Cooling system control in distributed antenna systems
View Patent ↗Power distribution modules in distributed antenna systems include fan monitoring circuits for indicating an alarm condition to head-end equipment. The alarm condition can be used by system operator/owners that a fan is drawing excessive power, thereby detracting from system performance, or indicating that the fan may fail. The alarm condition signal can be returned to the head-end equipment via an uplink communication path between a remote unit powered by the module and the head-end equipment.
1. A distributed communication system, comprising:
head-end equipment configured to receive downlink electrical radio frequency (RF) communications services signals and to convert the downlink electrical RF communications services signals into downlink optical RF communications services signals to be communicated over at least one optical RF communications services downlink;
a plurality of remote antenna units; and
a plurality of power distribution modules, the modules comprising: at least one fan; at least one output power port configured to distribute output power to at least one of the remote antenna units; and a monitoring circuit, wherein
the monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a power usage of the at least one fan and to provide an alarm signal to at least one of the remote antenna units when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters.
2. The distributed communication system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the remote antenna units transmits a fan alarm condition signal to the head-end equipment in response to receiving an alarm signal.
3. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein a fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters when its power usage is above a predetermined threshold.
4. The distributed communication system of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined threshold is at least ten percent above a nominal power usage level.
5. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the remote antenna units includes an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
6. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein the alarm signal is transmitted to the head-end equipment over an all-optical communications path.
7. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of the power distribution modules and configured to provide electrical power to pluralities of the remote antenna units.
8. The distributed communication system of claim 7 , wherein the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and at least one of the power units being located on at least three different floors.
9. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein each power distribution module powers at least one of the remote antenna units, and the remote antenna unit powered by a power distribution module transmits the fan alarm condition signal to the head-end equipment to alert the head-end equipment that the at least one fan of the power distribution module powering that remote antenna unit is outside of predetermined operating parameters.
10. The distributed communication system of claim 9 , wherein each monitoring circuit comprises a current monitor that determines fan power usage based on the current consumed by a fan.
11. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein the alarm signal is transmitted over at least one electrical conductor used to provide power to a remote antenna unit.
12. The distributed communication system of claim 11 , wherein the fan alarm condition signal is transmitted over an all-optical optical communications path.
13. The distributed communication system of claim 12 , wherein each of the remote antenna units includes an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
14. The distributed communication system of claim 2 , wherein each remote antenna unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power.
15. The distributed communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of the power distribution modules and configured to provide electrical power to pluralities of the remote antenna units, wherein the remote antenna units include an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
16. The distributed communication system of claim 15 , wherein each remote antenna unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power.
17. The distributed communication system of claim 15 , wherein the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and one of the power units being located on at least three different floors, wherein each monitoring circuit provides the alarm signal over at least one electrical conductor used to provide power to a remote antenna unit.
18. The distributed communication system of claim 1 , wherein each of the remote antenna units includes an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
19. A distributed communication system, comprising:
head-end equipment configured to receive downlink radio frequency (RF) communications services signals and to transmit downlink RF communications services over at least one RF communications services downlink;
a plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink RF communications services signals from the head-end equipment and to transmit uplink RF communications services signals to the head-end equipment; and
at least one power distribution module configured to distribute power to at least one of the remote antenna units, the power distribution module comprising at least one fan and being configured to monitor a power usage of the at least one fan and to provide an alarm signal to at least one of the remote antenna units when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters, wherein
at least one of the remote antenna units is configured to transmit a fan alarm condition signal to the head-end equipment in response to receiving an alarm signal.
20. The distributed communication system of claim 19 , wherein the remote antenna units include an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
21. The distributed communication system of claim 20 , wherein each remote antenna unit is coupled to one of the power units by at least one optical fiber to receive optical communications and at least one metallic electrical conductor to receive power.
22. The distributed communication system of claim 19 , wherein a fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters when its power usage is above a predetermined threshold.
23. The distributed communication system of claim 19 , further comprising a plurality of power units, each power unit comprising a plurality of the power distribution modules and configured to provide electrical power to pluralities of the remote antenna units.
24. The distributed communication system of claim 23 , wherein each remote antenna unit includes an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
25. The distributed communication system of claim 24 , wherein the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and at least one of the power units being located on at least three different floors.
26. The distributed communication system of claim 19 , wherein each power distribution module powers at least one of the remote antenna units, and the remote antenna unit powered by a power distribution module transmits the fan alarm condition signal to the head-end equipment to alert the head-end equipment that the at least one fan of the power distribution module powering that remote antenna unit is outside of predetermined operating parameters.
27. The distributed communication system of claim 19 , wherein the alarm signal is transmitted over at least one electrical conductor used to provide power to a remote antenna unit.
28. A method of monitoring a distributed communication system comprising head-end equipment configured to receive downlink radio frequency (RF) communications services signals and to transmit downlink RF communications services over at least one RF communications services downlink, a plurality of remote antenna units configured to receive downlink RF communications services signals from the head-end equipment and to transmit uplink RF communications services signals to the head-end equipment, and at least one power distribution module configured to distribute power to at least one of the remote antenna units, the method comprising:
monitoring a power usage of at least one fan;
providing an alarm signal to at least one of the remote antenna units when the power usage of the at least one fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters; and
transmitting a fan alarm condition signal from the remote antenna unit receiving the alarm signal to the head-end equipment.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the remote antenna units include an antenna system capable of transmitting RF communications into and receiving RF communications from a coverage area.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the alarm signal is transmitted over an electrically conductive medium used to provide power to a remote antenna unit.
31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the fan alarm condition signal is transmitted over an optically conductive medium to the head-end equipment.
32. The method of claim 29 , wherein a fan is outside of predetermined operating parameters when its power usage is above a predetermined threshold.
33. The method of claim 29 , wherein the distributed communication system is deployed on multiple floors of a building infrastructure, with the head-end equipment being located on a floor, and one of the power units being located on at least three different floors.