Patent Abstract:
Optical distributed antenna systems comprising a head-end unit adapted to transmit downlink a modulated optical signal with wavelength λ 0  and N un-modulated optical signals with wavelength λ N  and N remote units (RU) and including at least one circulator. In some embodiments, an HE unit includes an arrangement of a single circulator coupled to a single detector, the arrangement preventing beating. In some embodiments, a RU includes a reflective electro-absorption transceiver (REAT) which includes a single optical interface and a single RF port. The REAT detects the optical signal with λ 0  and converts it into a RF signal, and reflects an un-modulated optical signal with wavelength λ N  to provide a modulated uplink optical signal. In some embodiments, a RU is configured as an optical antenna unit. In some embodiments, a plurality of RUs is combined with passive optical distribution units to provide hierarchical DAS architectures.

Full Description:
FIELD 
     Embodiments of various systems disclosed herein relate in general to combined wireless/optical communication systems and more particularly to optical Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS). 
     BACKGROUND 
     Optical distributed antenna systems based on the combined use of radio frequency (RF) and optical signals are known, and used for example in radio-over-fiber systems.  FIG. 1  shows schematically a known optical DAS  100  which includes a head-end (HE) unit  102  connected over a plurality N of point-to-point (P2P) optical fibers  104 - 1  . . .  104 -N to N (N≧1) remote units (RUs)  106 - 1  . . .  106 -N. Each RU may be connected to a passive DAS which includes a coax cable  112  and one or more antennas  114 . Exemplarily in DAS  100 , N=8. HE unit  102  includes one optical transmitter (exemplarily a diode laser) TX- 0 , N=8 receivers (typically photodiodes) RX- 1  . . . RX- 8  and N optical interfaces (ports)  108 - 1  . . .  108 - 8 . Each remote unit includes RX and TX functionalities, provided in some cases by an electro-optical absorption modulator (EAM). Uplink (UL), the EAM modulates a RF signal received via the antenna into an optical signal which is transmitted to the head-end unit. Downlink (DL), the EAM converts an optical signal into a RF signal (i.e. acts as an optical detector). The UL and DL optical signals are transmitted over separate optical fibers, i.e. each EAM has two separate optical interfaces in addition to one RF port. In some applications, the EAM may have a multi-quantum well (MQW) structure, with its operation based on the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE). A major disadvantage of such an EAM acting as an optical detector is its low efficiency, because the DL optical signal makes just one “pass” before being absorbed by the EAM structure. 
     The remote unit TX functionality may also be provided by a reflective optical transmitter (ROT), which joins or integrates an EAM having a reflective facet with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The combination is sometimes called SOA-EAM or REAM. However, such transmitters need a voltage input to bias the SOA in addition to a modulating electrical signal applied to the EAM. In other words, a SOA-EAM device has one optical interface, one RF port and one voltage source coupled thereto. Therefore, in known art, components in a RU which act as both receivers (detectors) of DL signals and transmitters of UL signals include always three ports or inputs/outputs. 
     Returning now to  FIG. 1  and exemplarily, four wireless RF services (Bands 1, 2, 3 and 4) are combined and multiplexed in HE unit  102 . The combined RF signal is converted into an optical signal with wavelength λ 0  (hereinafter, “wavelength λ” is referring to simply as “λ”). The optical signal is split to optical interfaces  108 - 1  . . .  108 - 8  for DL transmission over a respective optical fiber to each remote unit. Each RU performs optical-to-RF conversion of the DL signal and outputs a RF signal to one or more antennas. Uplink, each RU receives a RF signal from an antenna and converts it into a λ 1  optical signal which is transmitted to the HE unit. In known optical DAS, the source of the UL λ 1  optical signal is either in the RU (i.e. the RU includes an optical transmitter) or remote from the RU, with λ 1  input to the EAM and modulated thereby. 
