Das Management by Radio Access Network Node

1. A host unit for use within a distributed antenna system having a plurality of antenna units configured for communicatively coupling with the host unit over communication links, the host unit comprising: at least one radio access network node; a host unit configured to communicate with the at least one radio access network node; a plurality of antenna units configured to communicate with the host unit; circuitry wherein the host unit is configured to: communicate radio access network signals with the at least one radio access network node, the radio access network signals including an analog version versions of a radio frequency signal signals modulated with at least one of an over-the-air radio access modulation protocol or digital samples corresponding to a the radio frequency signal signals modulated with an the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; convert between the radio access network signals and respective transport signals; communicate the transport signals with the plurality of antenna units, wherein the transport signals include at least one of the radio access network signals or signals converted from the radio access network signals; and send management information to the at least one radio access network node,; wherein the at least one radio access network node is configured to: manage the radio frequency signals based on the management information; and wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to: convert between the transport signals and the radio frequency signals modulated with the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol,; and to wireless wirelessly communicate with at least one wireless device using the radio frequency signals.

2. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to: receive a request for the management information from the at least one radio access network node, wherein the request is generated by the at least one radio access network node; and send the management information in response to the request for the management information.

3. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio access network signals are communicated in conformance with the common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol; and wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to send the management information via a control channel of a CPRI implemented by the host unit.

4. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio access network signals are an analog version of the radio frequency signals; and wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to receive the a request for the management information via an out-of-band signal from the radio frequency signals.

5. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to: send the management information to the at least one radio access network node via an auxiliary interface between the host unit and the at least one radio access network node.

6. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary interface is an antenna integrated services group (AISG) interface.

7. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an Ethernet interface.

8. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the management information includes at least one of a status of the distributed antenna system, performance information related to the distributed antenna system, or configuration information for the distributed antenna system.

9. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 8, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of: whether the distributed antenna system is deployed in a star, ring, tree and branch, or daisy-chain topology; the a transmit power level of at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units; the a transmit frequency of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units; the a receive frequency of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units; the a transport delay between the host unit and the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units; the a timing of reception; the a timing of transmission; a location of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units; and status and performance information for the distributed antenna system such as a location of a mobile device within range of the distributed antenna system, a measured transmit power of a signal transmitted by an the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units, a measured receive power of a signal received at an the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units from a the mobile device, a power consumption of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units, a temperature of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units, and a health of the at least one antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units.

10. A host unit for use within a distributed antenna system having a plurality of antenna units configured for communicatively coupling with the host unit over communication links, the host unit comprising: at least one radio access network node configured to generate a command; a host unit configured to communicate with the at least one radio access network node; a plurality of antenna units configured to communicate with the host unit; circuitry wherein the host unit is configured to: communicate radio access network signals with the at least one radio access network node, the radio access network signals including an analog version versions of a radio frequency signal signals modulated with at least one of an over-the-air radio access modulation protocol or digital samples corresponding to a the radio frequency signal signals modulated with an the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; convert between the radio access network signals and respective transport signals; communicate the transport signals with the plurality of antenna units, wherein the transport signals include at least one of the radio access network signals or signals converted from the radio access network signals; and receive a the command from the at least one radio access network node via an auxiliary interface between the host unit and the at least one radio access network node, wherein the command is generated by the at least one radio access network node; adjust operation of the distributed antenna system in response to the command; and wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to: convert between the transport signals and the radio frequency signals modulated with the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol,; and to wireless wirelessly communicate with at least one wireless device using the radio frequency signals.

11. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the radio access network signals are communicated in conformance with the common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol; and wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to receive the command via a control channel of a CPRI implemented by the host unit.

12. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the radio access network signals are an analog version of the radio frequency signals; and wherein the circuitry host unit is configured to receive the command via an out-of-band signal from the radio frequency signals.

13. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary interface is an antenna integrated services group (AISG) interface.

14. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary interface is one of a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an Ethernet interface.

15. The host unit distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the command includes at least one of a command to: enable at least one of the plurality of antenna units; disable the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; set a transmission power level of the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; select an antenna for use at the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; set a transmission frequency of the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; set a reception frequency of the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; set a transport delay between the at least one radio access network node and the at least one of the plurality of antenna units, set a timing of transmission; set a timing of reception, set a location of the at least one of the plurality of antenna units; and set a direction for an the antenna at the at least one of the plurality of antenna units.

