Universal repeater for communication systems

• US 6,684,058 B1
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Facilities Incorporated (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Karacaoglu, Ulun, Nche, Chi, Tayebi, Masood K., Hatim, Baya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/016,015
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/14, 455/15, 455/16, 455/17, 455/20, 455/426, 455/446, 455/561, 455/447, 455/552, 455/13.1, 370/315-328
• US Class Current: 455/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A system and method for converting carrier frequencies of a wireless communication system is provided. The system and method allow expansion of coverage areas of wireless communication systems, such as a mobile/cellular telephone system. In one embodiment, the system converts RF signals in the PCS band to ISM band, and transmits the ISM signals to a distant repeater station. The repeater station receives the ISM signals and down converts the ISM signals to the PCS band. The PCS signals are retransmitted in a new cell thereby creating a new coverage area. Radio frequency signals are down converted to an Intermediate frequency for channel selectivity and narrow band filtering. Channel selectivity circuitry allows quick reuse of other channels in the same cell. The channel selectivity circuitry includes a SAW filter which significantly reduces out of band interference. The system includes a microcontroller to permit use of programmable synthesized sources for the local oscillators thereby facilitating a variety of communication bands to be utilized in the system.

Claims

1. A terrestrial radio frequency (RF) communication system, comprising:

a near-end station at a fixed terrestrial location within a first cell receiving a signal having at least one first carrier frequency within a cellular frequency band from a wireless cellular communication system, the near-end station including;

a near-end converter converting the first carrier frequency to at least one first intermediate frequency;

a near-end channel selectivity circuit selecting one channel from the signal and converting the first intermediate frequency to at least one second carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is a non-cellular frequency, and

a near-end transmitter wirelessly transmitting the selected channel having the second carrier frequency, and wherein the near-end station does not change the modulation or signalling scheme of the signal having at least one first carrier frequency; and

a far-end station at a fixed terrestrial location within a second cell located apart from the first cell including;

a far-end receiver wirelessly receiving the selected channel having the second carrier frequency from the near-end transmitter and converting the second carrier frequency to a second intermediate frequency,

a far-end channel selectivity circuit selectively filtering the received channel and converting the second intermediate frequency to the first carrier frequency, and

a far-end transmitter transmitting the received channel having the first carrier frequency, and wherein the far-end station does not change the modulation or signalling scheme of the selected channel having the second carrier frequency.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the near-end station receives the signal having at least one first carrier frequency from the wireless communication system via a RF cable.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the near-end station receives the signal having at least one first carrier frequency from the wireless communication system via an antenna.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier frequency is in the PCS band.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate frequency is centered at 140 MegaHertz.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier frequency is in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second intermediate frequency is centered at 70 MegaHertz.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the signal having at least one first carrier frequency is a CDMA signal.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the near-end and far-end channel selectivity circuits include a mixer receiving the channel and connected to an oscillator and additionally comprising a microcontroller capable of programming the oscillator frequency.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the near-end and far-end channel selectivity circuits includes a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the SAW filter reduces out of band interference.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising one or more additional channel selectivity circuits in parallel to the near-end forward link channel selectivity circuit, each of said additional channel selectivity circuits selecting a different channel than the other channel selectivity circuits in a forward link path of the near-end station.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein use of the near-end station and far-end station permits generation of a new cell in a cellular system, thereby expanding coverage of the wireless communication system.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency are in different frequency bands.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first carrier frequency is in the PCS band, and the second carrier frequency is in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band.

16. A terrestrial radio frequency (RF) communication system, comprising:

a far-end station at a fixed terrestrial location within a first cell receiving a signal having at least one first carrier frequency within a cellular frequency band, the far-end station including;

a far-end converter converting the first carrier frequency to at least one first intermediate frequency, wherein the far-end converter does not change the modulation or signalling scheme of the signal having at least one first carrier frequency,

a far-end channel selectivity circuit selecting one channel from the signal and converting the first intermediate frequency to a different second carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is a non-cellular frequency, and

a far-end transmitter transmitting the selected channel having the different second carrier frequency; and

a near-end station at a fixed terrestrial location within a second cell, wherein the second cell is located apart from the first cell, the near-end station including;

a near-end receiver receiving the selected channel having the different second carrier frequency from the far-end transmitter,

a near-end converter converting the different second carrier frequency to a second intermediate frequency, wherein the near-end converter does not change the modulation or signalling scheme of the selected channel having the different second carrier frequency, and

a near-end channel selectivity circuit selectively filtering the received channel and converting the second intermediate frequency to the first carrier frequency;

wherein the first carrier frequency is in the PCS band, and the different second carrier frequency is in the ISM band.

17. A method of communicating a radio frequency (RF) signal in a terrestrial system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first fixed terrestrial location within a first cell, a signal having at least one first carrier frequency within a cellular frequency band from a wireless cellular communication system;

converting the first carrier frequency to at least one first intermediate frequency without changing the modulation or signalling scheme of the signal having the first carrier frequency;

selecting one channel from the signal;

converting the first intermediate frequency to at least one second carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is a non-cellular frequency;

wirelessly transmitting the selected channel having the second carrier frequency;

wirelessly receiving, at a second fixed terrestrial location within a second cell located apart from the first cell, the selected channel having the second carrier frequency;

converting the second carrier frequency to a second intermediate frequency;

filtering the received channel;

converting the second intermediate frequency to the first carrier frequency; and

communicating the received channel having the first carrier frequency to a distant station.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the wireless communication system is a cellular communication system.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein a RF cable is used to receive the signal having at least one first carrier frequency.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein an antenna is used to receive the signal having at least one first carrier frequency.

21. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the first carrier frequency is in the PCS band, and the second carrier frequency is in the ISM band.

22. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the signal having at least one first carrier frequency is a CDMA signal.

23. A method of converting carrier frequencies of a radio frequency (RF) signal in a terrestrial system, the method comprising:

receiving at a first fixed terrestrial location within a first cell, a signal having at least one first carrier frequency within a cellular frequency band;

converting the first carrier frequency to at least one first intermediate frequency without changing the modulation or signalling scheme of the signal having the first carrier frequency;

selecting one channel from the signal;

converting the first intermediate frequency to at least one second carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is a non-cellular frequency;

wirelessly transmitting the selected channel having the second carrier frequency;

wirelessly receiving, at a second terrestrial location within a second cell located apart from the first cell, the selected channel having the second carrier frequency;

converting the second carrier frequency to a second intermediate frequency;

filtering the received selected channel;

converting the second intermediate frequency to the first carrier frequency; and

communicating the received selected channel having the first carrier frequency to a wireless cellular communication system.

24. A terrestrial radio frequency (RF) communication system, comprising:

a near-end station receiving a signal having at least one original carrier frequency in a cellular frequency band, the near-end station including;

a near-end converter converting the original carrier frequency to at least one first intermediate frequency,

a near-end filtering circuit capable of narrow band filtering the signal having the first intermediate frequency and converting the first intermediate frequency to at least one different higher carrier frequency in a non-cellular frequency band, and

a near-end transmitter transmitting the signal having the different higher carrier frequency, wherein the near-end station does not change the modulation or signaling scheme of the signal having at least one first carrier frequency;

a far-end station including;

a far-end converter converting the different higher carrier frequency to the original carrier frequency and wherein the far-end converter does not change the modulation or signalling scheme of the signal having the original carrier frequency, and

a far-end transceiver receiving the signal having the different higher carrier frequency from the near-end transmitter, and transmitting the signal having the original lower carrier frequency.