Cellular communications system with sectorization
First Claim
1. A method of sectorizing coverage over a cellular communications area divided into a plurality of microcells each covering a subarea of the communications area and being divided into a plurality of angular sectors having separate transmitters and receivers, the method comprising performing the following steps:
- receiving a number of information-bearing telephone signals from a mobile telecommunications switching office at a common base station serving the microcells within the cellular communications area;
modulating the information-bearing telephone signals onto a plurality of different analog radio-frequency carriers representing a plurality of different channel sets for respective sectors of the microcells at the base station;
combining the analog radio-frequency signals for all of the sectors into a single outbound analog signal within a predetermined radio-frequency band, representing all of the channel sets for all of the sectors;
converting the single outbound analog signal directly to a single outbound digital representation at the base station;
sending the outbound digital representation of the radio-frequency signal via a transmission means to a remote unit located in or near the subarea of at least one microcell;
at the remote unit, converting the outbound digital representation directly to a single analog representation of the entire outbound single radio-frequency signal within the same radio-frequency band and containing each of the plurality of channel sets;
sending each of the plurality of channel sets to a different one of a plurality of antenna units for the microcell, each of the antenna units being positioned so as to cover a different angular sector of the microcell;
at the antenna unit covering each sector of the microcell, receiving telephone signals within the radio-frequency band for the channel set of that sector;
sending the received telephone signals to the remote unit;
at the remote unit, combining all the received telephone signals from all the sectors to a single combined analog radio-frequency received signal containing all the channel sets for the microcell;
converting the single combined radio-frequency received signal directly to a received digital representation of the radio-frequency band of the channel sets for the sectors;
sending the received digital representation via the transmission means to the base station; and
at the centrally located base station, converting the received digital representation directly to a received analog representation;
demodulating the received analog representation to recover the individual inbound telephone signals.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sectorizing coverage of a cellular communications area includes providing a remote unit having microcell antenna units. Each microcell antenna unit is configured to cover a particular sector. The remote unit is connected to a sectorized base station unit which is connected to a mobile telecommunications switching office. Separate digitized streams representative of telephone signals received from the mobile telecommunications switching office are generated corresponding to the microcell antenna units and the separate digitized streams are multiplexed and transmitted to the remote unit. The remote unit demultiplexes the multiplexed digitized streams into the separate digitized streams corresponding to the microcell antenna units and the separate digitized streams are converted to RF signals for coverage of a particular sector by the corresponding microcell antenna unit. Separate digitized streams are separately generated for each microcell antenna unit representative of RF signals received at the microcell antenna unit for a particular sector. The separately generated digitized streams are multiplexed at the remote unit and transmitted to the sectorized base station unit. At the sectorized base station unit, the multiplexed digitized streams are demultiplexed into the separate digitized streams corresponding to microcell antenna units and the separate digitized streams are converted to RF signals for provision to the mobile telecommunications switching office. Diversity at the remote units is also provided.
98 Citations
158 Claims
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1. A method of sectorizing coverage over a cellular communications area divided into a plurality of microcells each covering a subarea of the communications area and being divided into a plurality of angular sectors having separate transmitters and receivers, the method comprising performing the following steps:
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receiving a number of information-bearing telephone signals from a mobile telecommunications switching office at a common base station serving the microcells within the cellular communications area; modulating the information-bearing telephone signals onto a plurality of different analog radio-frequency carriers representing a plurality of different channel sets for respective sectors of the microcells at the base station; combining the analog radio-frequency signals for all of the sectors into a single outbound analog signal within a predetermined radio-frequency band, representing all of the channel sets for all of the sectors; converting the single outbound analog signal directly to a single outbound digital representation at the base station; sending the outbound digital representation of the radio-frequency signal via a transmission means to a remote unit located in or near the subarea of at least one microcell; at the remote unit, converting the outbound digital representation directly to a single analog representation of the entire outbound single radio-frequency signal within the same radio-frequency band and containing each of the plurality of channel sets; sending each of the plurality of channel sets to a different one of a plurality of antenna units for the microcell, each of the antenna units being positioned so as to cover a different angular sector of the microcell; at the antenna unit covering each sector of the microcell, receiving telephone signals within the radio-frequency band for the channel set of that sector; sending the received telephone signals to the remote unit; at the remote unit, combining all the received telephone signals from all the sectors to a single combined analog radio-frequency received signal containing all the channel sets for the microcell; converting the single combined radio-frequency received signal directly to a received digital representation of the radio-frequency band of the channel sets for the sectors; sending the received digital representation via the transmission means to the base station; and at the centrally located base station, converting the received digital representation directly to a received analog representation; demodulating the received analog representation to recover the individual inbound telephone signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of sectorizing coverage over a cellular communications area divided into a plurality of microcells each covering a subarea of the communications area, and each divided into a plurality of sectors, the method comprising performing the following steps for each microcell:
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receiving a number of information-bearing telephone signals from a mobile telecommunications switching office at a common base station serving the microcells within the cellular communications area; generating from the information-bearing telephone signals one of a plurality of different channel sets of signals for each sector of that microcell at the base station; combining the plurality of different channel sets into a single analog signal in a predetermined radio-frequency band; converting the single analog signal directly to a single digital representation; sending the digital representation via a transmission means to a remote unit located in or near the subarea; at the remote unit, converting the digital representation directly to an analog representation of the radio-frequency signal for all channel sets within the same predetermined radio-frequency band; and sending the radio-frequency signal for each of the plurality of channel sets to a different one of a plurality of antenna units, each of the antenna units being positioned so as to cover a different angular sector of that microcell. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method of sectorizing coverage over a cellular communications area divided into a plurality of microcells each covering a subarea of the communications area, each microcell being divided into a plurality of sectors, the method comprising:
