Virtualized wireless mesh network

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a network is provided. The network may include a first base transceiver station (BTS). The first BTS may be operable to provide a first signal including a plurality of first carriers. The network may also include a second BTS operable to provide a second signal including a plurality of second carriers. The network may also include a set of one or more digital access units (DAUs), each of the one or more DAUs being coupled to at least one of the first BTS or the second BTS. A set of one or more digital remote units (DRUs) may be included in the network, each of the DRUs being coupled to one of the one or more DAUs and operable to broadcast the first signal or the second signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network comprising:
 a first base transceiver station (BTS) operable to provide a first signal including a plurality of first carriers;   a second BTS operable to provide a second signal including a plurality of second carriers;   a set of one or more digital access units (DAUs), each of the one or more DAUs being coupled to at least one of the first BTS or the second BTS; and   a set of one or more digital remote units (DRUs), each of the DRUs being coupled to one of the one or more DAUs and operable to broadcast the first signal or the second signal.   
     
     
         2 . The network of  claim 1  wherein the first BTS is associated with a first infrastructure supplier and the second BTS is associated with a second infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         3 . The network of  claim 2  wherein the first infrastructure supplier and the second infrastructure supplier are a same infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         4 . The network of  claim 1  wherein the one or more BTSs provide the signal including the plurality of carriers using differing broadcast protocols. 
     
     
         5 . The network of  claim 4  wherein the different broadcast protocols comprise at least one of CDMA or WCDMA. 
     
     
         6 . The network of  claim 4  wherein the different broadcast protocols comprise LTE. 
     
     
         7 . The network of  claim 1  wherein the one or more DAUs comprise a plurality of DAUs coupled via at least one of Ethernet cable, Optical Fiber, Microwave Line of Sight Link, Wireless Link, or Satellite Link. 
     
     
         8 . The network of  claim 7  wherein the one or more DAUs comprise a plurality of DAUs coupled to the plurality of DRUs via at least one of Ethernet cable, Optical Fiber, Microwave Line of Sight Link, Wireless Link, or Satellite Link. 
     
     
         9 . The network of  claim 1  wherein the one or more DRUs comprise a plurality of DRUs connected in a daisy chain configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The network of  claim 1  wherein the one or more DRUs comprise a plurality of DRUs connected to the one or more DA Us in a star configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The network of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more DAUs are coupled to at least one of the first BTS or the second BTS via at least one of a Ethernet cable, Optical Fiber, Microwave Line of Sight Link, Wireless Link, or Satellite Link. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating a virtual DAS network, the method comprising:
 receiving a first signal including a first plurality of carriers from a first BTS;   receiving a second signal including a second plurality of carriers from a second BTS;   routing the first and second signals to a first DRU; and   routing the first and second signals to a second DRU.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 associating the first and second signals with one of a plurality of DRUs based on a geographic usage pattern, the plurality of DRUs comprising the first DRU and the second DRU. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein routing the first and second signals to the second DRU comprises routing the first a second signals through a plurality of DAUs. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first BTS is associated with a first infrastructure supplier and the second BTS is associated with a second infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the first infrastructure supplier and the second infrastructure supplier are a same infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a virtual DAS network, the method comprising:
 receiving a first signal from a first BTS;   receiving a second signal from a second BTS;   routing the first signal to a first DRU;   routing the second signal to a second DRU;   receiving a third signal from the first BTS; and   routing the third signal to the second DRU.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 repeatedly assigning the first DRU to one of a plurality of BTSs, the plurality of BTSs including the first BTS and the second BTS. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the first DRU is assigned at least partly in an attempt to evenly distribute combined BTS resources across DRUs in the network. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein routing the third signal to the second DRU comprises routing the third signal through a plurality of DAUs.