Unified optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems (DASs) for supporting small cell communications deployment from multiple small cell service providers, and related devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800340-B2
Application number	US-201615134473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Unified optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems (DASs) for supporting small cell communications deployment from multiple small cell service providers are disclosed. The unified optical fiber-based DASs disclosed herein are configured to receive multiple small cell communications from different small cell service providers to be deployed over optical fiber to small cells in the DAS. In this manner, the same DAS architecture can be employed to distribute different small cell communications from different small cell service providers to small cells. Use of optical fiber for delivering small cell communications can reduce the risk of having to deploy new cabling if bandwidth needs for future small cell communication services exceeds conductive wiring capabilities. Optical fiber cabling can also allow for higher distance cable runs to the small cells due to the lower loss of optical fiber, which can provide for enhanced centralization services.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) for supporting small cell communications from different small cell service providers, comprising:
a plurality of edge devices each configured to receive electrical communications from a network, the plurality of edge devices comprising:
at least one first small cell configured to receive a first electrical small cell communications;
at least one second small cell configured to receive a second electrical small cell communications different from the first electrical small cell communications;

a communications control equipment, comprising:
a plurality of communications interfaces each configured to receive electrical communications, the plurality of communications interfaces comprising:
at least one first small cell communications interface configured to receive a first small cell communications from a first small cell service provider; and
at least one second small cell communications interface configured to receive a second small cell communications from a second small cell service provider;

a plurality of switches comprising a plurality of communications output ports and a plurality of communications input ports, the plurality of communications input ports each configured to be coupled to a communications interface among the plurality of communications interfaces;
each of the plurality of switches configured to route an electrical communications among a plurality of electrical communications, received on a communications input port among the plurality of communications input ports, to at least two communications output ports among the plurality of communications output ports:

a plurality of media converters, comprising:
a first media converter configured to:
receive a first electrical communications from at least one communications output port of the plurality of switches;
convert the received first electrical communications to a first optical communications comprising a first optical small cell communications; and
route the first optical small cell communications over at least one first dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one first small cell; and

a second media converter configured to:
receive a second electrical communications from a second communications output port of the plurality of switches;
convert the received second electrical communications to a second optical communications comprising a second optical small cell communications; and
route the second optical small cell communications over at least one second dedicated optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers to the at least one second small cell; and

at least one area distributer comprising:
a plurality of communications input ports configured to receive optical communications from a media converter among the plurality of media converters for a subset of edge devices among the plurality of edge devices;
at least one local media converter configured to convert the received optical communications to electrical communications; and
a plurality of communications output ports configured to provide the received electrical communications to the subset of edge devices.

2. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein the communications control equipment further comprises at least one data processor coupled to at least one switch among the plurality of switches, the at least one data processor configured to monitor data communications of the electrical communications routed by the at least one switch.

3. The DAS of claim 2 , wherein the at least one data processor is further configured to insert data in the electrical communications routed by the at least one switch.

4. The DAS of claim 2 , further comprising at least one application server communicatively coupled to the at least one data processor.

5. The DAS of claim 4 , wherein the at least one application server is configured to communicate with the at least one data processor to monitor data in the plurality of electrical communications routed by the at least one switch coupled to the at least one data processor.

6. The DAS of claim 4 , wherein the at least one application server is configured to communicate a data insertion message to the at least one data processor to insert data in the electrical communications routed by the at least one switch coupled to the at least one data processor.

7. The DAS of claim 4 , wherein the at least one application server is configured to:
receive from the at least one data processor, the plurality of electrical communications routed by the at least one switch coupled to the at least one data processor; and
communicate the received plurality of electrical communications to at least one other wired network.

8. The DAS of claim 7 , wherein the at least one other wired network is comprised of a network comprised from the group consisting of a switch-based local area network (LAN), a passive optical LAN (POL), and a passive optical network (PON).

9. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one area distributer further comprises a powering unit configured to supply power over the plurality of communications output ports to the subset of edge devices to provide power to the subset of edge devices.

10. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of edge devices further comprises an edge device interface comprising:
a communications input port configured to receive optical communications from a media converter among the plurality of media converters for the at least one of the plurality of edge devices;
at least one local media converter configured to convert the received optical communications to electrical communications; and
a communications output port configured to provide the received electrical communications to the at least one of the plurality of edge devices.

11. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one first dedicated optical fiber and the at least one second dedicated optical fiber is disposed in a multi-fiber cable.

12. The DAS of claim 11 , wherein the multi-fiber cable further comprises at least one electrical conductor configured to carry power to at least one of the at least one first small cell and the at least one second small cell.

13. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first dedicated optical fiber and the at least one second dedicated optical fiber are disposed in a same multi-fiber cable.

14. The DAS of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first small cell is comprised of a small cell comprised from the group consisting of a cellular service small cell, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) access point, an extremely high frequency (EFH) radio device, a digital DAS cell, a remote radio head (RRH), a location radio nodes, a wireless reader, and an application-specific radio node; and
the at least one second small cell is comprised of a small cell different from the at least one first small cell, the at least one second small cell is comprised from the group consisting of a cellular service small cell, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) access point, an extremely high frequency (EFH) radio device, a digital DAS cell, a remote radio head (RRH), a location radio nodes, a wireless reader, and an application-specific radio node.

15. An optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) for supporting small cell communications from different small cell service providers, comprising:
a plurality of edge devices each configured to receive electrical communications from a network, the plurality of edge devices comprising:
at least one first small cell configured to receive a first electrical

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd

Inventors

• Berlin Igor
• Cune William Patrick

Classifications

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04W16/18

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• H04B10/25753 Primary

  Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units · CPC title

• H04B10/2575

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