PROCESSOR CONTROLLED VARIABLE GAIN CELLULAR NETWORK AMPLIFIER

• US 20080076358A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Electronics LLC (Wilson Electronics Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Electronics
• Inventors: Cook, Patrick L., Van Buren, V. Alan, Skrypnyk, Volodymyr
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• 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: H04B 7/15564 Relay station antennae loop interference reduction

Abstract

A system and method for amplifying cellular signals and reducing interference introduced into a cellular network by the network amplifiers. The network amplifier includes an antenna configured to receive a downlink signal from a base station and a variable gain module for amplifying an uplink signal received from a handset. The variable gain module applies an amplification factor to the uplink signal to generate an adjusted uplink signal to be transmitted to the base station via the antenna. A processor is used for determining a value of the amplification factor, where the value of the amplification factor is a function of a level of the downlink signal. The amplification factor may be selected so that interference introduced into a cellular network by the transmission of the adjusted uplink signal is substantially eliminated.

Claims

1. A network amplifier, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a downlink signal from a base station;

a first variable gain module having an output coupled to the antenna and an input configured to receive an uplink signal from a handset, the first variable gain module applying a first amplification factor to the uplink signal to generate an adjusted uplink signal to be transmitted to the base station via the antenna;

a processor for determining a value of the first amplification factor, the value being a function of a level of the downlink signal, and being selected so that interference introduced into a cellular network by the transmission of the adjusted uplink signal is substantially eliminated.

2. The network amplifier as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second variable gain module coupled to the antenna and to the processor, the second variable gain module configured to apply a second amplification factor to the downlink signal, thereby generating an adjusted downlink signal to be communicated to the handset, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to determine the level of the second amplification factor.

3. The network amplifier as recited in claim 2, wherein the first variable gain module comprises a first gain controllable amplifier connected with a first controllable attenuator, the first amplification factor including a first attenuation factor applied to the first controllable attenuator and a first gain factor applied to the first gain controllable amplifier, and wherein the second variable gain module comprises a second gain controllable amplifier connected with a second controllable attenuator, the second amplification factor including a second attenuation factor applied to the second controllable attenuator and a second gain factor applied to the second gain controllable amplifier.

4. The network amplifier as recited in claim 2, wherein the values of the first and second amplification factors are approximately equal.

5. The network amplifier as recited in claim 2, wherein the value of the second amplification factor is independent from the value of the first amplification factor.

6. The network amplifier as recited in claim 2, wherein changes to the first and second amplification factors occur in identical incremental amounts.

7. The network amplifier as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first amplification factor so that the adjusted uplink signal transmitted from the antenna has sufficient power to be transmitted to the base station.

8. A network amplifier, comprising:

an antenna for receiving a downlink signal from a base station;

a communication device for receiving an uplink signal from a handset;

a first variable gain module connected with the communication device, wherein the first variable gain module applies a first amplification factor to the uplink signal to generate an adjusted uplink signal, the adjusted uplink signal transmitted to the base station via the antenna;

a second variable gain module connected to the antenna, wherein the second gain module applies a second amplification factor to the downlink signal to generate an adjusted downlink signal, the adjusted downlink signal communicated to the handset via the communication device;

a first detector that receives the downlink signal from the antenna and determines a level of the downlink signal;

a processor for executing computer-readable instructions; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a value of the first amplification factor, the value being a function of the level of the downlink signal, and being selected so that the adjusted uplink signal is transmitted with sufficient power to reach the base station.

9. The network amplifier as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the first variable gain module comprises a first gain controllable amplifier and a first controllable attenuator; and

the second variable gain module comprises a second gain controllable amplifier and a second controllable attenuator.

10. The network amplifier as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the first amplification factor includes a first attenuation factor that controls the first controllable attenuator and a first gain factor that controls a first gain controllable amplifier; and

the second amplification factor includes a second attenuation factor that controls the second controllable attenuator and a second gain factor that controls a second gain controllable amplifier.

11. The network amplifier as recited in claim 8, wherein the communication device is a second antenna.

12. The network amplifier as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are integrated with the processor.

13. The network amplifier as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to determine a value of the second amplification factor so that the adjusted downlink signal is transmitted with sufficient power to reach the handset.

14. The network amplifier as recited in claim 13, further comprising a second detector that receives the uplink signal from the communication device and determines a level of the downlink signal, the first and second amplification factors being a function of the level of the downlink signal and the uplink signal.

15. The network amplifier as recited in claim 13, wherein the first and/or second attenuation factors are increased and the first and/or second gain factors are decreased when interference is detected.

16. The network amplifier as recited in claim 13, wherein the first and/or second amplification factors are determined by the processor such that interference introduced into a cellular network by the transmission of the adjusted downlink signal and the adjusted uplink signal is substantially eliminated.

17. The network amplifier as recited in claim 11, wherein the value of the first amplification factor is selected from a plurality of predefined amplification values.

18. In a network amplifier, one or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, can cause the network amplifier to perform a method for variably amplifying a cellular signal, the method comprising:

receiving a downlink signal from a base station via a first antenna;

receiving an uplink signal from a handset via a second antenna;

analyzing properties of at least one of the downlink and uplink signals to determine a required signal level at which a signal is to be transmitted by a network amplifier in order to reach the base station;

determining an amplification factor such that when the amplification factor is applied to the uplink signal, an amplified uplink signal results that satisfies the required signal level;

applying the amplification factor to the uplink signal to generate the amplified uplink signal; and

transmitting the amplified uplink signal to the base station via the first antenna.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein determining the amplification factor further comprises selecting the amplification factor so that interference introduced into a cellular network by the transmission of the adjusted uplink signal is substantially eliminated.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein:

analyzing properties of at least one of the downlink and uplink signals to determine a required signal level further comprises measuring a signal level of at least one of the downlink and uplink signals; and

determining the amplification factor further comprises;

comparing the signal level of at least one of the downlink and uplink signals to one or more predetermined values; and

selecting the amplification factor based on the comparison to the one or more predetermined values.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein determining an amplification factor includes reducing the amplification factor in the event that the signal level of at least one of the downlink and uplink signals exceeds one of the predetermined values.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the amplification factor includes a first and second amplification factor, the first amplification factor being applied to the uplink signal, and the second amplification factor being applied to the downlink signal.