Radio frequency repeater system for signal transmission through radio frequency shielding material

• US 9,712,227 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dyal, John, Smychkovich, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US15/332,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point

Abstract

A radio frequency (“RF”) repeater system can receive, from a connected home device, an original RF signal that is unable to propagate through an object. The RF repeater system can demodulate the original RF signal to extract a data stream that includes data captured by the connected home device, can change an original data rate of the data stream to a new data rate that matches an ultrasonic frequency capable of propagating through the object thereby creating an ultrasonic data stream, can transmit, by a first surface transducer, the ultrasonic data stream through the object to a second surface transducer, can receive, by the second surface transducer, the ultrasonic data stream, can change the data stream from the new data rate back to the original data rate, can modulate the data stream to create a new RF signal, and can transmit the new RF signal towards the destination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a radio frequency repeater system, an original radio frequency signal, wherein the original radio frequency signal is unable to propagate through an object, and wherein the object comprises a first surface upon which a first surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system is attached and a second surface upon which a second surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system is attached;

demodulating, by the radio frequency repeater system, the original radio frequency signal to extract a data stream comprising data and an original data rate; and

changing, by the radio frequency repeater system, the data stream to a new data stream with an ultrasonic data rate, wherein the new data stream is capable of propagating through the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system, the new data stream with the ultrasonic data rate through the object to the second surface transducer;

receiving, by the second surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system, the new data stream with the ultrasonic data rate from the object;

changing, by the radio frequency repeater system, the new data stream from the ultrasonic data rate back to the original data rate, thereby returning the new data stream to the data stream;

modulating, by the radio frequency repeater system, the data stream to create a radio frequency signal representative of the original radio frequency signal; and

transmitting, by the radio frequency repeater system, the radio frequency signal towards a destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new data stream comprises a Manchester encoded data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises data associated with a connected home service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a wall made of a material through which the original radio frequency signal is unable to propagate.

6. A radio frequency repeater system comprising:

a receiver component that receives an original radio frequency signal, wherein the original radio frequency signal is unable to propagate through an object, and wherein the object comprises a first surface and a second surface;

a first surface transducer attached to the first surface of the object;

a second surface transducer attached to the second surface of the object;

a demodulator component that demodulates the original radio frequency signal to extract a data stream comprising data; and

a processing component that changes an original data rate of the data stream to an ultrasonic data rate thereby creating an ultrasonic data stream that is capable of propagating through the object.

7. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 6, wherein the first surface transducer transmits the ultrasonic data stream through the object to the second surface transducer;

and wherein the second surface transducer receives the ultrasonic data stream from the object.

8. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 7, wherein the processing component changes the ultrasonic data stream from the ultrasonic data rate back to the original data rate, thereby returning the ultrasonic data stream to the data stream.

9. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 8, wherein the demodulator component modulates the data stream to create a radio signal representative of the original radio frequency signal.

10. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 9, further comprising a transmitter component that transmits the original radio frequency signal towards a destination.

11. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 6, wherein the data comprises data associated with a connected home service.

12. The radio frequency repeater system of claim 6, wherein the ultrasonic data stream comprises a Manchester encoded data stream.

13. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a radio frequency repeater system, causes the radio frequency repeater system performs operations comprising:

receiving an original radio frequency signal, wherein the original radio frequency signal is unable to propagate through an object, and wherein the object comprises a first surface upon which a first surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system is attached and a second surface upon which a second surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system is attached;

demodulating the original radio frequency signal to extract a data stream comprising data and an original data rate; and

changing the data stream to a new data stream with an ultrasonic data rate, wherein the new data stream is capable of propagating through the object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise

causing the first surface transducer to transmit the new data stream through the object to the second surface transducer;

and

causing the second surface transducer of the radio frequency repeater system to receive the new data stream from the object.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise changing the new data stream from the ultrasonic data rate back to the original data rate, thereby returning the new data stream to the data stream.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise modulating the data stream to create a radio frequency signal representative of the original radio frequency signal.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the original radio frequency signal towards a destination.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the destination comprises a connected home controller.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the data comprises data associated with a connected home service provided, at least in part, via the connected home controller.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the new data stream comprises a Manchester encoded data stream.