Multiprotocol antenna system for multiple service providers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9867052-B2
Application number	US-201314016713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2013
Priority date	Mar 27, 2000
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A radio access node is configured to digitize a first analog radio frequency signal in order to generate first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal and is configured to digitize a second analog radio frequency signal in order to generate second digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal. The first analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a first mobile unit using wireless service provided by a first wireless service provider. The second analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a second mobile unit using wireless service provided by a second wireless service provider. The first and second digital data are transported from the radio access node to the base unit using a shared transport medium. The base unit is configured to produce information derived from the first digital data and the second digital data that is used in performing base station processing for the first mobile unit and the second mobile unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of distributing wireless radio frequency signals comprising:
generating, at a radio access node using a first analog-to-digital converter, first digital data indicative of a first analog radio frequency signal, wherein the first analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a first mobile unit using wireless service provided by a first wireless service provider;
generating, at the radio access node using a second analog-to-digital converter, second digital data indicative of a second analog radio frequency signal, wherein the second analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a second mobile unit using wireless service provided by a second wireless service provider;
transporting the first and second digital data from the radio access node to a base unit using a shared transport medium;
performing base station processing for the first mobile unit using information derived from the first digital data provided to the base unit; and
performing base station processing for the second mobile unit using information derived from the second digital data provided to the base unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, at the radio access node using the first analog-to-digital converter, the first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal comprises down-converting a signal derived from the first analog radio frequency signal; and
wherein generating, at the radio access node using the second analog-to-digital converter, the second digital data indicative of the-second analog radio frequency signal comprises down-converting a signal derived from the second analog radio frequency signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transporting, to the radio access node from the base unit, third and fourth digital data produced at the base unit;
generating, at the radio access node, a third analog radio frequency signal from the third digital data using a third digital-to-analog converter in the radio access node, wherein the third analog radio frequency signal is generated to provide wireless service for the first wireless service provider;
generating, at the radio access node, a fourth analog radio frequency signal from the fourth digital data using a fourth digital-to-analog converter in the radio access node, wherein the fourth analog radio frequency signal is generated to provide wireless service for the second wireless service provider; and
radiating the third and fourth analog radio frequency signals in a coverage area associated with the radio access node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating, at the radio access node, the third analog radio frequency signal from the third digital data using the third digital-to-analog converter in the radio access node comprises up-converting a signal derived from the third digital data; and
wherein generating, at the radio access node, the fourth analog radio frequency signal from the fourth digital data using the fourth digital-to-analog converter in the radio access node comprises up-converting a signal derived from the fourth digital data.

5. The method of claim 1 , the first and second analog radio frequency signals are at least one of: (i) in different radio frequency bands; (ii) of different bandwidths; and (iii) generated according to different air interfaces.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising communicating at least one of Internet Protocol (IP) packets and ETHERNET packets over the shared transport medium between the base unit and the radio access node.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared transport medium comprises an optical communication medium.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio access node is included in a distributed antenna system, wherein the distributed antenna system comprises a first hub and a second hub, the first hub connected to the second hub.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, at the radio access node using the first analog-to-digital converter, the first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal comprises generating the first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal using a first channelizer; and
generating, at the radio access node using the second analog-to-digital converter, the second digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal comprises generating the second digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal using a second channelizer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first channelizer comprises the first analog-to-digital converter; and
wherein the second channelizer comprises the second analog-to-digital converter.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first channelizer comprises a first digital filter; and
wherein the second channelizer comprises a second digital filter.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first channelizer comprises the first analog-to-digital converter and a first digital filter; and
wherein the second channelizer comprises the second analog-to-digital converter and a second digital filter.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first channelizer and the second channelizer are implemented using at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA).

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, at the radio access node using the first analog-to-digital converter, the first digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal comprises channelizing first intermediate digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal; and
wherein generating, at the radio access node using the second analog-to-digital converter, the second digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal comprises channelizing second intermediate digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein channelizing the first intermediate digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal comprises digitally filtering the first intermediate digital data indicative of the first analog radio frequency signal; and
wherein channelizing the second intermediate digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal comprises digitally filtering the second intermediate digital data indicative of the second analog radio frequency signal.

16. A system for distributing wireless radio frequency signals, the system comprising:
a base unit; and
a radio access node located at a location that is remote from the base unit;
wherein the radio access node is configured to generate first digital data indicative of a digitized version of a first analog radio frequency signal, wherein the first analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a first mobile unit that is a subscriber of a first wireless service provider;
wherein the radio access node is configured to generate second digital data indicative of a digitized version of a second analog radio frequency signal, wherein the second analog radio frequency signal is broadcast from a second mobile unit that is a subscriber of a second wireless service provider;
wherein the first and second digital data are transported from the radio access node to the base unit using a shared transport medium;
wherein the base unit is configured to produce information derived from the first digital data that is used in performing base station processing for the first mobile unit; and
wherein the base unit is configured to produce information derived from the second digital data that is used in performing base station processing for the second mobile unit.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Sabat Jr John
• Yelle Peter

Classifications

• H04W16/14 Primary

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04W92/02

  Inter-networking arrangements · CPC title

• H04W92/12

  between access points and access point controllers · CPC title

• H04W92/045 Primary

  between access point and backbone network device · CPC title

• H04W92/14

  between access point controllers and backbone network device · CPC title