     Communication networks are usually built in a hierarchical topology. Such topology is more scalable and flexible, enabling to design the network more efficiently. Consequently, deployment of hierarchical DAS topologies would be beneficial to an operator. However, the architecture of DAS  100  is “flat” in the sense that is does not allow an operator to design and deploy more efficient hierarchical DAS topologies. This arises from the use in DAS  100  of a P2P fiber between the HE and remote units, without any intermediate aggregation unit. The “flatness” problem may be solved by a hierarchical architecture shown in  FIG. 2 , in which an optical DAS  200  includes a C/DWDM (coarse/dense wavelength division multiplexer) or, equivalently, N WDM components positioned between a HE unit  202  and N remote units  206 - 1  . . .  206 - 8 . Each RU is deployed with a different wavelength. The HE unit uses a λ 0  for DL transmission, while each RU uses a different λ N  for UL transmission. Exemplarily, λ 0  may be in the 1310-1330 nm wavelength range, while λ N  may be in the 1530-1560 nm wavelength range. Because the order of the different λ N  must be maintained in a C/DWDM component, the operator needs to administer these wavelengths. This is a major disadvantage. In addition, because each RU uses a different UL wavelength, the operator needs to maintain a stock of different RU transmitters. 
     Therefore, there is a need for and it would be advantageous to have simplified and efficient optical DAS architectures which overcome concurrently the “flatness” problem, the need to use a C/DWDM unit or multiple WDM units between head-end and remote units, and/or the need to maintain a stock of different RU transmitters. Such simplified and efficient optical DAS architectures will thereby reduce maintenance costs and increase product reliability and mean time between failures (MTBF). They will also reduce the need for different remote units and the need for special wavelength design. 
     SUMMARY 
     In various embodiments, there are provided optical distributed antenna systems (DAS) which include a HE unit which transmits downlink a λ 0  optical signal and optical carriers or continuous waves (CWs) with wavelength λ N  (N≧1), and one or more remote units which detect the λ 0  optical signal and convert it into a RF signal and which reflect a λ N  CW and modulate it into a λ N  optical signal for uplink transmission to the HE unit. The detection, modulation and reflection are enabled by a reflective electro-absorption transceiver (REAT) positioned in each remote unit. In contrast with known SOA-EAM or REAM components, a REAT disclosed herein has a single optical interface and a single RF port and requires no separate voltage source. The HE unit includes transmitters for each λ N  in addition to the transmitter for λ 0 . The HE unit also includes circulators which manage the UL and DL traffic. In some embodiments, a RU is coupled to a passive DAS. In some embodiments, a RU is coupled to a single antenna, forming an optical antenna unit (OAU). In some embodiment, the HE unit and the RUs are modified to handle digital traffic. In some embodiments, an optical DAS disclosed herein includes a passive optical distribution unit (PODU) coupled through an optical fiber to a RU and through a “composite” (i.e. optical plus electrical) cable to an OAU. In some embodiments, the PODUs are cascaded to provide increasingly hierarchical DAS architectures. 
     In an embodiment there is provided an optical DAS comprising a HE unit used to transmit downlink a modulated λ 0  optical signal and a plurality N of continuous waves, each continuous wave having a different wavelength λ N , and a plurality of remote units wherein each remote unit includes a REAT which has a single optical interface and a single RF port, the REAT used to detect and convert the λ 0  optical signal into a RF signal and to reflect and modulate one continuous wave with wavelength λ N  for uplink transmission to the HE unit. 
     In an embodiment there is provided an optical DAS comprising a HE unit used to transmit downlink a modulated λ 0  optical signal and a plurality N of continuous waves with respectively different wavelengths λ N , the HE unit including an arrangement of a single detector and a circulator for a bunch of uplink signals with wavelength λ 1  to λ N , wherein the arrangement prevents beating per bunch, and a plurality of remote units, each remote unit including a REAT used to detect and convert the λ 0  optical signal into a RF signal and to reflect and modulate one CW with wavelength λ N  for uplink transmission to the HE unit. 
     In an embodiment, an optical DAS further includes a passive optical antenna unit (PODU) interposed between at least one RU and the HE unit, the PODU configured to enable a hierarchical DAS architecture. 
     In an embodiment there is provided a method for communications in an optical DAS comprising the steps of: at a HE unit, transmitting downlink to a remote unit a modulated optical signal with wavelength λ 0  and a continuous wave with wavelength λ N ; at the RU, using a REAT with a single optical interface and a single RF port to convert the modulated optical signal with wavelength λ 0  into a downlink RF signal and to reflect and modulate the CW with wavelength λ N  to obtain a reflected modulated optical signal with wavelength λ N ; and transmitting the reflected optical signal with wavelength λ N  uplink to the HE unit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows schematically a known “flat” conventional optical DAS; 
         FIG. 2  shows schematically a known “hierarchical” optical DAS which includes a C/DWDM; 
         FIG. 3  shows schematically an embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 3   a  shows details of one embodiment of a head-end unit disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 3   b  shows details of an embodiment of another head-end unit disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 3   c  shows schematically an embodiment of a remote unit disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4  shows schematically another embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4   a  shows details of an optical antenna unit in the optical DAS embodiment of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows schematically yet another embodiment of a hierarchical optical DAS disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 5   a  shows details of yet another head-end unit, used in the optical DAS embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 5   b  shows details of a passive optical distribution unit used in the optical DAS embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows schematically yet another embodiment of a hierarchical optical DAS disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 7  shows details of an embodiment of yet another head-end unit disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 8   a  shows a modulator which converts a digital signal into an analog/RF signal and a demodulator which converts an analog/RF signal into a digital signal, for enabling an optical DAS disclosed herein to be used for digital traffic; 
         FIG. 8   b  shows schematically another embodiment of a remote unit disclosed herein, adapted for digital traffic. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the figures,  FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein, marked  300 . Embodiment  300  includes a HE unit  302  (described in more detail below) connected over N P2P optical fibers  304 - 1  . . .  304 -N to N RUs  306 - 1  . . .  306 -N. The fibers may be single mode or multimode. Each RU includes a REAT  320  which has a single optical interface  310  and a single RF port  324  ( FIG. 3   c ). Advantageously, the REAT provides much higher optical detection efficiency than known EAM receivers, because the DL optical signal is reflected and performs a double pass before it is absorbed in the REAT structure. An exemplary component which may be used as a REAT in various embodiments disclosed herein is component EAM-R-10-C-7S-FCA 10 Ghz, manufactured and sold by CIP Technologies, Phoenix House, B55 Adastral Park, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich IP5 3RE, UK. Each fiber  304  carries DL and US traffic with two wavelengths. HE unit  302  includes a transmitter (e.g. diode laser) TX- 0  (see  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ) for the DL transmission of the signal and N optical interfaces  308 - 1  . . .  308 -N. HE unit  302  further includes N transmitters (TX- 1  . . . TX-N in  FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b ), each assigned with a different for downlink CW transmission, and N circulators  330 - 1  . . .  330 -N (see  FIG. 3   a ). 
     Exemplarily in  FIG. 3 , four wireless RF services (Bands 1, 2, 3 and 4) are combined and multiplexed by the head-end unit. The combined RF services signal is then split to N optical interfaces and modulated for DL transmission over a respective fiber to each RU. At the RU, the optical signal is converted into an RF signal by the REAT and sent to antennas. Operations in the uplink are reversed, with uplink RF-to-optical conversion and optical transmission performed by the REAT. More details are given below. 
       FIG. 3   a  shows details of one embodiment of a HE unit disclosed herein, marked  302   a . HE unit  302   a  includes (in addition to the transmitters and circulators mentioned for HE unit  302  above) N WDMs  332 - 1  . . .  332 -N, a 1×N splitter  334 , a RF combiner  336  and N detectors (e.g. photodiodes) PD- 1  . . . PD-N, interconnected as shown. Each WDM is connected through an optical interface to a respective RU which includes a REAT. HE unit  302   a  is thus adapted to transmit DL a λ 0  optical signal and N CWs with λ 1  . . . λ N . Optical circulators  330  serve to pass DL a CW to a common port and to pass UL a modulated optical signal from the common port to one photodiode. 
     The following illustrates an exemplary method of use of DAS  300  with HE unit  302   a , applied to one service (e.g. Band 1 also referred to as “Service A”). In the DL path, a signal of service A is received by the HE unit from a wireless base station or from any other RF signal source at a port RF in. The signal is combined with those of other wireless services and is converted for optical transmission using TX- 0 . The downlink λ 0  optical signal is distributed to all WDM  332  components. Each WDM receives, in addition to the λ 0  signal, one CW with λ N  output from a respective TX-N. Each WDM outputs towards a respective RU the λ 0  signal and the CW with λ N  (exemplarily λ 1 ). CW λ 1  is reflected by the REAT in the RU and modulated for UL transmission. The modulated λ 1  signal is transmitted through the respective fiber to the HE unit, from which it is routed through a respective circulator (e.g.  330 - 1 ) to a respective detector (e.g. PD- 1 ) where it is converted into a RF signal. The RF signals with different wavelengths are then combined in RF combiner  336  and output through an output port RF out. 
