Automatic configuration sub-system for distributed antenna systems
Systems and methods for automatically configuring a distributed antenna system are provided. A configuration sub-system of the distributed antenna system can identify signal parameters for downlink signals received from one or more base stations via inputs of a unit in the distributed antenna system. The configuration sub-system can automatically determine a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the automatically identified signal parameters. The configuration plan specifies how to combine subsets of the downlink signals for routing to remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system.
1. A configuration sub-system comprising:
a processing circuit configured to:
identify a plurality of signal parameters for a plurality of downlink signals received from at least one base station via a plurality of inputs of a unit in a distributed antenna system; and
automatically determine a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the plurality of signal parameters, wherein the configuration plan specifies different combinations of subsets of the plurality of downlink signals for routing of the combinations to a plurality of remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system; and
wherein the plurality of signal parameters are characteristics or information about the plurality of the downlink signals.
2. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signal parameters comprises at least one of:
a respective power spectral density for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective lowest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective highest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a center frequency of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system,
a bandwidth of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system, or
a respective modulation type for each of the plurality of downlink signals.
3. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals by performing operations comprising:
for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system:
configuring a receiver of the unit to receive respective signals in the frequency band, and
determining whether a respective power level for the respective signals in the frequency band exceeds a threshold;
identifying at least one frequency band having a power level exceeding the threshold;
determining a signal power distribution among frequencies in the at least one frequency band; and
determining the plurality of signal parameters based on the signal power distribution.
4. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a plurality of sectors from a common base station;
assigning a first sector of the plurality of sectors to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning a second sector of the plurality of sectors to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the second sector is assigned to the second subset of remote antenna units based on an absence of overlap between the first coverage zone and the second coverage zone.
5. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a first subset of downlink signals in a first frequency sub-band and a second subset of downlink signals in a second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band;
assigning the first subset of downlink signals to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning the second subset of downlink signals to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the first subset and the second subset are assigned to the respective first and second coverage zones based on the second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band.
6. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes at least one subset of signals comprising multiple-input-multiple output signals; and
assigning the at least one subset of signals to a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a common coverage zone and configured to communicate multiple-input-multiple output signals.
7. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
identify at least one routing conflict with respect to a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units and a subset of the plurality of downlink signals;
determine at least one configuration change for resolving the at least one routing conflict; and
output the at least one configuration change with the configuration plan.
8. The configuration sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to identify the plurality of signal parameters and automatically determining the configuration plan in response to a change with respect to the at least one base station or the plurality of remote antenna units in communication with the unit.
9. A unit of a distributed antenna system, the unit comprising:
an input section configured to receive a plurality of downlink signals from at least one base station;
a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the input section and configured to:
identify a plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals; and
automatically determine a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the plurality of signal parameters, wherein the configuration plan specifies different combinations of subsets of the plurality of downlink signals for routing of the combinations to a plurality of remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system; and
wherein the plurality of signal parameters are characteristics or information about the plurality of the downlink signals.
10. The unit of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of signal parameters comprises at least one of:
a respective power spectral density for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective lowest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective highest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a center frequency of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system,
a bandwidth of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system, or
a respective modulation type for each of the plurality of downlink signals.
11. The unit of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals by performing operations comprising:
for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system:
configuring a receiver of the unit to receive respective signals in the frequency band, and
determining whether a respective power level for the respective signals in the frequency band exceeds a threshold;
identifying at least one frequency band having a power level exceeding the threshold;
determining a signal power distribution among frequencies in the at least one frequency band; and
determining the plurality of signal parameters based on the signal power distribution.
12. The unit of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a plurality of sectors from a common base station;
assigning a first sector of the plurality of sectors to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning a second sector of the plurality of sectors to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the second sector is assigned to the second subset of remote antenna units based on an absence of overlap between the first coverage zone and the second coverage zone.
13. The unit of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a first subset of downlink signals in a first frequency sub-band and a second subset of downlink signals in a second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band;
assigning the first subset of downlink signals to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning the second subset of downlink signals to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the first subset and the second subset are assigned to the respective first and second coverage zones based on the second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band.
14. The unit of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan by performing operations comprising:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes at least one subset of signals comprising multiple-input-multiple output signals; and
assigning the at least one subset of signals to a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a common coverage zone and communicate multiple-input-multiple output signals.
15. The unit of claim 9 , further comprising:
a combining section configured to combine subsets of the plurality of downlink signals into combined downlink signals; and
an output section configured to route the combined downlink signals to the plurality of remote antenna units,
wherein the processing circuit is communicatively coupled to the output section and the combining section and is further configured to:
output a control signal causing the combining section to combine the subsets of downlink signals based on the configuration plan, and
output an additional control signal causing the routing section to route the combined downlink signals based on the configuration plan.
16. A method comprising:
receiving, by an input section of a unit of a distributed antenna system, a plurality of downlink signals from at least one base station;
identifying, by a processing circuit, a plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals, wherein the plurality of signal parameters are characteristics or information about the plurality of the downlink signals; and
automatically determining, by the processing circuit, a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the plurality of signal parameters, wherein the configuration plan specifies different combinations of subsets of the plurality of downlink signals for routing of the combinations to a plurality of remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein automatically determining the configuration plan comprises:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a plurality of sectors from a common base station;
assigning a first sector of the plurality of sectors to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning a second sector of the plurality of sectors to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the second sector is assigned to the second subset of remote antenna units based on an absence of overlap between the first coverage zone and the second coverage zone.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein automatically determining the configuration plan comprises:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes a first subset of downlink signals in a first frequency sub-band and a second subset of downlink signals in a second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band;
assigning the first subset of downlink signals to a first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a first coverage zone; and
assigning the second subset of downlink signals to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a second coverage zone, wherein the first subset and the second subset are assigned to the respective first and second coverage zones based on the second frequency sub-band at least partially overlapping the first frequency sub-band.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein automatically determining the configuration plan comprises:
determining that the plurality of downlink signals includes at least one subset of signals comprising multiple-input-multiple output signals; and
assigning the at least one subset of signals to a subset of the plurality of remote antenna units configured to service a common coverage zone and communicate multiple-input-multiple output signals.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of signal parameters comprises at least one of:
a respective power spectral density for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective lowest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a respective highest frequency for each frequency band used by the distributed antenna system,
a center frequency of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system,
a bandwidth of all frequency channels used by the distributed antenna system, or
a respective modulation type for each of the plurality of downlink signals.