# US 11,451,944 B2 · In-vehicle communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,944 B2 - Document ID: US11451944B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/983,808 - Filed: 2020-08-03 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-02 - Assignees: MEAWAVE Corporation - Applicants: Metawave Corporation - Inventors: Maha Achour - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451944B2 ## CPC - 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)} - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - H04B 7/155: Ground-based stations (H04B7/204 takes precedence) - H04W 4/44: for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Examples disclosed herein relate to illustrate an in-vehicle communication system having wireless extension devices, such as an active repeater or an edge reflectarray device. The wireless extension devices operate in coordination to redirect signals within a vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An in-vehicle communication system, comprising: a plurality of wireless extension devices positioned around a perimeter of a vehicle, the plurality of wireless extension devices adapted to communicate with a wireless network and redirect signals within a vehicle; an internal reflectarray configured to redirect the signals from at least one of the plurality of wireless extension devices to a location within the vehicle, wherein the internal reflectarray is a passive device, and the at least one of the plurality of wireless extension devices comprises: a receive antenna, a transmit antenna, and an active relay coupled to the receive antenna and the transmit antenna; and an in-vehicle control (IVC) unit adapted to receive the signals from the plurality of wireless extension devices, the IVC unit comprising: a signal detection module; and a processing unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, wherein the signal detection module activates at least one of the plurality of wireless extension devices in response to a low signal detection at the IVC unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless extension devices are active relay devices adapted to increase gain of a received signal and redirect a magnified signal within the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, wherein the receive antenna is a downlink receive antenna; the transmit antenna is an uplink transmit antenna; and the active relay is a downlink active relay coupled to the downlink receive antenna and the uplink transmit antenna. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 4, wherein the at least one of the plurality of wireless extension devices further comprises: an uplink receive antenna; a downlink transmit antenna; and an uplink active relay coupled to the uplink receive antenna and the downlink transmit antenna. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, further comprising multiple passive internal reflectarrays. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 6, wherein one of the plurality of wireless extension devices is positioned in a frame of a vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 7, wherein the one of the plurality of wireless extension devices is positioned on a dashboard of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 7, wherein the one of the plurality of wireless extension devices is positioned proximate a mirror in the vehicle. ### Claim 10 A wireless extension system, comprising: an in-vehicle control (IVC) unit; at least one edge repeater controlled by the IVC unit and operates to amplify and redirect received signals, wherein the at least one edge repeater comprises a receive antenna, a transmit antenna, and an active relay coupled to the receive antenna and the transmit antenna; and a passive reflectarray positioned to receive redirected signals from the at least one edge repeater, wherein the passive reflectarray is a meta-structure (MTS) device comprising a plurality of different sized MTS elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wireless extension system as in claim 10, wherein the passive reflectarray is positioned to receive redirected signals from a second edge repeater. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless extension system as in claim 11, wherein a plurality of edge repeaters is positioned on a perimeter of a vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The wireless extension system as in claim 12, wherein the IVC unit further comprises: a signal detection unit adapted to detect low amplitude wireless signals from a base station; and a processing unit responsive to detection of signals below a threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wireless extension system as in claim 13, wherein the passive reflectarray comprises a plurality of reflective elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wireless extension system as in claim 14, wherein the at least one edge repeater is an MTS device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, wherein the IVC unit further comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) detection mechanism. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication system as in claim 1, wherein the passive device has no active components. ### Claim 18 A wireless extension system, comprising: an in-vehicle control (IVC) unit positioned in a vehicle; an edge repeater positioned on a perimeter of the vehicle, wherein the edge repeater is controlled by the IVC unit and configured to amplify and redirect received signals; and a passive reflectarray positioned to receive redirected signals from the edge repeater, wherein the passive reflectarray is a meta-structure (MTS) device, and wherein the IVC unit comprises: a signal detection unit adapted to detect low amplitude wireless signals from a base station; and a processing unit responsive to detection of signals below a threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The wireless extension system as in claim 18, wherein the passive reflectarray comprises a plurality of different sized MTS elements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The wireless extension system as in claim 18, wherein the IVC unit further comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) detection mechanism.