Apparatus and method for frequency shifting of a wireless signal and systems using frequency shifting

Abstract

A wireless signal in a frequency band is shifted to another distinct band, and carried in the shifted band to another location, wherein the wireless signal is shifted back to the original frequency band. The frequency shifting can employ conventional frequency shifting schemes such as mixer/filter and heterodyne. In one embodiment the wireless signal is frequency shifted by converting it to other representing signals (such as I/Q components) and forming the frequency-shifted signal from the representations. The system is may be used to increase in-door or outdoor coverage, as well as bridging between in-door and outdoor networks. The medium may use dedicated wiring or existing service wiring in a residence or building, including LAN, telephone, AC power and CATV wiring. The system can be enclosed as a stand-alone unit, housed in integrated form as part of a service outlet or as a snap-on/plug-in module.

1 . A distributed system for distributing cellular communications and Ethernet communications to at least one remote device, comprising:
 a first unit configured to:
 receive at least one first cellular communications signal; 
 receive at least one first Ethernet communications signal; 
 distribute the at least one first cellular communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one communications link; and 
 distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one communications link; and 
   the at least one remote unit configured to:
 receive the at least one first cellular communications signal over the at least one communications link; 
 wirelessly transmit the received at least one first cellular communications signal over at least one antenna to at least one cellular client; 
 receive the at least one first Ethernet communications signal over the at least one communications link; and 
 distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one Ethernet client. 
   
     
     
         2 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit comprises a wireless local access network (WLAN) unit. 
     
     
         3 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit comprises a media access controller (MAC) unit configured to receive the at least one first Ethernet communications signal, and distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one communications link. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit comprises a wireless unit configured to receive the at least one first cellular communications signal, and distribute the at least one first cellular communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one communications link. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communications link is comprised of at least one optical fiber. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed system of  claim 5 , wherein the first unit further comprises at least one wave-division multiplexer (WDM) configured to wave-division multiplex the at least one first cellular communications signals and the at least one first Ethernet communications signal at different wavelengths over at least one optical fiber to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communications link is comprised of at least one coaxial cable. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communications link is comprised of at least one twisted-pair wiring. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first Ethernet communications signal is comprised of at least one of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet communications  signal, IEEE 802.16 Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11 Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11a Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11b Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11g Ethernet communications signal, 10 Base-T Ethernet communications signal, 100 Base-Tx Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet communications signal. 
     
     
         10 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first cellular communications signal is comprised of at least one of GSM cellular communications signal, GPRS cellular communications signal, UMTS cellular communications signal, DCS cellular communications signal, PCS cellular communications signal, and CDMA cellular communications signal. 
     
     
         11 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one remote unit is further configured to:
 receive at least one second cellular communications signal from at least one cellular communications client; 
 distribute the received at least one second cellular communications signal over the at least one communications link to the first unit; 
 receive at least one second Ethernet communications signal from at least one Ethernet client; and 
 distribute the at least one second Ethernet communications signal over the at least one communications link to the first unit. 
   
     
     
         12 . The distributed system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one communications link is comprised of at least one optical fiber. 
     
     
         13 . The distributed system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one remote unit further comprises at least one wave-division multiplexer (WDM) configured to wave-division multiplex the at least one second cellular communications signal and the at least one second Ethernet communications signal at different wavelengths over at least one optical fiber to the first unit. 
     
     
         14 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit further comprises at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one first cellular communications signal and at least one first Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one communications link to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         15 . The distributed system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one remote unit further comprises at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one second cellular communications signal and at least one second Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one communications link to the first unit. 
     
     
         16 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit further comprises at least one time-division multiplexer (TDM) configured to time-division multiplex the at least one first cellular communications signal and at least one first Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one communications link to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         17 . The distributed system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one remote unit further comprises at least one time-division multiplexer (TDM) configured to time-division multiplex the at least one second cellular communications signal and at least one second Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one communications link to the first unit. 
     
