Virtualized wireless mesh network

Abstract

A mesh network includes one or more digital access units (DAUs) operable to receive signals from a base transceiver station (BTS). The mesh network also includes a first digital remote unit (DRU) coupled to at least one of the one or more DAUs and a second digital remote unit (DRU) coupled to at least one of the one or more DAUs. The first DRU and the second DRU are coupled to each other through a wireless link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mesh network comprising:
 one or more digital access units (DAUs) operable to receive signals from a base transceiver station (BTS);   a first digital remote unit (DRU) coupled to at least one of the one or more DAUs; and   a second digital remote unit (DRU) coupled to at least one of the one or more DAUs, wherein the first DRU and the second DRU are coupled to each other through a wireless link.   
     
     
         2 . The mesh network of  claim 1  further comprising one or more additional DRUs coupled to each other through one or more additional wireless links. 
     
     
         3 . The mesh network of  claim 1  wherein the one or more DAUs comprise a plurality of DAUs coupled via at least one of Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         4 . The mesh network of  claim 3  wherein the one or more DAUs comprise a plurality of DAUs coupled to the first DRU and the second DRU via at least one of Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         5 . The mesh network of  claim 1  wherein the first DRU and the second DRU are connected in a daisy chain configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The mesh network of  claim 1  wherein the first DRU and the second DRU are connected to the one or more DAUs in a star configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The mesh network of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more DAUs are coupled to the BTS via at least one of Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         8 . A digital distributed antenna system (DAS) mesh network comprising:
 a first digital access unit (DAU) operable to receive a first signal including a plurality of first carriers from a first base transceiver station (BTS);   a second digital access unit (DAU) operable to receive a second signal including a plurality of second carriers from a second base transceiver station (BTS); and   a plurality of digital remote units (DRUs), each of the plurality of DRUs being coupled to one of the first DAU or the second DAU, operable to broadcast the first signal or the second signal, and coupled to each other using a wireless link.   
     
     
         9 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the first BTS is associated with a first infrastructure supplier and the second BTS is associated with a second infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         10 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 9  wherein the first infrastructure supplier and the second infrastructure supplier are a same infrastructure supplier. 
     
     
         11 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the first BTS provides the first signal including the plurality of first carriers using a first broadcast protocol and the second BTS provides the second signal including the plurality of second carriers using second broadcast protocol different from the first broadcast protocol. 
     
     
         12 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 11  wherein the first broadcast protocol or the second broadcast protocol comprise at least one of CDMA or WCDMA. 
     
     
         13 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 11  wherein the first broadcast protocol or the second broadcast protocol comprises LTE. 
     
     
         14 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the first DAU and the second DAU are coupled via at least one of Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         15 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 14  wherein each of the plurality of DRUs are coupled to one of the first DAU or the second DAU via at least one of Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         16 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of DRUs are connected in a daisy chain configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of DRUs are connected to the first DAU or the second DAU in a star configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the first DAU is coupled to the first BTS via at least one of an Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link. 
     
     
         19 . The digital DAS mesh network of  claim 8  wherein the second DAU is coupled to the second BTS via at least one of an Ethernet cable, optical fiber, microwave line of sight link, wireless link, or satellite link.