Dynamic control of transmitting power at a transmitter and attenuation at a receiver

An apparatus for use in a communications system having a plurality of receivers coupled to a common antenna through a receiver multicoupler, wherein each receiver is in communication with a corresponding one of a plurality of transmitters, each of the transmitters including transmitter power control means for controlling a transmitter power level in response to a received one of a plurality of power control signals, the apparatus comprising:

• front end attenuating means, coupled to the common antenna to receive a plurality of communications signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters, for attenuating the plurality of communications signals by a front end attenuation amount dynamically determined by a first control signal, the front end attenuating means having an output for supplying the attenuated plurality of received communications signals to the receiver multicoupler;
• a plurality of auxiliary devices, each comprising:
• an input for receiving a corresponding one of the attenuated plurality of received communications signals from the receiver multicoupler;
• first signal strength measurement means for generating, for the corresponding one of the plurality of attenuated communications signals, a first signal strength measurement signal;
• and
• first power control means, coupled to the first signal strength measurement means, for using the first signal strength measurement signal to generate one of the plurality of power control signals to be communicated to the corresponding one of the plurality of transmitters;
• and
• front end attenuation control means having an input coupled to receive the first signal strength measurement signal from each of the plurality of auxiliary devices and an output coupled to the front end attenuating means for using each of the first signal strength measurement signals to generate the first control signal and for supplying the first control signal to the front end attenuating means,
• wherein the front end attenuation control means and the first power control means of each of the plurality of auxiliary devices dynamically control, respectively, the front end attenuation amount and the transmitter power level of each of the plurality of transmitters so as to substantially optimize communications system performance.

An apparatus for use in a communications system having a plurality of receivers coupled to a common antenna through a receiver multicoupler, wherein each receiver is in communication with a corresponding one of a plurality of transmitters, each of the transmitters including transmitter power control means for controlling a transmitter power level in response to a received one of a plurality of power control signals, the apparatus comprising:

• front end attenuating means, coupled to the common antenna to receive a plurality of communications signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters, for attenuating the plurality of communications signals by a front end attenuation amount dynamically determined by a first control signal, the front end attenuating means having an output for supplying the attenuated plurality of received communications signals to the receiver multicoupler;
• a plurality of auxiliary devices, each comprising:
• an input for receiving a corresponding one of the attenuated plurality of received communications signals from the receiver multicoupler;
• second attenuating means for further attenuating the corresponding one of the attenuated plurality of received communications signals by a further attenuation amount dynamically determined by a corresponding second control signal, and outputting a further attenuated communications signal;
• first signal strength measurement means for generating, for the further attenuated communications signal, a first signal strength measurement signal;
• and
• first power control means, coupled to the first signal strength measurement means, for using the first signal strength measurement signal to generate one of the plurality of power control signals to be communicated to the corresponding one of the plurality of transmitters;
• and
• second attenuation control means, having an input coupled to the first signal strength measurement means and an output coupled to the second attenuating means, for using the first signal strength measurement signal to generate the second control signal and for supplying the second control signal to the second attenuating means;
• and
• front end attenuation control means having an input coupled to receive the first signal strength measurement signal from each of the plurality of auxiliary devices and an output coupled to the front end attenuating means for supplying the first control signal to the front end attenuating means,
• wherein the front end attenuation control means, the first power control means of each of the plurality of auxiliary devices, and the second attenuation control means of each of the plurality of auxiliary devices dynamically control, respectively, the front end attenuation amount, the transmitter power level of each of the plurality of transmitters, and the further attenuation amount of the second attenuating means of each of the auxiliary devices so as to substantially optimize communications system performance.

In a communications system having a receiver that receives a communications signal transmitted by a transmitter, the transmitter including transmitter power control means responsive to a received power control signal for controlling a power level at which the transmitter transmits the communications signal, the receiver including attenuating means for attenuating the received communications signal by an amount dynamically determined by a control signal, a method of operating the communications system comprising the steps of:

• measuring a signal strength of the received communications signal;
• dynamically adjusting the attenuation amount, based on the measured signal strength;
• and
• generating the power control signal based on the measured signal strength, and transmitting the power control signal to the transmitter,
• wherein the steps of dynamically adjusting the attenuation amount and generating the power control signal are coordinated so as to substantially optimize communications system performance, and
• wherein the steps of dynamically adjusting the attenuation amount and generating the power control signal are further based on dynamically adjusting receiver attenuation to produce an effective dynamic range for receiving only signals having a signal strength level that is higher than a signal strength level of a disturbance signal, while at the same time adjusting transmitter power level so that it will produce an adjusted communications signal that is within the effective dynamic range of the receiver.