Mobile vehicular repeater system which provides up-link acknowledgement signal to portable transceiver at end of transceiver transmission

• US 4,539,706 A
• Filed: 02/03/1983
• Issued: 09/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mears, David F., Patterson, Hubert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Application Number:
  US06/463,587
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/11, 455/15, 455/17, 455/20, 455/54, 455/56, 455/58, 340/313, 340/825.5, 370/85
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile vehicular repeater detects the termination of a received transmission from a portable transceiver to be repeated and, in response to such detection, activates the up-link radio transmitter so as to send an acknowledgement signal to the message originating portable transceiver station signifying the probable successful conclusion of a repeating operation. Special techniques are utilized to prevent confusion between such an acknowledgement signal and similar prioritizing transmissions on the up-link frequency.

Claims

1. In a radio repeater system of (a) at least one portable transceiver transceiving on frequency channel F1, (b) at least one mobile repeater which transceives on frequency channels F1 and F2 so as to provide automatic radio repeater services between the portable transceiver, and (c) another base transceiver operating on frequency channel F2, an improved mobile repeater comprising:

a radio receiver means capable of operating on frequency channel F1 to receive information thereover transmitted from a portable transceiver;

a first radio transitter means capable of operating on frequency channel F2 to automatically and substantially simultaneously re-transmit said information verbatim;

a second radio transmitter means capable of operating on frequency channel F1; and

control means connected to said radio receiver means and to said first and second radio transmitter means for detecting the termination of a received portable transceiver transmission on frequency F1 which is to be automatically and substantially simultaneously repeated verbatim on frequency F2 and, in response to such detected termination to activate said second radio transmitter means and to automatically send an up-link acknowledgement signal back to the portable tranceiver on the same channel F1 so as to give the operator of the portable transceiver a positive indication that the just concluded portable transceiver transmission on frequency F1 was at least successfully received by the repeater.

2. An improved radio repeater system as in claim 1 wherein the control means of said mobile repeater includes means for causing modulation of its F1 channel transmissions with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone which persists for only a predetermined time increment and which serves as said acknowledgement signal.

3. In a radio repeater system of at least one portable transceiver transceiving on frequency channel F1 and at least one mobile repeater which transceives on frequency channels F1 and F2 so as to provide radio repeater services between the portable transceiver and another transceiver operating on frequency channel F2, an improved mobile repeater comprising:

a radio receiver means capable of operating on frequency channel F1 to receive information thereover transmitted from a portable transceiver;

a first radio transmitter means capable of operating on frequency channel F2 to re-transmit said information;

a second radio transmitter means capable of operating on frequency channel F1; and

control means connected to said radio receiver means and to said first and second radio transmitter means for detecting the termination of a received portable transceiver transmission to be repeated and, in response to such detected termination, to activate said second radio transmitter means to send an acknowledgement signal to the portable transceiver on channel F1 so as to give the operator of the portable transceiver a positive indication that the just concluded transmission was successfully received by the repeater;

wherein the control means of said mobile repeater includes means for causing modulation of its F1 channel transmissions with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone which persists for only a predetermined time increment and which serves as said acknowledgement signal; and

wherein said predetermined time increment is less than the duration of similarly T1 tone modulated F1 transmissions to be utilized by mobile repeaters in the system for determining their relative priority status.

4. An improved radio repeater system as in claim 3 wherein said mobile repeater is normally physically associated with at least one portable transceiver and includes:

means for detecting when that portable transceiver is removed therefrom for portable operation and which, in response to such detection and to the absence of other ongoing repeater activity on F1 or F2, causes a T1 tone modulated F1 transmission therefrom for a time duration substantially longer than said predetermined time increment and the assumption of a "priority" active repeater status by such transmitting repeater; and

means for receiving and detecting such a longer duration T1 tone modulated F1 transmission (i.e. from another repeater) and, in response thereto, for resetting such receiving repeater to an inactive "non-priority" status.

