LOCAL AREA NETWORK TRANSLATING BI-DIRECTIONAL PACKET REPEATER
First Claim
1. A method for enabling wireless devices in a wireless network to better communicate by translating and retransmitting wireless signals, comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a wireless signal from a first wireless device on a first channel operating on a first frequency, said wireless signal comprising data packets;
(b) down converting the wireless signal to an intermediate frequency signal;
(c) filtering the intermediate frequency signal to produce a filtered signal;
(d) up converting the filtered signal to produce an output signal at a second frequency used on a second channel, wherein the second frequency is substantially different than the first frequency; and
(e) retransmitting the data packets comprising the output signal as a wireless signal at the second frequency, for receipt by a second wireless device that is an intended recipient of the wireless signal transmitted from the first wireless devices wherein the method further comprises;
(f) receiving an acknowledgment wireless signal from the second wireless device on the second channel, which conveys an acknowledgment indicating that the output signal that was retransmitted has been received by the second wireless device;
(g) down converting the acknowledgment signal to an intermediate frequency signal that conveys the acknowledgment;
(h) filtering the intermediate frequency signal that conveys the acknowledgment to produce a filtered signal that conveys the acknowledgment;
(i) up converting the filtered signal that conveys the acknowledgment to produce an output signal at the first frequency that conveys the acknowledgment; and
(j) retransmitting the output signal that conveys the acknowledgment to the first wireless device at the first frequency and on the first channel.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A translating bi-directional packet repeater includes a first antenna and a second antenna for receiving a wireless signal, amplifying it, and retransmitting it on a different channel. The channel associated with each of the antennas is separated in frequency sufficiently to ensure good isolation between the wireless signals that are received and then retransmitted. The wireless signal is down converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) that is passed through a band pass filter, and the filtered signal is then up converted and retransmitted on the different channel. A controller responds to a wireless signal on one of the antennas in selecting a path through the bi-directional amplifier and the antennas used to receive and retransmit the signal. The isolation between the received wireless signal and the retransmitted wireless signal is sufficient to avoid interference, and the retransmission takes place almost instantaneously to minimize the delay incurred.
17 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for enabling wireless devices in a wireless network to better communicate by translating and retransmitting wireless signals, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a wireless signal from a first wireless device on a first channel operating on a first frequency, said wireless signal comprising data packets; (b) down converting the wireless signal to an intermediate frequency signal; (c) filtering the intermediate frequency signal to produce a filtered signal; (d) up converting the filtered signal to produce an output signal at a second frequency used on a second channel, wherein the second frequency is substantially different than the first frequency; and (e) retransmitting the data packets comprising the output signal as a wireless signal at the second frequency, for receipt by a second wireless device that is an intended recipient of the wireless signal transmitted from the first wireless devices wherein the method further comprises; (f) receiving an acknowledgment wireless signal from the second wireless device on the second channel, which conveys an acknowledgment indicating that the output signal that was retransmitted has been received by the second wireless device; (g) down converting the acknowledgment signal to an intermediate frequency signal that conveys the acknowledgment; (h) filtering the intermediate frequency signal that conveys the acknowledgment to produce a filtered signal that conveys the acknowledgment; (i) up converting the filtered signal that conveys the acknowledgment to produce an output signal at the first frequency that conveys the acknowledgment; and (j) retransmitting the output signal that conveys the acknowledgment to the first wireless device at the first frequency and on the first channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification