Method and apparatus for achieving antenna receive diversity with wireless repeaters

• US 5,930,293 A
• Filed: 03/10/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Light, Jeffrey Ross, Varvaro, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, DON NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US08/812,902
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/206, 375/211, 375/267, 375/299, 375/347, 375/349, 375/214, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/320, 370/327, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.3, 455/18, 455/10, 455/15, 455/101, 455/132, 455/272, 455/273, 455/276.1, 455/278.1, 455/303, 455/304, 343/824, 343/844, 343/893, 340/425.1, 342/368, 342/375
• US Class Current: 375/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/084 Equal gain combining, only phase adjustments antenna beam scanning or forming by phase or amplitude control H01Q3/26, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

A wireless repeater comprising a first antenna for receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal and for transmitting the first signal along a first path; a second antenna for receiving a second signal from the wireless terminal and for transmitting the second signal along a second path; a summing circuit for receiving the first signal from the first path and the second signal from the second path, for summing the first signal and the second signal to form an aggregate signal, and for outputting the aggregate signal along a third path; a delay in the second signal that makes the second signal path longer than the first signal path; and a third antenna for receiving the third signal from the third path and for transmitting the third signal.

Claims

1. A repeater comprising:

a first antenna for receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal and for transmitting said first signal along a first path;

a second antenna for receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal and for transmitting said second signal along a second path;

a delay in said second signal path;

a summing circuit for receiving said first signal from said first path and said second signal from said second path, for summing said first signal and said second signal to form an aggregate signal, and for outputting said aggregate signal along a third path, said aggregate signal including a component representing said first signal and a component representing said second signal wherein said delay causes said second signal to be displaced in time with respect to said first signal;

a third antenna for receiving said aggregate signal from said third path and for transmitting said aggregate signal.

2. The repeater of claim 1 wherein said first signal is a direct sequence spread spectrum signal that comprises a plurality of chips, said second signal is a direct sequence spread spectrum signal that comprises a plurality of chips, and said delay in said second signal path displaces in time said second signal at least two chips with respect to said first signal.

3. The repeater of claim 1 wherein said first antenna and said second antenna comprise a polarization diversity antenna.

4. The repeater of claim 1 wherein said third antenna transmits via a wireless medium.

5. The repeater of claim 1 wherein said first signal is assigned to a first carrier frequency, said second signal is assigned to said first carrier frequency, and said aggregate signal exhibits a carrier frequency substantially equal to said first carrier frequency.

6. The repeater of claim 5 wherein said summing circuit is operated at a frequency substantially equal to said first carrier frequency.

7. The repeater of claim 5 wherein said delay circuit is operated at a frequency substantially equal to said first carrier frequency.

8. A method for re-broadcasting a signal comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal via a first antenna;

transmitting said first signal to a summing circuit along a first signal path;

receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal via a second antenna;

transmitting said second signal to said summing circuit along a second signal path;

delaying said second signal along said second signal path;

summing at said summing circuit said first signal and said second signal to form an aggregate signal including a component representing said first signal and a component representing said second signal, wherein said delaying step causes said second signal to be displaced in time with respect to said first signal; and

transmitting said aggregate signal via a third antenna.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first signal is a direct sequence spread spectrum signal that comprises a plurality of chips, said second signal is a direct sequence spread spectrum signal that comprises a plurality of chips, and said delay in said second signal path displaces in time said second signal at least two chips with respect to said first signal.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said first antenna and said second antenna comprise a polarization diversity antenna.

11. A repeater comprising:

a first antenna for receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal and for transmitting said first signal along a first path;

a second antenna for receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal and for transmitting said second signal along a second path;

a delay in said second signal path;

a summing circuit for receiving said first signal from said first path and said second signal from said second path, for summing said first signal and said second signal to form an aggregate signal including a component representing said first signal and a component representing said second signal, and for outputting said aggregate signal along a third path, said delay substantially precluding synchronization of said first and second signals, thereby preserving in said aggregate signal information contained in said first signal and said second signal such that said information may be recovered; and

a third antenna for receiving said aggregate signal from said third path.

12. A method for re-broadcasting a signal comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal via a first antenna;

transmitting said first signal to a summing circuit along a first signal path;

receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal via a second antenna;

transmitting said second signal to said summing circuit along a second signal path;

delaying said second signal along said second signal path;

summing at said summing circuit said first signal and said second signal to form an aggregate signal including a component representing said first signal and a component representing said second signal, said delaying step substantially precluding synchronization of said first and second signals, thereby preserving in said aggregate signal information contained in said first signal and said second signal such that said information may be recovered; and

transmitting said aggregate signal via a third antenna.

13. A repeater comprising:

a first antenna for receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal and for transmitting said first signal along a first path;

a second antenna for receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal and for transmitting said second signal along a second path;

a summing circuit for receiving said first signal from said first path and said second signal from said second path, and for outputting said aggregate signal along a third path;

a delay in said second signal path that makes said second signal path longer than said first signal path; and

a third antenna for receiving said aggregate signal from said third path and for transmitting said aggregate signal;

wherein any processing by said repeater of said first, second, and aggregate signals substantially excludes non-linear processing.

14. A method for re-broadcasting a signal comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from a wireless terminal via a first antenna;

transmitting said first signal to a processing circuit along a first signal path;

receiving a second signal from said wireless terminal via a second antenna;

transmitting said second signal to said processing circuit along a second signal path;

delaying said second signal along said second signal path so as to make said second signal path longer than said first signal path;

processing at said processing circuit said first signal and said second signal to form an aggregate signal, said processing substantially excluding non-linear processing; and

transmitting said aggregate signal via a third antenna in a manner such that said preserved information may be recovered.