Method and system for deploying a wireless repeater

• US 20060046646A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Couper, Christopher C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04

Abstract

A method (200) of dynamically deploying wireless repeaters in a communication network can include establishing (205) a first wireless repeater serving as a communication node, evaluating (210) quality of a signal dynamically among at least one additional repeater being deployed in the communication network and the communication node, and selectively entering (215) a vertical unit in one of the additional repeaters being deployed. Evaluating the quality can include measuring (211) a signal strength from other repeaters in the communication system or measuring (212) a signal strength from a nearest repeater among the other repeaters in the system. Evaluating can also include pinging (213) the communication node. The vertical units can be entered as an input using any number of input devices including, but not limited to a keypad, a rotary switch (22 and 24), a voice recognition system or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically deploying wireless repeaters in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first wireless repeater serving as a communication node;

evaluating quality of a signal dynamically among the first wireless repeater and at least one additional repeater dynamically deployed in the communication network;

selectively entering a vertical unit for signal reception in at least one of the additional repeaters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional repeaters comprises a plurality of repeaters comprising said repeater in which the vertical unit is selectively entered and at least one other repeater in the communication network, and wherein said step of evaluating the quality comprises the step of measuring a signal strength from at least one of the other repeaters in the communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of evaluating the quality comprises the step of measuring a signal strength from a nearest repeater among the other repeaters in the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the quality comprises the step of pinging the communication node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the quality is performed in a survey mode of the repeater in which the vertical unit is selectively entered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the vertical unit, comprises entering an input using an input device selected from at least one of the group consisting of a keypad, a rotary switch, a touch screen, a slider switch, and a voice recognition system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the vertical unit comprises selectively entering a floor level.

8. A dynamically deployable wireless repeater in a communication network, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is programmed to;

evaluate a quality of a signal dynamically between the transceiver and a first repeater in the communication network serving as a communication node and between the transceiver and at least one other repeater dynamically deployed in the communication network; and

selectively receive and store an input indicative of a vertical unit.

9. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor evaluates the quality by measuring a signal strength from said at least one other repeater in the communication network.

10. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor evaluates the quality by measuring a signal strength from a nearest repeater among the at least one other repeater in the communication network.

11. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor evaluates the quality by pinging the communication node.

12. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor evaluates the quality in a survey mode of the repeater.

13. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor selectively receives input indicative of the vertical unit by using at least one input device selected from the group consisting of a keypad, a rotary switch, a touch screen, a slider switch, and a voice recognition system.

14. The repeater of claim 8, wherein the processor selectively enters the vertical unit by selectively entering a floor level.

15. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

establishing a first wireless repeater serving as a communication node;

evaluating quality of a signal dynamically the first wireless repeater and at least one additional repeater dynamically deployed in the communication network;

selectively entering a vertical unit signal reception in at least one of the additional repeaters.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein the at least one additional repeaters comprises a plurality of repeaters comprising said repeater in which the vertical unit is selectively entered and at least one other repeater in the communication network, and wherein the machine-readable storage further comprises code sections for causing the machine to evaluate the quality by measuring a signal strength from at least on of the other repeaters in the communication network.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 16, wherein the machine-readable storage further comprises code sections for causing the machine to evaluate the quality by measuring a signal strength from a nearest repeater among the other repeaters in the communication network.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable storage further comprises code sections for causing the machine to evaluate the quality by pinging the communication node.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable storage further comprises code sections for causing the machine to evaluate the quality using a survey mode of the repeater in which the vertical unit is selectively entered.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable storage further comprises code sections for causing the machine to selectively enter the vertical unit by selectively entering a floor level.