Automatic configuration sub-system for distributed antenna systems

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A configuration sub-system of a distributed antenna system, the configuration sub-system comprising:
 a processing device 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 the distributed antenna system, 
 automatically determine a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the plurality of signal parameters, wherein the configuration plan specifies how to combine subsets of the plurality of downlink signals for routing to a plurality of remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system, 
 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. 
 
 
     
     
       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, and 
 a respective modulation type for each of the plurality of downlink signals. 
 
     
     
       3. The configuration sub-system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to identify the plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals by:
 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 device is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan for the distributed antenna system by:
 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 servicing 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 servicing 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 and second coverage zones. 
 
     
     
       5. The configuration sub-system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan for the distributed antenna system by:
 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 servicing a first coverage zone; and 
 assigning the second subset of downlink signals to a second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units servicing a second coverage zone, wherein the first and second subsets 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 device is configured to automatically determine the configuration plan for the distributed antenna system by:
 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 servicing a common coverage zone and configured for multiple-input-multiple output. 
 
     
     
       7. The configuration sub-system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to identify the plurality of signal parameters and automatically determine 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. 
     
     
       8. The configuration sub-system of  claim 1 , further comprising a data interface device configured to communicate with the at least one base station, wherein the processing device is further configured to receive information about at least one of the plurality of signal parameters via the data interface device. 
     
     
       9. A method for configuring a distributed antenna system, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a unit of the distributed antenna system, a plurality of downlink signals from at least one base station; 
 identifying, by a processing device, a plurality of signal parameters for the plurality of downlink signals; 
 automatically determining, by the processing device, a configuration plan for the distributed antenna system based on the plurality of signal parameters, wherein the configuration plan specifies how to combine subsets of the plurality of downlink signals for routing to a plurality of remote antenna units of the distributed antenna system; 
 identifying 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; 
 determining at least one configuration change for resolving the at least one routing conflict; and 
 outputting the at least one configuration change with the configuration plan. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein automatically determining the configuration plan further 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 the first subset of the plurality of remote antenna units servicing the first coverage zone; and 
 assigning the second subset of downlink signals to the second subset of the plurality of remote antenna units servicing a second coverage zone, wherein the first and second subsets 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. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , 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 servicing a common coverage zone and configured for multiple-input-multiple output. 
 
     
     
       12. The method 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, and 
 a respective modulation type for each of the plurality of downlink signals. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising generating a graphical interface depicting the configuration plan, the graphical interface comprising at least one control for modifying the configuration plan.