Optical fiber communications method and system without a remote electrical power supply

An optical communications system employing radio frequency signals, the system comprising:

• a central unit;
• at least one remote unit, which is remote from the central unit, the at least one remote unit provides a radio connection point for mobile terminals in an associated coverage area, said at least one remote unit having first means for converting optical data signals to radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals to optical data signals, second means for converting optical data signals into baseband digital signals and converting baseband digital signals to optical data signals, and at least one antenna to receive and send radio frequency signals, the second means communicates with a local area network;
• at least one optical fiber data link between the central unit and the at least one remote unit, and associated with the first means, for transmitting optical data signals;
• at least one optical fiber data link between the central unit and the at least one remote unit, and associated with the second means, for transmitting optical data signals;
• and
• at least one optical fiber power link between the central unit and the at least one remote unit for providing electrical power at the at least one remote unit.

An optical communications system employing radio frequency signals, the system comprising:

• a plurality of base stations in a cellular wireless communications network;
• a central unit comprising a plurality of optical transceiver units and a radio frequency splitter-combiner, the radio frequency splitter-combiner is operatively provided between the plurality of optical transceiver units and the plurality of base stations;
• a plurality of remote units which are remote from the central unit, each remote unit provides a radio connection point for mobile terminals in an associated coverage area, the plurality of remote units transmit forward link radio frequency signals to mobile terminals via respective antennas and receive reverse link radio frequency signals from mobile terminals via respective antennas, each remote unit is associated with a different one of the optical transceiver units;
• and
• a different optical fiber data link and a different optical fiber power link between each remote unit and its associated optical transceiver unit.

An optical communications system employing radio frequency signals, the system comprising:

• a plurality of optical transceiver units including at least one optical transceiver unit in communication with at least one base station of a plurality of base stations in a cellular wireless communications network, the at least one optical transceiver unit communicates reverse link radio frequency signals to the at least one base station and receives forward link radio frequency signals from the at least one base station;
• a plurality of respective remote units including at least one remote unit which is remote from the at least one optical transceiver unit, the at least one remote unit provides a radio connection point for mobile terminals in an associated coverage area, the at least one remote unit comprising at least one optoelectronic transducer for converting optical data signals to radio frequency signals and converting radio signals to optical signals, and at least one antenna to receive and send radio frequency signals;
• at least one optical fiber data link between the at least one optical transceiver unit and the at least one remote unit for transmitting optical data signals therebetween;
• at least one optical fiber power link between the at least one optical transceiver unit and the at least one remote unit for providing electrical power at the at least one remote unit;
• a radio frequency combiner between the plurality of optical transceiver units and the plurality of base stations which combines reverse link radio frequency signals which are received from the plurality of optical transceiver units;
• the plurality of respective remote units provide respective radio connection points for mobile terminals in associated respective coverage areas, each respective remote unit is in communication with a different respective optical transceiver unit of the plurality of optical transceiver units;
• a different optical fiber data link between each respective optical transceiver unit and its respective remote unit for transmitting optical data signals therebetween;
• and
• a different optical fiber power link between each respective optical transceiver unit and its respective remote unit for providing electrical power at the respective remote unit.