Wireless Indoor Communications Using an Optical Highway

The wireless indoor communications system employing an optical backboneprovides an economic and flexible approach for local area networks in officebuildings. In this approach the wireless communication serves small picocellsthat are interconnected by optical highways. The performance of the system isenhanced by assigning specific subcarriers for the individual picocells whichenables the transmission of the radio channels without altering theirmodulation format. The reception is simplified by a direct optical-microwavemixing method providing simultaneous optical detection and frequency shifting.This method allows for simple and cost-effective radio nodes.