Optical Ring Fronthaul Layout for Self-Healing RRH Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radio base stations face challenges with high costs, high power consumption, and limited bandwidth due to the reliance on electrical components for processing intermediate radio frequency signals, which are exacerbated by increasing bandwidth and computing requirements in evolving communication technologies like 5G and future generations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an all-optical communication system using an optical component layout and optical ring network topology, with a central office device connected to remote radio heads via optical fibers, where baseband signal processing and frequency mixing functions are performed on the CO device side, reducing reliance on high-performance electrical components and enabling fault self-healing through optical fiber redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical components are used for processing intermediate radio frequency signals, then signal processing functionality is achieved, but cost, power consumption, and bandwidth are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical components (DAC, ADC, electrical frequency mixers) with all-optical components. The optical frequency mixer uses optical beats between optical carriers to generate intermediate frequency signals directly in the optical domain, eliminating the need for electrical conversion and processing, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining signal processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating domain from electrical to optical by using optical carriers with different frequencies. The optical frequency mixer generates sum and difference frequency components through optical beats, allowing signal processing to occur at optical frequencies rather than electrical frequencies, which improves bandwidth and reduces power consumption.
2Reliability
If electrical components are used for processing intermediate radio frequency signals, then signal processing functionality is achieved, but bandwidth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal processing systems with an all-optical system. The optical frequency mixer processes signals directly in the optical domain using optical beats, avoiding the bandwidth limitations of electrical components and DAC/ADC converters, thereby achieving larger bandwidth for future 5G and beyond communication systems.
3Reliability
If optical fiber redundancy is implemented for fault self-healing, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical fiber connection into two separate fibers: a first optical fiber for normal signal transmission and a second optical fiber for backup. This segmentation allows the system to switch between fibers based on fault conditions, providing fault self-healing capability while keeping the complexity manageable through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements fault self-healing by pre-configuring a second optical fiber as a backup path before faults occur. When a fault is detected in the first optical fiber, the system automatically switches to the second optical fiber, providing immediate protection without requiring complex real-time analysis or manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves large bandwidth, low costs, and low power consumption while eliminating dependence on electrical components, and provides fault self-healing capabilities by switching optical fibers to maintain communication, avoiding electrical noise and interference.
Implementation Method 1
an optical module in the CO device is used to modulate optical carriers with baseband signals
Implementation Method 2
an optical module in the CO device is used to modulate optical carriers with baseband signals
Data Source
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AI summary
This application discloses a communication system and method, and a related device. The communication system includes a CO device and a plurality of RRHs, where the plurality of RRHs constitute a ring network by using optical fibers; the CO device is connected to the ring network, and is configured to: modulate a baseband signal to N first optical carriers that are generated by the CO device, to obtain N second optical carriers; and transmit the N second optical carriers to the ring network by using a first optical fiber. Any RRH of the plurality of RRHs is configured to: obtain a target optical carrier from received second optical carriers, convert the target optical carrier into an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal as a downlink signal. According to embodiments of this application, an all-optical communication system is implemented by using a layout of an optical component in an architecture and using an optical ring network topology; and the communication system has a self-healing protection function.