Distributed antenna system for MIMO technologies

1. A distributed antenna system comprising:

a radio interface unit adapted to receive a plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams from

at least one base station for providing a multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) system, the radio interface unit including at least one mixer adapted for converting at least one of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams from a native frequency band to a different, non-overlapping frequency band and a downlink duplexer adapted for combining each of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams to form a combined downlink signal on to a common transmission medium;

a base unit adapted to receive the combined downlink signal over the common transmission medium, and for transmitting the combined downlink signal to a plurality of remote units over a separate communication medium connecting the base unit to each remote unit;

each remote unit among the plurality of remote units including a multiplexer adapted for connecting the remote unit with a plurality of antenna units and for transmitting the combined downlink signal to each of the antenna units over an a separate antenna unit communication medium connecting the remote unit to each antenna unit;

each antenna unit including a de-duplexer adapted for separating the combined downlink signal into each of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams and at least one downlink mixer adapted for converting each of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams to the native frequency band; and

a plurality of MIMO antennae coupled to each antenna unit, one for transmitting each of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams.

2. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the

mixer in the radio interface unit converts each of the plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams from the native frequency to a lower frequency band.

3. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the base unit

converts the combined downlink signal into an optical combined downlink signal and at least one

of the separate communication media is an optical communication medium; and

wherein at least one remote unit includes an optical communication medium interface for converting the optical downlink combined signal to the combined downlink signal.

4. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the

antenna unit communication media is a coaxial cable.

5. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein at least

one of the plurality of MIMO antennae is adapted to receive a plurality of uplink MIMO spatial streams and wherein:

at least one of the antenna units further includes

an antenna time division duplexing switch adapted for switching the antenna connection between the uplink MIMO spatial stream and the downlink MIMO spatial

stream, at least one uplink mixer for converting each of the plurality of uplink MIMO spatial streams from the native frequency to a different, non-overlapping frequency band,

an uplink duplexer adapted for combining each of the plurality of uplink MIMO spatial streams to form a combined uplink signal; and a first time division duplexing switch, coupled to the at least one downlink mixer and the at least one uplink mixer and adapted for switching the combined uplink signal and the combined downlink signal for transfer over the antenna unit communication medium; and at least one of the remote units further includes a second time division duplexing switch adapted for switching the combined uplink signal and the combined downlink signal for transfer over the antenna unit communication medium.

6. A distributed antenna system according to claim 5 , wherein the

uplink mixer in the antennae unit converts each of the up plurality of uplink MIMO spatial streams

from the native frequency to a lower frequency band.

7. A distributed antenna system according to claim 5 , wherein the base unit

converts the combined downlink signal into an optical combined downlink signal, converts the optical combined uplink signal to the combined uplink signal and at least one of the separate communication media is an optical communication medium; and

wherein at least one remote unit includes an optical communication medium interface for converting the optical downlink combined signal to the combined downlink signal and an optical communication medium interface for converting the optical combined uplink signal to the combined uplink signal.

8. A distributed antenna system according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the

antenna unit communication media is a coaxial cable.

9. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the radio interface

unit is adapted to receive other signals associated with other services, the other services using different, non-overlapping frequency bands from those used to transfer the downlink spatial streams and

the radio interface unit is adapted to combine the other signals with the combined downlink signals and transfer the combined downlink and other signals to the base unit;

the base unit being adapted to receive the combined downlink and other signals over the common transmission medium, and for transmitting the combined downlink and other signals to a plurality of remote units over a separate communication medium connecting the base unit to each remote unit;

the remote unit being adapted to separate the other signals from the combined downlink and other signals, selectively combine the other signals with the combined downlink signal and for transferring the combined downlink and other signals to at least one of plurality of antenna units; and

at least one of the antenna units including a de-duplexer adapted for separating the other signals from the combined downlink and other signals and for transmitting the other signals through an associated antenna.

10. A distributed antenna system according to claim 1 , wherein the radio interface

unit receives a plurality of sets of spatial streams from a plurality of base stations, at least one set

of spatial streams associated with an antenna unit or a sector comprised of a plurality of antenna

units, the remote unit further comprising a switch for selectively connecting one of said plurality

of sets of spatial streams to one of a plurality of switch blocks, each switch block including a

mixer adapted to convert each of the spatial streams in the combined downlink signal to a

common set of frequency bands used to transfer signals to each of the associated antenna units

and a multiplexer adapted to connect the combined downlink signals from each switch block to a

predefined antenna unit or group of antenna units associated with a sector.

11. A method for conveying a plurality of MIMO spatial streams over a distributed antenna system comprising:

receiving from a base station, each downlink MIMO spatial stream having a native frequency; converting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams from the native frequency to a different, non-overlapping frequency band; combining each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams to form a combined downlink signal;

transmitting the combined downlink signal to a base unit; transmitting the combined downlink signal to a plurality of remote units over a separate communication medium connecting the base unit to each remote unit; providing a multiplexer adapted for connecting the remote unit with a plurality of antenna units and transmitting the combined downlink signal to each of the antenna units over an antenna unit communication medium; separating, at respective ones of the antenna units, the combined downlink signal into each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams converting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams to the native frequency band; and transmitting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams through an associated antenna, at respective ones of the antenna units, the combined downlink signal into each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams converting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams to the native frequency band; and transmitting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams through an associated antenna.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein MIMQ spatial streams are converted from the native frequency band to a lower frequency band.

13. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising

converting the combined downlink signal into an optical combined downlink signal and

transmitting the optical combined downlink signal over the least one of the separate communication media which is an optical communication medium; and

providing an optical communication medium interface at the remote unit for converting the optical downlink combined signal to the combined downlink signal.

14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the antenna unit communication media is a coaxial cable.

15. A method according to claim 11 further comprising:

receiving at one of the antennae, a plurality of uplink MIMO spatial streams;

switching the antenna connection between the uplink MIMO spatial stream and the downlink MIMO spatial stream to receive each uplink MIMO spatial stream;

converting each of the uplink MIMO spatial streams from the native frequency band to a different, non-overlapping frequency band,

combining each of the uplink MIMO spatial streams to form a combined uplink signal; and switching the combined downlink signal and the combined uplink signal for transfer of both signals over the antenna unit communication medium;

separating the combined uplink signal into each of the uplink MIMO spatial streams;

converting each the uplink MIMO spatial streams to the native frequency band; and transferring each of the uplink MIMO spatial streams to the base station.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the uplink MIMO spatial streams are converted from the native frequency band to a lower frequency band.

17. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising

converting the combined downlink signal into an optical combined downlink signal and

transmitting the optical combined downlink signal over the at least one of the separate communication media which is an optical communication medium;

converting the combined uplink optical signal received over the at least one of the separate communication media which is an optical communication medium into a combined uplink signal and transmitting the combined uplink signal to the base unit; and

providing an optical communication medium interface at the remote unit for converting the optical downlink combined signal to the combined downlink signal and an optical communication medium interface at the remote unit for converting the combined uplink signal to an optical combined uplink signal.

18. A method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the antenna unit communication media is a coaxial cable.

19. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving other signals associated with other services, the other services using different,

non-overlapping frequency bands from those used to transfer the downlink MIMO spatial streams;

combining the other signals with the combined downlink signals and transferring the combined downlink and other signals to the base unit;

receiving at the base unit, the combined downlink and other signals over the common transmission medium;

transmitting the combined downlink and other signals to a plurality of remote units over a separate communication medium connecting the base unit to each remote unit;

separating the other signals from the combined downlink and other signals;

selectively combining the other signals with the combined downlink signal;

transferring the combined downlink and other signals to at least one of plurality of antenna units;

separating the other signals from the combined downlink and other signals; and transmitting the other signals through an associated antenna.

20. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of sets of MIMO spatial streams from a plurality of base stations,

at least one set of MIMO spatial streams associated with an antenna unit or a sector comprised of a plurality of antenna units;

selectively connecting one of said plurality of sets of MIMO spatial streams to one of a plurality of switch blocks;

each switch block converting each of the MIMO spatial streams in the combined downlink signal to a common set of frequency bands used to transfer signals to each of the associated antenna units; and

connecting the combined downlink signals from each switch block to a predefined antenna unit or group of antenna units associated with a sector.

21. A distributed antenna system comprising:

a radio interface unit adapted to receive a plurality of downlink MIMO spatial streams from

at least one base station, the radio interface unit including at least one mixer adapted for converting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams from a native frequency bank to a different, non-overlapping frequency bank and a downlink duplexer adapted for combining each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams to form a combined downlink signal on to a common transmission medium;

a base unit adapted to receive the combined downlink signal over the common transmission medium, and for transmitting the combined downlink signal to a plurality of remote units over a separate communication medium connecting the base unit to each remote unit;

each remote unit including a multiplexer adapted for connecting the remote unit with a plurality of antenna units and for transmitting the combined downlink signal to each of the antenna units over an antenna unit communication medium;

a plurality of MIMO antennae;

a de-duplexer adapted for separating the combined downlink signal into each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams; and

at least one downlink mixer adapted for converting each of the downlink MIMO spatial streams to the native frequency band.