Cooling system control in distributed antenna systems

• US 9,729,251 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cox, Terry Dean, Hazani, Ami
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/845,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20150381289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 340635, 340644, 340648, 340660, 340664, 318478, 361 24, 361 79, 455572
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/093 against increase beyond, or decrease below, a predetermined level of rotational speed centrifugal switches H01H35/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07 Arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems; Arrangements for fault measurement of transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/808 Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2019 Fan safe systems, e.g. mechanical devices for non stop cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control

Abstract

Power distribution modules in distributed antenna systems include fan monitoring circuits for indicating an alarm condition to head-end equipment. The alarm condition can be used by system operator/owners that a fan is drawing excessive power, thereby detracting from system performance, or indicating that the fan may fail. The alarm condition signal can be returned to the head-end equipment via an uplink communication path between a remote unit powered by the module and the head-end equipment.

Claims

1. A distributed communication system, comprising:

head-end equipment configured to receive downlink communications services signals and to provide downlink optical communications services signals to be communicated over at least one optical communications services downlink;

at least one remote unit coupled to receive downlink communications service signals from the head-end equipment, and further configured to communicate RF communications signals into a coverage area and to receive RF communication signals from the coverage area; and

at least one power distribution module, the module comprising;

at least one fan;

at least one output power port configured to distribute output power to at least one of the remote units; and

a monitoring circuit, wherein

the monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a power usage of the at least one fan and to provide an alarm signal to the at least one remote unit when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters, wherein the fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters when its power usage is above a predetermined threshold.

2. The distributed communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote unit comprises a plurality of remote units, and the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and at least one of the remote units being located on at least three different floors.

3. The distributed communication system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of the power distribution modules and configured to provide electrical power to pluralities of the remote units.

4. The distributed communication system of claim 3, wherein each remote unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power.

5. The distributed communication system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the power units is located on at least three different floors.

6. The distributed communication system of claim 3, wherein the at least one remote unit transmits a fan alarm condition signal to the head-end equipment over an all-optical communications path in response to receiving an alarm signal.

7. A distributed communication system, comprising:

head-end equipment configured to receive downlink communications services signals and to provide downlink optical communications services signals to be communicated over at least one optical communications services downlink;

at least one remote unit coupled to receive downlink communications service signals from the head-end equipment, and further configured to communicate RF communications signals into a coverage area and to receive RF communication signals from the coverage area; and

a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of power distribution modules and configured to provide power to pluralities of the remote units, each power distribution module comprising;

at least one cooling fan;

at least one output power port configured to distribute output power to at least one remote unit; and

a monitoring circuit, wherein

the monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a power usage of the at least one fan and to provide an alarm signal when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters, and

the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and one of the power units being located on at least three different floors.

8. The distributed communication system of claim 7, wherein each remote unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power.

9. The distributed communication system of claim 8, wherein each of the remote units includes an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.

10. A method of monitoring a distributed communication system deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, the distributed communication system comprising head-end equipment configured to receive downlink communications services signals and to transmit downlink communications services over at least one communications services downlink, a plurality of remote units configured to receive downlink communications services signals from the head-end equipment and to transmit uplink communications services signals to the head-end equipment, and at least one power distribution module configured to distribute power to at least one of the remote units, the method comprising:

monitoring a power usage of at least one cooling fan;

providing an alarm signal to at least one of the remote units when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters; and

transmitting a fan alarm condition signal from the remote unit receiving the alarm signal to the head-end equipment, wherein

a cooling fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters when its power usage is above a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote units include an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the distributed communication system further comprising a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of the power distribution modules and configured to provide electrical power to the remote units.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each remote unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power, the remote unit transmitting the fan alarm condition signal over at least one of an electrical or an optical conductor.