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In-building radio frequency communications system with automatic failover recovery

  • US 7,386,308 B2
  • Filed: 01/05/2005
  • Issued: 06/10/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An in-building radio frequency communications system comprising:

  • a primary external antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said primary external antenna located on an exterior of a structure and oriented towards a primary radio frequency signal transmission tower such that the primary external antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower;

    an ancillary external antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said ancillary external antenna located on the exterior of the structure and oriented towards an ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower such that the ancillary external antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from the ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower;

    a donor site diversity system, in connection with the primary external antenna and with the ancillary external antenna, said donor site diversity system suitably configured to monitor the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower and capable of switching between the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower and the ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower based on the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower;

    with the donor site diversity system comprising;

    a primary circuit, suitably configured to establish a connection between the primary external antenna and the bi-directional amplifier such that radio frequency signals may travel between the primary external antenna and the bi-directional amplifier,an ancillary circuit, suitably configured to establish a connection between the ancillary external antenna and the bi-directional amplifier such that radio frequency signals may travel between the ancillary external antenna and the bi-directional amplifier,a radio frequency signal switch, suitably configured to complete or interrupt the primary circuit and to complete or interrupt the ancillary circuit, with the radio frequency signal switch having a means to toggle between the primary circuit and the ancillary circuit such that the ancillary circuit is interrupted when the radio frequency signal switch toggle means is toggled to and completes the primary circuit and the primary circuit is interrupted when the radio frequency signal switch toggle means is toggled to and completes the ancillary circuit, anda radio frequency signal detector/sensor, comprising;

    a monitoring means, said monitoring means suitably configured to monitor the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower, anda logic processor, suitably configured to determine the sufficiency of the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower, said logic processor in connection with the radio frequency signal switch and further suitably configured to send a signal to the radio frequency signal switch directing the radio frequency signal switch toggle means to toggle between the primary circuit and the ancillary circuit based on the sufficiency of the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower,whereby, when the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower are determined to be of sufficient strength and quality, the toggling means of the radio frequency signal switch is directed by the logic processor to complete the primary circuit and to interrupt the ancillary circuit, and when the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower are determined to be of insufficient strength and quality, the toggling means of the radio frequency signal switch is directed by the logic processor to complete the ancillary circuit and to interrupt the primary circuit;

    an internal antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said internal antenna located within an interior of the structure such that the internal antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from one or more wireless communication devices located within the structure; and

    a bi-directional amplifier, in connection with the donor site diversity system and with the internal antenna, said bi-directional amplifier suitably configured to increase the strength of radio frequency signals received from the radio frequency signal transmission towers through the external antennas and received from the wireless communication devices through the internal antenna;

    wherein the primary external antenna and the ancillary external antenna are suitably configured such that both the primary external antenna and the ancillary external antenna are capable of operating independently from the other, where at any given time only one of said primary and ancillary external antennas is receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals for purpose of providing a communications link between one of the radio frequency signal transmission towers and the one or more wireless communication devices, while the other of said primary and ancillary external antennas is in stand-by mode whereby it is not providing a communications link between either of the radio frequency signal transmission towers and the one or more wireless communication devices.

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