Distributed antenna system continuity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10142864-B2
Application number	US-201615278746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Technologies are described for using optical and electrical transmission of a plurality of communications services from a plurality of outside sources to a network of users via a distributed antenna system. The systems and methods disclosed herein provide for distribution of the communications services and for re-routing the services when a failure occurs. These systems and methods detect when there is a failure of the service to the network or within the network, where the failure has occurred, and how to redistribute the services via a switching network or matrix.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
a first plurality of radio distribution/combiners (RDCs) configured for connecting to a plurality of communications services, each of the plurality of communications services provided through at least one sector;
a second plurality of RDCs connected with the first plurality of RDCs, the second plurality of RDCs configured for connecting to a plurality of Optical Input Modules (OIMs) for receiving the plurality of communications services, each of the second plurality of RDCs connected with one of the first plurality of RDCs;
a first switching matrix of a first plurality of switches connected at a first end to the plurality of communications services and at a second end to the first plurality of RDCs for routing the plurality of communications services to the first plurality of RDCs, each of the second plurality of RDCs separately addressable by one RDC of the first plurality of RDCs;
a second switching matrix of a second plurality of switches connected at a first end to the second plurality of RDCs and at a second end to the plurality of OIMs for routing the plurality of communications services to the plurality of OIMs, each of the plurality of OIMs separately addressable by each RDC of the second plurality of RDCs; and
a control module configured for routing the plurality of communications services to the first plurality of RDCs and for routing the plurality of communications services to the plurality of OIMs, wherein
the control module is configured, in the event of a failure of a first communications service, for controlling routing of a second communications service through the plurality of RDCs and the first and second switching matrices to at least one of the plurality of OIMs to provide a substitute service for the failed first communications service.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of detectors configured to detect that the first communications service of the plurality of communications services has failed.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control module further comprises hardware and software for controlling the routing of the plurality of communications services, and the controlled routing disables a first communication path for the first failed communications service and connects a second communication path for the second communications service of the plurality of communications services to provide the substitute service.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first switching matrix and the second switching matrix is further configured for controlling routing of the second communications service of the plurality of communications services through the plurality of RDCs to the plurality of OIMs to provide a substitute service for a second failed service.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of RDC modules comprises a first plurality of RDC modules connected to a second plurality of RDC modules, the system further comprising:
a head end unit (HEU) including the first plurality of RDC modules and the first switching matrix, the HEU configured for connecting the plurality of communications services to the first plurality of RDC modules through the first switching matrix; and
an optical input unit (OIU) including the second plurality of RDC modules and a second switching matrix, the OIU configured for connecting the second plurality of RDC modules to the plurality of OIMs through the second switching matrix.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of OIMs are connected to a plurality of clients, wherein the plurality of clients are wireless devices selected from the group consisting of cellular phones, smart phones, wireless lap-top computers, tablet computers, pad computers, and sensor networks.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communications services comprises at least two services selected from the group consisting of WiFi, Ethernet, DSL, LTE, Wireless Access Points (WAPs), PCS, 2G, 3G, 4G, Remote Radio Heads (RRH), Radio over Fiber Optic Cable (RoF), WiMax, LAN, CDMA, TDMA, GSM, WDM, and WLAN.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is configured to serve a geographic area selected from the group consisting of a building, an area of a building, and one or more rooms of a building.

9. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a network configured for providing the plurality of communications services, wherein the control module is in communication with the network, and wherein the detection by the plurality of detectors that the first communications service of the plurality of communications services has failed further comprises the steps of:
detecting at the network whether the first communications service of the plurality of communications services has failed; and
communicating the detected failure at the network to the control module.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
each of the plurality of RDCs, each of the plurality of OIMs, and each of the plurality of communications services are in communication with at least one of the plurality of detectors; and
the detection by the plurality of detectors that the first communications service has failed comprises the step of detecting with at at least one detector whether a current, voltage, or power level of the first communications service has dropped below a predetermined level, the predetermined level being indicative of a failure of the first communications service.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control module is configured for determining that at least one communications service of the plurality of communications services is operational by:
determining available bandwidth of the at least one communications service; and
controlling switching to provide a path of the at least one operational service to a first OIM of the plurality of OIMs based upon the available bandwidth.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the step of providing the path based upon the available bandwidth further comprises the steps of:
obtaining configuration data associated with a client;
determining one or more communications services connected to the first OIM that the client is authorized to access; and
controlling switching to provide a path of the least one operational service to the first OIM of the plurality of OIMs based upon the access authorization of the client.

13. A distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
a first plurality of radio distribution/combiners (RDCs) configured for connecting to a plurality of communications services, each of the plurality of communications services provided through at least one sector;
a second plurality of RDCs connected with the first plurality of RDCs, the second plurality of RDCs configured for connecting to a plurality of Optical Input Modules (OIMs) for receiving the plurality of communications services, each of the second plurality of RDCs connected with one of the first plurality of RDCs;
a first switching matrix of a first plurality of switches connected at a first end to the plurality of communications services and at a second end to the first plurality of RDCs for routing the plurality of communications services to the first plurality of RDCs, each of the second plurality of RDCs separately addressable by one RDC of the first plurality of RDCs;
a second switching matrix of a second plurality of switches connected at a first end to the second plurality of RDCs and at a second end to the plurality of OIMs for routing the plurality of communications services to the plurality of OIMs, each of the plurality of OIMs separately addressable by each RDC of the second plurality of RDCs; and

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd

Inventors

• Harel Dror
• Radin Boris

Classifications

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04W40/04

  based on wireless node resources · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04B10/2575

  Radio-over-fibre, e.g. radio frequency signal modulated onto an optical carrier · CPC title

• H04B10/40

  Transceivers · CPC title