Host node device and methods for use therewith

• US 10,411,787 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2018
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• 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): Solinsky, Peter G
• Application Number:
  US16/034,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20180331753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 370293
• 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 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a host node device having a terminal interface that receives downstream channel signals from a communication network and sends upstream channel signals to the communication network. An access point repeater launches the downstream channel signals as guided electromagnetic waves on a guided wave communication system and to extract a first subset of the upstream channel signals from the guided wave communication system. A radio wirelessly transmits the downstream channel signals to at least one client node device and to wirelessly receive a second subset of the upstream channel signals from the at least one client node device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A host node device of a distributed antenna system including a plurality of client node devices having a plurality of first antennas and a plurality of mini-repeaters having a plurality of second antennas, the host node device comprising:

at least one access point repeater configured to wirelessly communicate first channel signals to first ones of a plurality of client devices via a third antenna of the at least one access point repeater, the first channel signals formatted to facilitate reception and retransmission by the distributed antenna system between the host node device and at least one of the plurality of client node devices via a free space wireless communication path and between the host node device and the plurality of mini-repeaters via a guided wave communication path without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion and the at least one access point repeater further configured to wirelessly communicate the first channel signals to the first ones of the plurality of client devices without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion; and

a terminal interface configured to receive the first channel signals from a communication network;

wherein the at least one access point repeater, operating without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion, transmits the first channel signals to the plurality of mini-repeaters of the distributed antenna system via the guided wave communication path, the plurality of mini-repeaters of the distributed antenna system communicating the first channel signals to second ones of the plurality of client devices via the plurality of second antennas.

2. The host node device of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one of the plurality of client node devices via the free space wireless communication path, the at least one of the plurality of client node devices communicating with third ones of the plurality of client devices via one of the plurality of first antennas; and

wherein a channel duplexer is configured to transfer the first channel signals to the at least one access point repeater and is further configured to transfer the first channel signals to the radio.

3. The host node device of claim 2, wherein the radio is an analog radio that upconverts the first channel signals to generate upconverted first channel signals and communicates the upconverted first channel signals to the at least one of the plurality of client node devices in a microwave frequency band.

4. The host node device of claim 3, wherein the analog radio operates based on an analog signal processing of the first channel signals.

5. The host node device of claim 1, wherein the first channel signals include signals from at least two different communication networks and formatted in at least two corresponding communication protocols.

6. The host node device of claim 1, wherein the at least one access point repeater comprises:

an amplifier that amplifies the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals; and

a channel selection filter configured to select one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of client devices via the plurality of first antennas.

7. The host node device of claim 1, wherein the at least one access point repeater receives second channel signals from the distributed antenna system;

wherein a channel duplexer is configured to transfer the first channel signals to the at least one access point repeater and is further configured to transfer the second channel signals to the terminal interface; and

wherein the terminal interface is configured to send the second channel signals to the communication network.

8. The host node device of claim 7, wherein a radio receives third channel signals from the at least one of the plurality of client node devices via the free space wireless communication path;

wherein the channel duplexer is further configured to transfer the third channel signals to the terminal interface; and

wherein the terminal interface is configured to send the third channel signals to the communication network.

9. The host node device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

10. The host node device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a mobile wireless protocol.

11. A method comprising:

receiving first channel signals from a communication network to facilitate reception and retransmission by a distributed antenna system without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion, the distributed antenna system including a plurality of client node devices having a plurality of first antennas and a plurality of mini-repeaters having a plurality of second antennas;

launching the first channel signals to the plurality of mini-repeaters via a guided wave communication path without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion; and

wirelessly transmitting, without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion, the first channel signals via a wireless communication path to at least one of the plurality of client node devices via a third antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wirelessly transmitting the first channel signals includes:

upconverting the first channel signals to generate upconverted first channel signals to a microwave frequency band; and

transmitting the upconverted first channel signals to the at least one of the plurality of client node devices via the third antenna.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the upconverting of the first channel signals is based on an analog signal processing of the first channel signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the analog signal processing does not require either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

amplifying the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals;

selectively filtering one or more of the amplified first channel signals to generate a subset of the amplified first channel signals; and

wirelessly transmitting the subset of the amplified first channel signals to a plurality of client devices via a fourth antenna.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the launching the first channel signals to the plurality of mini-repeaters via the guided wave communication path includes:

amplifying the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving second channel signals from the distributed antenna system; and

sending the second channel signals to the communication network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving third channel signals from the at least one of the plurality of client node devices via the third antenna; and

sending the third channel signals to the communication network.

19. A host node device of a distributed antenna system, the host node device comprising:

a terminal interface configured to receive first channel signals from a communication network and send second channel signals to the communication network, wherein the first channel signals and the second channel signals are formatted to facilitate reception and retransmission by the distributed antenna system without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion, the distributed antenna system including a plurality of client node devices having a plurality of first antennas and a plurality of mini-repeaters having a plurality of second antennas;

at least one access point repeater, operating without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion, configured to launch the first channel signals to the plurality of mini-repeaters via a guided wave communication path and to extract, via the guided wave communication path, a first subset of the second channel signals from the plurality of mini-repeaters; and

a radio, operating without either the analog to digital conversion or the digital to analog conversion, configured to wirelessly transmit the first channel signals to at least one client node device of the plurality of client node devices over a free space wireless communication path via a third antenna and to wirelessly receive a second subset of the second channel signals via the free space wireless communication path from the at least one client node device via the third antenna.

20. The host node device of claim 19, wherein the at least one access point repeater is further configured to:

amplify the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals;

selectively filter one or more of the amplified first channel signals to generate a subset of the amplified first channel signals; and

wirelessly transmit the subset of the amplified first channel signals to a plurality of client devices via a fourth antenna.