TDD repeater

• US 20070015462A1
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Kenneth, Dean, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15557 Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode

Abstract

A repeater that facilitates communication in a wireless environment comprises a scheduling component that analyzes a schedule relating to when communications are active in the forward link direction and when communications are active in the reverse link direction, the communications are subject to time division duplexing. An amplifier that amplifies received communications as a function of the schedule. The repeater can further comprise a configuration component that configures the amplifier to amplify the received communications in one or more of a forward link direction and a reverse link direction.

Claims

1. A method for bi-directionally amplifying communications between a base station and a user terminal in a TDD wireless environment, comprising:

providing a repeater with a TDD communications schedule between the base station and the user terminal; and

selectively amplifying communications in one or more of a forward link direction and a reverse link direction based at least in part upon the schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating sensors with the repeater that obtain data relating to position of the repeater; and

altering the schedule as a function of the obtained data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communications in the forward link direction; and

configuring an amplifier associated with the repeater to amplify the received communications in the forward link direction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communications in the reverse link direction; and

configuring an amplifier associated with the repeater to amplify the received communications in the reverse link direction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dedicating an amplifier to amplify communications in the forward link direction; and

providing power to the amplifier as a function of the schedule.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dedicating an amplifier to amplify communication in the reverse link direction; and

providing power to the amplifier as a function of the schedule.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring an amplifier associated with the repeater to intermittently amplify communications in the forward link direction and intermittently amplify communications in the reverse link direction according to the schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring the amplifier comprises connecting RF switches in one of the forward link direction and the reverse link direction according to the schedule.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the repeater, the configuring comprising;

associating the repeater with functionality similar to that associated with the user terminal; and

utilizing the functionality to receive the communications schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring an amplifier to amplify the communications according to the schedule.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting the schedule as a function of location of the repeater with respect to one or more of a base station and a user terminal.

12. A repeater apparatus for utilization in a time-division duplex (TDD) wireless environment, comprising:

means for determining a communication schedule between a base station and a user terminal in the TDD wireless environment; and

means for amplifying communications between the base station and the user terminal.

13. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, the user terminal is one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a wristwatch.

14. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, the communication is a voice signal.

15. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, the communication is a computer-related data signal.

16. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, the communication is a combination of a voice signal and a computer-related data signal.

17. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving the communication schedule between the base station and the user terminal in the TDD environment; and

means for amplifying the communications as a function of the received schedule.

18. The repeater apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for storing the schedule; and

means for analyzing the schedule.

19. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for sensing parameters associated with the repeater apparatus; and

means for amplifying the communications as a function of the sensed parameters.

20. The repeater apparatus of claim 19, the parameters are one or more of location of the repeater apparatus, velocity associated with the repeater apparatus, acceleration associated with the repeater apparatus, direction of travel associated with the repeater apparatus, and elevation of the repeater apparatus.

21. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for configuring a first amplifier to amplify signals in a forward link direction;

means for utilizing the first amplifier to amplify signals in the forward link direction;

means for configuring a second amplifier to amplify signals in a reverse link direction; and

means for utilizing the amplifier to amplify signals in the reverse link direction.

22. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for configuring an amplifier to amplify signals in a forward link direction and a reverse link direction as a function of the schedule.

23. The repeater apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for connecting amplifier stages as a function of the schedule.

24. The repeater apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for sensing that a received signal is traveling in one of a forward link direction and a reverse link direction; and

means for amplifying the received signal as a function of the sensed direction of travel.

25. A repeater that facilitates communication in a wireless environment, comprising:

a scheduling component that analyzes a schedule relating to when communications are active in the forward link direction and when communications are active in the reverse link direction, the communications are subject to time division duplexing; and

an amplifier that amplifies received communications as a function of the schedule.

26. The repeater of claim 25, further comprising an interface component that monitors communications between a base station and a user terminal and detects transmission of the schedule.

27. The repeater of claim 26, further comprising an antenna that receives the schedule.

28. The repeater of claim 25, further comprising a configuration component that configures the amplifier to amplify the received communications in one or more of a forward link direction and a reverse link direction.

29. The repeater of claim 28, the configuration component selectively couples an RF switch to an appropriate amplifier stage as a function of the schedule.

30. The repeater of claim 25, further comprising a compensation component that modifies the schedule as a function of sensed parameters relating to the repeater.

31. The repeater of claim 30, the sensed parameters are associated with one or more of location of the repeater, velocity of the repeater, location of a base station, location of a user terminal, direction of travel of the repeater, acceleration of the repeater, and elevation of the repeater.

32. The repeater of claim 30, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) sensor that senses location of the repeater.

33. The repeater of claim 25, the wireless communication environment is one of a TD-SCDMA environment and a TD-CDMA environment.

34. The repeater of claim 25, further comprising an antenna that is tuned to receive the schedule.

35. The repeater of claim 34, further comprising:

a data store that retains the received schedule; and

a processor that facilitates configuration of the amplifier in accordance with the schedule.

36. The repeater of claim 25, the repeater is a mobile terminal.

37. The repeater of claim 25, the wireless communication environment is TD-SCDMA.

38. A system that facilitates communication in a wireless environment, comprising:

a base station that publishes a schedule for communications with a user terminal in accordance with a TDD protocol; and

a repeater that receives the schedule and amplifies communications between the base station and the user terminal in accordance with the schedule.

39. The system of claim 38, the wireless environment is a time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) environment.

40. The system of claim 38, the base station publishes a schedule for communications with a plurality of user terminals in accordance with a TDD protocol, and the repeater amplifies communications between the base station and the plurality of user terminals in accordance with the schedule.

41. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for:

recognizing control instructions published by a base station relating to a communication schedule between the base station and a user terminal, the schedule is in conformance with a TDD protocol; and

configuring an amplifier to amplify a signal that is desirably transmitted between the base station and the mobile unit as a function of the control instructions.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising computer-executable instructions for connecting an RF switch to an amplifier stage as a function of the control instructions.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising computer-executable instructions for selectively providing power to an amplifier as a function of the control instructions.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising computer-executable instructions for modifying the schedule as a function of sensed parameters associated with a repeater.

45. A microprocessor that executes instructions for amplifying a signal, the instructions comprising:

recognizing a communications schedule in a TDD wireless environment; and

configuring an amplifier in accordance with the recognized communications schedule.