Proxy translator for extending the coverage area of a wireless network

• US 7,720,484 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cleveland, Joseph R., Rajkotia, Purva R., Parikh, Deepak R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/932,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/446, 455/20, 455/447, 455/11.1, 455/13.4, 455/16, 455/17, 455/18, 379/59
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow

Abstract

A proxy translator for use in a wireless network. The proxy translator re-transmits forward and reverse channel signals between a base station and mobile stations. The proxy translator comprises a first proxy mobile station that communicate with a base station and a proxy base transceiver subsystem (BTS) that communicates with a first mobile station. The first proxy mobile station receives forward channel signals intended for the first mobile station and transfers them to the proxy BTS for re-transmission to the first mobile station. The proxy BTS receives reverse channel signals from the first mobile station and transfers them to the first proxy mobile station for re-transmission to the base station.

Claims

1. For use in a wireless network, a proxy translator to retransmit forward channel signals from a base station of said wireless network to a plurality of mobile stations accessing said wireless network, said proxy translator comprising:

a plurality of proxy mobile stations dynamically configured to serve as substitutes for a first set of mobile stations within a radio frequency hole and a coverage area of said proxy translator and to receive a first set of forward channel signals transmitted by said base station to said first set of mobile stations and to receive a second set of forward channel signals transmitted by said base station to a second set of mobile stations, wherein said proxy mobile stations down-convert said first set of forward channel signals to produce a plurality of proxy signals; and

a proxy base transceiver subsystem to receive said proxy signals from said proxy mobile stations, up-converting said proxy signals to produce a third set of forward channel signals based on said first set of forward channel signals, and transmitting said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, wherein the proxy base transceiver subsystem determines that said first set of mobiles stations are near or within an RF hole, transmits said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, and adjusts the power used to transmit the third set of forward channels transmitted to said first set of mobile stations so it does not create interference with the base station, and wherein the power is adjusted to only to be increased in the vicinity of the RF hole.

2. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first of said proxy mobile stations receives and down-converts a first forward channel signal associated with a first target mobile station to thereby produce a first proxy signal, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem receives said first proxy signal from said first proxy mobile station, up-converts said first proxy signal to thereby produce a second forward channel signal, and transmits said second forward channel signal to said first target mobile station, and wherein a second of said proxy mobile stations receives and down-converts a third forward channel signal associated with a second target mobile station to thereby produce a second proxy signal.

3. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 2, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving said second proxy signal from said second proxy mobile station, up-converting said second proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth forward channel signal, and transmitting said fourth forward channel signal to said second target mobile station.

4. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 3, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving a first reverse channel signal from said first target mobile station, down-converting said first reverse channel signal to thereby produce a third proxy signal.

5. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said first proxy mobile station is capable of receiving said third proxy signal from said proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting said third proxy signal to thereby produce a second reverse channel signal, and transmitting said second reverse channel signal to said base station.

6. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 5, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving a third reverse channel signal from said second target mobile station, down-converting said third reverse channel signal to thereby produce a fourth proxy signal.

7. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 6, wherein said second proxy mobile station is capable of receiving said fourth proxy signal from said proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting said fourth proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth reverse channel signal, and transmitting said fourth reverse channel signal to said base station.

8. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a controller capable of assigning said first proxy mobile station to process forward and reverse channel signals associated with said first target mobile station and capable of assigning said second proxy mobile station to process forward and reverse channel signals associated with said second target mobile station.

9. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 8, wherein said controller programs said first proxy mobile station with a first Electronic Serial Number associated with said first target mobile station.

10. The proxy translator as set forth in claim 9, wherein said controller programs said second proxy mobile station with a second Electronic Serial Number associated with said second target mobile station.

11. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of base stations to communicate with a plurality of mobile stations in a coverage area of said wireless network; and

a proxy translator to retransmit forward channel signals from a first base station of said wireless network to said plurality of mobile stations accessing said wireless network, said proxy translator comprising;

a plurality of proxy mobile stations dynamically configured to serve as substitutes for a first set of mobile stations within a radio frequency hole and a coverage area of said proxy translator and to receive a first set of forward channel signals transmitted by said first base station to said first set of mobile stations and to receive a second set of forward channel signals transmitted by said first base station to a second set of mobile stations, wherein said proxy mobile stations down-convert said first set of forward channel signals to produce a plurality of proxy signals, and wherein said second set of forward channel signals remain unprocessed; and

a proxy base transceiver subsystem to receive said proxy signals from said proxy mobile stations, up-converting said proxy signals to produce a third set of forward channel signals based on said first set of forward channel signals, and transmitting said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, wherein said proxy translator fails to transmit signals based on said second set of forward channel signals to said second set of mobile stations, wherein the proxy base transceiver subsystem determines that said first set of mobiles stations are near or within an RF hole, transmits said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, and adjusts the power used to transmit the third set of forward channels transmitted to said first set of mobile stations so it does not create interference with the base station, and wherein the power is adjusted to be increased only in the vicinity of the RF hole.

12. The wireless network as set forth in claim 11, wherein a first of said proxy mobile stations receives and down-converts a first forward channel signal associated with a first target mobile station to thereby produce a first proxy signal, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem receives said first proxy signal from said first proxy mobile station, up-converts said first proxy signal to thereby produce a second forward channel signal, and transmits said second forward channel signal to said first target mobile station, and wherein a second of said proxy mobile stations receives and down-converts a third forward channel signal associated with a second target mobile station to thereby produce a second proxy signal.

13. The wireless network as set forth in claim 12, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving said second proxy signal from said second proxy mobile station, up-converting said second proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth forward channel signal, and transmitting said fourth forward channel signal to said second target mobile station.

14. The wireless network as set forth in claim 13, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving a first reverse channel signal from said first target mobile station, down-converting said first reverse channel signal to thereby produce a third proxy signal.

15. The wireless network as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first proxy mobile station is capable of receiving said third proxy signal from said proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting said third proxy signal to thereby produce a second reverse channel signal, and transmitting said second reverse channel signal to said first base station.

16. The wireless network as set forth in claim 15, wherein said proxy base transceiver subsystem is further capable of receiving a third reverse channel signal from said second target mobile station, down-converting said third reverse channel signal to thereby produce a fourth proxy signal.

17. The wireless network as set forth in claim 16, wherein said second proxy mobile station is capable of receiving said fourth proxy signal from said proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting said fourth proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth reverse channel signal, and transmitting said fourth reverse channel signal to said first base station.

18. The wireless network as set forth in claim 17, further comprising a controller capable of assigning said first proxy mobile station to process forward and reverse channel signals associated with said first target mobile station and capable of assigning said second proxy mobile station to process forward and reverse channel signals associated with said second target mobile station.

19. The wireless network as set forth in claim 18, wherein said controller programs said first proxy mobile station with a first Electronic Serial Number associated with said first target mobile station.

20. The wireless network as set forth in claim 19, wherein said controller programs said second proxy mobile station with a second Electronic Serial Number associated with said second target mobile station.

21. For use in a wireless network, a method of retransmitting forward channel and reverse channel signals between a base station of the wireless network and a plurality of mobile stations accessing the wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

in a plurality of proxy mobile stations dynamically configured to serve as substitutes for a first set of mobile stations within a radio frequency hole and a coverage area of said proxy translator, (i) receiving a first set of forward channel signals transmitted by said base station to said first set of mobile stations, (ii) receiving a second set of forward channel signals transmitted by said base station to a second set of mobile stations, and (iii) down-converting said first set of forward channel signals to produce a plurality of proxy signals, said second set of forward channel signals remaining unprocessed; and

in a proxy base transceiver subsystem, (i) receiving said proxy signals from said proxy mobile stations, (ii) up-converting said proxy signals to produce a third set of forward channel signals based on said first set of forward channel signals, and (iii) transmitting said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, and wherein said proxy translator fails to transmit signals based on said second set of forward channel signals to said second set of mobile stations, wherein the proxy base transceiver subsystem determines that said first set of mobiles stations are near or within an RF hole, transmits said third set of forward channel signals to said first set of mobile stations, and adjusts the power used to transmit the third set of forward channels transmitted to said first set of mobile stations so it does not create interference with the base station, and wherein the power is adjusted to be increased in the vicinity of the RF hole.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising the steps:

in a first proxy mobile station configured to serve as a substitute for one of said plurality of mobile stations, receiving and down-converting a first forward channel signal associated with a first target mobile station to thereby produce a first proxy signal;

in the proxy base transceiver subsystem, receiving and up-converting the first proxy signal to thereby produce a second forward channel signal and transmitting the second forward channel signal to the first target mobile station; and

in a second proxy mobile station, of receiving and down-converting a third forward channel signal associated with a second target mobile station to thereby produce a second proxy signal.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising the steps, in the proxy base transceiver subsystem, of receiving and up-converting the second proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth forward channel signal, and transmitting the fourth forward channel signal to the second target mobile station.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23, further comprising the steps, in the proxy base transceiver subsystem, of receiving a first reverse channel signal from the first target mobile station and down-converting the first reverse channel signal to thereby produce a third proxy signal.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, further comprising the steps, in the first proxy mobile station, of receiving the third proxy signal from the proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting the third proxy signal to thereby produce a second reverse channel signal, and transmitting the second reverse channel signal to the base station.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising the steps, in the proxy base transceiver subsystem, of receiving a third reverse channel signal from the second target mobile station and down-converting the third reverse channel signal to thereby produce a fourth proxy signal.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26, further comprising the steps, in the second proxy mobile station, of receiving the fourth proxy signal from the proxy base transceiver subsystem, up-converting the fourth proxy signal to thereby produce a fourth reverse channel signal, and transmitting the fourth reverse channel signal to the base station.