Patent Grant
11563492
Wireless and mobile network operators face the continuing challenge of building networks that effectively manage high data-traffic growth rates. Mobility and an increased level of multimedia content for end users requires end-to-end network adaptations that support both new services and the increased demand for broadband and flat-rate Internet access. One of the most difficult challenges faced by network operators is caused by the physical movement of subscribers from one location to another, and particularly when wireless subscribers congregate in large numbers at one location. A notable example is a business enterprise facility during lunchtime, when a large number of wireless subscribers visit a cafeteria location in the building. At that time, a large number of subscribers have moved away from their offices and usual work areas. It's likely that during lunchtime there are many locations throughout the facility where there are very few subscribers. If the indoor wireless network resources were properly sized during the design process for subscriber loading as it is during normal working hours when subscribers are in their normal work areas, it is very likely that the lunchtime scenario will present some unexpected challenges with regard to available wireless capacity and data throughput.
To address these issues, Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) have been developed and deployed. Despite the progress made in DAS, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems related to DAS.
The present invention generally relates to wireless communication systems employing Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) as part of a distributed wireless network. More specifically, the present invention relates to a DAS utilizing software defined radio (SDR). Wireless and mobile network operators face the continuing challenge of building networks that effectively manage high data-traffic growth rates. Mobility and an increased level of multimedia content for end users typically employs end-to-end network adaptations that support new services and the increased demand for broadband and flat-rate Internet access. Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) provide a mechanism to route signals to various antennas that are distributed over a given geographical area. The signals typically originate from a base transceiver station (BTS), also referred to as a base station, at RF frequencies or digitally from a Baseband Unit (BBU). The BBU is part of a distributed Base Station system, whereby the Radio Unit (RU) is physically separated from the BBU. This kind of distributed architecture can increase flexibility of networking and decrease the cost of maintaining a network. Some common interface standards between the BBU and RU are OBSAI (Open Base Station Architecture Initiative), CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) and ORI (Open Radio Interface). The cellular payload data is transported between a plurality of BBUs and RUs at a high data rate. The BBU framed data is comprised of: payload IQ data, Control and Management (C&M) information, carrier frequency, signal bandwidth, etc. A common DAS platform that interfaces between both BBUs, at baseband, and BTSs, at RF, will simplify the distributed antenna system architecture.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a system is provided. The system comprises a fronthaul interface including a plurality of DMUs. Each DMU of the plurality of DMUs is configured to receive a plurality of signals from a BBU, extract a subset of the plurality of signals, aggregate the subset of the plurality of signals into a stream, and route the stream to one or more DRUs of a plurality of DRUs.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, at a DMU, a plurality of signals from a BBU. The method further comprises extracting a subset of the plurality of signals. The method further comprises aggregating the subset of the plurality of signals into a stream. The method further comprises routing the stream to one or more DRUs of a plurality of DRUs.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) is provided. The system includes one or more Base Band Units (BBUs). Each of the one or more BBUs has one or more digital outputs. The system also includes a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs. Each of the plurality of DMUs is operable to receive one or more digital inputs from the one or more BBUs. The system further includes a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between the plurality of DRUs and one or more of the plurality of DMUs.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) including a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) and a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) is provided. The method includes receiving, at ports of the plurality of DMUs, digital signals from sector ports of one or more Base Band Units (BBUs). The method also includes routing the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs and transporting the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs and a plurality of DRUs.
According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) is provided. The DAS includes a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs. Each of the plurality of DMUs includes a plurality of digital input ports operable to receive digital inputs from one of more of a plurality of BBUs. Each of the plurality of BBUs includes a plurality of digital output ports. The DAS also includes a plurality of Digital Access Units (DAUs) coupled to each other and operable to route signals between the plurality of DAUs. Each of the plurality of DAUs includes a plurality of analog input ports operable to receive analog RF inputs from one of more of a plurality of BTSs. Each of the plurality of BTSs includes a plurality of analog RF output ports. The DAS further includes a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between DRUs and DMUs, each of the plurality of DRUs including a remote antenna.
