US 11,909,432 B2
Universal digital card (UDC) for use as digital donor card or digital distribution card
Thomas Kummetz, Kissing (DE); Tyler J Hanson, Plymouth, MN (US); and Ahmed H. Hmimy, Richardson, TX (US)
Assigned to CommScope Technologies LLC, Hickory, NC (US)
Filed by CommScope Technologies LLC, Hickory, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/391,570.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/060,547, filed on Aug. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0038126 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. H04B 1/18 (2006.01); H04B 1/40 (2015.01); H01Q 1/24 (2006.01); H04B 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 1/18 (2013.01) [H01Q 1/246 (2013.01); H04B 1/0032 (2013.01); H04B 1/40 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A universal digital card (UDC) for use in a distributed antenna system (DAS), the UDC comprising:
an external digital interface to communicatively couple the UDC to an external communication link used to transmit and receive data in any of a plurality of different external interface formats; and
wherein the UDC is configured to:
receive data formatted according to any of the plurality of external interface formats from the external communication link via the external digital interface;
transmit data formatted according to any of the plurality of external interface formats over the external communication link via the external digital interface; and
wherein the UDC is configured to be selectively used either as:
a donor card to communicatively couple the node to one or more base station entities via the external digital interface; or
a distribution card to communicatively couple the node to one or more non-DAS nodes, hubs, switches, or remote radio heads or one or more other DAS nodes or access points.