Client node device with frequency conversion and methods for use therewith

• US 10,348,391 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Donald L
• Application Number:
  US15/179,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20160359546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a repeater device having a first coupler to extract downstream channel signals from first guided electromagnetic waves bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system. An amplifier amplifies the downstream channel signals to generate amplified downstream channel signals. A channel selection filter selects one or more of the amplified downstream channel signals to wirelessly transmit to the at least one client device via an antenna. A second coupler guides the amplified downstream channel signals to the transmission medium of the guided wave communication system to propagate as second guided electromagnetic waves. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A client node device of a distributed antenna system comprising:

a first wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive first channel signals formatted in accordance with a signaling protocol in a millimeter wave frequency band and a reference signal in the millimeter wave frequency band from a host node device of the distributed antenna system, wherein the reference signal has a frequency and phase corresponding to a local oscillator signal;

an amplifier configured to amplify the first channel signals and the reference signal to generate amplified first channel signals and an amplified reference signal;

a first wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the amplified first channel signals in the millimeter wave frequency band and the amplified reference signal in the millimeter wave frequency band to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system; and

a second wireless transmitter configured to generate the local oscillator signal based on the amplified reference signal and to convert one or more of the amplified first channel signals in the millimeter wave frequency band to a spectral segment in an RF frequency band that facilitates communication as free space wireless signals in the RF frequency band to at least one client device via an antenna of the distributed antenna system by mixing the local oscillator signal with the one or more of the amplified first channel signals, wherein the RF frequency band is below the millimeter wave frequency band and wherein the amplified reference signal reduces a phase error in converting the amplified first channel signals to the spectral segment without modifying the signaling protocol.

2. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless receiver further receives a control channel associated with the first channel signals, the amplifier further generates an amplified control channel and wherein the second wireless transmitter operates based on instructions in the control channel to dynamically select the one or more of the amplified first channel signals.

3. The client node device of claim 2, wherein the reference signal is received at an out of band frequency relative to the control channel.

4. The client node device of claim 2, wherein the reference signal is received at an in band frequency relative to the control channel.

5. The client node device of claim 2, wherein the control channel is received via ultra-wideband signaling.

6. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless receiver further receives a control channel associated with the first channel signals, wherein the amplifier further generates a clock signal associated with the first channel signals and wherein the clock signal synchronizes a digital signal processing by the second wireless transmitter in converting the amplified first channel signals to the spectral segment.

7. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transmitter includes an analog radio that generates the free space wireless signals communicated to the at least one client device by downconverting radio first channel signals from higher carrier frequencies relative to carrier frequencies of the free space wireless signals.

8. The client node device of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless receiver configured to receive second channel signals from the other client node device of the distributed antenna system;

wherein the amplifier amplifies the second channel signals to generate amplified second channel signals; and

a third wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the second channel signals to the host node device of the distributed antenna system.

9. The client node device of claim 8, further comprising a third wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive third channel signals from the at least one client device for transmission to the host node device via the distributed antenna system.

10. The client node device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

11. A method for use in a client node device, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving first channel signals formatted in accordance with a signaling protocol in a millimeter wave frequency band and a reference signal in the millimeter wave frequency band from a host node device of a distributed antenna system, wherein the reference signal has a frequency and phase corresponding to a local oscillator signal;

amplifying the first channel signals and the reference signal to generate amplified first channel signals and an amplified reference signal;

wirelessly transmitting the amplified first channel signals in the millimeter wave frequency band and the amplified reference signal in the millimeter wave frequency band to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system;

generating the local oscillator signal based on the amplified reference signal;

converting, one or more of the amplified first channel signals in the millimeter wave frequency band to a spectral segment in an RF frequency band by mixing the local oscillator signal with the one or more of the amplified first channel signals to generate frequency converted first channel signals, wherein the RF frequency band is below the millimeter wave frequency band and wherein the amplified reference signal reduces a phase error in converting the amplified first channel signals to the spectral segment without modifying the signaling protocol; and

transmitting the frequency converted first channel signals in the RF frequency band as free space wireless signals to at least one client device via an antenna of the distributed antenna system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a control channel associated with the first channel signals; and

dynamically selecting the one or more of the amplified first channel signals based on instructions in the control channel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal is received at an out of band frequency relative to the control channel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal is received at an in band frequency relative to the control channel.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the control channel is received via ultra-wideband signaling.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the converting the one or more of the amplified first channel signals to the spectral segment includes one of:

a frequency up-conversion of the amplified first channel signals or a frequency down-conversion of the amplified first channel signals.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the free space wireless signals communicated to the at least one client device are generated by downconverting radio first channel signals from higher carrier frequencies relative to carrier frequencies of the free space wireless signals.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving second channel signals from the other client node device of the distributed antenna system;

amplifying the second channel signals to generate amplified second channel signals; and

wirelessly transmitting the second channel signals to the host node device of the distributed antenna system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

20. A client node device of a distributed antenna system comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive channel signals formatted in accordance with a signaling protocol in a millimeter wave frequency band and a reference signal in the millimeter wave frequency band from a host node device of the distributed antenna system, wherein the reference signal has a frequency and phase corresponding to a local oscillator signal;

an amplifier configured to amplify the channel signals and the reference signal to generate amplified channel signals and an amplified reference signal;

a first wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the amplified channel signals in the millimeter wave frequency band to an other client node device of the distributed antenna system; and

a second wireless transmitter configured to generate the local oscillator signal based on the amplified reference signal and to wirelessly communicate free space wireless signals in an RF frequency band below the millimeter wave frequency band to at least one client device via an antenna, via a frequency conversion of one or more of the amplified channel signals from the RF frequency band to the millimeter wave frequency band that utilizes the amplified reference signal to reduce a phase error in the frequency conversion by mixing the local oscillator signal with the one or more of the amplified channel signals.