Providing digital data services as electrical signals and radio-frequency (RF) communications over optical fiber in distributed communications systems, and related components and methods

• US 10,205,538 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berlin, Igor, Cune, William Patrick, Greene, Jason Elliott, Heidler, Christian, Register, III, James Arthur, Schweiker, Wolfgang Gottfried Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Kretzer, Casey
• Application Number:
  US15/796,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04B 3/44 Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Distributed communications systems providing and supporting radio frequency (RF) communication services and digital data services, and related components and methods are disclosed. The RF communication services can be distributed over optical fiber to client devices, such as remote units for example. Power can also be distributed over electrical medium that is provided to distribute digital data services, if desired, to provide power to remote communications devices and/or client devices coupled to the remote communications devices for operation. In this manner, as an example, the same electrical medium used to transport digital data signals in the distributed antenna system can also be employed to provide power to the remote communications devices and/or client devices coupled to the remote communications devices. Power may be injected and switched from two or more power sources over selected electrical medium to distribute power for power-consuming components supporting RF communications services and digital data services.

Claims

1. A remote unit, comprising:

an optical input;

a data medium input comprising a data input and a power input; and

a power unit comprising;

an electrical input medium comprising a plurality of electrical input links each configured to convey digital data signals and power signals;

an electrical output medium comprising a plurality of electrical output links comprising an upper set of electrical output links and a lower set of electrical output links, wherein;

the upper set of electrical output links and the lower set of electrical output links comprise at least one electrical communications output configured to distribute the digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links to at least one communications interface; and

the lower set of electrical output links comprise at least one electrical power output configured to distribute the power signals to at least one power interface; and

a circuit configured to;

receive the digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links comprised in the electrical input medium;

receive the power signals from one or more electrical input links of the plurality of electrical input links comprised in the electrical input medium;

provide the received digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links to the at least one electrical communications output; and

exclusively provide the received power signals from the one or more electrical input links to the at least one electrical power output.

2. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the power unit further comprises:

a plurality of optical radio frequency (RF) communications inputs comprised of a plurality of optical RF communications input links each configured to convey optical RF communications signals; and

a plurality of optical RF communications outputs optically coupled to the plurality of optical RF communications input links, the plurality of optical RF communications outputs configured to distribute the optical RF communications signals to the remote unit.

3. The remote unit of claim 2, further comprising an optical fiber coupled to either one of the plurality of optical RF communications inputs or one of the plurality of optical RF communications outputs.

4. The remote unit of claim 3, wherein the optical fiber is configured to couple the remote unit through the optical input to head-end equipment (HEE) and is configured to carry the optical RF communications signals thereon between the HEE and the remote unit.

5. The remote unit of claim 2, further comprising at least one optical communications interface configured to receive the optical RF communications signals from the plurality of optical RF communications outputs.

6. The remote unit of claim 1, further comprising the at least one communications interface configured to receive the digital data signals from the at least one electrical communications output.

7. The remote unit of claim 1, further comprising the at least one power interface configured to receive the power signals from the at least one electrical power output.

8. The remote unit of claim 7, wherein the at least one power interface is configured to provide power through a port of the remote unit to at least one client device configured to support digital data services, the at least one client device connected to the port of the remote unit.

9. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of electrical input links are coupled to respective power sources.

10. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical output links comprises a plurality of lower-to-higher numbered electrical output links.

11. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the power unit is configured to couple to a digital data services controller configured to provide power to at least one of the plurality of electrical input links.

12. The remote unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit electrical wireless radio frequency (RF) communications signals to at least one client device located in a coverage area associated with the remote unit; and

a receiver configured to receive electrical wireless RF communications signals from the at least one client device located in the coverage area.

13. The remote unit of claim 12, further comprising an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter configured to convert optical RF communications signals to the electrical wireless RF communications signals to be communicated wirelessly via the transmitter to the at least one client device located in the coverage area.

14. The remote unit of claim 12, further comprising an electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert the electrical wireless RF communications signals received at the receiver from the at least one client device to optical RF communications signals to be communicated over at least one optical fiber to head-end equipment (HEE).

15. The remote unit of claim 1, further comprising a power tap coupled to a power source, wherein the circuit is further configured to:

receive second power signals from the power tap; and

provide the received second power signals to the upper set of electrical output links of the at least one electrical communications output.

16. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a plurality of remote units (RUs), at least one RU of the plurality of RUs comprising;

an optical input; and

a data medium input comprising a data input and a power input;

at least one optical fiber configured to couple head-end equipment (HEE) to at least one of the plurality of RUs through the optical input, the at least one optical fiber configured to carry radio frequency (RF) communications signals thereon between the HEE and the at least one RU of the plurality of RUs; and

at least one power unit, comprising;

an electrical input medium comprising a plurality of electrical input links each configured to convey digital data signals and power signals;

an electrical output medium comprising a plurality of electrical output links comprising an upper set of electrical output links and a lower set of electrical output links, wherein;

the upper set of electrical output links and the lower set of electrical output links comprise at least one electrical communications output configured to distribute the digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links to at least one communications interface; and

the lower set of electrical output links comprise at least one electrical power output configured to distribute the power signals to at least one power interface; and

a circuit configured to;

receive the digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links comprised in the electrical input medium;

receive the power signals from one or more electrical input links of the plurality of electrical input links comprised in the electrical input medium;

provide the received digital data signals from the plurality of electrical input links to the at least one electrical communications output; and

exclusively provide the received power signals from the one or more electrical input links to the at least one electrical power output.

17. The wireless communications system of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of optical RF communications inputs coupled to the at least one optical fiber and each configured to convey optical RF communications signals; and

a plurality of optical RF communications outputs coupled to the at least one optical fiber configured to distribute the optical RF communications signals to the at least one RU of the plurality of RUs.

18. The wireless communications system of claim 17, wherein the at least one RU of the plurality of RUs further comprises:

a transmitter configured to transmit electrical wireless RF communications signals to at least one client device located in a coverage area associated with the remote unit; and

a receiver configured to receive electrical wireless RF communications signals from the at least one client device located in the coverage area.

19. The wireless communications system of claim 18, wherein the at least one RU of the plurality of RUs further comprises an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter configured to convert the optical RF communications signals to the electrical wireless RF communications signals to be communicated wirelessly via the transmitter to the at least one client device located in the coverage area.

20. The wireless communications system of claim 18, wherein the at least one RU of the plurality of RUs further comprises an electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert the electrical wireless RF communications signals received at the receiver from the at least one client device to optical RF communications signals to be communicated over the at least one optical fiber to the HEE.

21. The wireless communications system of claim 16, wherein the at least one optical fiber is configured to carry both the RF communications signals and the digital data signals at different wavelengths through wave-division multiplexing.