Repeater system for strong signal environments
First Claim
1. A repeater for a 2-way mobile communication system having a plurality of base stations and subscriber units that communicate via RF signals, comprising:
- a base-side antenna that is directed toward at least one of the base stations to receive transmitted RF signals from the base station, the antenna generating a received downlink signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received downlink signal, the amplifier amplifying the level of the received downlink signal to generate an amplified downlink signal; and
a subscriber-side antenna located proximate to the base-side antenna, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified downlink signal, the subscriber-side antenna transmitting RF signals representative of the amplified downlink signal within a local area to subscriber units located nearby;
wherein the repeater operates in the downlink direction between the base station and the subscriber units near the repeater; and
said repeater further including amplification in the uplink direction which is substantially less than the amplification used in the downlink, comprising;
a subscriber-side antenna receiving RF signals within a local area from subscriber units located nearby, the antenna generating an uplink received signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received uplink signal, the amplifier amplifying the received uplink signal by a substantially smaller level then used in the downlink, and which generates an amplified uplink signal; and
a base-side antenna that is directed toward at least one of the base stations, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified uplink signal, and which transmits RF signals representative of the amplified uplink signal to the base station;
wherein the repeater operates in the uplink direction between the subscriber and the base station units near the repeater and the presence of the repeater in the downlink and uplink directions causes an intentional imbalance in total losses between the downlink and the uplink, in order to provide for signal enhancement in both uplink and downlink over an equivalent coverage area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A repeater system combines co-located antennas, an intentional imbalance in signal amplification between downlink and uplink, stability management and an amplification indicator to create a user-installed solution to co-channel interference within cellular systems, in strong signal environments such as elevated locations or high-rise building. The invention may be particularly relevant to cellular systems, such as CDMA, that allow limited imbalance between uplink and downlink path losses, thus enabling the design of an inexpensive repeater with a weaker or non-existent uplink, and which creates moderate signal amplification for selected line-of-sight signals, defeating co-channel interference over a small area. The difference in signal amplification on the downlink and uplink is maintained at a level below the capacity of the system to support imbalance, guaranteeing reliable cellular calls.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A repeater for a 2-way mobile communication system having a plurality of base stations and subscriber units that communicate via RF signals, comprising:
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a base-side antenna that is directed toward at least one of the base stations to receive transmitted RF signals from the base station, the antenna generating a received downlink signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received downlink signal, the amplifier amplifying the level of the received downlink signal to generate an amplified downlink signal; and
a subscriber-side antenna located proximate to the base-side antenna, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified downlink signal, the subscriber-side antenna transmitting RF signals representative of the amplified downlink signal within a local area to subscriber units located nearby;
wherein the repeater operates in the downlink direction between the base station and the subscriber units near the repeater; and
said repeater further including amplification in the uplink direction which is substantially less than the amplification used in the downlink, comprising;
a subscriber-side antenna receiving RF signals within a local area from subscriber units located nearby, the antenna generating an uplink received signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received uplink signal, the amplifier amplifying the received uplink signal by a substantially smaller level then used in the downlink, and which generates an amplified uplink signal; and
a base-side antenna that is directed toward at least one of the base stations, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified uplink signal, and which transmits RF signals representative of the amplified uplink signal to the base station;
wherein the repeater operates in the uplink direction between the subscriber and the base station units near the repeater and the presence of the repeater in the downlink and uplink directions causes an intentional imbalance in total losses between the downlink and the uplink, in order to provide for signal enhancement in both uplink and downlink over an equivalent coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A repeater system for a 2-way mobile communication system having a plurality of base stations and subscriber units that communicate via RF signals, comprising:
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a first repeater including;
a base-side antenna that is directed toward at least one of the base stations to receive transmitted RF signals from the base station, the antenna generating a received downlink signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received downlink signal, the amplifier amplifying the level of the received downlink signal to generate an amplified downlink signal; and
a subscriber-side antenna located proximate to the base-side antenna, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified downlink signal, the subscriber-side antenna transmitting RF signals representative of the amplified downlink signal within a local area;
a second repeater including;
a base-side antenna that is directed toward the first repeater to receive transmitted RF signals from the first repeater, the antenna generating a received downlink signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received downlink signal, the amplifier amplifying the level of the received downlink signal to generate an amplified downlink signal; and
a subscriber-side antenna located proximate to the base-side antenna, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified downlink signal, the subscriber-side antenna transmitting RF signals representative of the amplified downlink signal within a local area to subscriber units located nearby;
wherein the second repeater operates in the downlink direction between the base station and the local area; and
said second repeater further including amplification in the uplink direction which is substantially less than the amplification used in the downlink, wherein the subscriber-side antenna of the second repeater receives RF signals within a local area from subscriber units located nearby, the antenna generating an uplink received signal therefrom, wherein the amplifier of the second repeater is receptive of the received uplink signal, the amplifier amplifying the received uplink signal by a substantially smaller level then used in the downlink and generating an amplified uplink signal, and wherein the base-side antenna of the second repeater is directed generally toward at least one of the base stations, the base-side antenna being receptive of the amplified uplink signal and transmitting RF signals representative of the amplified uplink signal to the at least one of the base stations;
wherein the second repeater operates in the uplink direction between the subscriber and the first repeater and the presence of the second repeater in the downlink and uplink directions causes an intentional imbalance in total losses between the downlink and the uplink, in order to provide for signal enhancement in both uplink and downlink over an equivalent coverage area.
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21. A repeater for a mobile communication system having a plurality of base stations and subscriber units that communicate via RF signals, comprising:
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a base-side antenna that is directed toward one of the base stations to receive transmitted RF signals from the base station, the base-side antenna generating a received signal therefrom;
an amplifier receptive of the received signal, the amplifier amplifying the level of the received signal to generate an amplified signal, the amplifier including circuitry therein to substantially prevent saturation by incrementing the magnitude of amplification toward an oscillation condition and testing for same; and
a subscriber-side antenna located proximate to the base-side antenna, the subscriber-side antenna being receptive of the amplified signal, the subscriber-side antenna transmitting RF signals within a local area to subscriber units located nearby. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for substantially eliminating co-channel interference in a local area containing subscriber units receiving adequate signals from a plurality of base stations, comprising:
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co-locating a subscriber-side antenna and a base-side antenna within an environment receiving signals of adequate signal strength from multiple base stations to provide downlink amplification and substantially lower uplink amplification, wherein the lower level of uplink amplification substantially reduces the risk of creating interference to the same communication system or to other communication systems. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification