Method for automatic control of RF output level of a repeater

A repeater comprising a downlink section and an uplink section, wherein at least one section of said downlink and uplink sections comprises:

• a receiver to receive a Radio Frequency (RF) input signal;
• an attenuator to produce an attenuated signal by attenuating a parameter of the received RF input signal;
• a power amplifier to produce an output signal by amplifying said attenuated signal;
• a power monitor to monitor the power level of said output signal;
• and
• a RF gain controller to sample, upon request, traffic load characteristics of the received RF input signal during operation of a network associated with the repeater, to adjust the monitored power level of said output signal by controlling the gain of said received RF input signal by said attenuator based on the sampled traffic load characteristics, and to sustain the output monitored power level of said repeater substantially at a desired, predefined, level during operation of said network.

A system for adjusting a radio frequency (RF) output power level of a repeater, wherein the repeater comprises a downlink section and an uplink section, wherein the system is comprised in a section selected from said downlink and uplink sections, the system comprising:

• a receiver to receive a RF input signal;
• a filtering unit operably associated with said receiver, configured to pass frequency components of the RF input signal at or around a frequency band of a predefined communication channel;
• an attenuator operably associated with said receiver, to produce an attenuated signal by attenuating a parameter of said RF input signal;
• a power amplifier unit operably associated with said receiver, to sample traffic load characteristics of the RF input signal during operation of a network associated with the repeater, and to adjust the RF output power level of said repeater to a desired level by adjusting a gain of one or more components of said system based on the sampled traffic load characteristics during operation of the network;
• and
• a microprocessor to receive an input responsive to said RF output power level and, based on said input, to provide adjustment control signals to said receiver and said attenuator, and to sustain the RF output power level of said repeater substantially at a desired, predefined, level during operation of said network.