Radio frequency coverage of an enclosed region by arrangement of transceivers within the region

• US 6,449,477 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES, MARCOS L
• Application Number:
  US09/557,723
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/552, 455/67.1, 455/63, 455/111, 455/15, 455/560, 455/561, 455/423, 455/424, 455/446, 455/13.1, 455/16, 455/422
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0667 of delayed versions of same signal using space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0894 using different delays between antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas

Abstract

A method for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a multistory building and a wireless communication network external to the building, the building including alternating even and odd floors and having a near side and a far side, the method including dividing a plurality of slave transceivers into a main sub-group of slave transceivers and a diversity sub-group of slave transceivers, the transceivers being operative to transmit signals of a type which are conveyed over the wireless communication network. The method further includes positioning at the near side of at least one of the even floors one of the slave transceivers from the main sub-group and positioning at the far side of the at least one of the even floors one of the slave transceivers from the diversity sub-group, and also positioning at the near side of at least one of the odd floors another one of the slave transceivers from the diversity sub-group and positioning at the far side of the at least one of the odd floors another one of the slave transceivers from the main sub-group. The method further includes conveying a signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver via one or more of the plurality of slave transceivers positioned in the building.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a multistory building and a wireless communication network, the building including alternating even and odd floors and having a near side and a far side, the method comprising:

dividing a plurality of slave transceivers into a main sub-group of slave transceivers and a diversity sub-group of slave transceivers, the transceivers being operative to transmit signals of a type which are conveyed over the wireless communication network;

positioning at the near side of at least one of the even floors one of the slave transceivers from the main sub-group and positioning at the far side of the at least one of the even floors one of the slave transceivers from the diversity subgroup;

positioning at the near side of at least one of the odd floors another one of the slave transceivers from the diversity sub-group and positioning at the far side of the at least one of the odd floors another one of the slave transceivers from the main sub-group; and

conveying a signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver via one or more of the plurality of slave transceivers positioned in the building.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein conveying the signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver comprises:

conveying the signal from the diversity sub-group via a diversity splitter/combiner which splits and combines the signal from the diversity sub-group;

conveying the signal from the main sub-group via a main splitter/combiner which splits and combines the signal from the main sub-group; and

positioning the diversity and main splitter/combiners close to a center line of the building.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein conveying the signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver comprises conveying the signal between a base transceiver station comprised in the network and the mobile transceiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein positioning at the near side of the at least one of the even floors comprises positioning a first one of the transceivers from the main sub-group at a near end of a first corridor comprised in the at least one of the even floors,

wherein positioning at the far side of the at least one of the even floors comprises positioning a first one of the transceivers from the diversity sub-group at a far end of the first corridor,

wherein positioning at the near side of the at least one of the odd floors comprises positioning a second one of the transceivers from the diversity sub-group at the near end of a second corridor comprised in the at least one of the odd floors, and

wherein positioning at the far side of the at least one of the odd floors comprises positioning a second one of the transceivers from the main sub-group at the far end of the second corridor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein positioning at the near side of the at least one of the even floors comprises positioning the slave transceivers from the main sub-group at the near side of substantially all the even floors,

wherein positioning at the far side of the at least one of the even floors comprises positioning the slave transceivers from the diversity sub-group at the far side of substantially all the even floors,

wherein positioning at the near side of the at least one of the odd floors comprises positioning the slave transceivers from the diversity sub-group at the near side of substantially all the odd floors, and

wherein positioning at the far side of the at least one of the odd floors comprises positioning the slave transceivers from the main sub-group at the near side of substantially all the even floors.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular communication network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diversity sub-group of slave transceivers are operative to receive signals that are distinguishable from the signals received by the main sub-group of slave transceivers.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the building is substantially closed off to electromagnetic radiation transmitted over-the-air from a source external to the building.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein conveying the signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver comprises down-converting the signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and recovering the signal by up-converting the IF signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is external to the building.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is within the building.

12. Apparatus for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a multistory building and a wireless communication network, the building including alternating even and odd floors and having a near side and a far side, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of slave transceivers, operative to transmit signals between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver, the slave transceivers comprising;

a group of main slave transceivers, one of the group being positioned on at least one of the even floors at the near side of the building, another one of the group being positioned on at least one of the odd floors at the far side of the building; and

a group of diversity slave transceivers, one of the group being positioned on the at least one of the even floors at the far side of the building, another one of the group being positioned on the at least one of the odd floors at the near side of the building.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, and comprising:

a diversity splitter/combiner which splits or combines the signal from the diversity group and which is positioned close to a center line of the building; and

a main splitter/combiner which splits or combines the signal from the main group and which is positioned close to the center line of the building.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, and comprising a master transceiver coupled to exchange the signal with the main and diversity groups of slave transceivers, and to communicate with a base transceiver station of the wireless network, so that the signal is conveyed between the base transceiver station and the mobile transceiver via the master transceiver.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the even floors comprises an even corridor and the at least one of the odd floors comprises an odd corridor,

wherein one of the group of main slave transceivers is positioned at a far end of the even corridor and another one of the group of main slave transceivers is positioned at a near end of the odd corridor, and

wherein one of the group of diversity slave transceivers is positioned at a near end of the even corridor and another one of the group of diversity slave transceivers is positioned at a far end of the odd corridor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein one of the group of main slave transceivers is positioned on the near side of each of the even floors and another one of the group of main slave transceivers is positioned on the far side of each of the odd floors, and

wherein one of the group of diversity slave transceivers is positioned on the far side of each of the even floors and another one of the group of diversity slave transceivers is positioned on the near side of each of the odd floors.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular communication network.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the group of diversity slave transceivers are operative to receive signals that are distinguishable from the signals received by the group of main slave transceivers.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the building is substantially closed off to electromagnetic radiation transmitted over-the-air from a source external to the building.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network is external to the building.

21. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network is within the building.

22. A method for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a building having one or more floors and a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

dividing a plurality of slave transceivers into a main sub-group of slave transceivers and a diversity sub-group of slave transceivers, the transceivers being operative to transmit signals of a type which are conveyed over the wireless communication network;

positioning on at least one of the floors of the building at leas t one slave transceiver of a first one of the sub-groups and a plurality of slave transceivers of a second one of the sub-groups, so that a nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver on the at least one of the floors belongs to the other sub-group; and

conveying a signal between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver via one or more of the plurality of slave transceivers positioned in the building.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein positioning on the at least one of the floors comprises measuring the nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver on the at least one of the floors in a generally horizontal direction.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein positioning on the at least one of the floors comprises measuring the nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver on the at least one of the floors in a generally non-horizontal direction.

25. Apparatus for communicating between a mobile transceiver in a building having one or more floors and a wireless communication network, comprising:

a plurality of slave transceivers, operative to transmit signals between the wireless communication network and the mobile transceiver, the slave transceivers comprising;

a main sub-group of slave transceivers; and

a diversity sub-group of slave transceivers, at least one of a first one of the sub-groups and a plurality of a second one of the sub-groups being positioned on at least one floor, so that a nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver on the at least one of the floors belongs to the other sub-group.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver is measured in a generally horizontal direction.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the nearest neighbor of each slave transceiver is measured in a generally non-horizontal direction.