Wireless repeater with master/slave configuration

• US 20080013473A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WiDeFi Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, James, Otto, James, Gainey, Kenneth, Lamont, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A wireless repeater extends a coverage area of a wireless network base station within a structure or facility. The repeater includes a master unit for wirelessly communicating with the wireless network base station and a slave unit for wirelessly communicating with one or more subscriber terminals. The master unit is connected to the slave unit through new or existing wiring in the structure to enable the master unit to transmit wireless signals to the slave unit on a downlink transport frequency and to receive wireless signals from the slave unit on an uplink transport frequency in a manner that is transparent to the wireless base station and the subscriber terminals.

Claims

1. In a repeater for augmenting wireless network communication coverage in a facility, a master unit coupled to at least one slave unit via wiring in the facility, the master unit comprising:

a processor configured to generate master slave communication protocol (MSCP) packets;

a transceiver coupled to the processor for sending and receiving wireless signals to and from a wireless base station associated with a wireless communication network, the transceiver further for sending and receiving the wireless signals and the MSCP packets on a downlink transport frequency to the slave unit and on an uplink transport frequency from the slave unit over the wiring in the facility.

2. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the MSCP packets include operating parameters and notification of a downlink gap transmission time to be sent to the slave unit for configuring the slave unit.

3. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

puncture the wireless signals on the downlink transport frequency with a downlink gap so that interference levels on the downlink transport frequency can be measured by the slave unit;

measure the remaining signal level on the uplink transport frequency based upon an uplink gap punctured in the wireless signals on the uplink transport frequency; and

adjust the downlink and uplink transport frequencies based upon measured remaining signal levels.

4. The master unit of claim 3, wherein the wiring comprises existing wiring in the facility.

5. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the wiring comprises coaxial cabling installed in the facility.

6. The master unit of claim 1, wherein signals corresponding to the remaining signal levels comprise signals from one of other slave units and interfering signal sources.

7. The master unit of claim 2, wherein the operating parameters include timing parameters, downlink master to slave transmission times, slave to master initial transmission times and an uplink random access time slot available for transmission.

8. The master unit of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when the uplink gap will be punctured in the wireless signals based upon a notification message included in the MSCP packets received from the slave unit.

9. The master unit of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to puncture the wireless signals with the downlink gap according to a non-regular interval to prevent harmonic interference.

10. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to de-activate the repeater if the measured remaining signal level is greater than a predetermined level.

11. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more time-stamped broadcast messages to be sent to the slave unit to perform one of timing synchronization and minimization of the frequency offsets between respective locally generated frequencies of the master unit and the slave unit.

12. The master unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a power detector coupled to the transceiver, the power detector measuring a received signal strength indication (RSSI) and noise level of the downlink transport frequency with the slave unit, a master unit input power and a master unit output power,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine a maximum gain of an uplink to the base station for which the master unit and the slave unit are not in an oscillation state, and in which a change in a gain of the uplink to the base station is not substantially equal to a change in measured master unit power.

13. The master unit of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an indication message to be sent to the slave unit if a maximum gain of the uplink to the base station for which the master unit and the slave unit are not in the oscillation state is determined to be below a specific level.

14. The master unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily terminate sending the wireless signals to the base station when MSCP packets are received from the slave unit.

15. The master unit of claim 1, further comprising a filter coupled to the transceiver and disposed at a signal point of entry of the facility to permit transmission of signals associated with the wiring in the facility and to prevent the wireless signals from being transmitted from the facility.

16. In a repeater for augmenting wireless network communication coverage in a facility, a slave unit coupled to a master unit via wiring in the facility, the slave unit comprising:

a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to configure the slave unit based upon operating parameters received in master slave communication protocol (MSCP) packets from the master unit; and

a transceiver for sending and receiving wireless signals on a downlink to and an uplink from a subscriber terminal over a wireless connection, the transceiver further for sending and receiving the wireless signals and MSCP packets on an uplink transport frequency to the master unit and on a downlink transport frequency from the master unit over the wiring in the facility.

17. The slave unit of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

puncture the wireless signals on the uplink transport frequency with an uplink gap so that remaining signal levels on the uplink transport frequency can be measured by the master unit;

measure a remaining signal level on the downlink transport frequency based upon a downlink gap punctured in the wireless signals on the downlink transport frequency; and

generate the MSCP packets including the measured interference levels to be sent to the master unit.

