Distributed antenna systems (DAS) supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to programmable remote communications service sector areas
First Claim
1. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
- a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and
each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals;
the central unit, configured to;
receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and
the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to;
receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and
switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch;
an extender module configured to;
receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and
extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and
at least one second programmable switch configured to;
receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and
switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch,wherein each of the at least one first programmable switch comprises;
a first programmable switching matrix configured to;
receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and
switch a selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals, based on the first programmable configuration for the first programmable switching matrix; and
at least one first radio distribution module configured to;
receive the selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals; and
combine the received selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals to provide a communications service sector set among the one or more downlink communications service sector sets.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein include distributed antenna systems (DASs) supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas. In one embodiment, the DAS includes a first programmable switch for distributing downlink communications signals into one or more communications service sector sets. The DAS further includes a second programmable switch configured to distribute the one or more communications service sector sets to one or more remote communications service sector areas. A configurable extender module is also included to provide expanded routing of communications service sector sets in the DAS. In this manner, the DAS is programmable to allow any combination of communications service sector sets and expanded communications service sector sets from any number of different base stations to be routed to any combination of remote communications service sector areas and expanded remote communications service sector areas, based on capacity needs and capability of the DAS.
37 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein each of the at least one first programmable switch comprises; a first programmable switching matrix configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch a selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals, based on the first programmable configuration for the first programmable switching matrix; and at least one first radio distribution module configured to; receive the selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals; and combine the received selected set of the plurality of downlink communications signals to provide a communications service sector set among the one or more downlink communications service sector sets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 25)
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7. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein the extender module further comprises at least one extender combiner configured to extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets by being configured to combine the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on the configuration of the extender module. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 26)
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11. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein the extender module comprises; at least one extender splitter configured to extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets by being configured to split the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into a plurality of the extended downlink communications service sector sets based on the configuration of the extender module; and at least one extender combiner further configured to extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets by being configured to combine the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on the configuration of the extender module.
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12. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein; the central unit is further configured to receive an uplink communications signal among a plurality of extended uplink communications service sector sets; the at least one second programmable switch is further configured to; receive one or more uplink communications signals from at least one remote antenna unit among the plurality of remote antenna units; and switch the received one or more uplink communications signals into one or more extended uplink communications service sector sets, based on the first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; the extender module further configured to; receive the one or more extended uplink communications service sector sets; and combine the received one or more extended uplink communications service sector sets into one or more uplink communications service sector sets based on the configuration of the extender module; and the at least one first programmable switch is further configured to; receive the one or more uplink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more uplink communications service sector sets into at least one uplink communications signal, based on the second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein the one or more communications services are comprised of at least one radio-frequency (RF) communications service and at least one digital data communications service.
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23. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein the central unit is configured to receive the plurality of downlink communications signals from a plurality of base stations for a plurality of communications services.
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24. A communication system supporting expanded, programmable communications services distribution to remote communications service sector areas, comprising:
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a central unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals to a plurality of remote antenna units over at least one communications medium; and each of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink communications signals from the central unit over the at least one communications medium, each of the plurality of remote antenna units comprising at least one antenna configured to wirelessly distribute the received downlink communications signals; the central unit, configured to; receive a downlink communications signal among a plurality of downlink communications signals, for a communications service among one or more communications services from at least one base station; and the central unit comprising at least one first programmable switch configured to; receive the plurality of downlink communications signals; and switch the plurality of downlink communications signals into one or more downlink communications service sector sets, based on a first programmable configuration for the at least one first programmable switch; an extender module configured to; receive the one or more downlink communications service sector sets; and extend the received one or more downlink communications service sector sets into one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets based on a configuration of the extender module; and at least one second programmable switch configured to; receive the one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets; and switch the received one or more extended downlink communications service sector sets into one or more remote communications service areas each comprised of a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units, based on a second programmable configuration for the at least one second programmable switch, wherein the at least one communications medium is comprised of at least one optical fiber.
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Specification