Distributed antenna system continuity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10721637-B2
Application number	US-201816195801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

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 method for controlling a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
arranging a plurality of radio distributor/combiner (RDC) modules for connecting a plurality of communications services with a plurality of input modules, at least one of the plurality of communications services being provided through one or more sectors, the plurality of RDC modules including a first plurality of radio distributor/combiner (RDC) modules and a second plurality of RDC modules;
providing a plurality of primary communication paths for the at least one communication service through the plurality of RDC modules to the plurality of OIMs;
detecting a failure of at least one first communications service of the plurality of communications services; and
controlling routing of at least one second communications service of the plurality of communications services from the plurality of primary communication paths to at least one secondary redundant communication path to provide a substitute service for the at least one failed first communications service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plurality of RDC modules are configured for connecting the plurality of communications services with the second plurality of RDC modules and for combining the plurality of communications services into a broadband communication signal or for expanding the broadband communication signal into a plurality of communications services; and
the second plurality of RDC modules are configured for connecting the broadband communication signal with the plurality of input modules.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
restoring the at least one failed first communications service;
controlling switching of the at least one second communications service from the at least one secondary redundant communication path back to the plurality of primary communication paths; and
controlling switching of the at least one failed first communications service on the plurality of primary communication paths.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disconnecting the at least one failed first communications service, wherein the step of controlling routing of the at least one second communications service of the plurality of communications services from the plurality of primary communication paths to the at least one secondary redundant communication path further comprises the steps of:
determining an operational substitute communications service for use as the at least one second communications service from among the plurality of communications services;
configuring the at least one secondary redundant communication path using the operational substitute communications service in place of the at least one failed first communications service; and
connecting the operational substitute communications service to the at least one secondary redundant communication path.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communications services through the plurality of RDC modules to the plurality of input modules further includes a third communications service to a first input module of the plurality of input modules, and further comprising:
detecting an occurrence that the third communications service has failed; and
controlling routing of the at least one second communications services from the plurality of primary communication paths to a plurality of secondary communication paths to provide a substitute service for the failed third communications service.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining available bandwidth of the plurality of communications services remaining operational after the first communications service has failed; and
selecting the at least one second communications service for routing to a plurality of secondary communication paths based upon the available bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of determining the available bandwidth further comprises the steps of:
obtaining configuration data associated with a remote antenna unit and a client of the at least one failed first communications service;
determining one or more communications services connected to the second plurality of RDC modules that the client is authorized to access; and
selecting at least a second of the plurality of communications services for routing to the plurality of secondary communication paths based upon the available bandwidth and based upon the access authorization of the client of the at least one failed first communications service.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the step of detecting the occurrence of the failure of the at least one first communications services further comprises detecting whether the at least one first communications service has failed at a network input; and
the step of detecting the occurrence of the failure of at the least one first communications service is accomplished by a customer complaint.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system comprises a plurality of remote units.

10. A method for controlling a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
arranging a plurality of radio distributor/combiner (RDC) modules for connecting a plurality of communications services with a plurality of optical input modules (OIMs), each of the plurality of communications services provided through one or more sectors;
providing a plurality of primary communication paths for the plurality of communications services through the plurality of RDC modules to the plurality of OIMs;
detecting a failure of at least one first communications service of the plurality of communications services;
controlling routing of at least one second communications service of the plurality of communications services from the plurality of primary communication paths to at least one secondary redundant communication path; and
restoring the at least one failed first communications service.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of RDC modules comprises a first plurality of radio distributor/combiner (RDC) modules and a second plurality of RDC modules;
the first plurality of RDC modules are configured for connecting the plurality of communications services with the second plurality of RDC modules and for combining the plurality of communications services into a broadband communication signal or for expanding the broadband communication signal into a plurality of communications services; and
the second plurality of RDC modules are configured for connecting the broadband communication signal with the plurality of OIMs.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
controlling switching of the at least one second communications service from the at least one secondary redundant communication path back to the plurality of primary communication paths; and
controlling switching of the at least one failed first communications service on the plurality of primary communication paths.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of communications services through the plurality of RDC modules to the plurality of OIMs further includes a third communications service to a first OIM of the plurality of OIMs, and further comprising:
detecting an occurrence that the third communications service has failed; and
controlling routing of the at least one second communications services from the plurality of primary communication paths to a plurality of secondary communication paths to provide a substitute service for the failed third communications service.

14. A method for controlling a wireless communication system comprising a plurality of remote units connecte

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

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

• H04B10/2575

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

• H04W24/04 Primary

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title