Distributed antenna system architectures

Abstract

Optical fiber-based wireless systems and related components and methods are disclosed. The systems support radio frequency (RF) communications with clients over optical fiber, including Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) communications. The systems may be provided as part of an indoor distributed antenna system (IDAS) to provide wireless communication services to clients inside a building or other facility. The systems incorporate various functions, such as optical network terminal (ONT), splitter, and local powering, in antenna coverage areas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless communication system deployed in a building infrastructure, the system comprising:
 a head end unit; and   at least five remote units coupled to the head end unit by an optical communication path and deployed over at least two floors of the building infrastructure, wherein each remote unit comprises:
 at least one antenna system, each antenna system being capable of transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals into a respective coverage area of the remote unit, and to receive uplink RF communications signals from a respective coverage area; and 
 an optical network terminal (ONT) component, the ONT component being capable of terminating one or more optical fibers and demultiplexing optical signals into component parts, 
   wherein at least one of the remote units is electrically connected to an electrical power source located in its respective coverage area, and   wherein the optical communication path comprises at least one splitter component with at least one input fiber and a plurality of output fibers, the splitter component being capable of routing optical RF data transmissions based on at least one of wavelength and polarization.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electrically conductive cables connecting the remote units to their respective electrical power sources. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless communications system of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless communications system is deployed in a multiple dwelling unit (MDU) and each remote unit is located in a respective living unit of the MDU, and wherein the electrical power source for each remote unit is located in its respective living unit. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless communication system of  claim 2 , wherein the HEU is configured to:
 receive downlink communications signals from the at least one RF source and to provide the downlink communications signals to the remote units; and   return uplink communications signals received from the remote units back to the at least one RF source.   
     
     
         5 . The wireless communication system of  claim 4 , wherein each remote unit includes an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert received downlink optical communications signals to electrical uplink communications signals to be communicated wirelessly through the antenna system of the remote unit. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless communication system of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one radio frequency (RF) source connected to the head end unit and providing downlink RF communications signals to the head end unit. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless communication system of  claim 2 , wherein the optical communication path includes:
 a riser cable deployed between the head end unit and the splitter component; and   a plurality of optical fiber cables connecting the splitter component to the remote units.   
     
     
         8 . A wireless communication system, comprising:
 a head end unit; and   a plurality of remote units coupled to the head end unit by an optical communication path, wherein each remote unit comprises:
 an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert received downlink optical communications signals to downlink electrical communications signals; and 
 at least one antenna system, each antenna system being capable of transmitting the downlink communications signals into a respective coverage area of the remote unit and receiving uplink communications signals from the coverage area; 
 an ONT component configured to terminate one or more optical fibers and to demultiplex optical signals into component parts, 
   wherein at least one of the remote units is electrically connected to an electrical power source located in its respective coverage area, and   wherein the head end unit is configured to receive downlink communications signals from at least one RF source and to provide the downlink communications signals to the remote units, and to return uplink communications received from the remote units back to the at least one RF source.   
     
     
         9 . The wireless communications system of  claim 8 , wherein the wireless communications system is deployed in a multiple dwelling unit (MDU) and each remote unit is located in a respective living unit of the MDU, and at least one of the remote units is deployed in a ceiling of a living unit. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of remote units comprises at least five remote units deployed on multiple floors of the MDU, the electrical power source for each remote unit being located in its respective living unit. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the optical communication path comprises at least one splitter component with at least one input fiber and a plurality of output fibers, the splitter component being capable of routing optical RF transmissions based on at least one of wavelength and polarization. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless communication system of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of electrically conductive cables connecting the plurality of remote units to their respective electrical power sources. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless communication system of  claim 12 , wherein the optical communication path includes:
 a riser cable deployed between the head end unit and the splitter component; and   a plurality of optical fiber cables connecting the splitter component to the remote units, wherein   each remote unit is coupled to the splitter component by at least one optical fiber communication path.   
     
     
         14 . A wireless communication system deployed in multiple floors of a building infrastructure, the system, comprising:
 a head end unit;   an optical communication path comprising at least one splitter component with at least one input fiber and a plurality of output fibers, the splitter component being capable of routing optical transmissions based on at least one of wavelength and polarization, and a plurality of optical cables coupling the head end unit to a plurality of remote units deployed over multiple floors of the building infrastructure, each remote unit comprising:
 at least one antenna system, each antenna system being capable of transmitting RF signals into a respective coverage area of the remote unit; 
 an ONT component configured to terminate one or more optical fibers and demultiplex optical signals into component parts, 
   wherein at least one of the remote units is electrically connected to an electrical power source located in its respective coverage area.   
     
     
         15 . The wireless communication system of  claim 14 , wherein each remote unit includes an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert received downlink optical communications signals to downlink electrical communications signals to be communicated wirelessly through the antenna system of the remote unit. 
     
     
         16 . The wireless communication system of  claim 15 , wherein each antenna system is configured to receive uplink RF communications signals from a respective coverage area. 
     
     
         17 . The wireless communication system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the remote units is deployed in a ceiling of a living unit. 
     
     
         18 . The wireless communication system of  claim 16 , wherein the HEU is configured to:
 receive downlink RF communications signals from the at least one RF source and to provide the communications to the remote units; and   return communications received from the remote units back to the at least one RF source.   
     
     
         19 . The wireless communication system of  claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of electrically conductive cables connecting the plurality of remote units to their respective electrical power sources.