According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, a system for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System is provided. The system includes a plurality of Digital Multiplexer Units (DMUs). The plurality of DMUs are coupled and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs. The system also includes a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs) coupled to the plurality of DMUs and operable to transport signals between DRUs and DMUs, a plurality of Base Band Units (BBU) with digital connections to the plurality of DMUs and operable to route signals between the plurality of DMUs and the plurality of digital connections.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided. The system comprises a core network, a data center in communication with the core network, and a plurality of digital remote units (DRUs) in communication with the data center. The data center comprises a plurality of baseband units (BBUs) and a plurality of digital multiplexing units (DMUs). The plurality of DMUs are configured to route I/Q data to one or more of the plurality of DRUs. Control and management (C&M) functionality of each DMU and DRU is located in a cloud network.
Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over conventional techniques. For example, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems that utilize system elements with reduced hardware requirements (e.g., radio units in BTSs and radio units in DAUs), thereby reducing system cost, reducing system power consumption, and reducing system size. Additionally, embodiments described herein reduce or remove the requirement to perform RF to digital conversion and digital to RF conversion, thereby reducing signal degradation. These and other embodiments of the invention along with many of its advantages and features are described in more detail in conjunction with the text below and attached figures.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
A distributed antenna system (DAS) provides an efficient means of utilization of base station resources. The base station or base stations associated with a DAS can be located in a central location and/or facility commonly known as a base station hotel. A traditional DAS network includes one or more digital access units (DAUs) that function as the interface between the base stations and the digital remote units (DRUs). The DAUs can be collocated with the base stations. The DRUs can be daisy chained together and/or placed in a star configuration and provide coverage for a given geographical area. The DRUs are typically connected with the DAUs by employing a high-speed optical fiber link. This approach facilitates transport of the RF signals from the base stations to a remote location or area served by the DRUs. A typical base station comprises 3 independent radio resources, commonly known as sectors. These 3 sectors are typically used to cover 3 separate geographical areas without creating co-channel interference between users in the 3 distinct sectors.
A Distributed Base Station Architecture involves the use of Base Band Units (BBUs) and many remotely located Radio Units (RUs). A number of standards exist for interfacing BBUs to RUs, some examples are OBSAI (Open Base Station Architecture Initiative), CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) and ORI (Open Radio Interface). Traditionally, a Distributed Base Station Architecture and a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) do not coexist on the same system. Typically, the distributed Base Station Architecture involves vendor specific infrastructure and cannot accommodate remote radio unit sharing. This poses a problem when venues have requirements that limit the number of antennas and remote units because of issues such as space constraints, esthetics constraints, etc. Infrastructure sharing is a means of reducing the number visible vendor specific units in a given outdoor or indoor venue. A Distributed Antenna System is preferably vendor and modulation agnostic in order to accommodate all the different vendor specific interfaces. Capturing the signals from the various vendor BTSs at RF is a means of ensuring that the DAS system will be agnostic. However, an active DAS system will digitize the RF signals and transport them to the remote units, whereby they will be translated back to RF. A Digital Access Unit (DAU) is the host unit that accepts the RF signals from the various BTSs.
The BTS includes a BBU and a collocated Radio Unit. The various Radio Units of multiple vendor BTSs interface to the DAUs at RF. A more efficient process would be to utilize a Digital Multiplexer Unit (DMU) that digitally interfaces directly to the vendor BBUs. This architecture would eliminate the requirement of the BTS to translate the signal to RF and then have the DAU translate the signal back to digital baseband. The net effect would be to remove any impairment that occurs through the translation process in addition to reducing the power consumption of this additional step. This DMU would be able to interface to the various vendor BBUs. The DMU serves another key function; it collates the various operator channels onto a single data stream that is sent to the various remote units. The remote unit radio channels are shared amongst the various operators. The reverse operation would occur in the DMU, whereby the received uplink signals from the various remote units are transported back to the DMU and then distributed to a specific BBU. An additional feature of the DMU is that it can interface to DAUs when a system has legacy BTS equipment that requires an RF interface.
