Cellular system signal conditioner

• US 6,032,056 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Metawave Communications Corp.
• Inventors: Reudink, Douglas O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/094,119
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 455/560, 455/561, 455/562, 455/421, 455/9, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/517, 455/150.1, 455/412, 455/59, 455/62, 455/567, 455/506, 455/520, 455/101, 455/12.1, 455/13.1 , 455/13.3, 455/13.4, 455/25, 375/347, 375/211, 375/349, 375/267, 370/315-18, 370/340, 370/342
• US Class Current: 455/560
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system for monitoring and adapting radio signals at a cell site to enable improved call management for mobiles active therein. Matrix switches, advantageously separate ones for the receive side and the transmit side of the cell site'"'"'s radios, have extra ports to which other devices are connected. These devices include signal modifiers such as amplifiers, filters, attenuators or interference cancelers, through which the radio signals may be routed within the switches to enable modification of said signals on a per-channel basis. These devices further include signal generators which may inject signals such as tones or noise to ports in the switches to create pretextual radio conditions that may trigger desired call management results. An air interface controller, advantageously in combination with a cell neighborhood host controller, governs operation of the system. The controller includes a message player whose prerecorded messages may be patched through to a land line party to notify that the mobile party has entered a blackout zone.

Claims

1. A radio signal manipulation system, comprising:

a switch matrix;

a plurality of antenna beams in information communication with the switch matrix;

a radio which is connected to the PSTN in information communication with the switch matrix;

a controller in information communication with the switch matrix, the controller instructing the switch matrix to connect ones of the antenna beams to the radio; and

a signal conditioner in information communication with the switch matrix, the signal conditioner modifying a radio signal associated with at least one of the antenna beams, wherein the switch matrix is disposed between the at least one antenna beam and the signal conditioner and the switch matrix is also disposed between the radio and the signal conditioner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal conditioner is also in information communication with the controller, and wherein modification of the at least one radio signal by the signal conditioner is according to modifying instructions from the controller.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a scan receiver in information communication with the switch matrix and the controller, the scan receiver monitoring prevailing conditions of radio signals associated with ones of the antenna beams and provides prevailing condition information to the controller, wherein the controller instructing the signal conditioner is according to said prevailing condition information.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is in information communication with a separate host, and wherein the controller instructing the signal conditioner is according to information provided by the separate host.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the signal conditioner includes a signal conditioning device selected from the group consisting of an amplifier, a filter, an attenuator and an interference canceler.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein information communication between the plurality of antenna beams and the switch matrix is provided through a first set of like interfaces including interfaces in addition to those required for information communication with the plurality of antenna beams, and wherein information communication between the radio and the switch matrix is provided through a second set of like interfaces including interfaces in addition to those required for information communication with the radio, wherein the information communication between the switch matrix and the signal conditioner is provided through at least one interface of the first set of interfaces and at least one interface of the second set of interfaces.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch matrix comprises:

a transmit switch matrix providing information communication of forward link radio signals from the radio to ones of the antenna beams; and

a receive switch matrix providing information communication of reverse link radio signals from ones of the antenna beams to the radio.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the signal conditioner is in information communication with both the transmit switch matrix and the receive switch matrix to thereby provide modified radio signals in both the forward link and the reverse link.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a signal generator in information communication with the switch matrix, the signal generator injecting a predetermined generated signal into the switch matrix to be selectively communicated to ones of the antenna beams or the radio under control of the controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal generator is also in information communication with the controller, and wherein generation of the injected signal by the signal generator is according to generating instructions from the controller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal generator generates signals of a type selected from the group consisting of tones, prerecorded audio messages, and noise.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said messages are played to remote parties in information communication with the radio when a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) falls below a predetermined level.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said messages are played to remote parties in information communication with the radio when a mobile unit in information communication with the radio is located in pre-identified territorial positions.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio is in information communication with a remote party through a land line, and further comprising:

disconnect means adapted to automatically disconnect the remote party from the radio where, for a predetermined period of time, a monitored radio signal parameter falls below a predetermined level; and

the controller is adapted to override the disconnect means when a mobile unit in information communication with the radio is located in a pre-identified territorial position.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio is in information communication with a remote party through a land line, and further comprising:

disconnect means adapted to automatically disconnect the remote party from the radio where, for a predetermined period of time, a monitored radio signal parameter falls below a predetermined level, wherein the controller is adapted to hold the land line following operation of said disconnect means; and

reconnect means, responsive to the controller, adapted to reestablish information communication between the radio and a remote party previously disconnected.

16. A radio signal manipulation system, comprising:

a switch matrix;

a plurality of antenna beams in information communication with the switch matrix;

a radio which is connected to the PSTN in information communication with the switch matrix;

a controller in information communication with the switch matrix, the controller instructing the switch matrix to connect ones of the antenna beams to the radio; and

a signal generator in information communication with the switch matrix, the signal generator injecting a predetermined generated signal into the switch matrix to be selectively communicated to ones of the antenna beams or the radio under control of the controller.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal generator is also in information communication with the controller, and wherein generation of the injected signal by the signal generator is according to generating instructions from the controller.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a scan receiver in information communication with the switch matrix and the controller, the scan receiver monitoring prevailing conditions of radio signals associated with ones of the antenna beams and provides prevailing condition information to the controller, wherein the controller instructing the signal generator is according to said prevailing condition information.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is in information communication with a separate host, and wherein the controller instructing the signal generator is according to information provided by the separate host.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal generator generates signals of a type selected from the group consisting of tones, prerecorded audio messages, and noise.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said messages are played to remote parties in information communication with the radio when a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) falls below a predetermined level.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said messages are played to remote parties in information communication with the radio when a mobile unit in information communication with the radio is located in pre-identified territorial positions.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein information communication between the plurality of antenna beams and the switch matrix is provided through a set of like interfaces including interfaces in addition to those required for information communication with the plurality of antenna beams, and wherein the information communication between the switch matrix and the signal generator is provided through at least one interface of the set of interfaces.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the switch matrix comprises:

