Personal handy-phone system wireless local loops and methods of transmitting information within personal handy-phone systems

• US 6,304,560 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Martin, Varenka, Weigelt, Oliver, Winckel, Laurent, Yoshida, Satoshi, Archambaud, Denis, Feyfant, Patrick, Gaglione, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/942,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/328, 370/338, 370/350, 370/503, 370/347, 370/337, 370/316, 370/324, 375/356, 375/371, 455/12.1, 455/454, 455/462, 455/465, 455/343, 455/3.1, 455/67.1, 379/59, 340/827
• US Class Current: 370/324
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of transmitting information within a personal handy-phone system wireless local loop and personal handy-phone system wireless local loops. One embodiment of a personal handy-phone system wireless local loop according to the present invention comprises: a base station; a repeater station configured to transmit a plurality of uplink radio signals to the base station and receive a plurality of downlink radio signals from the base station; and a portable station configured to transmit the downlink radio signals to the repeater station and receive the uplink radio signals from the repeater station.

Claims

1. A wireless local loop, comprising:

a base station;

a repeater station configured to transmit a plurality of uplink radio signals to the base station, to receive a plurality of downlink radio signals from the base station, and to transmit the downlink radio signals; and

a portable station configured to transmit the uplink radio signals to the repeater station and receive the downlink radio signals from the repeater station, wherein the repeater station comprises a first transmit circuit and a second transmit circuit individually configured to at least one of manipulate data and control information of the uplink and downlink radio signals and synchronize the uplink and downlink radio signals for transmission using the repeater station.

2. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the uplink and downlink radio signals individually comprise at least one personal handy-phone system slot.

3. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit are coupled with respective ones of a plurality of transmit paths of the repeater station.

4. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the wherein the repeater station comprises:

an antenna configured to transmit radio signals to the base station and the portable station; and

a switch configured to selectively couple the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit with the antenna.

5. The wireless local loop according to claim 4 wherein the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit are individually configured to synchronize the uplink and the downlink radio signals.

6. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit are individually configured to manipulate the data and the control information.

7. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the repeater station is configured to establish a first transmit timing reference and a second transmit timing reference responsive to communication delays intermediate the repeater station and respective ones of the base station and the portable station.

8. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the repeater device is configured to transmit at least one of the uplink and downlink radio signals at a moment in time while simultaneously receiving at least one other of the uplink and downlink radio signals at the same moment in time.

9. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the repeater station is configured to communicate radio signals with the base station at a moment in time while simultaneously communicating radio signals with the portable station at the same moment in time.

10. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the wherein the repeater station is configured to transmit one of the radio signals comprising a slot at a moment in time while simultaneously receiving another of the radio signals comprising a slot at the same moment in time.

11. The wireless local loop according to claim 1 wherein the wherein the repeater station comprises a plurality of antennas individually configured to at least one of transmit and receive the uplink and downlink radio signals.

12. The wireless local loop according to claim 11 wherein one of the antennas is configured to transmit the uplink and downlink radio signals and the other of the antennas is configured to receive the uplink and downlink radio signals.

13. A wireless local loop, comprising:

a base station configured to communicate via a plurality of first radio frequency signals within a first cell;

a repeater station positioned within the first cell and configured to communicate with the base station via the first radio frequency signals, the repeater station configured to communicate via a plurality of second radio frequency signals within a second cell; and

a portable station positioned within the second cell and configured to communicate with the repeater station via the second radio frequency signals, wherein the repeater station is configured to simultaneously communicate with the base station and the portable station at the same moment in time.

14. The wireless local loop according to claim 13 wherein a baseband signal of the first and second radio frequency signals comprises a plurality of slots.

15. The wireless local loop according to claim 13 wherein the repeater station comprises plural transmit circuits individually configured to synchronize the first and second radio frequency signals.

16. The wireless local loop according to claim 13 wherein the repeater station comprises plural transmit circuits individually configured to manipulate at least one of data and control information for transmission using the repeater station.

17. The wireless local loop according to claim 16 wherein the repeater station comprises:

an antenna configured to transmit radio signals to the base station and the portable station; and

a switch configured to selectively couple the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit with the antenna.

18. The wireless local loop according to claim 13 wherein the repeater station is configured to transmit at least one radio frequency signal while simultaneously receiving at least one other radio frequency signal at the same moment in time.

19. The wireless local loop according to claim 13 wherein the repeater station is configured to transmit a radio frequency signal comprising a slot and at a moment in time while simultaneously receiving another radio frequency signal comprising another slot at the same moment in time.

20. A method of communicating information comprising:

first receiving a reference event comprising a predefined pattern within a repeater station comprising a first transmit circuit and a second transmit circuit;

following the first receiving, establishing a receive timing reference, a first transmit timing reference and a second transmit timing reference;

second receiving a plurality of uplink slots and a plurality of downlink slots;

synchronizing the uplink slots and the down links slots using respective ones of the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit; and

transmitting the uplink slots and the downlink slots according to respective ones of the first transmit timing reference and the second transmit timing reference and using respective ones of the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit.

