System and method for relaying signals to base stations in a wireless communications system

A wireless communications system, comprising:

• a central office operable to generate a central office signal;
• a first base station operable to receive the central office signal, and having a first transmitter operable to generate a first broadcast signal in a first frequency range in response to the central office signal, the first broadcast signal including a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the first base station and a relay signal for customer premises equipment associated with other base stations, the first transmitter operable to transmit the local signal in a local portion of the first frequency range and the relay signal in a relay portion of the first frequency range;
• a second base station having a first receiver operable to receive the first broadcast signal, and having a second transmitter operable to generate a second broadcast signal in a second frequency range in response to the first broadcast signal, the first receiver operable to identify a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station within the relay portion of the first frequency range, the second transmitter operable to place the identified local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station into the second broadcast signal at a local portion of the second frequency range;
• and
• a customer premises equipment unit operable to receive the second broadcast signal, and operable to transmit a first return signal in the second frequency band.

A wireless communications system, comprising:

• a central office operable to generate a central office signal;
• a first base station operable to receive the central office signal, and having a first transmitter operable to generate a first broadcast signal in a first frequency range in response to the central office signal, the first broadcast signal including a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the first base station and a relay signal for customer premises equipment associated with other base stations, the first transmitter operable to transmit the local signal in a local portion of the first frequency range and the relay signal in a relay portion of the first frequency range;
• a second base station having a first receiver operable to receive the first broadcast signal, and having a second transmitter operable to generate a second broadcast signal in a second frequency range in response to the first broadcast signal, the first receiver operable to identify a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station within the relay portion of the first frequency range, the second transmitter operable to place the identified local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station into the second broadcast signal at a local portion of the second frequency range;
• and
• wherein the second base station further comprises:
• a third receiver operable to receive a first return signal received from customer premises equipment associated with the second base station;
• and
• a first transmitter operable to transmit a second return signal in the first frequency range to the first base station in response to the first return signal.

A method for wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

• generating an output signal at a central office;
• transmitting the output signal of the central office to a first base station;
• generating at the first base station a first broadcast signal in a first frequency range in response to the output signal of the central office, the first broadcast signal including a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the first base station and a relay signal for customer premises equipment associated with other base stations, the local signal being in a local portion of the first frequency range and the relay signal being in a relay portion of the first frequency range;
• receiving the first broadcast signal at a second base station;
• identifying a local signal of the first broadcast signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station within the relay portion of the first frequency range;
• placing the identified local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station into a second broadcast signal at a local portion of a second frequency range;
• generating at the second base station the second broadcast signal in the second frequency range in response to the first broadcast signal;
• receiving the second broadcast signal at a third base station;
• and
• generating at the third base station a third broadcast signal in the first frequency range in response to the second broadcast signal.

A method for wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

• generating an output signal at a central office;
• transmitting the output signal of the central office to a first base station;
• generating at the first base station a first broadcast signal in a first frequency range in response to the output signal of the central office, the first broadcast signal including a local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the first base station and a relay signal for customer premises equipment associated with other base stations, the local signal being in a local portion of the first frequency range and the relay signal being in a relay portion of the first frequency range;
• receiving the first broadcast signal at a second base station;
• identifying a local signal of the first broadcast signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station within the relay portion of the first frequency range;
• placing the identified local signal for customer premises equipment associated with the second base station into the second broadcast signal at a local portion of the second frequency range;
• generating at the second base station the second broadcast signal in the second frequency range in response to the first broadcast signal;
• receiving the second broadcast signal at a third base station;
• generating at the third base station a third broadcast signal in the first frequency range in response to the second broadcast signal;
• receiving the second broadcast signal at a customer premises equipment unit;
• generating at the customer premises equipment unit a first return signal in the second frequency range;
• transmitting the first return signal to the second base station;
• generating a second return signal in the first frequency range by the second base station in response to the first return signal;
• and
• transmitting the second return signal to the first base station.

A wireless communications system, comprising:

• a first base station operable to broadcast a first local signal in a first local portion of a first frequency range, the first base station operable to transmit a first relay signal in a second relay portion of the first frequency range;
• a second base station operable to receive the first relay signal, the second base station operable to identify a second local signal in the first relay signal for local transmission, the second base station operable to identify a second relay signal in the first relay signal for relay transmission, the second base station operable to broadcast the second local signal in the first local portion of a second frequency range in response to the first relay signal, the second base station operable to transmit the second relay signal in the second portion of the second frequency range in response to the first relay signal;
• and
• a third base station operable to receive the second relay signal, the third base station operable to identify a third local signal in the second relay signal for local transmission, the third base station operable to identify a third relay signal in the second relay signal for relay transmission, the third base station operable to broadcast the third local signal in the first local portion of the first frequency range in response to the second relay signal, the third base station operable to transmit the third relay signal in the second relay portion of the second frequency range in response to the second relay signal.

A method for wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

• at a first base station, broadcasting a first broadcast signal having a first local signal in a local portion of a first frequency range;
• generating for transmission at the first base station the first broadcast signal having a first relay signal in a second relay portion of the first frequency range;
• receiving the first broadcast signal at a second base station;
• at the second base station, identifying a second local signal in the first relay signal;
• broadcasting a second broadcast signal having the second local signal in the first local portion of a second frequency range in response to the first relay signal;
• generating for transmission at the second base station the second broadcast signal having a second relay signal in the second relay portion of the second frequency range in response to the first relay signal;
• receiving the second broadcast signal at a third base station;
• and
• at the third base station, identifying a third local signal in the second relay signal;
• broadcasting a third broadcast signal having the third local signal in the first local portion of the first frequency range in response to the second relay signal.

A method for wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

• generating at a first base station a first signal in a first frequency range, the first signal including a first local signal in a local portion of the first frequency range and a first relay signal in a second relay portion of the first frequency range;
• transmitting the first signal to a second base station;
• generating at the second base station a second signal in a second frequency range in response to the first signal, the second signal including a second local signal extracted from the first relay signal and a second relay signal extracted from the first relay signal, the second local signal being in the first local portion of the second frequency range, the second relay signal being in the second relay portion of the second frequency range;
• transmitting the second signal to a third base station;
• generating at the third base station a third signal in the first frequency range in response to the second signal;
• and
• broadcasting the third signal.