Distributed antenna communications system
View Patent ↗A distributed antenna system comprises a base transceiver station, a plurality of distributed antenna units and a signal routing apparatus. The base transceiver station has a plurality of output ports that generate a plurality of downlink signals having overlapping transmit frequencies and containing different communication content. The different communication content is directed toward each of a plurality of mobile units. The base transceiver station also has at least one uplink receive port that receives an uplink signal. The uplink signal includes communication content received from at least one of the mobile units. The plurality of distributed antenna units have coverage areas that are non-overlapping or only partially overlapping. The signal routing apparatus routes the downlink signals to the plurality of distributed antennas such that each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by one or more of the distributed antennas and each distributed antenna only transmits one of the downlink signals.
1. A distributed antenna system comprising:
a base transceiver station having a plurality of output ports that generate a plurality of downlink signals having overlapping transmit frequencies and containing different communication content, the different communication content being directed toward each of a plurality of mobile units and the base transceiver station having at least one uplink receive port that receives an uplink signal, the uplink signal including communication content received from at least one of the mobile units;
a plurality of distributed antenna units, each of which is located at a respective location that is remote from the base transceiver station, the plurality of distributed antenna units having coverage areas that are non-overlapping or only partially overlapping; and
a signal routing apparatus comprising a reconfigurable switch that selectively routes the downlink signals to the plurality of distributed antenna units, such that each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by one or more of the distributed antenna units and each distributed antenna unit only transmits one of the downlink signals;
wherein the signal routing apparatus is further configured to reconfigure the reconfigurable switch and to automatically sense connections to the base transceiver station for use in connection with reconfiguring the reconfigurable switch.
2. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the uplink signal includes communication content from each of the plurality of mobile units.
3. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the base transceiver station comprises a plurality of receive ports that receive a plurality of uplink signals having overlapping frequencies, and containing different communication content received from each of the plurality of mobile units.
4. The distributed antenna system according to claim 3 , wherein the signal routing apparatus routes the uplink signals from the plurality of distributed antenna units to the plurality of receive ports of the base transceiver station such that each of the plurality of uplink signals are received from a group of the distributed antenna units.
5. The distributed antenna system according to claim 4 , wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to maximize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
6. The distributed antenna system according to claim 4 , wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to minimize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
7. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to accept user input for selecting among permissible configurations of the reconfigurable switch.
8. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal routing apparatus comprises one or more hard-wired signal splitters for routing the downlink transmit signals to the distributed antenna units.
9. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein downlink and uplink signals are time division duplexed at each of the distributed antenna units.
10. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein downlink and uplink signals are frequency division duplexed at each of the distributed antenna units.
11. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the distributed antenna units are located indoors.
12. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by a group of the distributed antennas and the signal routing apparatus is configured to minimize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
13. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by a group of the distributed antenna units and the signal routing apparatus is configured to maximize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
14. The distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one co-located antenna, the co-located antenna being co-located with one of the distributed antenna units and the co-located antenna transmitting a different one of the downlink signals from that transmitted by the distributed antenna unit with which the co-located antenna is co-located.
15. A distributed antenna system comprising:
a base transceiver station having at least one output port that generates a downlink signal including communication content directed to at least one of a mobile units and the base transceiver station having a plurality of receive ports that receive a plurality of uplink signals having overlapping frequencies and containing different communication content received from each of the plurality of mobile units;
a plurality of distributed antenna units, each of which is located at a respective location that is remote from the base transceiver station, the plurality of distributed antenna units having coverage areas that are non-overlapping or only partially overlapping; and
a signal routing apparatus comprising a reconfigurable switch that selectively routes the uplink signals from the plurality of distributed antenna units to the plurality of receive ports of the base transceiver station, such that each of the plurality of uplink signals are received from two or more of the distributed antenna units;
wherein the signal routing apparatus is further configured to reconfigure the reconfigurable switch and to automatically sense connections to the base transceiver station for use in connection with reconfiguring the reconfigurable switch.
16. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein the uplink signal includes communication content from each of the plurality of mobile units.
17. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein the base transceiver station comprises a plurality of output ports that generate a plurality of downlink signals having overlapping transmit frequencies and containing different communication content, the different communication content being directed toward each of a plurality of mobile units.
18. The distributed antenna system according to claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by a group of the distributed antennas and the signal routing apparatus is configured to minimize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
19. The distributed antenna system according to claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of downlink signals are transmitted by a group of the distributed antenna units and the signal routing apparatus is configured to maximize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
20. The distributed antenna system according to claim 17 , wherein the signal routing apparatus routes the uplink signals from the plurality of distributed antenna units to the plurality of receive ports of the base transceiver station such that each of the plurality of uplink signals are received from a group of the distributed antenna units.
21. The distributed antenna system according to claim 20 , wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to maximize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
22. The distributed antenna system according to claim 20 , wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to minimize boundaries between coverage areas of the groups of distributed antenna units.
23. The distributed antenna system according to claim 17 , further comprising at least one co-located antenna, the co-located antenna being co-located with one of the distributed antenna units and the co-located antenna transmitting a different one of the downlink signals from that transmitted by the distributed antenna unit with which the co-located antenna is co-located.
24. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein the signal routing apparatus is configured to accept user input for selecting among permissible configurations of the reconfigurable switch.
25. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein the signal routing apparatus comprises one or more hard-wired signal splitters for routing the downlink transmit signals to the distributed antenna units.
26. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein downlink and uplink signals are time division duplexed at each of the distributed antenna units.
27. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein downlink and uplink signals are frequency division duplexed at each of the distributed antenna units.
28. The distributed antenna system according to claim 15 , wherein the distributed antenna units are located indoors.