Local power management for remote antenna units in distributed antenna systems

• US 10,420,025 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heidler, Christian, Hull, Jonathan Richard, Kedziora, Jessica Joy, Sauer, Michael, Schweiker, Wolfgang Gottfried Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US16/148,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20190037492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 375219-220
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• 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: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Power management for remote units in a distributed communication system. Power can be managed for a remote unit configured to power modules and devices that may require more power to operate than power available to the remote unit. For example, the remote unit may be configured to include power-consuming remote unit modules to provide distributed antenna system-related services. As another example, the remote unit may be configured to provide power through powered ports in the remote unit to external power-consuming devices. Depending on the configuration of the remote unit, the power-consuming remote unit modules and/or external power-consuming devices may demand more power than is available at the remote unit. In this instance, the power available at the remote unit can be distributed to the power-consuming modules and devices based on the priority of services desired to be provided by the remote unit.

Claims

1. A powered remote unit comprising:

at least one power-consuming remote unit module comprising;

at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert received uplink radio frequency (RF) communications signals from a coverage area to uplink optical communications signals;

an RF communications module configured to receive the uplink RF communications and to provide RF communications services to the coverage area;

at least one powered port configured to provide power to at least one external power-consuming device connected to the at least one powered port; and

a controller configured to;

determine an available power budget for the at least one powered port; and

disable the at least one powered port based on the powered required to power the at least one external power-consuming device connected to the at least one powered port, wherein

the controller is configured to determine the available power budget based at least in part upon the power required by the at least one power-consuming remote unit module.

2. The powered remote unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the available power budget based on a total power available minus the power required for the at least one power-consuming remote unit module.

3. The powered remote unit of claim 2, wherein the at least one powered port is comprised of a plurality of powered ports.

4. The powered remote unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine which of the at least one power-consuming remote unit modules are present by:

subtracting power consumed by the at least one external power-consuming device connected to the at least one powered port from a total power available to provide a power consumed by the at least one power-consuming remote unit module; and

correlating the power consumed by the at least one power-consuming remote unit module to those of the at least one power-consuming remote unit modules that are present.

5. The powered remote unit of claim 4, wherein the remote unit is configured to receive power provided at a voltage in the range of forty-eight (48) to sixty (60) Volts.

6. A powered remote unit comprising:

at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert received uplink radio frequency (RF) communications signals from a coverage area to uplink optical communications signals;

at least one antenna configured to receive downlink electrical communications signals and to provide RF communications services wirelessly to the coverage area;

a plurality of powered ports, at least one powered port configured to provide power to at least one external power-consuming device connected to the at least one powered port; and

a controller configured to;

determine an available power budget for the at least one powered port; and

disable the at least one powered port based on a comparison of the available power budget for the at least one powered port and the power required at the at least one powered port.

7. The powered remote unit of claim 6, further comprising a load detector configured to provide a load sense signal to the controller indicative of a power consumed by the at least one external power-consuming device.

8. The powered remote unit of claim 6, further comprising a remote expansion unit (RXU) module configured to provide RF communications services, the RXU module being configured to receive downlink RF communications signals and uplink RF communications signals.

9. The powered remote unit of claim 6, further comprising a digital data services (DDS) module configured to provide DDS, and wherein the remote unit is configured to receive power provided at a voltage in the range of forty-eight (48) to sixty (60) Volts.

10. A powered remote unit for a wireless communication system, comprising:

at least one power-consuming remote unit module comprising;

at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert received uplink radio frequency (RF) communications signals from a coverage area to uplink optical communications signals; and

an RF communications module having at least one antenna configured to receive the uplink RF communications signals and to provide RF communications services to the coverage area;

a plurality of powered ports configured to provide power to at least one external power-consuming device connected to the plurality of powered ports; and

a controller configured to;

enable power for the plurality of powered ports if an available power budget is sufficient to power the at least one external power-consuming device connected to the plurality of powered ports.

11. The powered remote unit of claim 10, further comprising a load detector configured to provide a load sense signal to the controller indicative of a total power consumed by the at least one power-consuming remote unit module and the at least one external power-consuming device.

12. The powered remote unit of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to determine the available power budget based on the power required by the at least one power-consuming remote unit module, wherein the power required is determined based on which of the at least one power-consuming remote unit modules are present.

13. A distributed communications system, comprising:

a plurality of powered remote units, at least one remote unit comprising;

at least one electrical-to-optical (EIO) converter configured to convert received uplink radio frequency (RF) communications signals to uplink optical communications signals;

at least one antenna configured to receive the uplink RF communications signals and to provide RF communications services wirelessly to a coverage area;

a plurality of powered ports, at least one powered port configured to provide power to at least one external power-consuming device connected to the at least one powered port; and

a controller configured to;

determine an available power budget for the at least one powered port; and

disable the at least one powered port based at least in part on a comparison of the available power budget for the at least one powered port and the power required at the at least one powered port; and

a plurality of cables, the plurality of cables including a plurality of optical fibers.

14. The distributed communications system of claim 13, wherein the at least one powered port is comprised of a plurality of powered ports.

15. The distributed communications system of claim 14, further comprising a load detector configured to provide a load sense signal to the controller indicative of a power consumed by the at least one external power-consuming device.

16. The distributed communications system of claim 14, further comprising a remote expansion unit (RXU) module configured to provide RF communications services, the RXU module being configured to receive downlink RF communications signals and uplink RF communications signals.