16. A method for communication between a host unit of a distributed antenna system and an external baseband unit, the method comprising: communicating radio access network signals between the host unit and at least one radio access network node, the radio access network signals including at least one of an analog version versions of a radio frequency signal signals modulated with an over-the-air radio access modulation protocol or digital samples corresponding to a the radio frequency signal signals modulated with an over-the air the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; converting between the radio access network signals and respective transport signals at the host unit; communicating the transport signals between the host unit and the a plurality of antenna units, wherein the transport signals include at least one of the radio access network signals or signals converted from the radio access network signals, wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to convert between the transport signals and the radio frequency signals modulated with the over-the-air cellular radio access modulation protocol, and to transmit and receive the radio frequency signals; and sending management information from the host unit to the at least one radio access network node via an auxiliary interface, wherein the at least one radio access network node is configured to manage the radio frequency signals based on the management information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein sending management information from the host note to the at least one radio access network node occurs via an auxiliary interface between the host node and the at least one radio access network node.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising: at the host unit, receiving a request for the management information from the at least one radio access network node.

19. A method for communication between a host unit of a distributed antenna system and an external baseband unit, the method comprising: communicating radio access network signals between the host unit and at least one radio access network node, the radio access network signals including an analog version versions of a radio frequency signal signals modulated with an over-the-air radio access modulation protocol or digital samples corresponding to a the radio frequency signal signals modulated with an the over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; converting between radio access network signals and respective transport signals at the host unit; communicating the transport signals between the host unit and the a plurality of antenna units, wherein the transport signals include at least one of the radio access network signals or signals converted from the radio access network signals, wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to convert between the transport signals and the radio frequency signals modulated with the over-the-air cellular radio access modulation protocol and to transmit and receive the radio frequency signals; receiving a command from the at least one radio access network node at the host unit via an auxiliary interface between the host unit and the at least one radio access network node, wherein the command is generated by the at least one radio access network node; and adjusting operation of the distributed antenna system in response to the command.

20. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configured to: convert between the radio access network signals and the transport signals.

21. The distributed antenna system of claim 1, wherein the host unit is configured to: communicate a first radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a first radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the first radio access network signal including first digital samples corresponding to a first radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a first over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; communicate a second radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a second radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the second radio access network signal including an analog version of a second radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a second over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; and convert between the second radio access network signal and a transport signal of the transport signals.

22. The distributed antenna system of claim 21, wherein the host unit is configured to convert between the second radio access network signal and the transport signal of the transport signals at least in part through analog to digital conversion of the analog version of the first radio frequency signal to second digital samples.

23. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the host unit is configured to: convert between the radio access network signals and the transport signals.

24. The distributed antenna system of claim 10, wherein the host unit is configured to: communicate a first radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a first radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the first radio access network signal including first digital samples corresponding to a first radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a first over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; communicate a second radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a second radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the second radio access network signal including an analog version of a second radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a second over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; and convert between the second radio access network signal and a transport signal of the transport signals.

25. The distributed antenna system of claim 24, wherein the host unit is configured to convert between the second radio access network signal and the transport signal of the transport signals at least in part through analog to digital conversion of the analog version of the first radio frequency signal to second digital samples.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising: converting between the radio access network signals and the transport signals at the host unit.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising: communicating a first radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a first radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the first radio access network signal including first digital samples corresponding to a first radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a first over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; communicating a second radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a second radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the second radio access network signal including an analog version of a second radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a second over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; and converting between the second radio access network signal and a transport signal of the transport signals.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein converting between the second radio access network signal and the transport signal of the transport signals includes analog to digital conversion of the analog version of the first radio frequency signal to second digital samples.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising: converting between the radio access network signals and the transport signals at the host unit.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising: communicating a first radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a first radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the first radio access network signal including first digital samples corresponding to a first radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a first over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; communicating a second radio access network signal of the radio access network signals with a second radio access network node of the at least one radio access network node, the second radio access network signal including an analog version of a second radio frequency signal of the radio frequency signals modulated with a second over-the-air radio access modulation protocol; and converting between the second radio access network signal and a transport signal of the transport signals.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein converting between the second radio access network signal and the transport signal of the transport signals includes analog to digital conversion of the analog version of the first radio frequency signal to second digital samples.