Operation and maintenance link for antenna equipment

A cellular communications system, comprising:

• a base station including a base station radio frequency transceiver capable of radio frequency communicating over a plurality of available channels;
• an antenna connected to and remotely located from the base station;
• a radio frequency feeder connecting the base station transceiver to the antenna;
• antenna near parts mounted proximate to the remotely located antenna and operable to exchange antenna near parts related operation and maintenance information;
• a mobile station transceiver connected to the antenna near parts and in communication with the base station radio frequency transceiver over a selected one of the available channels comprising an operation and maintenance communications link supporting the exchange of antenna near parts related operation and maintenance information between the antenna near parts and the base station radio frequency transceiver through the mobile station transceiver and over the radio frequency feeder.

A method for establishing an operation and maintenance communications link between a cellular radio base station and a mobile station associated with and mounted proximately to antenna near parts for the cellular radio base station, comprising the steps of:

• polling for the mobile station mounted proximately to the antenna near parts, wherein the antenna near parts are mounted proximate an antenna remotely located from the base station;
• responding to a polling response received from the mobile station by selecting one of a plurality of available cellular communications channels for use as the operation and maintenance communications link;
• communicating a channel assignment to the mobile station;
• and
• responding to an access by the mobile station on the selected communications channel by connecting the radio base station with the mobile station for the exchange of antenna near parts related operation and maintenance information over that channel between the radio base station and the antenna near parts through the mobile station.

A method for establishing an operation and maintenance communications link between a cellular radio base station and a mobile station associated with and mounted proximate to antenna near parts for the cellular radio base station, comprising the steps of:

• responding to a channel request from the mobile station mounted proximately to the antenna near parts by selecting one of a plurality of available cellular communications channels for use as the operation and maintenance communications link, wherein the antenna near parts are mounted proximate an antenna remotely located from the base station;
• communicating a channel assignment to the mobile station;
• and
• responding to an access by the mobile station on the selected communications channel by connecting the radio base station with the mobile station for the exchange of antenna near parts related operation and maintenance information over that channel between the radio base station and the antenna near parts through the mobile station.

A system, comprising:

• a base station including a base station radio frequency transceiver;
• an antenna remotely located from the base station and supporting base station radio frequency transceiver communication over an air interface supporting a plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• antenna near parts mounted proximate to the remotely located antenna and including a capability for detecting faults in the operation of the antenna near parts and generating signals indicative of such fault detection;
• a radio frequency feeder connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remotely located antenna through the proximately mounted antenna near parts using the plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• a remote radio frequency transceiver connected to the antenna near parts to receive the signals indicative of fault detection from the antenna near parts;
• and
• an operation and maintenance communications link connecting the remote radio frequency transceiver at the antenna near parts to the base station radio frequency transceiver for the communication of the received antenna near parts related signals indicative of fault detection to the base station, wherein the operation and maintenance communications link comprises a certain one of the plurality of radio frequency communications channels supported by the radio frequency feeder.

A system, comprising:

• a base station including a base station radio frequency transceiver;
• an antenna remotely located from the base station and supporting base station radio frequency transceiver communication over an air interface supporting a plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• antenna near parts mounted proximate to the remotely located antenna and controlled by software;
• a radio frequency feeder connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remotely located antenna through the proximately mounted antenna near parts using the plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• a remote radio frequency transceiver connected to the antenna near parts to download a received software upgrade to the antenna near parts;
• and
• an operation and maintenance communications link connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remote radio frequency transceiver at the antenna near parts for the communication of the software upgrade to the antenna near parts from the base station, wherein the operation and maintenance communications link comprises a certain one of the plurality of radio frequency communications channels supported by the radio frequency feeder.

A system, comprising:

• a base station including a base station radio frequency transceiver;
• an antenna remotely located from the base station and supporting base station radio frequency transceiver communication over an air interface supporting a plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• antenna near parts mounted proximate to the remotely located antenna;
• a radio frequency feeder connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remotely located antenna through the proximately mounted antenna near parts using the plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• a sensor for measuring power on the radio frequency feeder at the location of the antenna near parts and generating signals indicative of such measured feeder power;
• a remote radio frequency transceiver connected to receive the signals indicative of measured feeder power from the sensor;
• and
• an operation and maintenance communications link connecting the remote radio frequency transceiver at the antenna near parts to the base station radio frequency transceiver for the communication of the measured feeder power related signals to the base station, wherein the operation and maintenance communications link comprises a certain one of the plurality of radio frequency communications channels supported by the radio frequency feeder.

A system, comprising:

• a base station including a base station radio frequency transceiver;
• an antenna remotely located from the base station and supporting base station radio frequency transceiver communication over an air interface supporting a plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• an amplifier mounted proximate to the remotely located antenna and having a configurable gain operation;
• a radio frequency feeder connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remotely located antenna through the proximately mounted amplifier using the plurality of radio frequency communications channels;
• a remote radio frequency transceiver connected to the amplifier to forward a received a gain parameter to the amplifier to configure its gain operation;
• and
• an operation and maintenance communications link connecting the base station radio frequency transceiver to the remote radio frequency transceiver at the antenna near parts for the communication of the gain parameter from the base station, wherein the operation and maintenance communications link comprises a certain one of the plurality of radio frequency communications channels supported by the radio frequency feeder.