     The physical action of the REAT is based on QCSE. The REAT includes a semiconductor MQW structure (the EAM) bound on one side by a reflecting element. According to the QCSE, the band-gap between the conduction and valence bands in a semiconductor QW can be modulated using an external electric field. An RF signal serves as a time dependent electric field. When the RF signal (field) is applied to the EAM, the band-gap varies in time (i.e. the RF field “controls” the band-gap). Photons entering the EAM may have energies smaller or larger than the band-gap. The former (smaller energy than band-gap) pass through the EAM undisturbed, while the latter are absorbed. Since the external RF field controls the band-gap, it controls the absorption rate of photons with energies close to the band-gap. When a CW of appropriate wavelength arrives at the REAT, the RF field applied to the REAT can modulate it. If the difference between a shorter wavelength λ 0  and longer wavelengths λ N  is large enough, the modulation of the λ N  by the RF field will not affect the absorption of the λ 0 . Moreover, this absorption is enhanced by the double path taken by λ 0  (which is reflected by the reflective facet of the REAT). In contrast with known SOA-EAM or REAM components, a REAT disclosed herein functions as both optical receiver (detector) and transmitter and does not require a separate voltage source. 
       FIG. 3   b  shows details of an embodiment of another HE unit disclosed herein, marked  302   b . In the DL path, unlike HE unit  302   a , HE unit  302   b  includes a single 1×N C/DWDM combiner  340  which replaces WDMs  332 - 1  . . .  332 -N. This reduces the need for N circulators, leaving only one circulator  330 . However, this further requires an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer (MUX/DEMUX)  342 , In further contrast with HE unit  302   a , HE unit  302   b  now includes a single circulator and a single detector PD- 1  in the UL path, and the RF combiner ( 336  in HE unit  302   a ) is removed. 
     In use, exemplarily again for service A, a RF signal of this service is received by HE unit  302   b  at a port RF in. In the DL path, the signal is combined with those of other wireless services and is converted for optical transmission using TX- 0 . TX- 0  transmits a λ 0  signal to MUX/DEMUX  342 , which also receives through circulator  330  a CW with λ N  (exemplarily λ 1 ). MUX/DEMUX  342  outputs towards each RU the λ 0  signal and the CW λ N . The latter is reflected and modulated by the REAT for UL transmission as described above. The UL λ N  signal enters MUX/DEMUX  342  which routes it through the circulator to single detector PD- 1 , where it is converted into a RF signal output through port RF out. 
     In general, uplink signals created by the different REATs will have up to N different wavelengths λ N , which are spread in MUX/DEMUX  342 , are routed through the single circulator and are detected by single detector PD- 1 . Advantageously, the use of different wavelengths λ N  allows implementation of an HE unit with a single detector, yet prevents a “beating” phenomenon. 
       FIG. 3   c  shows schematically details of an embodiment of a RU disclosed herein, marked  306   a . RU  306   a  includes REAT  320 , a first duplexer  350 , a first digital control attenuator (DCA)  352 , a power amplifier (PA)  354 , a second duplexer  356 , a low noise amplifier (LNA)  358  and a second DCA  360 , interconnected as shown. The function of each element (except that of the REAT, which is described above) is known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
       FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein marked  400 . DAS  400  comprises a HE unit  402  connected through respective composite (optical+electrical) cables  404  to N RUs of a different type, referred to herein as “optical antenna units” (OAUs)  406 . Details of an OAU are shown in  FIG. 4   a . An OAU differs from a regular RU (e.g. as in  FIG. 3   c ) in that it is coupled to a single antenna  470  without the need for a coax cable between the PA and LNA and the antenna, and in that the duplexer  356  is removed and the UL and DL RF signals are combined through the antenna using two-port antenna isolation. 
