Unified optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems (DASs) for supporting small cell communications deployment from multiple small cell service providers, and related devices and methods
First Claim
1. An optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) for supporting small cell communications from different small cell service providers, comprising:
- a plurality of edge devices each configured to receive electrical communications from a network, the plurality of edge devices comprising;
at least one first small cell configured to receive a first electrical small cell communications;
at least one second small cell configured to receive a second electrical small cell communications different from the first electrical small cell communications;
a communications control equipment, comprising;
a plurality of communications interfaces each configured to receive electrical communications, the plurality of communications interfaces comprising;
at least one first small cell communications interface configured to receive a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider; and
at least one second small cell communications interface configured to receive a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider;
a plurality of switches comprising a plurality of communications output ports and a plurality of communications input ports, the plurality of communications input ports each configured to be coupled to a communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces;
each of the plurality of switches configured to route an electrical communications among a plurality of electrical communications, received on a communications input port among the plurality of communications input ports, to at least two communications output ports among the plurality of communications output ports;
a plurality of media converters, comprising;
a first media converter configured to;
receive a first electrical communications from at least one communications output port of the plurality of switches;
convert the received first electrical communications to a first optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications; and
route the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one first small cell; and
a second media converter configured to;
receive a second electrical communications from a second communications output port of the plurality of switches;
convert the received second electrical communications to a second optical communications comprising a second optical small cell communications; and
route the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one second small cell; and
at least one area distributer comprising;
a plurality of communications input ports configured to receive optical communications from a media converter among the plurality of media converters for a subset of edge devices among the plurality of edge devices;
at least one local media converter configured to convert the received optical communications to electrical communications; and
a plurality of communications output ports configured to provide the received electrical communications to the subset of edge devices.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Unified optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems (DASs) for supporting small cell communications deployment from multiple small cell service providers are disclosed. The unified optical fiber-based DASs disclosed herein are configured to receive multiple small cell communications from different small cell service providers to be deployed over optical fiber to small cells in the DAS. In this manner, the same DAS architecture can be employed to distribute different small cell communications from different small cell service providers to small cells. Use of optical fiber for delivering small cell communications can reduce the risk of having to deploy new cabling if bandwidth needs for future small cell communication services exceeds conductive wiring capabilities. Optical fiber cabling can also allow for higher distance cable runs to the small cells due to the lower loss of optical fiber, which can provide for enhanced centralization services.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) for supporting small cell communications from different small cell service providers, comprising:
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a plurality of edge devices each configured to receive electrical communications from a network, the plurality of edge devices comprising; at least one first small cell configured to receive a first electrical small cell communications; at least one second small cell configured to receive a second electrical small cell communications different from the first electrical small cell communications; a communications control equipment, comprising; a plurality of communications interfaces each configured to receive electrical communications, the plurality of communications interfaces comprising; at least one first small cell communications interface configured to receive a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider; and at least one second small cell communications interface configured to receive a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider; a plurality of switches comprising a plurality of communications output ports and a plurality of communications input ports, the plurality of communications input ports each configured to be coupled to a communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces; each of the plurality of switches configured to route an electrical communications among a plurality of electrical communications, received on a communications input port among the plurality of communications input ports, to at least two communications output ports among the plurality of communications output ports; a plurality of media converters, comprising; a first media converter configured to; receive a first electrical communications from at least one communications output port of the plurality of switches; convert the received first electrical communications to a first optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications; and route the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one first small cell; and a second media converter configured to; receive a second electrical communications from a second communications output port of the plurality of switches; convert the received second electrical communications to a second optical communications comprising a second optical small cell communications; and route the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one second small cell; and at least one area distributer comprising; a plurality of communications input ports configured to receive optical communications from a media converter among the plurality of media converters for a subset of edge devices among the plurality of edge devices; at least one local media converter configured to convert the received optical communications to electrical communications; and a plurality of communications output ports configured to provide the received electrical communications to the subset of edge devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) for supporting small cell communications from different small cell service providers, comprising:
