Distribution of time-division multiplexed (TDM) management services in a distributed antenna system, and related components, systems, and methods
First Claim
1. A remote unit for providing communications signals and management signals in a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:
- at least one media access controller, wherein the unit is configured to;
receive at the media access controller a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller;
time-division multiplex (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal;
receive uplink radio frequency (RF) communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service;
combine the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; and
send the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals to a central unit over an uplink communications link,wherein at least a portion of the uplink communications link is comprised of at least one uplink optical fiber and at least one electrical-to-optical converter configured to convert the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals into a combined TDM uplink optical management frame signal and uplink optical RF communications signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Distribution of management services in distributed antenna systems having a central unit and remote units configured to time-division multiplex (TDM) downlink and/or uplink management signals into time slots to form a TDM management frame signal. In this manner, collision will not occur between multiple management signals communicated over a common communications medium at the same time in the distributed antenna system. Collision detection and management mechanism can add design complexity, cost by requiring additional components, and require additional area on electronic boards. The TDM management frame signal may also be modulated at a carrier frequency before being combined with RF communications signals so that the combined signals are within a linear range of shared certain communications components to reduce cost and area.
816 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A remote unit for providing communications signals and management signals in a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:
at least one media access controller, wherein the unit is configured to; receive at the media access controller a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; time-division multiplex (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; receive uplink radio frequency (RF) communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; combine the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; and send the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals to a central unit over an uplink communications link, wherein at least a portion of the uplink communications link is comprised of at least one uplink optical fiber and at least one electrical-to-optical converter configured to convert the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals into a combined TDM uplink optical management frame signal and uplink optical RF communications signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of providing communications signals and management signals from a remote unit in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; time-division multiplexing (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; receiving uplink RF communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; modulating the TDM uplink management frame signal in a management services frequency band different from the at least one RF communications frequency band; combining the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; sending the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals over an uplink communications link; synchronizing the plurality of uplink management signals; and wherein at least a portion of the uplink communications link is comprised of optical fiber, further comprising converting the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals into a combined TDM uplink optical management frame signal and uplink optical RF communications signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of providing communications signals and management signals from a remote unit in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; time-division multiplexing (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; receiving uplink RF communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; combining the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; sending the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals to a central unit over an uplink communications link; synchronizing the plurality of uplink management signals; splitting each of a plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals into a plurality of downlink RF communications signals and a plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals; and demodulating the plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals to provide a plurality of demodulated TDM downlink management frame signals. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification