Repeater for customer premises
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A repeater comprising:
- a housing configured for mounting within an architectural structure;
a null antenna mounted on the housing and oriented to provide an antenna beam directed into an interior portion of the architectural structure when the housing is mounted to the architectural structure;
a donor antenna; and
a repeater circuit disposed in the housing and coupled to the null and donor antennas to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals therebetween;
wherein the housing is configured to be mounted in a room in the architectural structure, wherein the housing is configured to be mounted within a corner between a ceiling and at least one wall of the room, and wherein the housing is right triangular in cross-section, with the null antenna mounted to a surface of the housing that forms the hypotenuse in the right triangular cross section.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A repeater for use in connection with enhancing reception of wireless communications in an architectural structure utilizes a housing that incorporates both a null antenna capable of being oriented to provide an antenna beam directed into an interior portion of the architectural structure, and a repeater circuit that is configured to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals between the null antenna and a donor antenna. The donor antenna may also be mounted to the housing, or alternatively may be coupled to the housing via a cable or other communications path. The repeater is suitable for installation in an attic, or alternatively, within a room or other inhabitable area of a structure.
99 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A repeater comprising:
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a housing configured for mounting within an architectural structure; a null antenna mounted on the housing and oriented to provide an antenna beam directed into an interior portion of the architectural structure when the housing is mounted to the architectural structure; a donor antenna; and a repeater circuit disposed in the housing and coupled to the null and donor antennas to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals therebetween; wherein the housing is configured to be mounted in a room in the architectural structure, wherein the housing is configured to be mounted within a corner between a ceiling and at least one wall of the room, and wherein the housing is right triangular in cross-section, with the null antenna mounted to a surface of the housing that forms the hypotenuse in the right triangular cross section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A repeater comprising:
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a housing including a planar surface; a null antenna including at least one patch antenna element disposed on the surface of the housing; a donor antenna coupled to the housing via a cable; and a repeater circuit disposed in the housing and coupled to the null and donor antennas to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals therebetween, wherein the housing is configured to be mounted within a corner between a ceiling and at least one wall of an architectural structure, and wherein the housing is triangular in cross-section, with the null antenna mounted to a surface of the housing that faces outwardly from the corner when the housing is mounted within the corner. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A repeater comprising:
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a housing including a planar surface; a null antenna including at least one patch antenna element disposed on the surface of the housing; a donor antenna mounted on the housing opposite the surface and extending generally perpendicular to and away from the surface of the housing; and a repeater circuit disposed in the housing and coupled to the null and donor antennas to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals therebetween, wherein the repeater is configured to be mounted within an attic of an architectural structure proximate a relatively high point within the attic, and with the surface of the housing oriented toward a ceiling of a room disposed below the attic, and wherein the null and donor antennas have generally orthogonal polarizations relative to one another. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of bi-directionally transmitting radio frequency signals in an architectural structure, the method comprising:
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receiving a first radio frequency signal from an interior portion of an architectural structure using a null antenna mounted to a housing that is mounted within the architectural structure so as to orient the null antenna toward the interior portion of the architectural structure, wherein the null antenna includes at least one patch antenna element disposed on a surface of the housing and wherein the housing and the null antenna are positioned within an attic of the architectural structure; communicating the first radio frequency signal to a donor antenna that is mounted on the housing and positioned within the attic with a repeater circuit disposed in the housing; receiving a second radio frequency signal using the donor antenna; and communicating the second radio signal to the null antenna using the repeater circuit. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of installing a repeater in an architectural structure, the method comprising:
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installing a donor antenna in an attic of an architectural structure, wherein installing the donor antenna in the attic includes positioning the donor antenna at a relatively high point in the attic; installing a housing in the attic of the architectural structure to orient a null antenna mounted thereto toward a ceiling of a room over which the attic is disposed, wherein installing the housing in the attic includes positioning the housing proximate the ceiling of the room, wherein the housing further includes a repeater circuit disposed therein and coupled to the null and donor antennas to provide bi-directional exchange of radio frequency signals therebetween; and connecting a cable between the donor antenna and the housing.
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Specification