Multi-protocol distributed antenna system for multiple service provider-multiple air interface co-located base stations
View Patent ↗A open access signal distribution system in which a variety of wireless voice, data and other services and applications are supported. The open access systems makes use of a distributed Radio Frequency (RF) distribution network and associated network entities that enable the system operator to employ a wireless infrastructure network that may be easily shared among multiple wireless service providers in a given community. The open access system provides the ability for such operators and service providers to share the infrastructure regardless of the specific RF air interface or other signal formatting and/or managing messaging formats that such operators choose to deploy.
1. A system for distributing radio frequency signals in a physical area in which multiple wireless service providers wish to provide service, the system comprising:
a first plurality of wireless base stations collocated at a hub location, the base stations receiving and transmitted radio frequency signals, with at least two of such base stations operating with radio frequency signals according to two different air interfaces;
a base station interface, also located at the hub, for converting the radio frequency signals associated with the base stations to and from digitized versions thereof and for converting the digitized versions of the radio frequency signals associated with the base stations to and from a transport signaling format;
a shared transport medium, for transporting the digitized versions of the radio frequency signals associated with the base stations from the hub location to a plurality of remote access node locations;
a plurality of radio access nodes located at the remote access node locations, the radio access nodes each associated with a partial coverage area corresponding to only a portion of a total system coverage area, and the radio access nodes connected to the transport medium; and
the radio access nodes further each comprising:
a plurality of slice modules, wherein each of the plurality of slice modules has associated radio frequency signals formatted according to a selected one of the air interfaces and comprises equipment for converting the associated radio frequency signals formatted accorded to the selected one of the air interfaces to and from digitized versions thereof and for converting the digitized versions of the radio frequency signals formatted accorded to the selected one of the air interfaces to and from the transport signaling format.
2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the number of slice modules located in each partial system coverage area corresponding to the number of different service providers for which wireless communication service is to be provided in the respective partial system coverage area.
3. The system as in claim 1 , wherein at least two of the base stations collocated at the hub are operated by wireless system service providers.
4. The system as in claim 1 , wherein at least two of the base stations operate in respective different radio frequency bands.
5. The system as in claim 1 , wherein at least two of the transmitted radio frequency signals are of two different bandwidths.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station interface comprises a plurality of analog-to-digital converters for digitizing the radio frequency signals associated with the base stations to produce the digitized versions thereof.
7. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the shared transport medium is an optical fiber.
8. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the shared transport medium uses a time slotted framing scheme.
9. The system as in claim 8 , wherein the time slotted frames are allocated to specific service providers.
10. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the shared transport medium uses SONET formatting.
11. The system as in claim 10 , wherein the radio access nodes are arranged in a logical ring, and wherein the data frames associated with the slices in a given radio access node are dropped and added to the ring at the respective slice.
12. A system comprising:
a first base station generating radio frequency signals according to a first wireless system air interface;
a second base station generating radio frequency signals according to a second wireless system air interface;
a transport medium interface for converting radio frequency signals transmitted by the first and second base stations to digitized versions thereof and for converting the digitized versions of the radio frequency signals transmitted by the first and second base stations to and from a common transport medium format;
a shared transport medium, for transporting the digitized version of the radio frequency signals transmitted by the first and second base stations;
a plurality of remotely located radio access nodes, each radio access node associated with a predetermined portion of a total system coverage area, and each radio access node coupled to receive signals from the common transport medium, each radio access node containing at least a first and second slice module associated with the respective first and second base stations;
a first slice module containing a suite of radio transmitter, amplifier, and antenna equipment as specified by the first air interface for reproducing the radio frequency signals transmitted by the first base station from the digitized version of the radio frequency signals transmitted by the first base station; and
a second slice module containing a suite of radio transmitter, amplifier, and antenna equipment as specified by the second air interface for reproducing the radio frequency signals transmitted by the second base station from the digitized version of the radio frequency signals transmitted by the second base station.
13. The system as in claim 12 , wherein at least two of the base stations operate in respective different radio frequency bands.
14. The system as in claim 12 , wherein at least two of the transmitted radio frequency signals are of two different bandwidths.
15. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the shared transport medium is an optical fiber.
16. The system as in claim 15 , wherein the shared transport medium uses SONET formatting.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the transport medium interface comprises at least one first analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the radio frequency signals transmitted by the first base station and at least one second analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the radio frequency signals transmitted by the second base station.
18. A method for providing multiple wireless communication service providers with access to radio equipment distributed throughout a coverage area, the method comprising the steps of:
accepting requests for distribution service from the multiple service providers, the requests specifying a desired air interface for wireless communication from among a plurality of available air interfaces, and an indication of which portions in the coverage area the particular air interface is to be supported;
installing base station equipment operating with the air interface specified by the service provider at a central location, the base station equipment being collocated with base station equipment specified by other wireless service providers;
coupling the base station equipment to receive traffic signals from a signaling network used by the wireless communication service provider;
converting the signals transmitted by the base station to a common signaling format;
coupling the common signaling format signals to a common transport medium;
locating a plurality of radio access nodes through the system coverage area, with at least one radio access node located in each portion of the system coverage area, the radio access nodes further containing radio equipment for receiving signals from the common transport medium and converting such signals to radio frequency signals, the common transport medium communicatively coupling the radio access nodes to the base station equipment; and
controlling, with a data processor, the connection of transport signals to specific radio access nodes as specified by the plurality of wireless system operators.
19. The method as in claim 18 , wherein at least one of the radio access nodes further comprises: a plurality of slice modules corresponds to a number of different service providers which are to provide service in the corresponding partial coverage area.
20. The method as in claim 18 , wherein at least two of the slice modules in at least one of the radio access nodes contain equipment as specified by an air interface used by two different wireless system service providers.