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at a plurality of antenna units each covering a different sector of a microcell, receiving analog telephone signals within a predetermined radio-frequency band for a channel set assigned to that sector; sending all the analog telephone signals to a remote unit serving the sectors of the microcell, the remote unit being located in or near the subarea of the microcell; at the remote unit for the microcell, combining all the analog telephone signals from all sectors of the microcell into a single analog signal within the same radio-frequency band as the channel sets for the sectors of the microcell; converting the single combined analog signal directly as a whole to a received digital representation; sending the received digital representation via the transmission means to a common base station serving the microcells of the communications area; at the base station, converting the received digital representation to an inbound analog signal within the radio-frequency band; demodulating the inbound analog signal to recover a plurality of information-bearing signals representing received analog telephone signals; and sending the information-bearing signals to a mobile telecommunications switching office. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of transmitting an RF signal between an optical node and a head end, the method comprising:
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generating a digitized representation of the RF signal at the optical node, wherein the RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; and transmitting the digitized representation to the head end. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of transceiving RF signals between a head end and at least one optical node, the method comprising:
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generating a digitized representation of a first RF signal at the head end, wherein the first RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; transmitting the digitized representation to the optical node; receiving a second RF signal at the at least one optical node; generating a digitized representation of the second RF signal at the optical node, wherein the second RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; and transmitting the digitized representation to the head end. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of communicating an RF signal from an at least one optical node to a head end, the method comprising:
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receiving an RF signal at an at least one optical node; generating a digitized representation of the RF signal at the at least one optical node, wherein the RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; and transmitting the digitized representation to the head end. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A communications system for transmission of an RF signal from an optical node to a head end, comprising:
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an optical node coupled to a carrier medium, wherein the optical node digitizes a received RF signal and transmits the digitized RF signal on the carrier medium, where the RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; and a head end coupled to the carrier medium. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A communications system for transceiving RF signals from an optical node to a head end, comprising:
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at least one optical node coupled to a carrier medium, wherein the at least one optical node digitizes an first RF signal and transmits the digitized first RF signal on the carrier medium, where the first RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels; and a head end coupled to the carrier medium, wherein the head end digitizes a second RF signal and transmits the digitized second RF signal on the carrier medium, where the second RF signal is a combined analog signal representing a plurality of transmissions for a set of channels. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of transmitting an RF signal between an optical node and a head end, the method comprising:
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generating a digitized representation of the RF signal at the optical node; and transmitting the digitized representation to the head end. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A communications system for transmission of an RF signal from an optical node to a head end, comprising:
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an optical node coupled to a carrier medium, wherein the optical node digitizes a received RF signal and transmits the digitized RF signal on the carrier medium; and a head end coupled to the carrier medium. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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a framer that frames a digital representation of a base station signal from a base station in order to produce a framed signal, the base station signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units; wherein the first unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the remote unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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a framer that, in order to produce a framed signal, frames a representation of a wireless signal, the wireless signal for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of remote wireless communication units, the wireless signal comprising a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to the plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; wherein the first unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the remote unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A remote unit for communicating with a first unit over a communication medium, the remote unit comprising:
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a demultiplexer to extract, from a framed signal derived from a transmission signal transmitted from the first unit to the remote unit via the communication medium, a digital representation of a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; and a converter to output a radio frequency signal from the digital representation for wireless radio frequency transmission to a plurality of wireless communication devices; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A remote unit for communicating with a first unit over a communication medium, the remote unit comprising:
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a framer that frames a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from an antenna in order to produce a framed signal, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels, the plurality of radio frequency channels including information being transmitted from a plurality of remote wireless communication units; wherein the remote unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the first unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72)
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73. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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a demultiplexer to extract, from a framed signal derived from a transmission signal transmitted from the remote unit to the first unit via the communication medium, a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels; and a converter to output a base station signal from the digital representation for communication to a base station unit, the base station signal comprising a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of radio frequency channels; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75)
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76. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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producing a framed signal from a digital representation of a base station signal originating from a base station, the base station signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units; and transmitting a transmission signal from the host unit to the remote unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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producing a framed signal from a representation of a wireless signal, the wireless signal for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of remote wireless communication units, the wireless signal comprising a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to the plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; and transmitting a transmission signal from the host unit to the remote unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the remote unit from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the first unit; extracting, from a framed signal derived from the transmission signal, a digital representation of a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; and producing a radio frequency signal from the digital representation for wireless radio frequency transmission to a plurality of wireless communication devices; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. A method of communicating from a remote unit to a first unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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producing a framed signal from a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels, the plurality of radio frequency channels including information being transmitted from a plurality of remote wireless communication units; transmitting a transmission signal from the remote unit to the first unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the framed signal; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103)
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104. A method of communicating from a remote unit to a first unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the first unit from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the remote unit; extracting, from a framed signal derived from the transmission signal, a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels; and producing a base station signal from the digital representation for communication to a base station, the base station signal comprising a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of radio frequency channels; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106)
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107. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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a digital unit to output a digital representation of a base station signal from a base station, the base station signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units; wherein the first unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the remote unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113)
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114. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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a digital unit to output a digital representation of a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; wherein the first unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the remote unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120)
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121. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over a communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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an interface to receive, from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the remote unit, wherein the transmission signal comprises a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from at least one antenna communicatively coupled to the remote unit, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels; and a digital unit to output a base station signal from the digital representation that is communicated to a base station, the base station signal comprising a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of radio frequency channels; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (122, 123, 124, 125)
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126. A remote unit for communicating with a first unit over a communication medium, the remote unit comprising:
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an interface to receive, from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the first unit, wherein the transmission signal comprises a digital representation of a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of wireless communication units is modulated; and a digital unit to output a radio frequency signal from the digital representation for wireless radio frequency transmission to the plurality of wireless communication devices; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (127, 128, 129, 130)
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131. A remote unit for communicating with a first unit over a communication medium, the remote unit comprising:
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a digital unit to output a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio frequency signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of radio frequency channels, the plurality of radio frequency channels including information being transmitted from a plurality of remote wireless communication units; wherein the remote unit transmits a transmission signal over the communication medium to the first unit; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (132, 133, 134, 135)
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136. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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producing a digital representation of a base station signal originating from a base station, the base station signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units; transmitting a transmission signal from the first unit to the remote unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (137, 138, 139, 140)
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141. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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producing a digital representation of a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of remote wireless communication units is modulated; transmitting a transmission signal from the first unit to the remote unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (142, 143, 144, 145)
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146. A method of communicating from a remote unit to a first unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the first unit from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the remote unit, wherein the transmission signal comprises a digital representation of a radio frequency signal from at least one antenna communicatively coupled to the remote unit, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels; and producing a base station signal from the digital representation that is communicated to a base station, the base station signal comprising a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of radio frequency channels; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (147, 148)
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149. A method of communicating from a first unit to a remote unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the remote unit from the communication medium, a transmission signal transmitted from the first unit, wherein the transmission signal comprises a digital representation of a base station signal from a base station, the base station signal comprising a plurality of channels; and producing a radio frequency signal from the digital representation for wireless radio frequency transmission to a plurality of wireless communication devices; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (150, 151, 152)
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153. A method of communicating from a remote unit to a first unit over a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio signal comprising a single signal that includes a plurality of radio frequency channels, the plurality of radio frequency channels including information being transmitted from a plurality of remote wireless communication units; producing a digital representation of the radio frequency signal; transmitting a transmission signal from the remote unit to the first unit over the communication medium; wherein the transmission signal is derived from at least a portion of the digital representation; and wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit. - View Dependent Claims (154, 155, 156)
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157. A first unit for communicating with a remote unit over an optical communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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an interface to receive a plurality channels, the plurality of channels comprising a plurality of carriers on which information being transmitted to a plurality of wireless communication units is modulated; and a digitally modulated optical modulator to digitally modulate an optical signal with at least a portion of a digital representation of the plurality of channels in order to produce a modulated optical signal; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit.
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158. A remote unit for communicating with a first unit over an optical communication medium, the first unit comprising:
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an interface to receive a radio frequency signal from an antenna, the radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of radio frequency channels, the plurality of radio frequency channels including information being transmitted from a plurality of wireless communication units; and a digitally modulated optical modulator to digitally modulate an optical signal with at least a portion of a digital representation of the radio frequency signal in order to produce a modulated optical signal; wherein the remote unit is physically remote from the first unit.
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Specification