5. A mobile vehicular radio repeater comprising:

a first radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F1;

a second radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F2;

a first radio transmitter means capable of automatically re-transmitting verbatim on channel F1 information received on channel F2 via said second radio receiver means;

a second radio transmitter means capable of automatically and substantially simultaneously re-transmitting verbatim on channel F2 information received on channel F1 via said first radio receiver means; and

control means connected to said first and second radio receiver means and to said first and second radio transmitter means for controlling said re-transmitting functions and also adapted to detect the termination of a radio transmission received via said first radio receiver means on channel F1 to be automatically repeated and, in response to such detected termination, to automatically activate said first radio transmitter means for a predetermined time increment to send an acknowledgement signal on channel F1 signifying successful receipt of a transmission on channel F1 to be automatically and substantially simultaneously repeated on channel F2.

6. A mobile vehicular radio repeater as in claim 5 wherein said control means includes means for causing modulation of the F1 channel transmissions with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone during at least a predetermined portion of said predetermined time increment.

7. A mobile vehicular radio repeater comprising:

a first radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F1;

a second radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F2;

a first radio transmitter means capable of retransmitting on channel F1 information received via said second radio receiver means;

a second radio transmitter means capable of retransmitting on channel F2 information received via said first radio receiver means; and

control means connected to said first and second radio receiver means and to said first and second radio transmitter means for controlling said re-transmitting functions and also adapted to detect the termination of a radio transmission received via said first radio receiver means on channel F1 to be repeated and, in response to such detected termination, to activate said first radio transmitter means for a predetermined time increment to send an acknowledgement signal on channel F1 signifying successful conclusion of received transmission from channel F1 to be repeated on channel F2;

wherein said control means includes means for causing modulation of the F1 channel transmissions with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone during at least a predetermined portion of said predetermined time increment; and

wherein said predetermined portion of said predetermined time increment is less than the expected duration of similarly T1 tone modulated F1 channel transmissions to be utilized by the repeater for determining its priority status.

8. A mobile vehicular radio repeater comprising:

a first radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F1;

a second radio receiver means capable of operation on channel F2;

a first radio transmitter means capable of retransmitting on channel F1 information received via said second radio receiver means;

a second radio transmitter means capable of retransmitting on channel F2 information received via said first radio receiver means; and

control means connected to said first and second radio receiver means and to said first and second radio transmitter means for controlling said re-transmitting functions and also adapted to detect the termination of a radio transmission received via said first radio receiver means on channel F1 to be repeated and, in response to such detected termination, to activate said first radio transmitter means for a predetermined time increment to send an acknowledgement signal on channel F1 signifying successful conclusion of received transmission from channel F1 to be repeated on channel F2;

wherein said control means includes means for causing modulation of the F1 channel transmissions with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone during at least a predetermined portion of said predetermined time increment; and

means for detecting when a portable F1 channel transceiver is physically disassociated from said repeater and which, in response to such detection and to the also detected absence of other ongoing repeater activity on F1 or F2 channels, (a) causes said repeater to issue a T1 tone modulated transmission for a time duration substantially longer than said predetermined portion and (b) causes such transmitting repeater to thereafter assume an active "priority" repeater status; and

means for receiving and detecting such a longer duration T1 tone modulated F1 transmission and, in response thereto, resetting such receiving repeater to an inactive "non-priority" status.

9. A method of operating a radio repeater system of (a) at least one portable transceiver transceiving on frequency channel F1, (b) at least one mobile repeater which transceives on frequency channels F1 and F2 so as to provide automatic radio repeater services between the portable transceiver, and (c) another base transceiver operating on frequency channel F2, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a mobile repeater information transmitting on frequency channel F1 from a portable tranceiver;

automatically and substantially simultaneously retransmitting verbatim from said mobile repeater said information on frequency channel F2; and

detecting the termination of said received portable transceiver transmission on frequency F1 which is to be automatically repeated verbatim on frequency F2 and, in response to such detected termination, automatically sending an up-link acknowledgement signal to the portable transceiver on channel F1 signifying the successfully concluded receipt of the portable F1 transmission to be automatically repeated so as to give the operator of the portable transceiver a positive indication that the just concluded transmission was successfully received.