An embodiment shown in
One feature of embodiments of the present invention is the ability to route Base Station radio resources among the DRUs or group(s) of DRUs. In order to route radio resources available from one or more Base Stations, it is desirable to configure the individual router tables of the DMUs and DRUs in the DAS network.
The DMUs 102, 108, and 111 are networked together to facilitate the routing of DRU signals among the multiple DMUs. The DMUs support the transport of the RF downlink and RF uplink signals between the BBU and the DRUs. This architecture enables the various base band unit signals to be transported simultaneously or concurrently to and from multiple DRUs. PEER ports are used for interconnecting DMUs and interconnecting DRUs in some embodiments.
The DMUs have the capability to control the gain (in small increments over a wide range) of the downlink and uplink signals that are transported between the DMU and the base band unit (or base band units) connected to that DMU. This capability provides flexibility to simultaneously control the uplink and downlink connectivity of the path between a particular DRU (or a group of DRUs via the associated DMU or DMUs) and a particular base band unit sector.
Embodiments of the present invention use router tables to configure the networked DMUs. The local router tables establish the mapping of the inputs to the various outputs. Internal Merge blocks are utilized for the Downlink Tables when the inputs from an External Port and a PEER Port need to merge into the same data stream. Similarly, Merge blocks are used in the Uplink Tables when the inputs from the LAN Ports and PEER Ports need to merge into the same data stream.
The remote router tables establish the mapping of the inputs to the various outputs. Internal Merge blocks are utilized for the Downlink Tables when the inputs from a LAN Port and a PEER Port need to merge into the same data stream. Similarly, Merge blocks are used in the Uplink Tables when the inputs from the External Ports and PEER Ports need to merge into the same data stream.
As shown in
DMU 1 (102) is networked with DMU 2 (108) and DMU 3 (111) to allow the downlink signals from Sector 2 (109) and Sector 3 (110) to be transported to all the DRUs in Cell 1. The system's switching and routing functions enable the selection of which sectors' signals are transmitted and received by each DRU. DMU 2 (108) is connected to Cell 3 (DRUs 15-21) using optical cable 124 and DMU 3 (111) is connected to Cell 2 (DRUs 8-14) using optical cable 125.
Because the DMUs receive digital signals from the base band units, for example, over optical fiber, although other communications media can be used, they are able to process the received digital signals and transmit digital signals to the DRUs for broadcast as RF signals to users. Although embodiments of the present invention discuss receiving and transmitting digital signals, it is not necessary that these digital signals be identical since processed versions of received digital signals can be transmitted, which can also be referred to as digital signals. As an example, digital signals can be received at DMU 1 (102) from sector 1 (101) as well as from Sector 2 (109) through DMU 2 (108). These digital signals can be combined into a single digital signal for transport to Cell 1. Thus, although the specification and claims refer to digital signals at various stages of the communication process, it is not required that these digital signals are identical. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, modifications, and alternatives.
As illustrated in
The DMUs control the routing of data between the BBU and the DRUs. Each individual data packet is provided with a header that uniquely identifies which DRU it is associated with. The DMUs are interconnected, for example, using optical fiber, to allow transport of data among multiple DMUs. This feature provides the unique flexibility in the DAS network to route signals between the sectors of a BBU and the individual DRUs. A server 220 is utilized to control the switching function provided in the DAS network.
