Wireless modem

A method of communicating between subscriber units and a local base station repeater cell comprising the steps of:

• determining whether a subscriber unit located with a base station geographic area associated with said local base station repeater cell is receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell;
• if said subscriber unit is receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell, performing the steps of:
• transmitting outgoing data from said local base station repeater cell to said subscriber unit by directly transmitting a first outgoing data signal representative of said outgoing data from said local base station repeater cell to said subscriber unit, and
• transmitting incoming data from said subscriber unit to said local base station repeater cell by transmitting a first incoming data signal representative of said incoming data from said subscriber unit to a receive only receiver unit and then transmitting a second incoming data signal also representative of said incoming data from said receiver unit to said local base station;
• and
• if said subscriber unit is not receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell, performing the steps of:
• transmitting said outgoing data from said local base station repeater cell to said subscriber unit by transmitting a second outgoing data signal representative of said outgoing data from said local base station repeater cell to a modem and then transmitting a third outgoing data signal also representative of said outgoing data from said modem to said subscriber unit, and
• transmitting said incoming data from said subscriber unit to said local base station repeater cell by transmitting a third incoming data signal representative of said incoming data from said subscriber unit to said modem and then transmitting a fourth incoming data signal also representative of said incoming data from said modem to said local base station.

A digital cellular communication system comprising in combination:

• a cell site divided into a plurality of subdivided zones,
• a plurality of subscriber units with identity numbers based in said cell site,
• a cell site communication system including a digital transmitter for communication with individual identified subscriber units geographically located within said cell site,
• a set of receive only digital receivers positioned in said subdivided zones, each said digital receiver being coupled by a transmission link with said cell site communication system to relay received digital communications,
• a set of said subscriber units comprising portable wireless digital communication units with a limited power digital transmitter having a transmitting power for transmissions within said subdivided zones,
• a receiver for reception of digital messages from said cell site digital transmitter,
• a modem communicatively coupled to said local subscriber units and said digital transmitter for transferring data between said subscriber units and said digital transmitter if said subscriber units are unable to communicate directly with said digital transmitter.

A method of communicating between a subscriber unit and a network hub switching center in a two-communication system comprising the steps of:

• determining whether a subscriber unit located with a base station geographic area associated a said local base station repeater cell is receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell;
• if said subscriber unit is receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell, performing the steps of:
• transmitting outgoing data from said network hub switching center to said subscriber unit via said local base station repeater cell, and
• transmitting incoming data from said subscriber unit to said network hub switching center via said local base station repeater cell;
• and
• if said subscriber unit is not receiving a signal from said local base station repeater cell, performing the steps of:
• transmitting said outgoing data from said network hub switching center to said subscriber unit by transmitting a first outgoing data signal representative of said outgoing data from said network hub switching center to a modem and transmitting a second outgoing data signal also representative of said outgoing data from said modem to said local base station repeater cell, and
• transmitting incoming data from said subscriber unit to said network hub switching center by transmitting a first incoming data signal representative of said incoming data from said subscriber unit to said modem and transmitting a second incoming data signal also representative of said incoming data from said modem to said network hub switching center.