US 6,052,558 AGranted

Networked repeater

AssigneeMotorola, Inc.

InventorsDean Lawrence Cook, Michael J. Andresen, David Warren Corman

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Abstract

Cellular communication systems (20) use repeaters (50) to communicate with subscriber units (24) otherwise shadowed from base stations (22). A networked repeater (50) is provided for use in a cellular communication system with low-earth orbit satellites (22) and mobile subscriber units (24). Networked repeater (50) includes a base transceiver module (54) for communicating with the base stations (22) and a plurality of subscriber transceiver modules (56), each of which communicates with subscriber units (24). The base transceiver module (54) is located so as to be unshadowed, i.e. able to have unimpeded communication with at least one of the satellites (22). The subscriber transceiver module (56) is located so as to provide unshadowed communication with the subscriber units (24) that would otherwise be shadowed, i.e. unable to have unimpeded communication with any of the satellites (22).

Claims11

Dependent claims

A networked repeater for a mobile radio communication system, wherein said networked repeater comprises:

a base transceiver module for communicating with a plurality of mobile base stations, each mobile base station located on a satellite moving with respect to earth's surface, said base transceiver having a base antenna located to achieve substantially unimpeded communications with at least one of said mobile base stations;
a subscriber transceiver module having a subscriber antenna for communicating with a mobile subscriber unit, said subscriber transceiver module being physically separated from said base transceiver module;
a data link for communicating between said base transceiver module and said subscriber transceiver module, wherein when direct communication between said mobile subscriber unit and said one mobile base station becomes impeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, said direct communication with said one mobile base station is handed-off to said subscriber transceiver module and said base station transceiver module provides communications between said one mobile base station and said subscriber transceiver module over said data link;
a controller protocol converter coupled to said data link for restructuring overhead data communicated between said one mobile base station and said mobile subscriber unit in response to the handing-off of said mobile subscriber unit to said subscriber transceiver module, and
wherein prior to the handing-off, the mobile subscriber unit communicates with the mobile base station over a first channel, and wherein after the handing-off, said base transceiver module communicates with the mobile base station over said first channel, and wherein after the handing-off the controller protocol converter further restructures said overhead data to allocate a different channel for communicating between said subscriber transceiver module said mobile subscriber unit, the first channel and the different channel being non-interfering channels,
wherein when direct communication between one of the mobile subscriber units and said one mobile base station subsequently becomes unimpeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, communication between said mobile subscriber unit and said subscriber transceiver module is handed-off to said mobile base station, and said subscriber unit transceiver module refrains from providing communications with said one mobile subscriber unit.

3 more elements

A mobile radio communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile base stations, each located on a satellite moving with respect to earth's surface;
and
a substantially-stationary networked repeater having a base transceiver module and a base antenna for directly communicating with at least one of said mobile base stations, said base antenna located to achieve substantially unimpeded communications with said at least one of said mobile base stations, wherein,
mobile subscriber units are configured for communicating with said mobile base stations and said substantially-stationary networked repeater, and wherein
the substantially-stationary networked repeater comprises:
a plurality of subscriber transceiver modules, each having a subscriber antenna for communicating with mobile subscriber units;
and
a data link coupling the plurality of subscriber transceiver modules with the base transceiver, the plurality of subscriber transceiver modules being geographically separated from the base transceiver, wherein when direct communication between one of the mobile subscriber units and said one mobile base station becomes impeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, said direct communication with said one mobile base station is handed-off to one of said subscriber transceiver modules, and said base station transceiver module providing communications between said one mobile base station and said one subscriber transceiver module over said data link,
and wherein when direct communication between one of the mobile subscriber units and said one mobile base station subsequently becomes unimpeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, communication between said mobile subscriber unit and said one subscriber transceiver module is handed-off to said mobile base station, and said one subscriber unit transceiver module refraining from providing communications with said one mobile subscriber unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.