Virtualized wireless network with pilot beacons

Abstract

A virtualized DAS network includes one or more digital access units (DAUs) and one or more digital remote units (DRUs) coupled to the one or more DAUs. The virtualized DS network also includes a routing table associated with the one or more DAUs. A signal provided by the one or more DRUs includes one or more carriers and one or more pilot beacons.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A host unit for use in the transport of wireless communications, comprising:
 at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;   wherein the host unit is capable of receiving a plurality of carriers from the at least one signal source, including at least a first carrier and a second carrier;   at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of remote units;   wherein the host unit is capable of sending a digital representation of the first carrier to a remote unit;   wherein the host unit is capable of sending a digital representation of the second carrier to a remote unit;   wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a remote unit in the place of a digital representation the first carrier; and   wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a remote unit in the place of a digital representation the second carrier.   
     
     
         3 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein each carrier in the plurality of carrier comprises a carrier from a telephone operator. 
     
     
         4 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to a plurality of remote units comprises an optical interface. 
     
     
         5 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein the host unit is capable of packetizing each digital representation of a carrier. 
     
     
         6 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein the host unit is capable of packetizing each digital representation of a carrier in compliance with the Common Public Interface Standard (CPRI) standard. 
     
     
         7 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a second remote unit in the place of the second carrier based in part upon traffic monitoring information. 
     
     
         8 . The host unit of  claim 7  wherein the traffic monitoring information includes at least one of: the number of carriers in the plurality of carriers; the load of each of the plurality of carriers; and the quality of service of each of the plurality of carriers. 
     
     
         9 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a second remote unit in the place of the second carrier based in part upon automatic load balancing. 
     
     
         10 . The host unit of  claim 2  wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a second remote unit in the place of the second carrier based in part upon a schedule. 
     
     
         11 . A system for transporting wireless communications, comprising:
 a host unit;   a plurality of remote units, including at least a first remote unit and a second remote unit;   wherein the host unit comprises at least one interface to communicatively couple the host unit to at least one signal source;   wherein the host unit is capable of sending a digital representation of the first carrier to a remote unit;   wherein the host unit is capable of sending a digital representation of the second carrier to a remote unit;   wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a remote unit in the place of a digital representation the first carrier;   wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a remote unit in the place of a digital representation the second carrier; and   wherein the host unit is capable of receiving digital signals from each of the plurality of remote units.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the host unit is capable of packetizing each digital representation of a carrier. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the host unit is configurable to send a digital representation of a pilot beacon to a second remote unit in the place of the second carrier based in part upon traffic monitoring information. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the host unit is connected to each of the plurality of remote units through a direct connection. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the host unit is connected to each of the plurality of remote units through an indirect connection. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein each remote comprises at least one interface to communicatively couple the remote unit to another remote unit in a daisy-chain configuration. 
     
     
         17 . A method for providing digital signals in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), comprising:
 transmitting, at a first point in time, a first set of digital signals from a host unit, wherein the first set of digital signals includes a first set of carriers; and   transmitting, at a second point in time, a second set of digital signals from the host unit, wherein the second set of digital signals includes a second set of carriers and one or more pilot beacons.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the second set of carriers includes a first subset of the first set of carriers, wherein the first subset includes one or more carriers from the first set of carriers that are enabled. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second set of carriers excludes a second subset of the first set of carriers, wherein the second subset includes one or more carriers from the first set of carriers that are disabled. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein second subset of the first set of carriers are replaced in the second set of carriers with the one or more pilot beacons.