       FIG. 5  shows yet another embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein, marked  500 . DAS  500  combines elements of DAS  300  and DAS  400  to provide a hierarchical and hybrid system. This system includes another embodiment of a HE unit marked  302   c  (see  FIG. 5   a ), RUs  306  and OAUs  406 . HE unit  302   c  is similar to HE unit  302   a , except that it is adapted to transmit downlink through each optical interface all CWs with λ N . In addition to components also found in HE unit  302   a , HE unit  302   c  includes a N×M combiner+splitter  370  positioned between the optical transmitters and the circulators. The hierarchical and hybrid aspects are enabled by addition of N passive optical distribution units (PODUs)  501 , which are described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 5   b . In some embodiments, a PODU is essentially similar to a MUX.DEMUX  342 , taken out of the HE unit. Each PODU is connected through an optical fiber  304   a  to HE unit  302   c , through another optical fiber  304   b  to a respective RU  306  and through a composite cable  504  to a respective OAU  406 . As shown, each PODU may be connected to any mixture N of RUs  306  and OAUs  406 . 
     A PODU is completely passive (not powered). As shown in  FIG. 5   b , it includes a first WDM  510 , a splitter  512 , a C/DWDM  514  and N second WDMs  516 - 1  . . .  516 -N, interconnected as shown. Downlink, a PODU receives from the HE unit a λ 0  optical signal and CWs with λ N  which enter WDM  510 . In WDM  510 , the λ 0  signal is separated from the CWs. The λ 0  signal passes to splitter  512  which splits it into N signals matching N ports. The λ N  CWs pass through C/WDM  514 , which directs each CW to a WDM  516 . Each WDM  516  also receives the λ 0  signal and combines it with one λ N  CW. The combined λ 0  signal and λ N  CW are directed to a respective optical interface and transmitted to a respective RU over a fiber  304 . The operations are reversed uplink. 
       FIG. 6  shows yet another embodiment of an optical DAS disclosed herein marked  600 . DAS  600  comprises a hierarchy of “cascaded” PODUs. Downlink, N outputs of one PODU may be directed to N PODUs, which in turn may be connected to either RUs, OAUs, other PODUs or a combination thereof. This enables creation of various hierarchical optical DAS architectures while keeping all the advantages listed above for DAS embodiments  300  and  500 . 
       FIG. 7  shows details of an embodiment  302   d  of yet another head-end unit disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the HE unit transmits downlink in a conventional way using N transmitters. When the DL traffic is transmitted over a single fiber with the UL traffic, an additional WDM unit at the RU (not shown) separates the UL and DL wavelengths. In this case, the DL traffic (λ 0  signal) does not pass through the REAT, while the UL traffic uses the REAT in each RU as described above. Circulators  330 - 1  . . .  330 -N allow to receive modulated UL signals resulting from DL transmitted CWs which were reflected and modulated by the REATs. 
       FIG. 8   a  shows two components, a modulator  802  which converts a digital signal to an analog/RF signal and a demodulator  804 , which converts an analog/RF signal into a digital signal.  FIG. 8   b  shows schematically details of another embodiment of a remote unit disclosed herein marked  806 , which is adapted for digital traffic. The modulation and demodulation of the digital signal to analog/RF and vice versa can be supported by any existing cellular modulating scheme such as CDMA, W-CDMA, OFDM, WAVELET transforms etc. Components  802 ,  804  and  806 , when added to any optical DAS disclosed above, allow the optical DAS to deliver not only RF analog traffic but also digital data traffic. In the DL direction, modulator  802  is positioned before an “RF in” port. In the UL direction, demodulator  804  is positioned before an “RF out” port. RU  806  includes some of the components of a RU or OAU (marked by the same numerals), except that the second duplexer and passive DAS in RU  306   a  or the two port antenna in OAU  406  are replaced by a demodulator  808  in the DL path and a modulator  810  in the UL path. 
     In use, in the DL direction, modulator  802  converts a digital signal into a RF signal which is then further converted into a optical signal which is transmitted to RU  806 . In RU  806 , the λ 0  optical signal is converted back into a digital signal using demodulator  808 , which outputs a “digital out” signal. In the UL direction, a “digital in” signal entering RU  806  is modulated by modulator  810  and converted into an optical signal which is transmitted to the HE unit, where demodulator  804  converts it back into a digital signal, In combination with hierachical schemes shown above, this “tree” architecture may be sued for any digital passive optical network (PON) by using the REAT reflecting ability, thereby enlarging the UL bandwith. 
     While this disclosure describes a limited number of embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of such embodiments may be made. The disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7