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a plurality of edge devices each configured to receive electrical communications from a network, the plurality of edge devices comprising; at least one first small cell configured to receive a first electrical small cell communications; at least one second small cell configured to receive a second electrical small cell communications different from the first electrical small cell communications; and a communications control equipment, comprising; a plurality of communications interfaces each configured to receive electrical communications, the plurality of communications interfaces comprising; at least one first small cell communications interface configured to receive a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider; and at least one second small cell communications interface configured to receive a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider a plurality of switches comprising a plurality of communications output ports and a plurality of communications input ports, the plurality of communications input ports each configured to be coupled to a communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces; each of the plurality of switches configured to route an electrical communications among a plurality of electrical communications, received on a communications input port among the plurality of communications input ports, to at least two communications output ports among the plurality of communications output ports; a plurality of media converters, comprising; a first media converter configured to; receive a first electrical communications from at least one communications output port of the plurality of switches; convert the received first electrical communications to a first optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications; and route the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one first small cell; and a second media converter configured to; receive a second electrical communications from a second communications output port of the plurality of switches; convert the received second electrical communications to a second optical communications comprising a second optical small cell communications; and route the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one second small cell, wherein; the plurality of edge devices further comprises; at least one non-small cell edge device configured to receive a non-small cell optical communications; the plurality of communications interfaces further comprises; at least one non-small cell communications interface configured to receive at least one non-small cell communications from at least one non-small cell service provider; and a third media converter among the plurality of media converters configured to; convert the received at least one non-small cell communications to at least one optical non-small cell communications; and route the at least one optical non-small cell communications over at least one dedicated optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers to the at least one non-small cell edge device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of distributing small cell communications from different small cell service providers in an optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
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receiving a plurality of electrical communications over a plurality of communications interfaces from a plurality of communications service providers, comprising; receiving a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider on at least one first small cell communications interface; and receiving a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider on at least one second small cell communications interface, the second small cell communications different from the first small cell communications; providing each of the plurality of electrical communications to at least one communications port in at least one switch among a plurality of switches, each switch among the plurality of switches coupled to at least one communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces; routing each of the plurality of electrical communications received on a plurality of communications input ports to at least two communications output ports among a plurality of communications output ports in the plurality of switches; receiving in a plurality of media converters, the plurality of electrical communications from the plurality of communications output ports of the plurality of switches; converting in the plurality of media converters, the received plurality of electrical communications to a plurality of optical communications, the plurality of optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications and a second optical small cell communications; routing the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to at least one first small cell; routing the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers to at least one second small cell; receiving at least one non-small cell communications from at least one edge device among a plurality of edge devices in the at least one media converter; converting the received at least one non-small cell communications to at least one optical non-small cell communications; and routing the at least one optical non-small cell communications over at least one dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to at least one non-small cell edge device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of distributing small cell communications from different small cell service providers in an optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
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receiving a plurality of electrical communications over a plurality of communications interfaces from a plurality of communications service providers, comprising; receiving a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider on at least one first small cell communications interface; and receiving a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider on at least one second small cell communications interface, the second small cell communications different from the first small cell communications; providing each of the plurality of electrical communications to at least one communications port in at least one switch among a plurality of switches, each switch among the plurality of switches coupled to at least one communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces; routing each of the plurality of electrical communications received on a plurality of communications input ports to at least two communications output ports among a plurality of communications output ports in the plurality of switches; receiving in a plurality of media converters, the plurality of electrical communications from the plurality of communications output ports of the plurality of switches; converting in the plurality of media converters, the received plurality of electrical communications to a plurality of optical communications, the plurality of optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications and a second optical small cell communications; routing the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to at least one first small cell; routing the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers to at least one second small cell; monitoring data communications of the plurality of electrical communications routed by the at least one switch in at least one data processor coupled to the at least one switch among the plurality of switches; receiving the plurality of optical communications from the plurality of media converters on a plurality of communications input ports in an area distributer communicatively coupled to a subset of edge devices among a plurality of edge devices; converting the received plurality of optical communications to electrical communications in at least one local media converter in the area distributer; and providing the received electrical communications to the plurality of communications output ports coupled to the subset of edge devices. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification