Systems and methods for communicating signaling over an optical distributed antenna system

A distributed antenna system, the system comprising:

• a first distributed antenna system domain comprising:
• a first master unit configured to communicate with one or more wireless communication system base stations;
• a first operator control panel coupled through a first bidirectional signal interface to the first master unit;
• a plurality of remote antenna units each coupled to the first master unit by at least one respective cable, wherein each of the remote antenna units are configured to receive downlink signals from the first master unit and radiate RF signals converted from the downlink signals, wherein each of the remote antenna units are configured to transmit signals to the first master unit converted from received wireless RF signals;
• a second distributed antenna system domain comprising:
• a second master unit configured to communicate with one or more wireless communication system base stations and coupled to at least a first remote antenna unit of the plurality of remote antenna units by a first cable;
• a second operator control panel coupled through a second bidirectional signal interface to the second optical master unit;
• wherein status and setting information (SSI) changes are synchronized between the first operator control panel and the second operator control panel by signals forwarded through the first remote antenna unit.

A method for synchronizing status and setting information across Distributed Antenna System (DAS) domains, the DAS comprising a first master unit within a first DAS domain, a second master unit within a second DAS domain and at least a first remote antenna unit coupled to the first master unit and the second master unit, the method comprising:

• detecting a change in status and setting information in a first operator control panel coupled through a first bidirectional signal interface to the first master unit;
• when a status and setting information change is detected:
• generating at least one status and setting information package at the first master unit;
• transmitting the at least one status and setting information package to the first remote antenna unit through a first cable of the DAS;
• forwarding the at least one status and setting information package from the first remote antenna unit to the second optical master unit through a second cable of the DAS;
• updating status and setting information resident on a second control panel coupled to the second optical master unit through a second bidirectional signal interface.

A method for synchronizing status and setting information across a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), the DAS comprising a first master unit and at least a first remote antenna unit coupled to the first master unit via a cable, the method comprising:

• detecting a change in status and setting information in a first operator control panel coupled through a first bidirectional signal interface to the first master unit;
• wherein the master unit is configured to communicate a downlink transport signal from the master unit to the remote antenna unit, wherein the downlink transport signal is derived from a base station downlink radio frequency signal received at the master unit, wherein the first remote antenna unit uses the downlink transport signal to generate a remote downlink radio frequency signal, wherein the first remote antenna unit is configured to communicate an uplink transport signal from the first remote antenna unit to the master antenna unit, wherein the uplink transport signal is derived from an remote uplink radio frequency signal received at the remote antenna unit, and wherein the master unit uses the uplink transport signal to generate a base station uplink radio frequency signal;
• when a status and setting information change is detected:
• generating at least one status and setting information package at the first master unit;
• transmitting the at least one status and setting information package to the first remote antenna unit through the cable;
• and
• updating status and setting information resident on a second control panel coupled to the first remote antenna unit through a second bidirectional signal interface.