the communications interface;

receiving second uplink RF communication signals at the RF communications frequency for the RF communications service;

shifting the frequency of the second downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency of RF communications service in a third frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to radiate the second downlink RF communications signals over a third antenna element; and

shifting the frequency of second uplink RF communication signals received from a fourth antenna element to the second IF in a fourth frequency conversion circuitry provided in the at least one RFIC chip, to provide second uplink IF communications signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the IF and the second IF do not overlap.

11. A remote unit (RU) for providing received communications signals in a distributed antenna system, comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) communications interface configured to;

receive downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at an IF for a RF communications service over a communications medium from a central unit; and

receive uplink RF communication signals at a RF communications frequency for the RF communications service;

at least one RF integrated circuit (IC) (RFIC) chip comprising at least one of;

a first frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift a frequency of downlink IF communication signals to a RF communications frequency of RF communications service to radiate downlink RF communications signals over a first antenna element; and

a second frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift the frequency of uplink RF communication signals received from a second antenna element to the IF to provide uplink IF communications signals;

a communications interface comprising communications circuitry configured to receive the downlink IF communication signals from the central unit and provide the downlink IF communication signals to an up conversion RFIC chip, receive the uplink IF communication signals and provide the uplink IF communications signals to the central unit, wherein the communications interface further comprises a switching matrix configured to switch received uplink IF communications signals to selected communications interfaces of the central unit; and

synthesizer circuitry configured to generate at least one first local oscillator (LO) signal provided to the at least one RFIC chip and generate at least one second LO signal provided to the at least one RFIC chip.

12. The RU of claim 11, wherein:

the first frequency conversion circuitry is further configured to receive the at least one first LO signal to shift the frequency of the downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency to provide the downlink RF communications signals; and

the second frequency conversion circuitry is further configured to receive the at least one second LO signal to shift the frequency of the uplink RF communication signals to the IF to provide the uplink IF communications signals.

13. The RU of claim 11, further comprising:

a second communications interface configured to;

receive second downlink intermediate frequency (IF) communication signals at a second IF for a second RF communications service; and

receive second uplink RF communication signals at a second RF communications frequency for the second RF communications service;

at least one second RFIC chip comprising at least one of;

a third frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift the frequency of the second downlink IF communication signals to the second RF communications frequency of the RF communications service to radiate second downlink RF communications signals over a third antenna element; and

a fourth frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift the frequency of second uplink RF communication signals received from a fourth antenna element to the second IF to provide second uplink IF communications signals.

14. The RU of claim 11, wherein:

the downlink RF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink RF communication signals,

the uplink RF communications signals are comprised of MIMO uplink RF communication signals,

the downlink IF communication signals are comprised of MIMO downlink IF communication signals, and

the uplink IF communications signals are comprised of MIMO IF communications signals; and

further comprising;

the RF communications interface is configured to;

receive second MIMO downlink IF communication signals at the IF communications frequency for the RF communications service; and

receive second MIMO uplink IF communication signals at the IF for the RF communications service;

at least one second RFIC chip comprising at least one of;

a third frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift the frequency of second downlink IF communication signals to the RF communications frequency to radiate the second downlink RF communications signals over a third antenna element; and

a fourth frequency conversion circuitry configured to shift the frequency of second uplink RF communication signals received from a fourth antenna element to the second IF to provide second uplink IF communications signals.