Referring to
Similarly for Cell 8, optical fiber cable 209 transports the desired signals from DMU 1 (202) to DRU 23 (210). Optical cable 211 transports all the optical signals to DRU 24 (212). The other DRUs in the daisy chain in Cell 8 are involved in passing the optical signals onward to DRU 22 (213). Because of frequency reuse, DMU 1 (202) is able to pass signals to multiple cells in a star configuration as illustrated in
Referring to
In order to efficiently utilize the limited BBU resources, the network of DRUs should have the capability of re-directing their individual uplink and downlink signals to and from any of the BBU sectors. Because the DRUs data traffic has unique streams, the DMU Router has the mechanism to route the signal to different BBUs.
In one embodiment, the LAN and PEER ports are connected via an optical fiber to a network of DMUs and DRUs. The network connection can also use copper interconnections such as CAT 5 or 6 cabling, or other suitable interconnection equipment. The DAU is also connected to the internet network using IP (406). An Ethernet connection (408) is also used to communicate between the Host Unit and the DAU. The DRU can also connect directly to the Remote Operational Control center (407) via the Ethernet port. Additional description related to DAUs is provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0114963, incorporated by reference above.
DMU 1 (712) interfaces to BBU 1 sector 1 (701). DMU 1 is interconnected with DAU 3743 via optical cable 741. The networking of the DAUs to the DMUs provides a mechanism to collate signals from BTSs with signals from BBUs. Accordingly, analog RF signals from the BTS(s) and digital optical signals from the BBU(s) can be routed to desired DRUs using the topology illustrated in
As illustrated in
The DMU differs from a DAU in several respects. For a DAU, the interface to the base station is via RF, that is, analog RF signals being received at the DAU. Since the base station includes two entities: a base band unit (BBU), which performs digital baseband signal processing, and an RF unit, which can also be referred to as a radio unit. In systems using a DAU, the BBU passes the digital signal to the RF unit, which upconverts the signal to RF and provides the signal to the DAU, which then converts the RF signal to a digital signal. Embodiments of the present invention, use the DMU to receive the digital signal from the BBU, removing the process of digital to RF conversion followed by RF to digital conversion. Thus, embodiments use the DMU, which provides a digital interface directly to the BBU, thereby bypassing the radio unit in the BTS and bypassing the RF portion present in a DAU.
As discussed in relation to
Referring once again to
The method also includes routing the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs. As illustrated herein, the DMUs are coupled to each other, for example, at PEER ports, using optical fiber, enabling communication between the DMUs. Routing of the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs can include collating a first digital signal received from a first BBU and a second digital signal received from a second BBU. The digital signals, which can, for example, be associated with Sector 1 of the first BBU and Sector 1 of the second BBU, can then be routed as a combined signal. In this embodiment, the collated digital signal is directed to one of the plurality of DRUs, where the signals can be processed and broadcast using the remote antennas.
The method includes transporting the digital signals between the plurality of DMUs and a plurality of DRUs. The coupling of the DMUs and the DRUs, for example, using optical fiber, enables the digital signals received from the BBUs to be transported to the DRUs and for signals received at the DRUs to be transported to the BBUs.
In some embodiments, routing the digital signals between the DMUs comprises using routing tables. These routing tables can be stored or otherwise provided at a server coupled to the plurality of DMUs. In another implementation, the routing tables are stored or otherwise provided at one or more of the DRUs. In still another implementation, the routing tables, for example, for each DMU and/or each DRU are stored in the cloud. The routing tables can include Merge Blocks that facilitate merging of signals received at multiple DRUs. In an embodiment, a power level of each carrier in each DRU is independently controlled, improving system performance.
It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present invention, router tables are used to configure the networked DAUs. The local router tables establish the mapping of the inputs to the various outputs. Internal Merge blocks are utilized for the Downlink Tables when the inputs from an External Port and a PEER Port need to merge into the same data stream. Similarly, Merge blocks are used in the Uplink Tables when the inputs from the LAN Ports and PEER Ports need to merge into the same data stream.
The remote router tables establish the mapping of the inputs to the various outputs. Internal Merge blocks are utilized for the Downlink Tables when the inputs from a LAN Port and a PEER Port need to merge into the same data stream. Similarly, Merge blocks are used in the Uplink Tables when the inputs from the External Ports and PEER Ports need to merge into the same data stream. Additional description related to router tables is provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0114963, incorporated by reference above.
As an example, the amount of radio resources (such as RF carriers, the power level of each carrier, LTE Resource Blocks, CDMA codes or TDMA time slots) assigned to a particular DMU/DRU or group of DMUs/DRUs can be set via software control to meet desired capacity and throughput objectives or wireless subscriber needs. Applications of the present invention are suitable to be employed with distributed base stations, distributed baseband units, distributed antenna systems, distributed repeaters, mobile equipment and wireless terminals, portable wireless devices, and other wireless communication systems such as microwave and satellite communications.
The BTS(s) 1022 and BBU(s) 1024 are in bidirectional communication with one or more universal base station interface trays (UBiTs) 1030, which aggregate and transport base station resources to remote units (e.g., DRUs 1040, 1042, 1044, etc.). The UbiT 1030 is multi-operator, multi-band/channel and multi-standard, and provides an RF and fronthaul interface for packetized data (e.g., CPRI data, ORI data, etc.). In some embodiments, the fronthaul interface of the UbiT 1030 may be included on a single chip. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interface may be included on one board or multiple boards as a rack mounted unit. The UbiT 1030 implements an open application programming interface (API) as its data interface. In one embodiment, the UbiT 1030 provides up to and above 10 Gbps per wavelength digital transport. The UbiT 1030 includes one or more RF conditioners (RFCs), a host unit, and a baseband interface (BBI). The BBI can be a digital multiplexer as described herein.
The digital remote units (DRUs 1040, 1042, 1044) can be in communication with indoor or outdoor antennas, WiFi access points (APs), and/or IP/IoT device(s) or application(s), providing support for cellular service, the public safety band and WiFi. In one embodiment, the WiFi APs and/or IP/IoT device(s) can receive IP traffic from the DRUs. Thus, IP traffic can be routed between the DMUs and the DRUs along with the I/Q data. The DRUs can be software configurable, and be mid power (e.g., +30 dBm/ch, +37 dBm/ch, etc.), or high power (e.g., +43 dBm/ch, +46 dBm/ch, etc.). They can provide channelized processing, capacity routing on demand and IP backhaul (e.g., 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, etc.). The DRUs can be, for example, any type of remote unit, such as those described herein.
The BTS/BBU pool 1020, the UbiT, and the DRUs 1040, 1042, 1044 may be part of an access network 1015 that may be located at one or more locations remote from core network 1010.
The BBU pool 1120 is in communication with one or more fronthaul interfaces 1130. The fronthaul interfaces 1130 may include any packetized approaches and/or transport protocols for switching (e.g., routing input ports to output ports) and/or routing (e.g., using a source and destination address scheme). Exemplary fronthaul interfaces 1130 may include switches and/or routers for use with CPRI, ORI, Ethernet, CPRI over Ethernet, and the like. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1130 may each be included on a single chip. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1130 may be included on one board or multiple boards as a rack mounted unit. The fronthaul interfaces 1130 use DMUs 1132, 1134 to implement packet-based switching and route packets (e.g., payload I/Q data, Control & Management data, header information, IP traffic, etc.). The fronthaul interfaces 1130 communicate directly with various locations, as well as with a further DMU 1142 at another location using the interface standard at 10, 40 or 100 Gbps, for example. The BBU pool 1120 and the fronthaul interface 1130 may together form a central office 1115. The central office 1115 may be located remotely from the core network 1110 in some embodiments.
The DMUs 1132, 1134, 1142 implement open APIs based on a packetized protocol in one embodiment and provide, for example, an up to and above 10 Gbps per wavelength interface. The DMUs 1132, 1134, 1142 provide integrated wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) for, for example, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. The DMU 1142 interfaces with one or more DRUs (e.g., DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166). The DMU 1142 and the DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166 may be part of an access network 1140 located at one or more locations remote from the core network 1110 and or the central office 1115.
