Remotely controlled gain control of transceiver used to inter-connect wireless telephones to a broadband network

• US 6,192,216 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Commscope Emea Limited (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), Crown Castle Trans OC Corp. (Crown Castle International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Transcept, Inc. (Crown Castle International Corporation)
• Inventors: Dawson, Michael T., Sabat, John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/346,589
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 455/5.1, 455/3.3, 455/6.3, 455/507, 455/500, 455/501, 455/10, 455/9, 455/88, 348/12, 348/14
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters

Abstract

Circuitry in central and remote transceivers is disclosed to monitor wireless telephone signal levels and control the settings of gain control circuitry in a plurality of remote transceivers that carry telephony signals between wireless telephones and the central transceiver via a broadband distribution network so that the central transceiver receives telephony signals from all remote transceivers within a given range of signal amplitude.

Claims

1. In a wireless telephone system that utilizes a plurality of remote transceivers to carry telephony signals between wireless telephones and a central transceiver over a broadband distribution network, and each of said remote transceivers receives control signals from said central transceiver, apparatus in said central transceiver for monitoring and adjusting the gain level of signals sent from each of the plurality of remote transceivers to the central transceiver so that the signal level from each of said remote transceivers is substantially the same at the input of said central transceiver, said apparatus comprising:

means in said central transceiver for receiving a gain tone that is sent along with said telephony signals received from ones of said remote transceivers, the gain tone being set to a fixed predetermined amplitude at each one of said remote transceivers prior to transmission over the broadband distribution network; and

means in said central transceiver responsive to said received gain tone from said ones of said remote transceivers for determining a relative amplitude level of each said received gain tone, and in response thereto sending a gain control signal to corresponding ones of said remote transceivers which causes the adjustment of the gain level of signals output from said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers to both the wireless telephones and the central transceiver.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means in said central transceiver for receiving said gain tone from ones of said remote transceivers comprises:

means for separating said gain tone from said telephony signals received from said ones of said remote transceivers; and

means for analyzing said gain tone received from said remote transceivers to determine if the gain tone signal level is above or below a predetermined level.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for separating said gain tone from said telephony signals received from said remote transceivers comprises filter means.

4. A method for monitoring and adjusting the gain level of each of a plurality of remote transceivers that carry signals between wireless telephones and a central transceiver over a broadband distribution network, so that the gain level of signals output from each of said remote transceivers and present at the input of said central transceiver is substantially the same, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving in said central transceiver a gain tone that is sent along with telephony signals transmitted from ones of said remote transceivers, the gain tone being set to a fixed predetermined amplitude at each one of said remote transceivers prior to transmission over the broadband distribution network; and

determining a relative amplitude level of each said received gain tone, and in response thereto returning a control signal from said central transceiver to corresponding ones of each of said remote transceivers which causes the adjustment of the gain level of signals output from said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers to both the wireless telephones and the central transceiver.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the gain tone received at said central transceiver from each of said remote transceivers to determine if its signal level is above or below a predetermined signal level; and

determining the value of said control signal to be returned to said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers which causes the adjustment of the gain level of signals output from said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising the step of separating said telephony signal from said gain tone in said central transceiver before analyzing said gain tone to determine if its signal level is above or below said predetermined signal level.

7. In a wireless telephone system that utilizes a plurality of remote transceivers to carry telephony signals between wireless telephones and a central transceiver over a broadband distribution network, and each of said remote transceivers receives control signals from said central transceiver, apparatus for monitoring and adjusting the gain level of signals output from each of the plurality of remote transceivers to the central transceiver so that the signal level output from each of said remote transceivers is substantially the same at the input of said central transceiver, said apparatus comprising:

means in each of said remote transceivers for transmitting a gain tone along with said telephony signals output from each of said remote transceivers for transmission to said central transceiver via said broadband distribution network, the gain tone being set to a fixed predetermined amplitude at each one of said remote transceivers prior to transmission over the broadband distribution network;

means in said central transceiver for receiving said gain tone from each one of said remote transceivers;

means in said central transceiver responsive to said received gain tone from each of said remote transceivers for determining a relative amplitude level of each said received gain tone, and in response thereto sending a control signal to ones of said remote transceivers the output signal gain level of which is above or below a predetermined level;

means in each of said remote transceivers for receiving said control signal directed to it from said central transceiver; and

means in each of said remote transceivers for adjusting the gain level of signals output therefrom responsive to said control signal to both the wireless telephones and the central transceiver.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said means for receiving said gain tone from each of said remote transceivers comprises:

means for separating said gain tone from said telephony signals received from each of said remote transceivers; and

means for analyzing said gain tone received from each of said remote transceivers to determine if the gain tone signal level is above or below a predetermined level.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 8 wherein said means for adjusting the gain level of signals comprises:

gain control means through which said telephony signals and said gain tone signal pass on their way to said central transceiver; and

means responsive to said control signal for changing the operation of said gain control means so that the gain level of signals output from each of said remote transceivers and present at the input of said central transceiver is substantially the same.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for separating said gain tone from said telephony signals received from said remote transceivers comprises filter means.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 10 wherein said gain control means comprises amplifier and attenuator means.

12. A method for monitoring and adjusting the gain level of each of a plurality of remote transceivers that carry telephony and other signals between wireless telephones and a central transceiver via a broadband distribution network, so that the gain level of signals output from each of said remote transceivers and present at the input of said central transceiver is substantially the same, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a gain tone along with said telephony signals output from each of said remote transceivers for transmission to said central transceiver via said broadband distribution network, the gain tone being set to a fixed predetermined amplitude at each one of said remote transceivers prior to transmission over the broadband distribution network;

receiving a gain tone along with telephony signals in said central transceiver from each of said remote transceivers;

determining a relative amplitude level of each said received gain tone, and in response thereto sending a control signal from said central transceiver to corresponding ones of each of said remote transceivers which causes the adjustment of the gain level of signals output therefrom;

receiving a control signal at said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers and sent to it from said central transceiver; and

changing the gain level of signals output from each of said remote transceivers responsive to said control signal directed to both the wireless telephones and the central transceiver.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing said gain tone received at said central transceiver from each of said remote transceivers to determine if its signal level is above or below a predetermined signal level; and

determining the value of said control signal to be returned to said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers which causes the adjustment of the gain level of signals output from said corresponding ones of said remote transceivers.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising the step of separating said telephony signal from said gain tone in said central transceiver before analyzing said gain tone to determine if its signal level is above or below said predetermined signal level.