Transmission of multiprotocol data in a distributed antenna system

摘要

In a distributed antenna system (DAS) and a local area network (LAN), a common communication infrastructure distributes data from radio-based and Internet-based sources. A radio equipment (RE) of the DAS interfaces to a LAN segment. For the downlink, a gateway maps radio signal data from a radio equipment controller (REC) and data packets from a switch to mixed-data frames using a radio data interface protocol for transmission in the DAS. At the RE, the signal data and data packets are retrieved from the mixed-data frames and provided to the air interface and LAN segment, respectively. For the uplink from the RE, the radio signal data from the air interface and the data packets from the LAN segment are mapped to mixed-data frames and transmitted to the gateway. The gateway retrieves the signal samples and data packets from the mixed-data frames for transfer to the REC and switch, respectively.

主权项

1. A gateway arranged for an addressed packet protocol including packets having destination addresses and a time division multiplexed container protocol configured for a communication with an access point, the gateway comprising:
a plurality of data ports, including a first port configured for data communications according to the addressed packet protocol with end stations accessible through the access point, a second port configured for data communications according to the time division multiplexed container protocol and a third port configured for data communications according to the time division multiplexed container protocol between the gateway and the access point; and a processor coupled to the plurality of data ports, the processor including logic to process downlink data packets from the addressed packet protocol carrying destination addresses of the end stations accessible through the access point and downlink containers including signal samples from the time division multiplexed container protocol, the logic further configured to map the downlink data packets and the signal samples to one or more downlink mixed-data frames, the one or more downlink mixed-data frames having a frame structure in accordance with the time division multiplexed container protocol, each of the one or more downlink mixed-data frames including a first set of output containers, in a user data portion of the one or more downlink mixed-data frames, carrying respective bits of the data bits of the downlink data packets and a second set of output containers, in a user data portion of the one or more downlink mixed-data frames, carrying respective groups of the signal samples from the downlink containers, and the processor further configured to transmit the downlink mixed-data frames on the third port.