Time divisional duplex (TDD) system portable telephone relay device

• US 6,342,777 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Sunao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thein
• Application Number:
  US09/034,191
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 370/501, 370/492, 370/315, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/334, 455/555, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas

Abstract

A time division duplex (TDD) portable telephone relay device (and TDD system employing the same) for use with a radio base station and a portable telephone terminal within a terminal building, includes first and second distributors, a synthesizer, a predetermined-size (e.g., relatively small, internal) base station section, a position detecting unit, a synchronous receive section, and an exclusive telephone line connecting unit. With such a structure, transmission/reception using a frequency channel, other than frequency channels assigned to a radio zone where the terminal building exists, is conducted between the portable telephone terminal within the terminal building and the radio base station through the predetermined-size base station section. The predetermined-size base station section executes the operation adapted to TDD based on a synchronous signal from the synchronous receive section.

Claims

1. A time division duplex (TDD) portable communicator relay device for relaying a communication line between a base station within one zone in a TDD system portable communicator service area including a plurality of zones and a portable communicator terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region in the zone, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying a communication line between said base station and the portable communicator terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region in the zone of said base station, using a zone frequency channel of said base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through an exclusive wire communication line, for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said base station through said exclusive wire communication line, and for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said portable communicator terminal within said electrical wave insensitive region using a predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels which is not assigned to said zone,

wherein a relay between said base station and said portable, communicator terminal is conducted based on a control signal from said base station using any of said first relay unit and said second relay unit.

2. A TDD portable communicator relay device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first relay unit includes:

a transmitter/receiver for conducting a transmit/receive operation with respect to said portable communicator terminal,

said second relay unit commonly using said transmitter/receiver for conducting a transmit/receive operation with respect to said portable communicator terminal.

4. A TDD portable communicator relay device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second relay unit includes:

a predetermined-size base station section for inputting speech data transmitted from said base station through said exclusive wire communication line, outputting a modulated wave signal corresponding to said speech data using said predetermined frequency channel, and outputting only a signal output from said portable communication terminal using said frequency channel to said base station through said exclusive wire communication line.

5. A TDD portable communication relay device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said predetermined-size base station section further outputs information relating to a use state of said predetermined frequency channel to said base station.

6. A TDD portable communicator relay device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second relay unit further includes:

a synchronous receive section for obtaining a synchronous signal contained in the signal transmitted from said base station for synchronizing operation of said predetermined-size base station section with operation of said base station based on the synchronous signal.

7. A TDD portable communicator relay device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second relay unit includes:

a detector for detecting a frequency channel used by said portable communicator terminal to detect that said portable telephone terminal is within said electrical wave insensitive region, and for producing a detection signal.

8. A TDD portable communicator relay device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when said base station judges, based on the detection signal when the transmission/reception to said portable communicator terminal is conducted using said second relay unit, that said portable communicator terminal is not within said electrical wave insensitive region, the transmission/reception to said portable communicator terminal using said second relay unit is finished according to the control signal from said base station.

3. A time division duplex (TDD) portable communicator relay device for relaying a communication line between a base station within one zone in a TDD system portable communicator service area including a plurality of zones and a portable communicator terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region in the zone, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying a communication line between said base station and the portable communicator terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region in the zone of said base station, using a zone frequency channel of said base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through an exclusive wire communication line, for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said base station through said exclusive wire communication line, and for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said portable communicator terminal within said electrical wave insensitive region using a predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels which is not assigned to said zone,

wherein a relay between said base station and said portable communicator terminal is conducted based on a control signal from said base station using any of said first relay unit and said second relay unit,

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said second relay unit using said predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels when an unused channel exists in said predetermined frequency channels used in said second relay unit, and

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said first relay unit using a zone frequency channel of said base station when said predetermined frequency channels include no unused channel.

9. A relay device for a portable phone system, said relay device communicating with a base station positioned outside a structure and at least one portable radio telephone positioned within said structure, wherein radio signals cannot pass through said structure, said relay device comprising:

an external antenna positioned outside said structure for communicating with said base station;

an internal antenna positioned within said structure for communicating with said at least one portable radio telephone;

a circuit, connected to said external antenna and said internal antenna, for transmitting said radio signals between said base station and said at least one portable radio telephone; and

a wired telephone connection between said circuit and said base station,

wherein said circuit reserves frequencies within said base station and within said relay device for said at least one portable radio telephone, when said portable radio telephone is engaged in a telephone call, such that said portable radio telephone maintains said telephone call inside and outside said structure without interruption.

10. A relay device as in claim 9, wherein said circuit comprises:

a first relay unit coupled between said external antenna and said internal antenna; and

a second relay unit, wired to said base station and coupled to said internal antenna,

said second relay unit including an exclusive telephone line connecting unit wired to said base station, a position detecting unit coupled to said exclusive telephone line connecting unit, an internal base station section coupled to said exclusive telephone line connecting unit, and a synchronous receive section coupled to said internal base station section.

11. A relay device as in claim 9, wherein said circuit performs time division duplexing in coordination with said base station.

12. A relay device for a portable phone system, said relay device communicating with a base station positioned outside a structure and at least one portable radio telephone positioned within said structure, wherein radio signals cannot pass through said structure, said relay device comprising:

an external antenna positioned outside said structure for communicating with said base station;

an internal antenna positioned within said structure for communicating with said at least one portable radio telephone;

a circuit, connected to said external antenna and said internal antenna, for transmitting said radio signals between said base station and said at least one portable radio telephone; and

a wired telephone connection between said circuit and said base station,

wherein said circuit reserves frequencies within said base station and within said relay device for said at least one portable radio telephone, when said portable radio telephone is engaged in a telephone call, such that said portable radio telephone maintains said telephone call inside and outside said structure without interruption, and

wherein a control signal for reserving frequencies is transmitted along said wired telephone connection.

13. A portable telephone relay device for relaying a radio telephone line between a radio base station and a portable telephone terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying said radio telephone terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region using an available radio zone frequency channel of said radio base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said radio base station through a wired telephone line, for defining said available radio zone frequency based on a control signal transmitted from said radio base station.

14. A time division duplex (TDD) portable communicator relay device for relaying a communication line between a base station within one zone in a TDD system portable communicator service area including a plurality of zones and a portable communicator terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region in the zone, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying a communication line between said base station and the portable communicator terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region in the zone of said base station, using a zone frequency channel of said base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through an exclusive wire communication line, for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said base station through said exclusive wire communication line, and for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said portable communicator terminal within said electrical wave insensitive region using a predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels which is not assigned to said zone,

wherein a relay between said base station and said portable communicator terminal is conducted based on a control signal from said base station using any of said first relay unit and said second relay unit,

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said second relay unit using said predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels when an unused channel exists in said predetermined frequency channels used in said second relay unit.

15. A time division duplex (TDD) portable communicator relay device for relaying a communication line between a base station within one zone in a TDD system portable communicator service area including a plurality of zones and a portable communicator terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region in the zone, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying a communication line between said base station and the portable communicator terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region in the zone of said base station, using a zone frequency channel of said base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through an exclusive wire communication line, for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said base station through said exclusive wire communication line, and for conducting transmission/reception with respect to said portable communicator terminal within said electrical wave insensitive region using a predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels which is not assigned to said zone,

wherein a relay between said base station and said portable communicator terminal is conducted based on a control signal from said base station using any of said first relay unit and said second relay unit, and

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said first relay unit using a zone frequency channel of said base station when said predetermined frequency channels include no unused channel.

16. A portable telephone relay device for relaying a radio telephone line between a radio base station and a portable telephone terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying said radio telephone line between said radio base station and the portable telephone terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region using an available radio zone frequency channel of said radio base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through a wired telephone line, for defining said available radio zone frequency based on a control signal transmitted from said radio base station, and

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said second relay unit using said predetermined frequency channel of a plurality of predetermined frequency channels when an unused channel exists in said predetermined frequency channels used in said second relay unit.

17. A portable telephone relay device for relaying a radio telephone line between a radio base station and a portable telephone terminal which is within an electrical wave insensitive region, said device comprising:

a first relay unit for relaying said radio telephone line between said radio base station and the portable telephone terminal within the electrical wave insensitive region using an available radio zone frequency channel of said radio base station; and

a second relay unit, connected to said base station through a wired telephone line, for defining said available radio zone frequency based on a control signal transmitted from said radio base station, and

wherein said base station outputs a control signal instructing that the communication line is relayed by said first relay unit using a zone frequency channel of said base station when said predetermined frequency channels include no unused channel.