18. The slave unit of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when the downlink gap will be punctured in the wireless signals based upon a notification message included in the MSCP packets received from the master unit.

19. The slave unit of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to puncture the wireless signals on the uplink transport frequency with the uplink gap according to a non-regular interval.

20. The slave unit of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a timing difference between a local clock and a clock associated with the master unit based upon one or more time-stamped broadcast messages within the MSCP packets received from the master unit; and

adjust the local clock reference based on the timing difference.

21. The slave unit of claim 16, further comprising:

a power detector coupled to the transceiver, the power detector configured to measure a received signal strength indication (RSSI), a noise level of the uplink transport frequency with the master unit, a slave unit input power and a slave unit output power,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine a maximum gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal for which the slave unit and the master unit are not in an oscillation state in which a change in a gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal is not substantially equal to a change in a measured slave unit output power.

22. The slave unit of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an indication message to be sent to the master unit if the maximum gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal for which the slave unit and the master unit are not in the oscillation state is determined to be below a specific level.

23. The slave unit of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily terminate sending the wireless signals to the subscriber terminal when the MSCP packets are received on the downlink transport frequency from the master unit.

24. A method of augmenting wireless network communication coverage in a facility including a master unit installed at the facility and a slave unit coupled to the master unit via wiring in the facility, the method comprising:

sending control messages on a downlink transport frequency to the slave unit, the control messages including operating parameters for configuring the slave unit and a downlink gap transmission time;

receiving control messages on an uplink transport frequency from the slave unit, the control messages including an uplink gap transmission time;

sending wireless signals received at the master unit from a wireless base station to the slave unit via the downlink transport frequency;

sending wireless signals received at the slave unit from a subscriber terminal to the master unit via the uplink transport frequency;

puncturing the wireless signals sent via the downlink transport frequency with the downlink gap so that interference levels on the downlink transport frequency can be measured by the slave unit;

puncturing the wireless signals sent via the uplink transport frequency with the uplink gap so that interference levels on the uplink transport frequency can be measured by the master unit; and

adjusting the downlink and uplink transport frequencies based upon the measured interference levels.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the puncturing of the wireless signals sent via the downlink transport frequency and the puncturing of the wireless signals sent via the uplink transport frequency further includes puncturing the wireless signals according to a non-regular interval.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising de-activating the master unit and the slave unit if the measured interference levels are greater than a predetermined level.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

sending time-stamped broadcast messages on the downlink transport frequency to the slave unit;

determining a timing difference between a slave unit processor clock and a clock associated with the master unit based upon the time-stamped broadcast messages; and

adjusting the slave unit processor clock if the timing difference is greater than a predetermined accuracy level.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

measuring a received signal strength indication (RSSI) and a noise level of the downlink transport frequency, and an input and output power of the master unit; and

determining a maximum gain of the uplink to the base station for which the master unit and the slave unit are not in an oscillation state in which a change in the gain of the uplink to the base station is not substantially equal to a change in the measured master unit output power.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating an indication message to be sent to the slave unit if the maximum gain of the uplink to the base station for which the master unit and the slave unit are not in the oscillation state is determined to be below a specific level.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

measuring a received signal strength indication (RSSI) and a noise level of the uplink transport frequency, and an input and output power of the slave unit; and

setting a gain of the uplink transport frequency based upon the measured received RSSI and noise level of the uplink.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a maximum gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal for which the slave unit and the master unit are not in an oscillation state in which a change in the gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal is not substantially equal to a change in the measured output power of the slave unit.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising generating an indication message to be sent to the master unit if the maximum gain of the downlink to the subscriber terminal for which the slave unit and the master unit are not in the oscillation state is determined to be below a specific level.

33. A repeater for extending a coverage area of a wireless communication within a facility, comprising:

a master unit for wirelessly communicating with a network base station; and

a slave unit for wirelessly communicating with one or more subscriber terminals, wherein

the slave unit is coupled to the master unit through wiring in the facility, the master unit being operable to transmit wireless signals to the slave unit on a first transport frequency and to receive wireless signals from the slave unit on a second transport frequency in a manner that is transparent to the network base station and the subscriber terminals.

34. The repeater of claim 33, further comprising a plurality of slave units each communicating with the one or more subscriber terminals, wherein the plurality of slave units are each coupled to the master unit via a single cable and one or more splitters coupled to the single cable.