10. A method as in claim 9 including the step of

modulating said F1 channel transmission of the repeater with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone which persists for only a predetermined time increment and which serves as said acknowledgement signal.

11. A method of operating a radio repeater system of at least one portable transceiver transceiving on frequency channel F1 and at least one mobile repeater which transceives on frequency channels F1 and F2 so as to provide radio repeater services between the portable transceiver and another transceiver operating on frequency channel F2, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile repeater information transmitted on frequency channel F1 from a portable transceiver;

re-transmitting from said mobile repeater said information on frequency channel F2;

detecting the termination of said received portable transceiver transmission to be repeated and, in response to such detected termination, sending an acknowledgement signal to the portable transceiver on channel F1 signifying the successfully concluded receipt of the portable F1 transmission to be repeated so as to give the operator of the portable transceiver a positive indication that the just concluded transmission was successfully received; and

modulating said F1 channel transmission of the repeater with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone which persists for only a predetermined time increment and which serves as said acknowledgement signal;

wherein said predetermined time increment is less than the duration of similarly T1 tone modulated F1 transmissions to be utilized by mobile repeaters in the system for determining their relative priority status.

12. A method of operating a radio repeater system of at least one portable transceiver transceiving on frequency channel F1 and at least one mobile repeater which transceives on frequency channels F1 and F2 so as to provide radio repeater services between the portable transceiver and another transceiver operating on frequency channel F2, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile repeater information transmitted on frequency channel F1 from a portable transceiver;

re-transmitting from said mobile repeater said information on frequency channel F2;

detecting the termination of said received portable transceiver transmission to be repeated and, in response to such detected termination, sending an acknowledgement signal to the portable transceiver on channel F1 signifying the successfully concluded receipt of the portable F1 transmission to be repeated so as to give the operator of the portable transceiver a positive indication that the just concluded transmission was successfully received;

modulating said F1 channel transmission of the repeater with a predetermined audio frequency T1 tone which persists for only a predetermined time increment and which serves as said acknowledgement signal;

detecting when a portable F1 channel transceiver is physically disassociated from a given repeater and, in response to such detection and to the also detected absence of other ongoing repeater activity on F1 or F2 channels, (a) issuing from such repeater a T1 tone modulated transmission for a time duration substantially longer than said predetermined time increment and (b) causing such transmitting repeater to thereafter assume an active "priority" repeater status; and

receiving and detecting such a longer duration T1 tone modulated F1 channel transmission and, in response thereto, resetting such receiving repeater to an inactive "non-priority" status.

13. A vehicular repeater adapted for use in a communication system of plural such vehicular repeaters within range of plural portable transceivers, said vehicular repeater comprising:

an F1 channel transceiver for communication with said portable transceivers;

an F2 channel transceiver for communication with a base transceiver;

holder means for removably associating a portable transceiver and for providing a sensible indication of the removal of such portable transceiver therefrom; and

control means connected to said F1 channel transceiver, to said F2 channel transceiver and to said holder means for;

a detecting said removal of the portable transceiver in the absence of other repeating activity and, in response thereto, causing the transmission of a T1 tone modulated F1 channel signal for a first predetermined length of time and the assumption of an active "priority" repeater status;

b while in an active "priority" repeater status, repeating on F2 channel information received on F1 channel concurrently with a CG tone modulated F1 channel signal, thereon, detecting the termination of received CG tone modulated F1 channel signals and, in response to such detected termination causing the transmission of a T1 tone modulated F1 channel acknowledgement for a second predetermined length of time less than said first predetermined length of time; and

c while in an active "priority" repeater status, receiving and detecting a T1 tone modulated F1 channel signal which persists for said first predetermined length of time and, in response thereto, causing said repeater to assume an inactive "nonpriority" repeater status.

14. A vehicular repeater as in claim 13 wherein said control means further includes, while in an inactive "non-priority" status, means for monitoring the timeliness of other repeater responses to requests for repeating activity and, in the absence of such timely responses, causes the assumption of an active "priority" repeater status.