The fronthaul interfaces 1130 can include any of the DMUs described herein. The DMUs 1132, 1134, 1142 have a forwarding plane and a control plane. The forwarding plane includes the routing paths through the DMU which are configured by the C&M (Control and Management). In some embodiments, the C&M configuration is located in the cloud as described further herein, although these functions can alternatively be configured in a server, as described further herein. The C&M establishes the routing paths between the inputs and outputs of each DMU.
The DMUs 1132, 1134 may be configured to receive a plurality of signals from one or more BBUs 1122, 1124. The DMUs 1132, 1134 may extract a subset of the plurality of signals intended for a particular DRU 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166, as specified by C&M information, as described further herein. The DMUs 1132, 1134 may aggregate the subset of the plurality of signals into a stream, and route the stream to one or more DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166. The stream can be routed to the one or more DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166 via the DMU 1142. In some embodiments, the DMU 1142 may decompose the stream, e.g., back into the subset of signals, before routing it to the one or more DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166. As shown in
In one embodiment, the DMU 1142 can be eliminated. In other words, the DMUs 1132, 1134 may route the stream directly to the one or more DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166. In this embodiment, the fronthaul interfaces 1130 can communicate directly with a DRU. This DRU can be daisy chained or deployed in a star configuration with one or more additional DRUs.
The DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166 can be in communication with IP/IoT device(s) or application(s), and can provide support for cellular service, the public safety band and WiFi. In one embodiment, the WiFi APs and/or IP/IoT device(s) can receive IP traffic from the RUs. Accordingly, WiFi APs, in addition to other IoT devices can receive IP traffic. The DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166 can be software configurable, and be low power (e.g., +18 dBm/ch, +23 dBm/ch, etc.), mid power (e.g., +30 dBm/ch, +37 dBm/ch, etc.), or high power (e.g., +43 dBm/ch, +46 dBm/ch, etc.). They can provide channelized processing, capacity routing on demand and IP backhaul (e.g., 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, higher bandwidths, etc.). The low power DRUs (e.g., hd18-4) are wideband or narrowband (e.g., cover a frequency range from 150 MHz to 70 GHz), have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, of up to and above 100 MHz, have agile channel positioning, are single, quad- or octo-band/channel, have integrated antennas and WiFi APs and provide IP backhaul. The mid power (e.g., hd30-4) and high power (e.g., hd43-4) DRUs are narrowband, quad band RUs that can be in communication with indoor or outdoor antennas and WiFi APs, and can have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, up to and above 100 MHz. The DRUs 1152, 1154, 1156, 1162, 1164, 1166 can be, for example, any type of remote unit, such as those described herein.
The Core Network 1204 is connected to another Central Office Operator 1220 that operates a BBU pool 1222 and a fronthaul interface 1225. The Core Network 1202 may be connected to the BBU pool 1222 of the Central Office Operator 1220 by GbE backhaul transport, for example, using CAT 6/7 cables. The BBU pool 1222 may include one or more baseband units (BBUs) 1223, 1224.
The Core Network 1206 is connected to another Central Office Operator 1230 that operates a BBU pool 1232 and a fronthaul interface 1235. The Core Network 1202 may be connected to the BBU pool 1232 of the Central Office Operator 1230 by GbE backhaul transport, for example, using CAT 6/7 cables. The BBU pool 1232 may include one or more baseband units (BBUs) 1233, 1234.
In other words, each Central Office Operator 1210, 1220, 1230 has a respective BBU pool and fronthaul interface, as well as a backhaul to a Core Network 1202, 1204, 1206, respectively. Although shown and described as comprising three Core Networks 1202, 1204, 1206 connected to three Central Office Operators 1210, 1220, 1230, it is contemplated that any number of Core Networks and Central Office Operators may be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The Central Office Operators 1210, 1220, 1230 may be located remotely from the Core Networks 1202, 1204, 1206, respectively, in some embodiments.