     
         18 . The distributed system of  claim 1 , wherein the first unit further comprises at least one down frequency shifter configured to down frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the at least one first Ethernet communications signal over the at least one communications link to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         19 . The distributed system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one remote unit further comprises at least one up frequency shifter configured to up frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the received at least one first Ethernet communications signal from the first unit over the at least one communications link. 
     
     
         20 . The distributed system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one remote unit further comprises at least one down frequency shifter configured to down frequency shift at least one of the at least one second cellular communications signal and the at least one second Ethernet communications signal over the at least one communications link to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         21 . The distributed system of  claim 20 , wherein the first unit further comprises at least one up frequency shifter configured to up frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the received at least one first Ethernet communications signal from the at least one remote unit over the at least one communications link. 
     
     
         22 . A distributed system for distributing cellular communications and Ethernet communications to at least one remote device, comprising:
 a distribution unit configured to:
 receive at least one first cellular communications signal; 
 receive at least one first Ethernet communications signal; 
 distribute the at least one first cellular communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one coaxial cable; and 
 distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one coaxial cable; and 
   a plurality of remote units each configured to:
 receive the at least one first cellular communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable; 
 wirelessly transmit the received at least one first cellular communications signal over at least one antenna to at least one cellular client; 
 receive the at least one first Ethernet communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable; 
 distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one Ethernet client; 
 receive at least one second cellular communications signal from at least one cellular communications client; 
 distribute the received at least one second cellular communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable to the distribution unit; 
 receive at least one second Ethernet communications signal from at least one Ethernet client; and 
 distribute the at least one second Ethernet communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable to the distribution unit. 
   
     
     
         23 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit comprises a wireless local access network (WLAN) unit. 
     
     
         24 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit comprises a media access controller (MAC) unit configured to receive the at least one first Ethernet communications signal, and distribute the at least one first Ethernet communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one coaxial cable. 
     
     
         25 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit comprises a wireless unit configured to receive the at least one first cellular communications signal, and distribute the at least one first cellular communications signal to at least one remote unit over at least one coaxial cable. 
     
     
         26 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one first Ethernet communications signal is comprised of at least one of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.16 Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11 Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11a Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11b Ethernet communications signal, IEEE 802.11g Ethernet communications signal, 10 Base-T Ethernet communications signal, 100 Base-Tx Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet communications signal. 
     
     
         27 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one first cellular communications signal is comprised of at least one of GSM cellular communications signal, GPRS cellular communications signal, UMTS cellular communications signal, DCS cellular communications signal, PCS cellular communications signal, and CDMA cellular communications signal. 
     
     
         28 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit further comprises at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one first cellular communications signal and at least one first Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one coaxial cable to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         29 . The distributed system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of remote units further comprise at least one frequency-division multiplexer (FDM) configured to frequency-division multiplex the at least one second cellular communications signal and at least one second Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one coaxial cable to the distribution unit. 
     
     
         30 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit further comprises at least one time-division multiplexer (TDM) configured to time-division multiplex the at least one first cellular communications signal and at least one first Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one coaxial cable to the at least one remote unit. 
     
     
         31 . The distributed system of  claim 30 , wherein each of the plurality of remote units further comprise at least one time-division multiplexer (TDM) configured to time-division multiplex the at least one second cellular communications signal and at least one second Ethernet communications signal at different frequencies over the at least one coaxial cable to the distribution unit. 
     
     
         32 . The distributed system of  claim 22 , wherein the distribution unit further comprises:
 at least one down frequency shifter configured to down frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the at least one first Ethernet communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable to the at least one remote unit; and   at least one up frequency shifter configured to up frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the received at least one first Ethernet communications signal from the at least one remote unit over the at least one coaxial cable.   
     
     
         33 . The distributed system of  claim 32 , wherein each of the plurality of remote units further comprise:
 at least one up frequency shifter configured to up frequency shift at least one of the received at least one first cellular communications signal and the received at least one first Ethernet communications signal from the distribution unit over the at least one coaxial cable; and   at least one remote unit further comprises at least one down frequency shifter configured to down frequency shift at least one of the at least one second cellular communications signal and the at least one second Ethernet communications signal over the at least one coaxial cable to the at least one remote unit.