21. The method according to claim 20 further comprising manipulating at least one of data and the control information of the uplink slots and downlink slots using respective one of the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the second receiving and the transmitting occur at the same moment in time.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting at least one of the uplink slots and the downlink slots while simultaneously receiving at least one of the uplink slots and the downlink slots at the same moment in time.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein the receivings individually comprise receiving using a first antenna and the transmitting comprises transmitting using a second antenna.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the transmitting comprises selectively coupling the first transmit circuit and the second transmit with the second antenna.

26. The method according to claim 20 further comprising receiving the uplink slots using a base station.

27. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing defines timing references within a repeater station.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein the transmitting of the uplink slots is according to the first transmit timing reference.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the transmitting of the downlink slots is according to the second transmit timing reference.

30. A method of communicating information comprising:

using a base station, transmitting a plurality of downlink slots and receiving a plurality of uplink slots;

using a portable station, transmitting the uplink slots and receiving the downlink slots; and

transmitting at least one of the uplink slots and the downlink slots using a repeater station while simultaneously receiving at least one of the uplink slots and the downlink slots using the repeater station at the same moment in time.

31. The method according to claim 30 further comprising:

establishing a receive timing reference, a first transmit timing reference and a second transmit timing reference within a repeater station, the receive timing reference lags a transmit timing reference of the base station and the first transmit timing reference of the repeater station leads a receive timing reference of the base station corresponding to communication delays intermediate the base station and the repeater station and the second transmit timing reference of the repeater station leads a receive timing reference of the portable station corresponding to communication delays intermediate the repeater station and the portable station; and

receiving the uplink slots and downlink slots according to the receive timing reference using the repeater station.

32. The method according to claim 30 further comprising transmitting the uplink slots according to the first transmit timing reference using the repeater station.

33. The method according to claim 30 wherein the transmitting using the repeater station comprises transmitting using a first antenna of the repeater station and the receiving using the repeater station comprises receiving using a second antenna of the repeater station.

34. The method according to claim 30 wherein the transmitting using the repeater station comprises transmitting the uplink slots using a first transmit circuit and transmitting the downlink slots using a second transmit circuit.

35. The method according to claim 30 wherein the uplink slots and downlink slots comprise personal handy-phone system slots.

36. A method of communicating information comprising:

establishing a receive timing reference, a first transmit timing reference and a second transmit timing reference using a repeater station;

receiving a downlink slot at the repeater station in accordance with the receive timing reference;

receiving an uplink slot at the repeater station in accordance with the receive timing reference;

transmitting the uplink slot using the repeater station in accordance with the first transmit timing reference; and

transmitting the downlink slot using the repeater station in accordance with the second transmit timing reference, wherein the transmitting of at least one of the uplink slot and the downlink slot using the repeater station comprises transmitting during the same moment in time as receiving one of the uplink slot and the downlink slot using the repeater station.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the transmitting comprise transmitting using respective ones of a first transmit circuit and a second transmit circuit of the repeater station, the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit being individually configured to synchronize respective ones of the uplink slot and the downlink slot.

38. The method according to claim 36 wherein the slots comprise personal handy-phone system slots.

39. The method according to claim 36 wherein the transmitting comprise transmitting the uplink slot using a first transmit circuit and the transmitting the downlink slot using a second transmit circuit.

40. The method according to claim 36 wherein the transmitting individually comprise transmitting using a first antenna of the repeater station and the receiving comprises receiving using a second antenna of the repeater station.

41. The method according to claim 36 further comprising receiving the downlink slots using a portable station.

42. The method according to claim 36 further comprising receiving the uplink slots using a base station.

43. The method according to claim 36 wherein the establishing defines timing references within the repeater station.

44. A method of transmitting information within a personal handy-phone system wireless local loop comprising:

using a personal handy-phone system base station, first transmitting a personal handy-phone system slot comprising a unique word;

first receiving the unique word at a personal handy-phone system repeater station;

following the first receiving, establishing a receive timing reference, a first transmit timing reference and a second transmit timing reference;

using the personal handy-phone system base station, second transmitting a downlink personal handy-phone system slot;

second receiving the downlink personal handy-phone system slot at the repeater station in accordance with the receive timing reference;

using a personal handy-phone system portable station, third transmitting an uplink personal handy-phone system slot;

third receiving the uplink personal handy-phone system slot at the repeater station in accordance with the receive timing reference;

using a first transmit circuit of the personal handy-phone system repeater station, fourth transmitting the uplink personal handy-phone system slot in accordance with the first transmit timing reference;

using a second transmit circuit of the personal handy-phone system repeater station, fifth transmitting the downlink personal handy-phone system slot in accordance with the second transmit timing reference;

selectively coupling the first transmit circuit and the second transmit circuit with an antenna of the personal handy-phone system repeater station to implement the fourth and fifth transmitting;

fourth receiving the uplink personal handy-phone system slot at the personal handy-phone system base station; and

fifth receiving the downlink personal handy-phone system slot at the personal handy-phone system portable station, wherein at least one of the fourth transmitting and the fifth transmitting comprises transmitting at the same moment in time as at least one of the second receiving and the third receiving.

45. The method according to claim 44 wherein the second and third receivings individually comprise receiving using another antenna of the personal handy-phone system repeater station.