Mobile radio telephone with booster unit

• US 5,276,918 A
• Filed: 11/13/1991
• Issued: 01/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Orbitel Mobile Communications Ltd.
• Inventors: Bristow, Robert O., Cross, Hilary J., Cornforth, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US07/791,958
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/127, 455/88, 455/11.1, 455/101, 455/132-133, 455/140, 455/277.1, 455/293, 455/270, 455/6.1, 455/126, 455/20, 379/58, 379/59
• US Class Current: 455/571
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters

Abstract

A mobile radio telephone includes a hand-portable unit 1 and a booster unit 3. A coaxial cable 25 is arranged to produce a link between the intermediate frequency signals produced by the booster unit and RF signals produced by the hand-portable unit 1.

Claims

1. A mobile radio telephone including a portable unit and a booster unit, and operable in two modes, a first mode in which the portable unit is used to receive and transmit signals and a second mode in which the portable unit and booster unit are used in combination to receive and transmit signals, said portable unit comprising first receiver means for producing intermediate frequency signals in said portable unit from signals received by said portable unit when operating the mobile radio telephone in said first mode;

said booster unit comprising second receiver means for producing intermediate frequency signals in said booster unit from signals received by said booster unit; and

link means for providing a transmission path between said portable unit and booster unit, to enable said portable unit to receive the intermediate frequency signals produced by said second receiver means when operating the mobile radio telephone in the second mode;

said first and said second receiver means each including a mixer for producing said intermediate frequency signals wherein said mixer of said second receiver means is of a higher specification than said mixer of said first receiver means.

2. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 1 in which said portable unit includes means for producing signals which are transmitted along said transmission path to said booster unit when operating the mobile radio telephone in the second mode to be used by said booster unit to produce said intermediate frequency signals.

3. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 1 in which both said portable unit and said booster unit include respective reactive combiner means effective to receive signals transmitted along the transmission path from the other unit.

4. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 3 in which each of said reactive combiner means consists of a single capacitive and a single inductive element.

5. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 1 including an intermediate frequency signal processing means, and changeover means effective to allow said intermediate frequency signal processing means to process intermediate frequency signals produced by said first or said second receiving means.

6. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 1 in which said booster unit includes a variable gain power amplifier having a signal input for receiving signals, an output for amplified signals and a power control input, and an antenna connected to said power amplifier output to transmit the amplified signals,

said portable unit being connected to said signal input to provide signals to be amplified, and including power control means connected to said power control input and providing power control signals thereon to control the gain and thus the power output level of said power amplifier.

7. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 1 in which said link means is also effective to transmit DC power from said booster unit to said portable unit.

8. A mobile radio telephone including a portable unit and a booster unit, and operable in two modes, a first mode in which the portable unit is used to receive and transmit signals and a second mode in which the portable unit and booster unit are used in combination to receive and transmit signals,

said portable unit comprising first receiver means for producing intermediate frequency signals in said portable unit from signals received by said portable unit when operating the mobile radio telephone in said first mode;

said booster unit comprising second receiver means for producing intermediate frequency signals in said booster unit from signals received by said booster unit; and

link means for providing a transmission path between said portable unit and booster unit, to enable said portable unit to receive the intermediate frequency signals produced by said second receiver means when operating the mobile radio telephone in the second mode,

said portable unit and said booster unit including respective reactive combiner means effective to receive signals transmitted along said transmission path from the other unit and in which each of said reactive combiner means consists of a single capacitive and a single inductive element.

9. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 8 in which said portable unit includes means for producing signals which are transmitted along said transmission path to said booster unit when operating the mobile radio telephone in the second mode to be used by said booster unit to produce intermediate frequency signals.

10. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 8 including an intermediate frequency signal processing means, and changeover means effective to allow said intermediate frequency signal processing means to process intermediate frequency signals produced by said first or said second receiving means.

11. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 8 in which said booster unit includes a variable gain power amplifier having a signal input for receiving signals, an output for amplified signals and a power control input, and an antenna connected to said power amplifier output to transmit the amplified signals,

said portable unit being connected to said signal input to provide signals to be amplified, and including power control means connected to said power control input and providing power control signals thereon to control the gain and thus the power output level of said power amplifier.

12. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 8 in which said link means is also effective to transmit DC power from said booster unit to said portable unit.

13. A mobile radio telephone according to claim 8 in which said first and said second receiver means each include a mixer for producing said intermediate frequency signals, said mixer of said second receiver means being of a higher specification than said mixer of said first receiver means.