Physical layer repeater configuration for increasing MIMO performance

• US 20060193271A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WiDeFi Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr., Otto, James C., Gainey, Kenneth M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,059,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/294
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0044 Control loops for carrier regulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/24 Relay circuits using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices H04L25/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless network includes at least one Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless network station and two or more physical layer repeaters. Each of the physical layer repeaters is for receiving a wireless signal to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station and re-transmitting the wireless signal while continuing to receive the wireless signal. The repeaters may be either frequency translating repeaters or non-frequency translating repeaters.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

at least one Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless network station;

two or more physical layer repeaters each for receiving wireless signal to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station and each for re-transmitting the wireless signal while continuing to receive the wireless signal.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the at least one MIMO wireless network station and the two or more physical layer repeaters operate on an 802.11n protocol.

3. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the two or more physical layer repeaters are each for receiving a wireless signal to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station on a first frequency and are each for synchronously re-transmitting the wireless signal while continuing to receive the wireless signal on a second frequency.

4. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the two or more physical layer repeaters are time division duplex (TDD) repeaters.

5. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the two or more division duplex (TDD) repeaters are each for receiving the wireless signals to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station and are each for re-transmitting the wireless signals in a synchronized manner when operating in a translating mode.

6. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the two or more division duplex (TDD) repeaters are each for receiving the wireless signals to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station and are each for re-transmitting the wireless signals in a synchronized manner when operating in a non-frequency translating mode.

7. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the two or more physical layer repeaters are frequency division duplex (FDD) repeaters.

8. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the two or more physical layer repeaters are non-frequency translating repeaters.

9. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration, comprising:

a first TDD wireless repeater capable of recognizing that it is operating in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless network;

a second TDD wireless repeater spatially separated from the first TDD wireless repeater;

wherein

the first TDD wireless repeater is capable of identifying a presence of the second TDD wireless repeater, entering into a mode with the second TDD wireless repeater to receive wireless transmissions in a synchronous manner with the second TDD wireless repeater on a same first frequency, and of re-transmitting the wireless transmissions in a manner that is synchronous with the second TDD wireless repeater on a same second frequency.

10. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 9, wherein the first TDD wireless repeater comprises a master repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater comprises a slave repeater.

11. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the master repeater is for re-transmitting the wireless transmissions independently of the slave repeater, and the slave repeater is for re-transmitting the wireless transmissions only after re-transmission of the wireless transmissions by the master repeater.

12. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 11, wherein the master repeater is for communicating a master/slave protocol to the slave repeater that activates the slave repeater in a slave mode.

13. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the slave repeater includes an oscillation detection circuit for identifying when a frequency translation direction is erroneously chosen by the master repeater and for terminating re-transmission of the wireless transmissions.

14. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the slave repeater is for re-transmitting the wireless transmissions during periods of MIMO operation as designated by MIMO device generated messages, and the master repeater is for re-transmitting the wireless transmissions during both MIMO and non-MIMO periods of operation.

15. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater comprise a first TDD frequency translating wireless repeater and a second TDD frequency translating wireless repeater.

16. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the master repeater comprises a repeater that is first to be activated, or a repeater having the strongest signal power with respect to a MIMO base station.

17. The TDD wireless repeater configuration of claim 10, wherein the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater comprise a first TDD non-frequency translating wireless repeater and a second TDD non-frequency translating wireless repeater.

18. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration, comprising:

a first TDD wireless repeater capable of detecting transmissions from Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) enabled devices in a wireless network;

a second TDD wireless repeater also capable of detecting the transmissions from the MIMO enabled devices;

wherein

the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater begin to re-transmit in a synchronous mode with one another upon at least one of the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater detecting the transmissions from the MIMO enabled devices.

19. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration, comprising:

a first TDD wireless repeater capable of detecting transmissions from Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) enabled devices in a wireless network;

a second TDD wireless repeater also capable of detecting the transmissions from the MIMO enabled devices;

wherein;

the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater begin to re-transmit in a synchronous mode with one another upon at least one of the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater detecting the transmissions from the MIMO enabled devices; and

the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater configured to;

detect a frequency offset between a frequency associated with the detected transmissions and a respective local frequency reference; and

compensate for the frequency offset by adjusting the local frequency reference to reduce the frequency offset.

20. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration in accordance with claim 19, wherein the local frequency reference includes one of:

a local oscillator, a tunable synthesizer, and a voltage controlled oscillator.

21. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration in accordance with claim 19, wherein the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater in detecting, are further configured to process an output of a MODEM section associated with the frequency offset.

22. A time division duplex (TDD) wireless repeater configuration in accordance with claim 19, wherein the first TDD wireless repeater and the second TDD wireless repeater in compensating, are further configured to input the frequency offset to a closed loop correction circuit coupled to the local frequency reference.