Remote antenna clusters and related systems, components, and methods supporting digital data signal propagation between remote antenna units
View Patent ↗Distributed antenna systems supporting digital data signal propagation between remote antenna clusters, and related distributed antenna systems, components and methods are disclosed. The distributed antenna systems facilitate distributing digital data signals to provide digital data services remotely to distributed remote antenna units. The digital data signals may be propagated between remote antenna units within a remote antenna cluster for digital data signals transmitted to wireless client devices in the distributed antenna system and for digital data signals received from wireless client devices in the distributed antenna system. Received digital data signals from wireless client devices can be propagated from remote antenna unit to remote antenna unit in a remote antenna cluster until the digital data signals reach a wired network device for communication over a network. The remote antenna units may be configured to support high-frequency digital data signal to support larger channel bandwidths and in turn higher data rate transfers.
1. A remote antenna cluster supporting signal propagation among remote antenna units in a distributed communications system, the remote antenna cluster comprising:
a first remote antenna unit (RAU) provided in a first coverage zone; and
at least one second RAU provided in at least one second coverage zone overlapping with the first coverage zone,
wherein the first coverage zone and the at least one second coverage zone are configured to:
form a common coverage area in an overlapping portion of the first coverage zone and the at least one second coverage zone;
form a first non-overlapping coverage area in the first coverage zone and not overlapping with the common coverage area; and
form at least one second non-overlapping coverage area in the at least one second coverage zone and not overlapping with the common coverage area;
wherein the first RAU is configured to:
receive downlink signals over at least one downlink communications link and communicate the received downlink signals to first client devices located in the first coverage zone;
receive first uplink signals from the first client devices and communicate the received first uplink signals over at least one uplink communications link;
propagate the received downlink signals to the at least one second RAU; and receive second uplink signals from the at least one second RAU for communication over the at least one uplink communications link;
wherein the at least one second RAU is configured to:
receive the downlink signals and communicate the received downlink signals to second client devices located in the at least one second coverage zone;
receive the second uplink signals from the second client devices located in the at least one second non-overlapping coverage area; and
propagate the received second uplink signals for receipt by the first RAU;
wherein the first RAU is further configured to communicate the second uplink signals received from the at least one second RAU to the first client devices located in the first non-overlapping coverage area.
2. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second RAU is further configured to propagate the received downlink signals to another RAU.
3. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to propagate the received downlink signals from the at least one downlink communications link.
4. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to propagate the received downlink signals over a physical communications link to the at least one second RAU.
5. The remote antenna cluster of claim 4 , wherein the physical communications link is comprised from a group consisting of at least one electrical conductor and at least one optical fiber.
6. The remote antenna cluster of claim 5 , wherein the physical communications link further includes a power link configured to deliver power to the first RAU.
7. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to propagate the received downlink signals wirelessly to the at least one second RAU.
8. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to receive the second uplink signals from the at least one second RAU over a physical communications link.
9. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to wirelessly receive the second uplink signals from the at least one second RAU.
10. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second RAU is comprised of a plurality of second RAUs.
11. The remote antenna cluster of claim 10 , wherein a first RAU among the plurality of second RAUs is configured to:
propagate the received downlink signals to a second RAU among the plurality of second RAUs; and
receive the second uplink signals from the second RAU among the plurality of second RAUs.
12. The remote antenna cluster of claim 11 , wherein the second RAU among the plurality of second RAUs is configured to:
propagate the received downlink signals to the first RAU among the plurality of second RAUs; and
receive the second uplink signals from the first RAU among the plurality of second RAUs.
13. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU and the at least one second RAU are configured in an RAU duster.
14. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the downlink signals are modulated at a center frequency of 60 Giga Hertz (GHz).
15. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one downlink communications link and the at least one uplink communications link further includes a power link configured to deliver power to the at least one second RAU.
16. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one downlink communications link is comprised of a single optical fiber.
17. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one uplink communications link is comprised of a single optical fiber.
18. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one downlink communications link is comprised of a plurality of optical fibers.
19. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one uplink communications link is comprised of a plurality of optical fibers.
20. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , further comprising a frequency multiplexor configured to frequency multiplex in-phase and quadrature (IQ) modulated downlink signals communicated over the at least one downlink communications link to the first RAU.
21. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , further comprising a frequency de-multiplexor configured to frequency de-multiplex in-phase and quadrature (IQ) modulated downlink signals received from at least one downlink communications link.
22. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to:
wirelessly communicate the received downlink signals to first wireless client devices; and
wirelessly receive the first uplink signals from the first wireless client devices.
23. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second RAU is configured to:
wirelessly communicate the received downlink signals to second wireless client devices; and
wirelessly receive the second uplink signals from the second wireless client devices.
24. The remote antenna cluster of claim 1 , wherein the first RAU is configured to:
receive the downlink signals from a remotely located controller; and
communicate the received first uplink signals over the at least one uplink communications link to the remotely located controller.
25. The remote antenna cluster of claim 24 , wherein the remotely located controller is comprised of a switch.
26. The remote antenna cluster of claim 25 , wherein the switch is comprised of an Ethernet switch.
27. A method of propagating signals between remote antenna units in a remote antenna cluster in a distributed communications system, the method comprising:
providing a first remote antenna unit (RAU) in a first coverage zone;
providing at least one second RAU in at least one second coverage zone overlapping with the first coverage zone,
wherein the first coverage zone and the at least one second coverage zone are configured to:
form a common coverage area in an overlapping portion of the first coverage zone and the at least one second coverage zone;
form a first non-overlapping coverage area in the first coverage zone and not overlapping with the common coverage area; and
form at least one second non-overlapping coverage area in the at least one second coverage zone and not overlapping with the common coverage area;
receiving, in the first RAU, downlink signals over at least one downlink communications link and communicating the received downlink signals to first client devices located in the first coverage zone;
receiving, in the first RAU, first uplink signals from the first client devices and communicating the received first uplink signals over at least one uplink communications link;
propagating the received downlink signals from the first RAU to the at least one second RAU;
receiving, in the first RAU, second uplink signals from the at least one second RAU for communication over the at least one uplink communications link;
receiving, in the at least one second RAU, the received downlink signals and communicating the received downlink signals to second client devices located in the at least one second coverage zone;
receiving, in the at least one second RAU, the second uplink signals from the second client devices located in the at least one second non-overlapping coverage area;
propagating the received second uplink signals for receipt by the first RAU; and
communicating the second uplink signals received by the first RAU from the at least one second RAU to the first client devices located in the first non-overlapping coverage area.
28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising the at least one second RAU propagating the received downlink signals to another RAU.
29. The method of claim 27 , further comprising the first RAU propagating the received downlink signals from the at least one downlink communications link.
30. The method of claim 27 , further comprising the first RAU propagating the received downlink signals over a physical communications link to the at least one second RAU.
31. The method of claim 27 , comprising:
receiving, in the first RAU, the downlink signals over the at least one downlink communications link from a remotely located controller; and
communicating the received first uplink signals over the at least one uplink communications link to the remotely located controller.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the remotely located controller is comprised of a switch.