Repeaters for wireless communication systems

• US 8,971,796 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Judd, Mano D., Lovinggood, Breck W., Tennant, David T., Maca, Gregory A., Kuiper, William P., Alford, James L., Thomas, Michael D., Veihl, Jonathon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US14/153,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20140127989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 455/24, 455/11.1, 455/63.3, 455/278.1, 455/562.1, 455/276.1, 455/63.4, 455/67.11, 455/66.1, 455/277.1, 455/67.16, 455/22, 434/702, 434/824
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2647 Retrodirective arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/46 Active lenses or reflecting arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0825 with main and with auxiliary or diversity antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15564 Relay station antennae loop interference reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15585 by interference cancellation

Abstract

A signal repeating element for repeating a signal includes a housing, at least one transmit antenna element positioned on one side of the housing and at least one receive antenna element positioned on the same one side of the housing. Receiver and transmitter circuitry is coupled with respective ones of the receive and transmit antenna elements. Phase circuitry for affecting the phase of signals from the at least one receive antenna element and at least one transmit antenna element is coupled between the respective receive or transmit antenna element and the receiver or transmitter circuitry.

Claims

1. A signal repeating element comprising:

a housing;

at least one transmit antenna element positioned on one side of the housing for transmitting a signal that is being repeated;

at least one receive antenna element positioned on the same one side of the housing as the at least one transmit antenna element for receiving a signal that is to be repeated;

receiver circuitry coupled with the at least one receive antenna element;

transmitter circuitry coupled with the at least one transmit antenna element;

first phase circuitry for affecting phase of signals from the at least one receive antenna element, the first phase circuitry coupled between the at least one receive antenna element and the receiver circuitry;

second phase circuitry for affecting phase of signals from the at least one transmit antenna element, the second phase circuitry coupled between the at least one transmit antenna element and the transmitter circuitry.

2. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one receive antenna element and the receiver circuitry establishes an uplink path in the signal repeating element.

3. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmit antenna element and the transmitter circuitry establishes a downlink path in the signal repeating element.

4. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one receive antenna element is a dipole element.

5. The signal repeating element of claim 4 wherein the at least one dipole receive antenna element is a bow-tie dipole element.

6. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one receive antenna element is one of a patch antenna element or a microstrip antenna element.

7. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmit antenna element is a dipole element.

8. The signal repeating element of claim 7 wherein the at least one dipole transmit antenna element is a bow-tie dipole element.

9. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmit antenna element is one of a patch antenna element or a microstrip antenna element.

10. The signal repeating element of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of transmit antenna elements.

11. The signal repeating element of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of receive antenna elements.

12. The signal repeating element of claim 1 further comprising an adaptive cancellation circuit coupled with the at least one receive antenna element and the receiver circuitry and configured for generating a cancellation signal for reducing feedback signals present in the uplink path.

13. The signal repeating element of claim 1 further comprising an adaptive cancellation circuit coupled with the at least one receive antenna element and the receiver circuitry and configured for generating a cancellation signal for reducing feedback signals present in the uplink path.

14. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the first phase circuitry coupled between the at least one receive antenna element and the receiver circuitry includes a beamforming circuit.

15. The signal repeating element of claim 14 wherein the beamforming circuit includes a Butler matrix.

16. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein the second phase circuitry coupled between the at least one transmit antenna element and the transmitter circuitry includes a beamforming circuit.

17. The signal repeating element of claim 16 wherein the beamforming circuit includes a Butler matrix.

18. The signal repeating element of claim 1 wherein at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna element have different polarizations.

19. The signal repeating element of claim 18 wherein the different polarizations are mutually orthogonal polarizations.

20. The signal repeating element of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of transmit antenna elements and a plurality of receive antenna elements and respective first and second phase circuitry for affecting the phase of signals from each of the antenna elements.