Electrical-optical cable for wireless systems
First Claim
1. An electrical-optical cable apparatus for a wireless system, comprising:
- first and second optical fibers each having opposite ends, and an electrical power line having opposite ends;
first and second electrical-optical (E/O) converter units each optically coupled to the first and second optical fibers at their respective opposite ends, and electrically coupled to the electrical power line at its respective opposite ends so as to provide electrical power from the first to the second E/O converter unit, the first and second E/O converter units having respective one or more first and second radio-frequency (RF) electrical connectors adapted to receive and/or transmit RF electrical signals; and
wherein the first and second E/O converter units are adapted to convert the RF electrical signals into RF optical signals and vice versa, so as to provide RF signal communication between the one or more first and second electrical connectors via the first and second optical fibers.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical-optical cable for wireless system that includes two electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter units optically and electrically coupled via a cord that includes a downlink optical fiber, an uplink optical fiber, and an electrical power link. The first E/O converter receives radio-frequency (RF) electrical signals from an access point device, converts them to corresponding RF optical signals, and transmits the optical signals over the downlink optical fiber to the second E/O converter. The second E/O converter receives and converts the RF optical signals back to the original RF electrical signals. The RF electrical signals at one of the E/O converter units drive an antenna connected thereto. RF signals received by the wireless antenna are processed in a similar manner, with the optical signals being sent to the other E/O converter unit over the uplink optical fiber. The electrical-optical cable allows for the remote placement of the antenna relative to an access point device, with the antenna-side E/O converter unit power by electrical power provided by the other E/O converter unit.
207 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An electrical-optical cable apparatus for a wireless system, comprising:
-
first and second optical fibers each having opposite ends, and an electrical power line having opposite ends;
first and second electrical-optical (E/O) converter units each optically coupled to the first and second optical fibers at their respective opposite ends, and electrically coupled to the electrical power line at its respective opposite ends so as to provide electrical power from the first to the second E/O converter unit, the first and second E/O converter units having respective one or more first and second radio-frequency (RF) electrical connectors adapted to receive and/or transmit RF electrical signals; and
wherein the first and second E/O converter units are adapted to convert the RF electrical signals into RF optical signals and vice versa, so as to provide RF signal communication between the one or more first and second electrical connectors via the first and second optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An electrical-optical cable apparatus for sending RF signals between an access point device and a wireless antenna, comprising:
-
a first electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter unit electrically coupled to the access point device so as to receive input radio-frequency (RF) electrical signals and input electrical power;
a second electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter unit electrically coupled to the antenna;
a cable operably connecting the first and second E/O converter units, the cable including;
(a) first and second optical fibers, and (b) an electrical power line that provides electrical power from the first E/O converter unit to the second E/O converter unit; and
wherein the first and second E/O converter units are adapted to convert RF electrical signals into RF optical signals and vice versa, so as to provide RF signal communication between the access point and the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of transmitting radio-frequency (RF) signals between an access point device and a wireless antenna, comprising:
-
converting first RF electrical signals from the access point device into corresponding first RF optical signals at a first E/O converter unit;
transmitting the first RF optical signals over a first optical fiber from the first E/O converter unit to a second E/O converter unit;
converting the first RF optical signals back to the first RF electrical signals at the second E/O converter unit;
driving the antenna with the first RF electrical signals at the second E/O converter unit; and
powering the second E/O converter unit with power transmitted from the first E/O converter unit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification