Repeating apparatus and method in wireless communication system

• US 8,521,081 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kang, Byung-Su, Kwon, Heon-Kook, Lee, Kwang-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/886,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/13.3
• US Class Current: 455/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578

Abstract

A repeating apparatus in a wireless communication system includes: a signal detection unit configured to receive a signal from a base station or a mobile station and detect strength of the signal; a control unit configured to compare the signal strength detected by the signal detection unit with signal strength predetermined by the system and provide comparison information; and an output signal control unit configured to receive the comparison information from the control unit and adjust and amplify gain of a signal transmitted to the base station or the mobile station.

Claims

1. A repeating apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a signal detection unit configured to receive a signal from a base station or a mobile station and detect strength of the signal;

a control unit configured to compare the signal strength detected by the signal detection unit with signal strength predetermined by the system and provide comparison information; and

an output signal control unit configured to receive the comparison information from the control unit and adjust and amplify gain of a signal transmitted to the base station or the mobile station,

wherein, after the repeating apparatus receives a control signal from a pilot channel of an uplink signal transmitted from the mobile station, the output signal control unit;

adjusts, based on the control signal, a second gain for a second signal to be transmitted to the mobile station; and

amplifies the second signal by the adjusted second gain.

2. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input/output antenna configured to receive a signal from the base station or the mobile station; and

an input/output stage configured to receive the signal from the input/output antenna and identify a transmitted/received signal.

3. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal detection unit comprises:

a low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the received signal;

a coupler configured to couple output of the amplifier to the output signal control unit and to a signal detection stage; and

the signal detection stage configured to receive the output from the coupler and detect signal strength.

4. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output signal control unit comprises:

a gain controller configured to receive a control signal of the control unit and a signal received by a coupler and perform automatic gain control; and

an output amplification stage configured to amplify the signal, the gain of the signal having been controlled by the gain controller, into a signal transmitted to the base station or the mobile station.

5. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to interrupt the output signal control unit when the received signal strength is smaller than the predetermined signal strength.

6. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured not to interrupt the output signal control unit when the received signal strength is larger than the predetermined signal strength.

9. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal is an increase control signal that prompts the output signal control unit to increase the second gain for the second signal.

10. The repeating apparatus of claim 9, wherein the increase control signal is a 1-bit signal, and wherein the 1 bit indicates the amount of increase for the second gain.

11. The repeating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal is a decrease control signal that prompts the output signal control unit to decrease the second gain for the second signal.

12. The repeating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the decrease control signal is a 1-bit signal, and wherein the 1 bit indicates the amount of decrease for the second gain.

7. A repeating method in a mobile communication system, comprising:

receiving a signal of an uplink or downlink and detecting strength of the signal;

comparing the detected signal strength with predetermined signal strength provided by the system; and

suspending transmission of the received signal to the uplink or downlink when the detected signal strength is smaller than the predetermined signal strength and waiting for a signal to be received, detected strength of the signal being larger than the predetermined signal strength,

wherein, after receiving a control signal from a pilot channel of an uplink signal transmitted from a mobile station, the method further comprises;

adjusting, based on the control signal, a gain for a second signal to be transmitted to the mobile station; and

amplifying the second signal by the adjusted gain.

8. The repeating method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the received signal to the uplink or the downlink when the detected signal strength is larger than the predetermined signal strength.

13. The repeating method of claim 7, wherein the control signal is a 1-bit signal, and wherein the 1 bit indicates the amount of increase or decrease for the gain.