APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNAL BOOSTERS

• US 20160198347A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellphone-Mate
• Original Assignee: Cellphone-Mate
• Inventors: Zhan, Hongtao
• Granted Patent: US 9,775,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15564 Relay station antennae loop interference reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) signal boosters are provided. A radio frequency signal booster can include a housing integrated with a base station antenna. The booster includes a mobile station antenna port, and downlink and uplink amplifiers within the housing. The base station antenna can receive wireless communications signals on one or more downlink channels and transmit wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels. Also, the mobile station antenna port can be connected to an integrated or separate mobile station antenna, which can provide communications signals on one or more downlink channels and receive wireless communications on one or more uplink channels. An isolator in the form of a reflector integrated with the housing can isolate the mobile station antenna from the base station antenna.

Claims

1. A radio frequency signal booster comprising:

a housing;

a first base station antenna integrated with or located within the housing, the first base station antenna configured to receive wireless communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to transmit wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a mobile station antenna port configured to be connected to a mobile station antenna for transmission of communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to receive wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a downlink amplifier within the housing, the downlink amplifier configured to amplify signals on downlink channels, received at the first base station antenna, for transmission through the mobile station antenna port; and

an uplink amplifier within the housing, the uplink amplifier configured to amplify signals on uplink channels, received at the mobile station antenna port, for transmission through the first base station antenna.

2. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising an isolator configured to at least partially isolate the mobile station antenna from the first base station antenna.

3. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the isolator comprises a reflector.

4. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 3, wherein the reflector extends beyond the housing.

5. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the isolator comprises a flat reflector.

6. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the isolator comprises a reflector having perforations.

7. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the isolator comprises a reflector that serves as a heat sink for electronics within the housing.

8. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, further comprising a heat sink between the isolator and electronics within the housing.

9. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a first cover and a second cover,

the uplink and downlink amplifiers are positioned within a cavity of the first cover, and

the first base station antenna is positioned within a cavity of the second cover.

10. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 9, wherein the first base station antenna comprises a directional antenna comprising a printed circuit board comprising one or more antenna traces, and a shield configured to reflect signals radiated from the antenna traces

11. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 9, wherein a material of the second cover comprises plastic.

12. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a second base station antenna, wherein the first base station antenna is configured to transmit and receive signals only of frequencies greater than a threshold frequency and the second base station antenna is configured to transmit and receive signals only of frequencies less than or equal to the threshold frequency.

13. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket connected to a side of the housing.

14. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a low-gain antenna port configured to provide and receive the same signals as the mobile station antenna port with a lower gain than the mobile antenna station port.

15. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a signal processor configured to perform digital interference cancelation only for signals below a threshold frequency, the threshold frequency being less than a frequency of at least one uplink or downlink channel.

16. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a router.

17. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 16, wherein the router comprises a WiFi router configured to access cellular data from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) dongle.

18. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 16, wherein the router comprises a WiFi router configured to access network data from a cable.

19. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 16, wherein the router comprises a cellular data router configured to receive cellular data via the first base station antenna and to provide a WiFi signal via the mobile station antenna port.

20. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 16, wherein the radio frequency signal booster further comprises:

a circular and concave outer mesh configured to reduce feedback between the first base station antenna and the mobile station antenna port; and

at least one light-emitting diode configured to indicate a system state.

21. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 20, further comprising a base stand.

22. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 21, wherein the system state includes at least one of:

a power-good state indicative of whether or not power is sufficient for operation, a signal-strength state indicative of whether or not an external signal has sufficient strength for reception, and an antenna-position state indicative of whether or not a distance between a mobile station antenna connected to the mobile station antenna port and the first base station antenna is sufficient.

23. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising a gain control circuit configured to automatically adjust a gain of the downlink amplifier and/or the uplink amplifier according to a distance between a mobile station antenna connected to the mobile station antenna port and the signal booster.

24. A radio frequency signal booster comprising:

a housing;

a base station antenna integrated with the housing, the base station antenna configured to receive wireless communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to transmit wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a mobile station antenna configured to transmit communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to receive wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a downlink amplifier within the housing, the downlink amplifier configured to amplify signals on downlink channels, received at the base station antenna, for transmission through the mobile station antenna; and

an uplink amplifier within the housing, the uplink amplifier configured to amplify signals on uplink channels, received at the mobile station antenna, for transmission through the base station antenna.

25. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 24, further comprising a gain control circuit configured to automatically adjust a gain of the downlink amplifier and/or the uplink amplifier according to a distance between the mobile station antenna and the signal booster.

26. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 24, further comprising a reflector configured to at least partially isolate the mobile station antenna from the base station antenna.

27. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 26, wherein the reflector serves as a heat sink for electronics within the housing.

28. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 26, further comprising a heat sink between the reflector and electronics within the housing.

30. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 26, wherein the reflector is connected to and extends beyond the housing.

29. A radio frequency signal booster comprising:

a housing;

a base station antenna configured to receive wireless communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to transmit wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a mobile station antenna integrated with or located within the housing, the mobile station configured to transmit communications signals on one or more downlink channels and to receive wireless communications signals on one or more uplink channels;

a downlink amplifier within the housing, the downlink amplifier configured to amplify signals on downlink channels, received at the base station antenna, for transmission through the mobile station antenna; and

an uplink amplifier within the housing, the uplink amplifier configured to amplify signals on uplink channels, received at the mobile station antenna, for transmission through the base station antenna.