Distributed antenna system
The present disclosure is a novel utility of a software defined radio (SDR) based Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that is field reconfigurable and support multi-modulation schemes (modulation-independent), multi-carriers, multi-frequency bands and multi-channels. The present invention enables a high degree of flexibility to manage, control, enhance, facilitate the usage and performance of a distributed wireless network such as Flexible Simulcast, automatic traffic load-balancing, network and radio resource optimization, network calibration, autonomous/assisted commissioning, carrier pooling, automatic frequency selection, frequency carrier placement, traffic monitoring, traffic tagging, pilot beacon, etc. As a result, a DAS in accordance with the present invention can increase the efficiency and traffic capacity of the operators' wireless network.
1. A method of communicating in a distributed antenna system (DAS), the method comprising:
providing a plurality of digital remote units;
providing at least one digital access unit configured to communicate with the plurality of digital remote units, wherein the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit are daisy-chained such that each digital remote unit is coupled to a next digital remote unit or to the at least one digital access unit, the at least one digital access unit configured to receive a plurality of downlink channels from at least one signal source and to send the plurality of downlink channels to the plurality of digital remote units;
sending a first portion of the plurality of downlink channels from the at least one digital access unit to a first digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units; and
sending a second portion of the plurality of downlink channels from the at least one digital access unit to a second digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units, wherein a number of channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels is different from a number of channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels, and at least some channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels are same as some channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels and at least some channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels are different from some channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first digital remote unit is configured to transmit the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels received from the at least one digital access unit and to receive a corresponding first portion of uplink channels.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second digital remote unit is configured to transmit the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels received from the at least one digital access unit and to receive a corresponding second portion of uplink channels.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit are daisy-chained in a ring and each digital remote unit is accessible by the at least one digital access unit in either direction around the ring.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one digital access unit comprises a plurality of digital access units each coupled to at least one of the plurality of digital access units.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein a number of the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels is less than a number of the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprise a plurality of carriers.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprise a plurality of frequency bands.
9. A method of communicating in a distributed antenna system (DAS), the method comprising:
providing a plurality of digital remote units;
providing a plurality of digital access units, at least one of the plurality of digital access units configured to communicate with the plurality of digital remote units, wherein the plurality of digital remote units and the plurality of digital access units are daisy-chained such that each digital remote unit is coupled to a next digital remote unit or to a digital access unit, the at least one of the plurality of digital access units configured to receive a plurality of downlink channels from at least one signal source and to send the plurality of downlink channels to the plurality of digital remote units;
sending a first portion of the plurality of downlink channels from the at least one of the plurality of digital access units to a first digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units; and
sending a second portion of the plurality of downlink channels from the at least one of the plurality of digital access units to a second digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units, wherein a number of channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels is different from a number of channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels, and at least some channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels are same as some channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels, and at least some channels in the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels are different from some channels in the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first digital remote unit is configured to transmit the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels received from the at least one of the plurality of digital access units and to receive a corresponding first portion of uplink channels.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second digital remote unit is configured to transmit the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels received from the at least one of the plurality of digital access units and to receive a corresponding second portion of uplink channels.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one of the plurality of digital access units are daisy-chained in a ring and each digital remote unit is accessible by the at least one of the plurality of digital access units in either direction around the ring.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of digital access units are coupled to at least another one of the plurality of digital access units.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein a number of the first portion of the plurality of downlink channels is less than a number of the second portion of the plurality of downlink channels.
15. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprise a plurality of carriers.
16. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprise a plurality of frequency bands.