Apparatus and method for expanding cellular system capacity

• US 5,187,806 A
• Filed: 02/16/1990
• Issued: 02/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pennisula Engineering Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pennisula Engineering Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Leff, Barry J., Johnson, Edward R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charouel, Lisa D.
• Application Number:
  US07/482,226
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 455/9, 455/10, 455/15, 455/16, 455/20, 455/22, 455/33, 455/34, 455/53, 455/54, 455/56, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63, 370/26, 370/75
• US Class Current: 455/15
• 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: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

In a cellular system, including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, an apparatus and method provides for expanding cellular system capacity through subdivision of the geographic sector by use of a cell site transceiver and a remote site transceiver to extend said cell site to a remote location within said geographic sector. Each transceiver provides duplex operation and includes a cellular band transmitter and receiver portion for local communication with the cell site or remote site mobile units, as the case may be; and a link frequency transmitter and receiver portion for communicating cellular band information, after conversion to an appropriate baseband frequency, between the cell site and the remote site transceivers.

Claims

1. In a cellular system including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, an apparatus for expanding cellular system capacity, comprising:

a cell site transceiver, located proximate to said cell site, said cell site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving a cell site cellular band signal directly coupled from said cell site;

b) a first converter for converting said cell site cellular band signal to a first link frequency signal;

c) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal;

d) a second receiver for receiving a second link frequency signal;

e) a second converter for converting said second link frequency signal to a remote cellular band signal; and

f) a second transmitter for transmitting said remote cellular band signal to said cell site; and

a remote site transceiver, located at a remote site from said cell site within said geographic sector, said remote site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving said remote cellular band signal;

b) a first converter for converting said remote cellular band signal to said first link frequency signal;

c) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal to said cell site transceiver;

d) a second receiver for receiving said second link frequency signal from said cell site transceiver;

e) a second converter for converting said second link frequency signal to said cell site cellular band signal; and

f) a second transmitter for transmitting said cell site cellular band signal,

whereby subdivision of said geographic sector is accomplished thereby effecting expanded cellular system capacity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cell site transceiver and said remote site transceiver further comprise:

a pilot signal for synchronizing and registering operation of said cell site transceiver and said remote site transceiver with one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said geographic sector includes a corresponding allocation of communications channels and wherein a first portion of said communications channels are assigned to said cell site and a remaining portion of said communications channels are assigned to said remote site

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said remote site transceiver includes at least two receivers for receiving said remote cellular band signal to provide diversity reception.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of remote site transceivers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second link frequency signals are microwave signals.

7. In a cellular system including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, an apparatus for expanding cellular system capacity, comprising:

a cell site transceiver, located proximate to said cell site, said cell site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving a cell site cellular band signal directly coupled from said cell site;

b) a first converter for converting said cell site cellular band signal to a first baseband signal;

c) a second converter for converting said first baseband signal to a first link frequency signal;

d) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal;

e) a second receiver for receiving a second link frequency signal;

f) a third converter for converting said second link frequency signal to a second baseband signal;

g) a fourth converter for converting said second baseband signal to a remote cellular band signal; and

h) a second transmitter for transmitting said remote cellular band signal to said cell site; and

a remote site transceiver, located at a remote side from said cell site within said geographic sector, said remote site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving said remote cellular band signal;

b) a first converter for converting said remote cellular band signal to a third baseband signal;

c) a second converter for converting said third baseband signal to said first link frequency signal;

d) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal to said cell site transceiver;

e) a second receiver for receiving said second link frequency signal from said cell site transceiver;

f) a third converter for converting said second link frequency signal to a fourth baseband signal;

g) a fourth converter for converting said fourth baseband signal to said cell site cellular band signal; and

h) a second transmitter for transmitting said cell site cellular band signal,

whereby subdivision of said geographic sector is accomplished thereby effecting expanded cellular system capacity.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said cell site transceiver and said remote site transceiver further comprise:

a pilot signal for synchronizing and registering operation of said cell site transceiver and said remote site transceiver with one another.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said geographic sector includes a corresponding allocation of communications channels and wherein a first portion of said communications channels are assigned to said cell site and a remaining portion of said communications channels are assigned to said remote site.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said remote site transceiver includes at least two receivers for receiving said remote cellular band signal to provide diversity reception.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of remote site transceivers.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first and second link frequency signals are microwave signals.

13. In a cellular system including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, an apparatus for expanding cellular system capacity, comprising:

a cell site transceiver, located proximate to said cell site, said cell site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving a cell site cellular band signal directly coupled from said cell site;

b) a first converter for converting said cell site cellular band signal to a first link frequency signal;

c) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal to a remote site transceiver;

d) a second receiver for receiving a second link frequency signal from said remote site transceiver;

e) a second converter for converting said second link frequency signal to a remote cellular band signal; and

f) a second transmitter for transmitting said remote cellular band signal to said cell site,

whereby subdivision of said geographic sector is accomplished thereby effecting expanded cellular system capacity.

14. In a cellular system including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, a method for expanding cellular system capacity, comprising the steps of:

at a cell site transceiver, located proximate to said cell site;

a) receiving a cell site cellular band signal directly coupled from said cell site;

b) converting said cell site cellular band signal to a first baseband signal;

c) converting said first baseband signal to a first link frequency signal;

d) transmitting said first link frequency signal to a remote site transceiver;

e) receiving a second link frequency signal from said remote site transceiver;

f) converting said second link frequency signal to a second baseband signal;

g) converting said second baseband signal to a remote cellular band signal; and

h) transmitting said remote cellular band signal to said cell site; and

at a remote site transceiver, located at a remote site from said cell site within said geographic sector;

a) receiving said remote cellular band signal;

b) converting said remote cellular band signal to a third baseband signal;

c) converting said third baseband signal to said first link frequency signal;

d) transmitting said first link frequency signal to said cell site transceiver;

e) receiving said second link frequency signal from said cell site transceiver;

f) converting said second link frequency signal to a fourth baseband signal;

g) converting said fourth baseband signal to a cell site cellular band signal; and

h) transmitting said cell site cellular band signal,

whereby subdivision of said geographic sector is accomplished thereby effecting expanded cellular system capacity.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

synchronizing and registering operation of said cell site transceiver and said remote site transceiver with one another.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said geographic sector includes a corresponding allocation of communications channels, the further steps of:

assigning a first portion of said communications channels to said cell site, and

assigning a remaining portion of said communications channels to said remote site.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

subdividing said geographic sector with a plurality of remote site transceivers.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

propagating said first and said second link frequency signals at a microwave frequency.

19. In a cellular system including at least one cell site located within a corresponding geographic sector, an apparatus for expanding cellular system capacity, comprising:

a remote site transceiver, located remote from said cell site, said remote site transceiver comprising;

a) a first receiver for receiving a remote site cellular band signal;

b) a first converter for converting said remote site cellular band signal to a first link frequency signal;

c) a first transmitter for transmitting said first link frequency signal to a cell site transceiver;

d) second receiver for receiving a second link frequency signal from said cell site transceiver;

e) a second converter for converting said second link frequency signal to a cell site cellular band signal; and

f) a second transmitter for transmitting said cell site cellular band signal;

whereby subdivision of said geographic sector is accomplished thereby effecting expanded cellular system capacity.