Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a virtual distributed antenna system (vDAS) that comprises at least one physical server computer configured to execute virtualization software that creates a virtualized environment. The at least one physical server computer is configured to instantiate and execute a set of one or more virtual network functions (VNFs) used to implement a virtual master unit (vMU). The vDAS further comprises a plurality of access points (APs), each of the APs associated with a respective set of coverage antennas. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an over-the-air millimeter wave repeater for a communications network comprises: a donor unit including a first plurality of modular electronic components and an access point including a second plurality of modular electronic components. The donor unit communicates downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from a base station to the access point and radiates uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the access point to the base station. The access point radiates the downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the donor unit into a coverage area, receives the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the coverage area, and communicates the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals to the donor unit. The first and second plurality of modular electronic components includes at least one of a modular antenna component, a modular signal conditioning component, a modular signal interface component, and a modular controller.

Abstract: A service-area repeater for deployment in a service area to provide capacity supplied by a base station located remotely from the service-area repeater includes downlink circuitry to receive, via a donor antenna coupled to the service-area repeater, transformed RF downlink signals transmitted from the base station or a base-station repeater, the base station transforming original RF downlink signals or the base-station repeater transforming original RF downlink signals received from the base station to produce the transformed RF downlink signals. The downlink circuitry includes a signal transformation circuit to de-transform the received transformed RF downlink signals to generate non-transformed downlink signals and a frequency correction circuit to apply a frequency correction to the downlink signals to produce corrected downlink signals. The downlink circuitry wirelessly transmits the corrected downlink signals via a coverage antenna to user equipment in the service area.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a remote antenna unit includes a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna, a first interference circuit, and a second interference circuit. The transmitter is configured to generate a transmit signal, and the receiver configured to process a receive signal. The antenna is coupled to the transmitter and the receiver and is configured to radiate a downlink signal in response to the transmit signal and generate the receive signal in response to an uplink signal. The first interference circuit is coupled to the transmitter and the receiver and is configured to receive an analog signal from the transmitter. The second interference circuit coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. The first interference circuit and the second interference circuit are configured to reduce, in the receive signal, interference caused by the transmit signal and/or at least one downlink signal radiated by an antenna.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a remote antenna unit includes a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna array, and first and second interference circuits. The transmitter is configured to generate at least one transmit signal, and the receiver is configured to process at least one receive signal. The antenna array includes one or more antennas, each of at least one of the one or more antennas coupled to the transmitter and configured to radiate a respective downlink signal in response to a respective one of the at least one transmit signal, and each of at least one of the one or more antennas coupled to the receiver and configured to generate a respective one of the at least one receive signal in response to an uplink signal. And the first and second interference circuits are each coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver and are each configured to reduce interference in each of the at least one receive signal.

Abstract: Uplink leveling systems and methods for a distribution antenna are provided. An uplink leveling system includes at least one communication path between a base station point of interface and a remote antenna unit. A broadband measurement detector is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path at the base station point of interface. A signal measurement receiver is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path. A test signal generator is configured to generate a test signal in the at least one communication path in an uplink. At least one controller is configured to level the communication path in the uplink direction based at least in part on measurements by the broadband measurement detector and the signal measurement receiver in response to the generated test signal by the test signal generator.

Abstract: A switching control module can optimize time division duplexing operations of a distributed antenna system (“DAS”). The switching control module can include a measurement receiver and a processor. The measurement receiver can measure signal powers of downlink signals in a downlink path of the DAS. The processor can determine start times for downlink sub-frames transmitted via the downlink path based on downlink signal powers measured by the measurement receiver exceeding a threshold signal power. The processor can identify a clock setting that controls a timing of switching signals used for switching the DAS between an uplink mode and a downlink mode. The processor can statistically determine a switching time adjustment for the clock setting based on switching time differentials between the clock setting and the start times. The processor can update the clock setting based on the switching time adjustment.

Abstract: A local roaming cell system for a mobile communication coverage area is disclosed. The system comprises: a RF head end that communicates with a plurality of base stations via a plurality of wireless RF communication links, wherein the plurality of base stations are outside of the coverage area; a conversion and link aggregation circuit that demodulates and processes downlink base station signals associated with at least two of the plurality of base stations by link aggregation to obtain a downlink signal comprising communications data extracted from the downlink base station signals; a roaming base station that modulates portions of the downlink signal to provide a local communication cell within in the coverage area to a plurality of user terminals. A first of the user terminals communicates via the roaming base station with a different one of the plurality of base stations than a second of user terminals.

Abstract: In one example, a system includes a central unit and a plurality of radiating points communicatively coupled to the central unit and located remotely from the central unit. Each respective radiating point includes a detector configured to evaluate uplink signals received from a coverage area of the respective radiating point. The detector is further configured to determine which services of a plurality of services supported by the system are needed and which services of the plurality of services supported by the system are not needed based on the evaluation of the uplink signals. The detector is further configured to send a request, to the central unit, to activate a service determined to be needed.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to an open radio access network to provide wireless coverage for a plurality of cells at a site and that comprises a virtualized headend comprising one or more base-station nodes and a plurality of unified remote units deployed at the site. Each of the unified remote units is able to support multiple functional splits, multiple wireless interface protocols, multiple generations of radio access technology, and multiple frequency bands. The unified remote units and functional split used to serve each cell can be changed (for example, on-the-fly as a part of an automatic or manual adaptation process that is a function of one or more monitored performance attributes of the open radio access network such as network bandwidth, network latency, processing load, or processing performance). The unified remote units can be implemented in a modular manner with a backplane to which different radio modules can be coupled.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an over-the-air millimeter wave repeater for a communications network comprises: a donor unit including a first plurality of modular electronic components and an access point including a second plurality of modular electronic components. The donor unit communicates downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from a base station to the access point and radiates uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the access point to the base station. The access point radiates the downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the donor unit into a coverage area, receives the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the coverage area, and communicates the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals to the donor unit. The first and second plurality of modular electronic components includes at least one of a modular antenna component, a modular signal conditioning component, a modular signal interface component, and a modular controller.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a remote antenna unit includes a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna array, and first and second interference circuits. The transmitter is configured to generate at least one transmit signal, and the receiver is configured to process at least one receive signal. The antenna array includes one or more antennas, each of at least one of the one or more antennas coupled to the transmitter and configured to radiate a respective downlink signal in response to a respective one of the at least one transmit signal, and each of at least one of the one or more antennas coupled to the receiver and configured to generate a respective one of the at least one receive signal in response to an uplink signal. And the first and second interference circuits are each coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver and are each configured to reduce interference in each of the at least one receive signal.

Abstract: A mobile testing system for optimizing wireless coverage in a distributed antenna system is disclosed. In some aspects, the mobile testing system includes a measurement receiver that can determine signal levels for a respective signals communicated via the distributed antenna system. A processing device of the mobile testing system can identify a subset of the signals by decoding a respective identifier encoded in each of the subset of signals. The identifiers specify that the subset of signals is targeted to at least one coverage zone in which the mobile testing system is located. A subset of signal levels is obtained by the measurement receiver that corresponds to each of the subset of signals. The processing device can generate coverage contour data based on the subset of signal levels that describes signal coverage for at least one coverage zone.

Abstract: In one example, a system includes a central unit and a plurality of radiating points communicatively coupled to the central unit and located remotely from the central unit. Each respective radiating point includes a detector configured to evaluate uplink signals received from a coverage area of the respective radiating point. The detector is further configured to determine which services of a plurality of services supported by the system are needed and which services of the plurality of services supported by the system are not needed based on the evaluation of the uplink signals. The detector is further configured to send a request, to the central unit, to activate a service determined to be needed.

Abstract: A service-area repeater for deployment in a service area to provide capacity supplied by a base station located remotely from the service-area repeater includes downlink circuitry to receive, via a donor antenna coupled to the service-area repeater, transformed RF downlink signals transmitted from the base station or a base-station repeater, the base station transforming original RF downlink signals or the base-station repeater transforming original RF downlink signals received from the base station to produce the transformed RF downlink signals. The downlink circuitry includes a signal transformation circuit to de-transform the received transformed RF downlink signals to generate non-transformed downlink signals and a frequency correction circuit to apply a frequency correction to the downlink signals to produce corrected downlink signals. The downlink circuitry wirelessly transmits the corrected downlink signals via a coverage antenna to user equipment in the service area.

Abstract: Uplink leveling systems and methods for a distribution antenna are provided. An uplink leveling system includes at least one communication path between a base station point of interface and a remote antenna unit. A broadband measurement detector is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path at the base station point of interface. A signal measurement receiver is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path. A test signal generator is configured to generate a test signal in the at least one communication path in an uplink. At least one controller is configured to level the communication path in the uplink direction based at least in part on measurements by the broadband measurement detector and the signal measurement receiver in response to the generated test signal by the test signal generator.

Abstract: Certain aspects are directed to a configuration sub-system for telecommunication systems. The configuration sub-system can include a test signal generator, a power measurement device, at least one additional power measurement device, and a controller. The test signal generator can be integrated into components of a telecommunication system. The test signal generator can provide a test signal to a signal path of the telecommunication system. The power measurement device and the additional power measurement device can respectively be integrated into different components of the telecommunication system. The power measurement device and the additional power measurement device can respectively measure the power of the test signal at different measurement points in the signal path. The controller can normalize signals transmitted via the telecommunication system by adjusting a path gain for the signal path based on measurements from the power measurement device and the additional power measurement device.

Abstract: Uplink leveling systems and methods for a distribution antenna are provided. An uplink leveling system includes at least one communication path between a base station point of interface and a remote antenna unit. A broadband measurement detector is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path at the base station point of interface. A signal measurement receiver is communicatively coupled to measure signal power in the at least one communication path. A test signal generator is configured to generate a test signal in the at least one communication path in an uplink. At least one controller is configured to level the communication path in the uplink direction based at least in part on measurements by the broadband measurement detector and the signal measurement receiver in response to the generated test signal by the test signal generator.

Abstract: A local roaming cell system for a mobile communication coverage area is disclosed. The system comprises: a RF head end that communicates with a plurality of base stations via a plurality of wireless RF communication links, wherein the plurality of base stations are outside of the coverage area; a conversion and link aggregation circuit that demodulates and processes downlink base station signals associated with at least two of the plurality of base stations by link aggregation to obtain a downlink signal comprising communications data extracted from the downlink base station signals; a roaming base station that modulates portions of the downlink signal to provide a local communication cell within in the coverage area to a plurality of user terminals. A first of the user terminals communicates via the roaming base station with a different one of the plurality of base stations than a second of user terminals.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a repeater system configured for use with a base station that implements a wireless interface that makes use of control transmissions that are retransmittable (for example, LTE PRACH transmissions). The repeater system implements a simplified mute or squelch function that transitions the repeater circuitry from a muted state to an unmuted state in response to a received power level crossing a first threshold value in connection with a first control transmission. Although that first control transmission will be lost, the repeater circuitry is configured to remain in the unmuted state in order to handle a retransmitted control transmission and to handle any associated subsequent control and user transmissions. The repeater system can be implemented as a single-node repeater and/or a distributed antenna system. Other embodiments are disclosed.