Radio-over-fiber (RoF) system for protocol-independent wired and/or wireless communication

• US 8,639,121 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Jacob, Sauer, Michael, Thelen, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US13/595,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 398/115, 398/116, 398/117, 398/45, 398/46, 398/48, 398/49, 398/57, 398/58, 398/79, 398/66, 398/68, 398/70, 398/71, 398/72, 398/98, 398/99, 398/100, 398/118, 398/128, 398/130, 398/126, 398/50, 398/73, 398/60, 398/75, 398/76, 398/96, 398/103, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/562, 455/445, 455/422, 455/524, 455/560, 455/403, 370/338, 370/328, 370/329, 370/389, 370/503, 370/466, 370/352, 370/392, 370/342, 370/315, 370/465, 370/474, 370/351
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25751 Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25754 Star network topology
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A switched wireless system is used to increase the range of peer-to-peer communications. The optically-switched fiber optic communication system includes a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank. Cables couple the HEU to one or more remote access points in different coverage areas. The switch bank in the HEU provides a link between the remote access points in the different coverage areas such that devices in the different cellular coverage areas communicate with each other. By using the switched communication system, the range and coverage of communication between devices may be extended such that devices in different coverage areas and devices using different communication protocols can communicate.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank; and

a plurality of cables configured to carry signal from the HEU to a plurality of remote access points, wherein a first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding first coverage area, and a second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding second, different coverage area,

wherein the switch bank is configured to dynamically establish a link over at least one of the plurality of cables such that a first peer device in the first coverage area can communicate with a second peer device in the second coverage area,

the HEU is further configured to receive a request from a first one of the first and second peer devices to communicate with a second one of the first and second peer devices via at least one Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access point associated with at least one of the first and second peer devices,

the first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first peer device; and

the second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the HEU is further configured to automatically establish the link between the first coverage area and the second coverage area when signals received at the HEU from the first peer device in the first coverage area and signals received from the second peer device in the second coverage area have common radio frequencies.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first and second ones of the plurality of remote access points are broadband access points.

4. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank;

a plurality of cables each configured to carry a signal from the HEU to a plurality of remote access points, wherein a first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding first coverage area, and a second one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to form a corresponding second, different coverage area, wherein the switch bank is configured to dynamically establish a link over at least one of the plurality of cables such that a first peer device in the first coverage area can communicate with a second peer device in the second coverage area at least in part over the link; and

at least one Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access point configured to receive a request from a device other than the first and second peer devices to establish communications between the first and second peer devices, wherein

the first one of the plurality of remote access points is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first peer device using a different wireless communication protocol than a protocol used by the second one of the plurality of remote access points to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the wireless communication protocols used by the first one or second one of the plurality of remote access points to wirelessly communicate with the first or second peer device is a proprietary wireless communication protocol.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the HEU further comprises a video broadcast unit configured to split a video signal received at the HEU to a plurality of devices over a plurality of fiber optic cables comprising at least one optical fiber.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 4, further comprising a processor in the HEU configured to process requests for peer-to-peer communication between the first and second peer devices.

8. A method of enabling communication between a first peer device in a first coverage area and a second peer device in a second, different coverage area, comprising:

linking a plurality of remote access points to a head-end unit (HEU) via a plurality of cables, each of the plurality cables being configured to carry a signal from the HEU to the plurality of remote access points;

forming a first coverage area associated with a first one of the plurality of remote access points;

forming a second coverage area associated with a second one of the plurality of remote access points different from the first coverage area;

dynamically establishing a link over at least one of the plurality of cables to allow the first peer device to communicate with the second peer device at least in part over the link;

receiving a request to establish communications between the first peer device and the second peer device from a device other than one of the first and second peer devices; and

the first one of the plurality of remote access points wirelessly communicating with the first peer device and the second one of the plurality of remote access points wirelessly communicating with the second peer device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request to establish communications between the first peer device and the second peer device from one of the first and second peer devices.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sensing a radio frequency of at least one signal received from the first peer device in the first coverage area and a radio frequency of at least one signal received from the second peer device in the second coverage area; and

automatically establishing the link between the first coverage area and the second coverage area when the radio frequency of the at least one signal received from the first peer device in the first coverage area and the radio frequency of the at least one signal received from the second peer device in the second coverage area are common radio frequencies.

11. A method of enabling communication between a first peer device in a first coverage area and a second peer device in a second, different coverage area, comprising:

linking a plurality of remote access points to a head-end unit (HEU) via a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables configured to carry signal from the HEU to the plurality of remote access points;

forming a first coverage area associated with a first one of the plurality of remote access points;

forming a second coverage area associated with a second one of the plurality of remote access points different from the first coverage area;

dynamically establishing a link over at least one of the plurality of cables to allow the first peer device to communicate with the second peer device at least in part over the link;

receiving a request to establish communications between the first peer device and the second peer device at a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access point coupled to the HEU; and

the first one of the plurality of remote access points wirelessly communicating with the first peer device using a different wireless communication protocol than a protocol used by the second one of the plurality of remote access points to wirelessly communicate with the second peer device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of the plurality of remote access points wirelessly communicating with at least one of the first or second peer device using a proprietary wireless communication protocol.