Repeater and method for operating such a repeater

• US 8,830,882 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kummetz, Thomas, Pischke, Arndt
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Siren
• Application Number:
  US13/127,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 370/274, 370/277, 370/278, 370/280
• US Class Current: 370/280
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A repeater capable of emitting as little electromagnetic radiation as possible is described. The repeater can transmit communication signals between a base station and a network terminal in a radio transmission network, such as a mobile radio network. The repeater can include a transmitter that can transmit the communication signals as a radio signal to the network terminal. The repeater can also include a sensor for detecting a switching signal and a control unit that can change the transmitter between a passive operating state and an active operating state based on the switching signal. The transmission power of the transmitter can be lower in the passive operating state than in the active operating state.

Claims

1. A repeater for transmitting communication signals on different frequency bands in a radio transmission network, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the communication signals to a network terminal;

a sensor configured for detecting switching signals for the different frequency bands such that each frequency band of the different frequency bands is associated with a switching signal; and

a control unit configured to change the transmitter between a passive operating state and an active operating state for a frequency band based on the switching signal associated with the frequency band, wherein a transmission power of the transmitter is a non-zero level in the passive operating state and is lower in the passive operating state than in the active operating state, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the transmitter in the passive operating state at a passive operating transmission power that is reduced in dB in a range of 10 dB to 20 dB, as compared to an active operating transmission power of the active operating state.

2. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a radio signal as the switching signal, the radio signal being an uplink signal from the network terminal.

3. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a decoder configured to detect the communication signals transmitted between a base station and the network terminal as the switching signals.

4. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured for detecting at least one of a light intensity, an audible signal, a movement, an acceleration, or a position.

5. The repeater of claim 1, further comprising:

a master unit; and

a plurality of remote units, each remote unit of the plurality of remote units being configured to communicate with the master unit and comprising a respective sensor for detecting the switching signal and a respective transmitter for transmitting the communication signals,

wherein the control unit is configured to change each respective transmitter between the passive operating state and the active operating state based on the respective switching signal separately.

6. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is a TDD repeater for asymmetric transmission, at alternate times, of the communication signals in an uplink direction from the network terminal to a base station and in a downlink direction from the base station to the network terminal,

wherein the control unit is configured to change the transmitter back into the passive operating state after changeover to the active operating state only after a hold time.

7. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the transmitter in the passive operating state at a passive operating transmission power that is a minimal transmission power for adequate communication signal recognition.

8. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is configured for transmitting communication signals to a building.

9. A method for operating a repeater for a radio transmission network, comprising:

transmitting communication signals on different frequency bands by a transmitter;

detecting separate switching signals for the different frequency bands;

selecting for each of the different frequency bands, based on a respective switching signal of the separate switching signals, one of an active operating state or a passive operating state; and

operating the transmitter in the repeater in the passive operating state at a passive operating transmission power that is reduced in dB in range of 10 dB to 20 dB, as compared to an active operating transmission power of the active operating state,

wherein the communication signals are transmitted at a non-zero level in the passive operating state and at a lower transmission power in the passive operating state than in the active operating state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the separate switching signals comprise radio signals that are uplink signals from a network terminal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

operating the transmitter of the repeater in the active operating state or the passive operating state, based on a switching signal that is the communication signals between a base station and a network terminal.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

operating the transmitter in the repeater in at least one of the active operating state or the passive operating state, based on a switching signal that is at least one of a light intensity, an audible signal, a movement, an acceleration, or a position.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the communication signals using an asymmetric TDD method at alternate times in an uplink direction from a network terminal to a base station and in a downlink direction from the base station to the network terminal, wherein the transmitter is operated in the passive operating state again after the active operating state only after a hold time.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising operating the transmitter in the repeater in the passive operating state at the passive operating transmission power that is a minimal transmission power for adequate communication signal recognition,

wherein operating the transmitter in the repeater in the passive operating state at the passive operating transmission power that is the minimal transmission power for adequate communication signal recognition comprises:

reducing the passive operating transmission power in dB in a range of 10 dB to 20 dB; and

responsive to detecting no switching signals in a waiting time, reducing the passive operating transmission power to the minimal transmission power.

15. A repeater for transmitting communication signals in a radio transmission network using time-division multiplexing in temporally successive time slices, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the communication signals to a network terminal;

a sensor for detecting switching signals for the time slices;

a control unit configured to change the transmitter between a passive operating state and an active operating state based on at least one of the switching signals, wherein a transmission power of the transmitter is a non-zero level in the passive operating state and is lower in the passive operating state than in the active operating state,

wherein the control unit is configured to operate the transmitter in the passive operating state at a passive operating transmission power that is reduced in dB in a range of 10 dB to 20 dB, as compared to an active operating transmission power of the active operating state,

wherein the passive operating transmission power comprises a minimal transmission power for adequate communication signal recognition.

16. The repeater of claim 15, wherein the switching signals comprise at least one of:

a radio signal that is an uplink signal from the network terminal;

the communication signals transmitted between a base station and the network terminal;

a light intensity;

an audible signal;

a movement;

an acceleration;

or

a position.

17. The repeater of claim 15, wherein the repeater is disposed in a distributed antenna system, the distributed antenna system comprising:

a master unit; and

a plurality of remote units, each remote unit of the plurality of remote units being configured to communicate with the master unit.

18. The repeater of claim 15, wherein the repeater is a TDD repeater for asymmetric transmission, at alternate times, of the communication signals in an uplink direction from the network terminal to a base station and in a downlink direction from the base station to the network terminal,

wherein the control unit is configured to change the transmitter back into the passive operating state after changeover to the active operating state only after a hold time.

19. A method for operating a repeater for a radio transmission network, comprising:

transmitting communication signals using time-division multiplexing in temporally sequentially successive time slices;

separately detecting a switching signal for each time slice;

operating a transmitter in the repeater for a time slice in one of an active operating state or a passive operating state, based on the switching signal for the time slice; and

operating the transmitter in the passive operating state at a passive operating transmission power that is reduced in dB in range of 10 dB to 20 dB, as compared to an active operating transmission power of the active operating state,

wherein the communication signals are transmitted at a non-zero level in the passive operating state and at a lower transmission power in the passive operating state than in the active operating state.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the switching signal comprises at least one of:

a radio signal that is an uplink signal from a network terminal;

the communication signals;

a light intensity;

an audible signal;

a movement;

an acceleration;

or

a position.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the communication signals using an asymmetric TDD method at alternate times in an uplink direction from a network terminal to a base station and in a downlink direction from the base station to the network terminal, wherein the transmitter is operated in the passive operating state again after the active operating state only after a hold time.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

responsive to detecting no switching signals in a waiting time, reducing the passive operating transmission power to a minimal transmission power for adequate communication signal recognition.