Patent ID: 7469105

Claim:
An optical communications system employing radio frequency signals, the system comprising: a plurality of optical transceiver units including at least one optical transceiver unit in communication with at least one base station of a plurality of base stations in a cellular wireless communications network, the at least one optical transceiver unit communicates reverse link radio frequency signals to the at least one base station and receives forward link radio frequency signals from the at least one base station; at least one remote unit which is remote from the at least one optical transceiver unit, the at least one remote unit provides a radio connection point for mobile terminals in an associated coverage area, the at least one remote unit comprising at least one optoelectronic transducer for converting optical data signals to radio frequency signals and converting radio signals to optical signals, and at least one antenna to receive and send radio frequency signals; at least one optical fiber data link between the at least one optical transceiver unit and the at least one remote unit for transmitting optical data signals therebetween; at least one optical fiber power link between the at least one optical transceiver unit and the at least one remote unit for providing electrical power at the at least one remote unit; a radio frequency combiner between the plurality of optical transceiver units and the plurality of base stations which combines reverse link radio frequency signals which are received from the plurality of optical transceiver units; and a radio frequency splitter which splits the combined reverse link radio frequency signals, the radio frequency splitter is in communication with the plurality of base stations and is associated with the radio frequency combiner.