Remote distributed antenna system

• US 9,999,038 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• 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: Barzegar, Farhad, Henry, Paul Shala, Blandino, George, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US15/179,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 370315, 370329, 370430
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0003 Two-dimensional division time-code division H04J11/00, H04J13/00; for time-space division H04B7/0413, H04B7/0697
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A distributed antenna system is provided that frequency shifts the output of one or more microcells to a 60 GHz or higher frequency range for transmission to a set of distributed antennas. The cellular band outputs of these microcell base station devices are used to modulate a 60 GHz (or higher) carrier wave, yielding a group of subcarriers on the 60 GHz carrier wave. This group will then be transmitted in the air via analog microwave RF unit, after which it can be repeated or radiated to the surrounding area. The repeaters amplify the signal and resend it on the air again toward the next repeater. In places where a microcell is required, the 60 GHz signal is shifted in frequency back to its original frequency (e.g., the 1.9 GHz cellular band) and radiated locally to nearby mobile devices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

communication circuitry that facilitates operations, comprising;

receiving a plurality of signals operating in a plurality of cellular bands, the plurality of signals modulated according to a plurality of signaling protocols;

frequency shifting the plurality of signals without modifying the plurality of signaling protocols by mixing a plurality of carrier wave signals with the plurality of signals to generate a plurality of frequency-shifted signals;

combining the plurality of frequency-shifted signals with at least one reference signal;

generating a transmission based on the plurality of frequency-shifted signals and the at least one reference signal; and

directing the transmission wirelessly to a first remote antenna system of a distributed antenna system, the at least one reference signal enabling the first remote antenna system to reduce signal distortion when reconverting a first frequency-shifted signal of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a first signal of the plurality of signals in a first cellular band of the plurality of cellular bands.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of signals is provided by a plurality of base station devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signaling protocols differs from each other.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal distortion comprises phase distortion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the combining further comprises combining the plurality of frequency-shifted signals with the at least one reference signal and with a control channel comprising instructions to direct the first remote antenna system to reconvert the first frequency-shifted signal to the first signal in the first cellular band.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one reference signal is modulated with the instructions in the control channel.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one reference signal is modulated with a clock signal to enable the first remote antenna system to receive the instructions in the control channel.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first signal conforms to a first signaling protocol of the plurality of signaling protocols, and wherein the first signaling protocol comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless protocol or a fifth generation cellular communications protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each carrier wave signal of the plurality of carrier wave signals is utilized to frequency shift a corresponding one the plurality of signals into a corresponding frequency channel of at least one downlink spectral segment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the frequency shifting comprises up-converting the plurality of signals to the plurality of frequency-shifted signals.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reconverting by the first remote antenna system comprises down-converting the first frequency-shifted signal to the first signal in the first cellular band.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the frequency shifting comprises down-converting the plurality of signals to the plurality of frequency-shifted signals.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the reconverting by the first remote antenna system comprises up-converting the first frequency-shifted signal to the first signal in the first cellular band.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the plurality of signals comprises receiving the first signal originally in a second cellular band that differs from the first cellular band, and wherein the first remote antenna system wirelessly distributes the first signal in the first cellular band to a communication device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first remote antenna system facilitates retransmission of at least a portion of the at least one reference signal and at least a portion of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a second remote antenna system, at least the portion of the at least one reference signal enabling the second remote antenna system to reduce signal distortion when reconverting a second frequency-shifted signal of at least the portion of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a second signal of the plurality of signals in a second cellular band of the plurality of cellular bands for wireless delivery to a communication device.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a circuit, a plurality of signals operating in a plurality of frequency bands, the plurality of signals modulated according to a plurality of signaling protocols;

frequency shifting, by the circuit, the plurality of signals without modifying the plurality of signaling protocols by mixing a plurality of carrier wave signals with the plurality of signals to generate a plurality of frequency-shifted signals;

combining, by the circuit, the plurality of frequency-shifted signals with at least one reference signal to generate a combined signal; and

generating, by the circuit, a wireless transmission based on the combined signal, the at least one reference signal enabling a remote antenna system of a distributed antenna system to reduce signal distortion when reconverting a frequency-shifted signal of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a signal of the plurality of signals in a first frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of signals is provided by at least one base station device, and wherein the at least one base station device provides the signal of the plurality of signals in a second frequency band that differs from the first frequency band.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless transmission further includes a control channel including instructions that direct the remote antenna system to reconvert the frequency-shifted signal to the signal in the first frequency band for wireless delivery to a communication device.

19. A first system of a distributed antenna system, comprising:

an antenna system; and

communication circuitry that facilitates operations, comprising;

wirelessly receiving, by the antenna system, a plurality of frequency-shifted signals and at least one reference signal from a second system of the distributed antenna system, the second system facilitating frequency shifting a plurality of signals operating in a plurality of frequency bands to the plurality of frequency-shifted signals without modifying a plurality of signaling protocols used to modulate the plurality of signals;

frequency shifting a first frequency-shifted signal of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a first signal of the plurality of signals in a first frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands for wireless delivery to a first communication device, utilizing the at least one reference signal to reduce signal distortion during the frequency shifting; and

retransmitting, by the antenna system, at least a portion of the at least one reference signal and at least a portion of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a third system of the distributed antenna system, at least the portion of the at least one reference signal enabling the third system to reduce signal distortion when reconverting a second frequency-shifted signal of at least the portion of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to a second signal of the plurality of signals in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands for wireless delivery to a second communication device.

20. The first system of claim 19, wherein the wirelessly receiving the plurality of frequency-shifted signals further includes receiving a control channel comprising instructions that direct the first system to retransmit at least the portion of the at least one reference signal and at least the portion of the plurality of frequency-shifted signals to the third system.