Method and apparatus employing delay elements in multiple diversity paths of a wireless system repeater translator to allow for selective diversity and automatic level control in a time-division multiple access system

A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of cells, the plurality of cells being located substantially adjacent one another, and the cellular communication system operating over a specified frequency range, the cellular communication system making use of a frequency allocation plan that arranges the cells into clusters, the system comprising:

• a home base station including a multicarrier broadband base transceiver system for receiving and transmitting multiple radio signals on multiple respective carrier frequencies, including a demodulator for demodulating said received radio signals and for coupling demodulated signals to a switching means, and means for modulating signals received from the switching means and coupling them for radio transmission on the multiple carrier frequencies;
• a plurality of in-band translator means, each of said plurality of in-band translator means located in a respective one of said plurality of cells in the cluster, each of said plurality of in-band translator means further including:
• first translator means for receiving a first uplink signal from a mobile station located in the respective one of said plurality of cells and translating a carrier frequency of said first uplink signal to a first divergent carrier frequency within the specified radio frequency range to produce a first backhaul signal, said first translator means further including first delay means for receiving and delaying said first backhaul signal;
• second translator means for receiving a second uplink signal from said mobile base station means and translating a carrier frequency of said second uplink signal to a second divergent carrier frequency within the specified radio frequency range, to produce a second backhaul signal, said second translator means further including second delay means for receiving and delaying said second backhaul signal,
• detection means for determining the instantaneous power level of said first backhaul signal and the instantaneous power level of said second backhaul signal,
• comparison means for comparing the instantaneous power level of said first backhaul signal to the instantaneous power level of said second backhaul signal,
• selection means for selecting the one of said first divergent carrier frequency and said second divergent carrier frequency having the highest instantaneous power level, and then connecting said backhaul signal for transmission to the home base station means using said selected one of said first divergent carrier frequency and said second divergent carrier frequency having the highest instantaneous power level.

A cellular telecommunications in-band translator comprising:

• first translator means for receiving a first uplink signal from a mobile station located in the cell served by said in-band translator and translating a carrier frequency of said first uplink signal to a first divergent carrier frequency to produce a first backhaul signal, said first translator means further including first delay means for receiving and delaying said first backhaul signal,
• second translator means for receiving a second uplink signal from said mobile base station and translating a carrier frequency of said second uplink signal to a second divergent carrier frequency to produce a second backhaul signal, said second translator means further including second delay means for receiving and delaying said second backhaul signal,
• detection means for determining the instantaneous power level of said first backhaul signal and the instantaneous power level of said second backhaul signal,
• comparison means for comparing the instantaneous power level of said first backhaul signal to the instantaneous power level of said second backhaul signal,
• selection means for selecting the one of said first divergent carrier frequency and said second divergent carrier frequency having the highest instantaneous power level, and then connecting said backhaul signal for transmission to the home base station means using said selected one of said first divergent carrier frequency and said second divergent carrier frequency having the highest instantaneous power level;
• and
• attenuation means for implementing automatic level control of said selected divergent carrier frequency signal to provide constant backhaul transmit power on a slot-by-slot basis for a GSM/TDMA waveform.