DocketNo: 101781.0001PROl
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`CARRIER CHANNEL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
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`Field of The Invention
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`[0001] The field of the invention is wireless carrier channel technologies.
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`Background
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`[0002] Wireless carriers utilize a number of frequency bands to carry voice, or other data, from
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`one location to another. For example, the carriers can utilize bands around 800 MHz, 850 MHz,
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`900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, or other frequencies as defined by standards or governing
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`bodies. Commonly used techniques for wireless communication include CDMA, TDMA, or
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`FDMA. Each carrier can utilize one or more carrier channels within the frequency bands to data
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`other data, for their services.
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`[0003] Unfortunately, geography of an area can severely limit the range in with wireless devices
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`can operate and the efficiency of the bands. The industry has responded by providing various
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`cell networks to provide coverage for their services. In some deployments, remote transceiver
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`units (RTU) provide coverage for a cell area. The RTUs communicate with remote a base
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`station, which can forward data in the channels to other locales or interact with user equipment.
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`The base station can also receive and digitize signals, which can then be forwarded one to the
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`RTUs. Frequently, the RTUS lack wireless line—of—sight to the base stations due to geography.
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`Rather than RTUs and base stations interacting wirelessly, they communicate with each other by
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`digitized data over a backhaul fiber optic link.
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`[0004] Known carrier transport systems comprise terminals that digitize entire bands regardless
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`of the carrier channels within in the band to ensure the terminals can operate with multiple
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`carriers or standards. Such systems offer flexibility, but lack fine grained control over carrier
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`channels, which results in many deficiencies. For example, a backhaul link can become
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`unnecessarily congested because an entire band is digitized as opposed to only active carrier
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`channels. Furthermore, such systems also lack the ability to allocate carrier channels from one
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`cell region to another in response to various events or conditions.
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`[0005] A better carrier channel transport system would allow fine grained control over carrier
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`channels from a single band or multiple bands by splitting carrier channels from their bands and
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`JMA v. Dali
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`JMA EX1010
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`DocketNo: 101781.0001PROl
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`routing the channels to RTUs as desired. Thus, there is still a need for a carrier channel
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`distribution system.
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`Summary of the Invention and Preferred Embodiment
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`[0006] The present inventive subject matter is drawn to systems, configurations, and methods of
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`providing a carrier channel distribution system where carrier channels can be routed as desired to
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`remote units.
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`[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic of an environment where a carrier channel distribution system
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`could be deployed. A base transceiver station (BTS) communicatively couples to one or more
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`remote cell regions via one or more host units using physical communication links. In a
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`preferred embodiment, a BTS is adapted to transmit and receive digitized signals from carrier
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`channels within one or more bands. The host units relay digitized signals between a BTS and
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`remote transceiver units (RTUs) within the remote cell regions using the physical links,
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`preferably fiber optic links. Preferred distribution systems support technologies or protocols
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`including GSM, EDGE, CDMA, WCDMA, WiMAX, or other wireless technologies.
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`[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the communication links between the BTS and remote units
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`employ one or more standards to exchange digitized signals. Suitable standards include those
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`based on the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI; http://www.cpri.info), the Open Base
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`Station Architecture Initiative (OBSAI; http://www.obsai.org), or other known standards or those
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`yet to be defined.
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`[0009] One should note that the number of elements within the contemplated system can vary to
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`match any requirements for a communication system. For example, the number of RTUs within
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`a remote region can vary, the number of host units can very, the number of BTS can vary, or the
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`number of links among the various elements can vary.
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`[0010] In a preferred embodiment, an RTS is geographically separated from a BTS by at least 10
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`Km. It is also contemplated that a single host unit associated with a BTS could link to two or
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`more RTUs that are also geographically separated from each other by at least 10 Km.
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`Docket No: 101781.0001PR01
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`[0011] Figure 2 provides a more detailed schematic of an exemplary embodiment of the
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`inventive subject matter. A preferred carrier channel distribution system includes a multi-band
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`transceiver that can include one or more BTS. Each BTS can, itself, be a transceiver receptive to
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`a different band. Each band can comprise one or more carrier channels as represented by blocks
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`1 through l2 in bands 1 to 3 of Figure 2.
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`[0012] The signals within the channels from the various bands are sent through a band matrix
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`switch operating as combiner/splitter, preferably an analog combiner/splitter. In a preferred
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`embodiment, the switch can split carrier channels into individual channels or groups of channels.
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`The switch can route the carrier channels to an appropriate local host unit for further distribution.
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`Furthermore, the switch can also receive digitized signals from the host units and can combine
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`the signals back into their proper form for delivery back to the BTS. For example, the switch
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`could route channel 1 from band 1 to a first host unit while routing channel 2 from band 1 to a
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`second host unit where both channel 1 and 2 originate from the same band. It is contemplated
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`that different carrier channels from different bands can also be treated separately and routed as
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`desired. Such an approach provides for allocating carrier channels to various remote regions to
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`ensure proper coverage given various conditions. Contemplated conditions that could affect
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`coverage include usage, load, weather, events, or other circumstances that could affect how
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`channels are used.
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`[0013] Routing of carrier channels can be achieved through the use of a policy that defines a set
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`of rules governing the behavior of the switch. In some embodiments, the policy allocates carrier
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`channels for a specified time period. For example, one region having a significant number of
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`commercial businesses could be allocated a large number of channels during business hours
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`while a residential region might have a smaller number of channels during the same time frame.
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`Specifically contemplated rules include load balancing rules, or even event—based rules (e.g.,
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`sporting events, trade shows, weather, emergency, etc...) to ensure sufficient service coverage
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`over the regions as conditions change. In a preferred embodiment, the system operates in a
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`programmatic fashion to automatically allocate channels according to the policy.
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`[0014] Each host unit can couple to the switch to send or receive channel signals. In a preferred
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`embodiment, the host units are configured to optimally digitize desirable channels as opposed to
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`Docket No: 101781.0001PROl
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`a complete band. For example with respect to illustrated band 2, a host unit can digitize a
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`portion of the band that is less than the full width of the band and that only corresponding to an
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`envelope around one or more carrier channels (e.g., an envelope around channels 5 and 6 and/or
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`an envelope around channels 7 — 9). Additionally, the host unit preferably filters out unused
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`white space within the band to reduce bandwidth utilization on the links between the host units
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`and RTUs. The host unit preferably serializes the digitized channels and sends the digitized data
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`over communications links to one or more RTUs. As previously discussed, preferred links
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`utilize a standard to exchange data (e.g., CPRI, OBSAI, etc. . .). One should appreciate that the
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`host unit can operate bi-directionally where it can received digitized data, de-serialize the data,
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`restore the analog signals, and send the signals back to the switch within their proper channels.
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`[0015] The carrier channels within the system are distributed to the RTUs via the host units.
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`One acceptable means for distributing channels includes a host unit communicating with
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`multiple RTUs in simulcast configuration. Each of the RTUs in the simulcast configuration can
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`equally send or receive data on the channels and communicate back with the host unit. Another
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`acceptable means for distributing carrier channels includes a host unit communicating with a first
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`RTU which then communicates with another RTU, where the RTUs are in a cascade
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`configuration.
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`[0016] Figure 3 provides a more detailed schematic of an exemplary host unit.
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`[0017] Figure 4 provides a more detailed schematic of an exemplary remote unit capable of
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`operating as an RTU.
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`[0018] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides
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`those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The
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`inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended
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`claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be
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`interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms
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`“comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or
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`steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps
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`may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not
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`expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected
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`DocketNo: 101781.0001PR01
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`from the group consisting of A, B, C
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`and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only
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`one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
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`DocketNo: 101781.0001PR01
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`What is claimed is:
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`CLAIMS
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`1. A carrier channel distribution system, comprising:
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`a multi-band transceiver capable of receiving a first band and a second band where each
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`band includes a plurality of carrier channels;
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`a multi-band matrix switch coupled to the multi-band transceiver;
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`a first and a second host unit coupled to the matrix switch and where the first host unit is
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`coupled to a first remote unit and the second host unit is coupled to a second,
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`different remote unit; and
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`wherein in the matrix switch routes a first carrier channel of the plurality of carrier
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`channels from the multi-band transceiver to the first remote unit and routes a
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`second carrier channel of the plurality of carrier channels from the multi-band
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`transceiver to the second remote unit.
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`2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first host unit is geographically separated from the first
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`remote unit.
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`3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first remote unit and the second remote unit are
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`geographically separated.
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`4. The system of claim 1, wherein the matrix switch comprises an analog band combiner/splitter.
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`5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first host unit couples to the first remote unit via an optic
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`fiber connection.
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`6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first host unit couples to a plurality of remote units.
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`7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of remote units form a simulcast configuration.
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`8. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of remote units from a cascade configuration.
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`9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and the second carrier channels originate from the
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`same band.
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`DocketNo: 101781.0001PR01
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`10. The system of claim 9, wherein the matrix switch is configured to allocate the first carrier
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`channel to the first remote unit and the second carrier channel to the second remote unit for a
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`time period according to a policy.
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`11. The system of claim 10, wherein the matrix switch is configured to automatically allocate
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`the carriers channels.
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`12. The system of claim 10, wherein the policy includes load balancing rules.
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`13. The system of claim 10, wherein the policy includes event based rules.
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`14. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-band transceiver comprises at least two
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`transceivers where each of the transceivers operates on a different band.
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`15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first host unit is adapted to digitize a portion of the first
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`band that is less than the full width of the band.
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`16. The system of claim 15, wherein the portion of the first band envelopes a set of carrier
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`channels within the band.
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`17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first host unit is further adapted to filter out white space
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`within the band.
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`18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first host unit is further adapted to serialize the portion
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`of the first band with other digitized portions from other bands.
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`

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`Docket No: 101781.0001PR01
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`ABSTRACT
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`Carrier channel distribution systems are presented. Wireless carrier channels can be split
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`from their respective bands and can be allocated among remote transceiver units to ensure proper
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`coverage for wireless services. Carrier channels can be allocated individually or as a group.
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`

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`Docket No: 101781.0001PR01
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