Each of the BBU pools 1212, 1222, 1232 is in communication with one or more fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235, respectively. The fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 may include any packetized approaches and/or transport protocols for switching (e.g., routing input ports to output ports) and/or routing (e.g., using a source and destination address scheme). Exemplary fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 may include switches and/or routers for use with CPRI, ORI, Ethernet, CPRI over Ethernet, and the like. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 may each be included on a single chip. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 may be included on one board or multiple boards as a rack mounted unit. The fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 use DMUs (e.g., DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237) to implement packet-based switching and route CPRI packets (payload I/Q data, Control & Management data, header information, IP traffic, etc.). The fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 communicate directly with various locations, as well as with a further DMU 1242 at another location using the interface standard at 10, 40 or 100 Gbps, for example.
The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237, 1242 implement open APIs based on a packetized protocol in one embodiment and provide, for example, an up to and above 10 Gbps per wavelength interface. The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237, 1242 provide integrated wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) for, for example, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. The DMU 1242 interfaces with one or more DRUs (e.g., DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266). The DMU 1242 and the DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266 may be part of an access network 1240 located at one or more locations remote from the Core Networks 1202, 1204, 1206 and/or the Central Office Operators 1210, 1220, 1230. In this embodiment, the DMU 1242 is capable of aggregating content from multiple different Central Office Operators 1210, 1220, 1230 and sending the aggregated content to one or more DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266, which are operator agnostic. In other words, the embodiment shown and described with respect to
The fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 can include any of the DMUs described herein. The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237, 1242 have a forwarding plane and a control plane. The forwarding plane includes the routing paths through the DMU which are configured by the C&M (Control and Management). In some embodiments, the C&M configuration is located in the cloud as described further herein, although these functions can alternatively be configured in a server, as described further herein. The C&M establishes the routing paths between the inputs and outputs of each DMU.
The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237 may be configured to receive a plurality of signals from one or more BBUs 1213, 1214, 1223, 1224, 1233, 1234. The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237 may extract a subset of the plurality of signals intended for a particular DRU 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266, as specified by C&M information, as described further herein. The DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237 may aggregate the subset of the plurality of signals into a stream, and route the stream to one or more DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266. The stream can be routed to the one or more DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266 via the DMU 1242. In some embodiments, the DMU 1242 may decompose the stream, e.g., back into the subset of signals, before routing it to the one or more DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266. As shown in
In one embodiment, the DMU 1242 can be eliminated. In other words, the DMUs 1216, 1217, 1226, 1227, 1236, 1237 may route the stream directly to the one or more DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266. In this embodiment, the fronthaul interfaces 1215, 1225, 1235 can communicate directly with a DRU. This DRU can be daisy chained or deployed in a star configuration with one or more additional DRUs.
The DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266 can be in communication with IP/IoT device(s) or application(s), and can provide support for cellular service, the public safety band and WiFi. In one embodiment, the WiFi APs and/or IP/IoT device(s) can receive IP traffic from the RUs. Accordingly, WiFi APs, in addition to other IoT devices can receive IP traffic. The DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266 can be software configurable, and be low power (e.g., +18 dBm/ch, +23 dBm/ch, etc.), mid power (e.g., +30 dBm/ch, +37 dBm/ch, etc.), or high power (e.g., +43 dBm/ch, +46 dBm/ch, etc.). They can provide channelized processing, capacity routing on demand and IP backhaul (e.g., 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, higher bandwidths, etc.). The low power DRUs (e.g., hd18-4) are wideband or narrowband (e.g., cover a frequency range of 150 MHz to 70 GHz), have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, of up to and above 100 MHz, have agile channel positioning, are single, quad- or octo-band/channel, have integrated antennas and WiFi APs and provide IP backhaul. The mid power (e.g., hd30-4) and high power (e.g., hd43-4) DRUs are narrowband, quad band RUs that can be in communication with indoor or outdoor antennas and WiFi APs, and can have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, up to and above 100 MHz. The DRUs 1252, 1254, 1256, 1262, 1264, 1266 can be, for example, any type of remote unit, such as those described herein.
The Data Center 1315 is implemented via a Software Defined Network (SDN) 1330 and provides remote control and management functionality. In other words, control of the fronthaul interfaces 1340 can be handled in the cloud. The fronthaul interfaces 1340 implement packet-based switching and route (forwarding plane) packets between DMUs and DRUs. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1340 may each be included on a single chip. In some embodiments, the fronthaul interfaces 1340 may be included on one board or multiple boards as a rack mounted unit.
The fronthaul interfaces 1340 may include one or more DMUs as described further herein with respect to
In one embodiment, the DMU 1352 can be eliminated. In other words, the DMUs of the fronthaul interfaces 1340 may route the stream directly to the one or more DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 1376. In this embodiment, the fronthaul interfaces 1340 can communicate directly with a DRU. This DRU can be daisy chained or deployed in a star configuration with one or more additional DRUs.
The Data Center 1315 communicates directly with various locations, as well as with a DMU 1352 at one location using the interface standard at 10, 40 or 100 Gbps, for example. The DMU 1352 implements an open API based on a packetized protocol and provides, for example, an up to and above 10 Gbps per wavelength interface. The DMU 1352 provides integrated wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) for, for example, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. The DMU 1352 interfaces with one or more DRUs (e.g., DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 1376). The DMU 1352 and the DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 1376 may be part of an access network 1350 that may be located remotely at one or more locations.
The DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 1376 can be in communication with IP/IoT device(s) or application(s), and can provide support for cellular service, the public safety band and WiFi. In one embodiment, the WiFi APs and/or IP/IoT device(s) can receive IP traffic from the RUs. The DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 137 can be software configurable, and be low power (e.g., +18 dBm/ch, +23 dBm/ch, etc.), mid power (e.g., +30 dBm/ch, +37 dBm/ch, etc.), or high power (e.g., +43 dBm/ch, +46 dBm/ch, etc.). They can provide channelized processing, capacity routing on demand and IP backhaul (e.g., 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, etc.). The low power DRUs (e.g., hd18-4) are wideband or narrowband (e.g., cover a frequency range from 150 MHz to 70 GHz), have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, of up to and above 100 MHz, have agile channel positioning, are single or quad band/channel, have integrated antennas and WiFi APs and provide IP backhaul. The mid power (e.g., hd30-4) and high power (e.g., hd43-4) DRUs are narrowband, quad band DRUs that can be in communication with indoor or outdoor antennas and WiFi APs, and can have an instantaneous bandwidth, for example, up to and above 100 MHz. The DRUs 1362, 1364, 1366, 1372, 1374, 1376 can be, for example, any type of remote unit, such as those described herein.
As compared with other embodiments and conventional RANs, the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, at step 1410 of
Once the signals are defined, the signals can be allocated to specific DRUs. At step 1412 of
In some embodiments, at step 1412 of
Once the signals are selected for one or more DRUs, serial data streams can be created. At step 1414 of
It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/358,060, filed Nov. 21, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/258,289, filed Nov. 20, 2015. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/358,060 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/580,585, filed Dec. 23, 2014, entitled “Digital Multiplexer in a Distributed Antenna System”, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/920,397, filed Dec. 23, 2013, entitled “Digital Multiplexer in a Distributed Antenna System”. Each of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200186250 A1 | Jun 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62258289 | Nov 2015 | US | |
| 61920397 | Dec 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15358060 | Nov 2016 | US |
| Child | 16734833 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14580585 | Dec 2014 | US |
| Child | 15358060 | US |