a transmit switch matrix providing information communication of forward link radio signals from the radio to ones of the antenna beams; and

a receive switch matrix providing information communication of reverse link radio signals from ones of the antenna beams to the radio, wherein the signal generator is in information communication with both the transmit switch matrix and the receive switch matrix to thereby provide generated signals in both the forward link and the reverse link.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the radio is in information communication with a remote party through a land line, and further comprising:

disconnect means adapted to automatically disconnect the remote party from the radio where, for a predetermined period of time, a monitored radio signal parameter falls below a predetermined level; and

the controller is adapted to override the disconnect means when a mobile unit in information communication with the radio is located in a pre-identified territorial position, and the controller is adapted to instruct the signal generation means to generate a predetermined signal for receipt by the remote party through the land line.

26. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a signal conditioner in information communication with the switch matrix, the signal conditioner modifying a radio signal associated with at least one of the antenna beams, wherein the switch matrix is disposed between the at least one antenna beam and the signal conditioner and the switch matrix is also disposed between the radio and the signal conditioner.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal conditioner is also in information communication with the controller, and wherein modification of the at least one radio signal by the signal conditioner is according to modifying instructions from the controller.

28. A method of manipulating radio signals, comprising the steps of:

coupling ones of a plurality of antenna beams to a radio which is connected to the PSTN through an array providing selectable signal paths between the plurality of antenna beams and the radio;

communicating radio signals associated with the radio through the plurality of antenna beams, each of said radio signals having one or more communication characteristics associated therewith;

processing system communication information including local communication information obtained by monitoring ones of the communication characteristics of said radio signals;

controlling the array to select particular signal paths to provide coupling of the antenna beams to the radio by the coupling step, wherein said controlling step is based on said processed system transmission information;

conditioning a radio signal in the signal path coupling the radio to at least one of the plurality of antenna beams, wherein said controlling step operates to control the conditioning step through selection of signal paths;

coupling each antenna beam of the plurality of antenna beams to a separate port on the array; and

coupling a signal conditioner to a further separate port on the array, wherein the controlling step operates to establish a signal path between the at least one antenna beam and the signal conditioner and between the signal conditioner and the radio.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said system communication information further includes non-local communication information including communication characteristics of radio signals communicated through other antenna beams not included in said plurality thereof.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said conditioning step includes one or more substeps selected from the group consisting of:

(a) injecting noise into radio signal;

(b) injecting one or more tones into said radio signal;

(c) amplifying said radio signal;

(d) filtering said radio signal;

(e) attenuating said radio signal; and

(f) canceling interference on said radio signal.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said radio is in communication with a land line party, and further comprising the step of:

playing a message to the land line party in response to one or more predetermined events.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the message is played when a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) falls below a preselected power level.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the message is played when a subscriber unit wirelessly communicating with said radio is located within a pre-identified territorial position.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein said radio is in communication with a land line party, and further comprising the steps of:

overriding a disconnecting sequence, which disconnects the land line party from communication with a subscriber unit communicating with the radio when a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) falls below a preselected power level, when the subscriber unit is located at a pre-identified territorial position.

35. A system for providing communication of desired radio signals between a base transceiver station radio arrangement and subscriber units operating within an area defined by a plurality of antenna beams, said system comprising:

a plurality of antenna beams associated with a base transceiver antenna system;

a radio arrangement which is connected to the PSTN having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, wherein ones of the radio inputs and corresponding ones of the radio outputs may be utilized in communicating with a particular subscriber unit;

a receive matrix coupled to each of said antenna beams through a first set of receive ports and coupled to each of said radio inputs through a second set of receive ports, wherein said first set of receive ports includes ports in addition to those coupled to said plurality of antenna beams, and wherein said second set of receive ports includes ports in addition to those coupled to said radio inputs;

a transmit matrix coupled to each of said antenna beams through a first set of transmit ports and coupled to each of said radio outputs through a second set of transmit ports, wherein said first set of transmit ports includes ports in addition to those coupled to said plurality of antenna beams, and wherein said second set of transmit ports includes ports in addition to those coupled to said radio outputs;

a signal modifier coupled to at least one of said first set of receive ports or said first set of transmit ports and to a corresponding at least one of said second set of receive ports or said second set of transmit ports; and

a controller coupled to said receive matrix and said transmit matrix to provide selectable communication of radio signals between the transmit and receive ports of the radio arrangement and the antenna beams, wherein the selectable communication includes disposing the signal modifier in a signal path between the radio arrangement and the antenna beams.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the signal modifier is coupled to at least one of said first set of receive ports and to at least one of said first set of transmit ports, and wherein the signal modifier is coupled to at least one of said second set of receive ports and to at least one of said second set of transmit ports.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the signal modifier is coupled to the controller to provide information thereto with respect to a modified radio signal.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the signal conditioner is selected from the group consisting of:

an amplifier;

a filter;

an attenuator; and

an interference canceler.

39. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

a signal generator coupled to at least one of said first set of receive ports or said first set of transmit ports.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the signal generator is coupled to at least one of said first set of receive ports and to at least one of said first set of transmit ports.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the signal generator generates signals selected from the group consisting of:

a tone; and

noise.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the signal generator generates a voice message.