Adjusting repeater gain based on antenna feedback path loss

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11201664-B2
Application number	US-202016859890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Technology for a repeater is disclosed. The repeater can include a first port and a second port. The repeater can include a transmitter communicatively coupled to the first port and a receiver communicatively coupled to the second port. The transmitter can transmit a path loss signal. The receiver can receive the path loss signal transmitted by the transmitter. The repeater can include a controller. The controller can identify a first power level of the signal transmitted from the transmitter. The controller can identify a second power level of the signal received at the receiver. The controller can determine an antenna feedback path loss of the repeater based on the first power level and the second power level. The controller can set a maximum gain level for the repeater based on the antenna feedback path loss to avoid an oscillation in the repeater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A repeater operable to detect antenna feedback path loss, the repeater comprising:
a first port;
a second port;
a transmitter communicatively coupled to the first port, the transmitter configured to transmit a path loss signal;
a receiver communicatively coupled to the second port, the receiver configured to receive the path loss signal transmitted by the transmitter; and
a controller configured to:
identify a first power level of the signal transmitted from the transmitter;
identify a second power level of the signal received at the receiver;
determine an antenna feedback path loss of the repeater based on the first power level and the second power level; and
set a maximum gain level for the repeater based in part on the antenna feedback path loss to avoid an oscillation in the repeater,
wherein the controller is configured to set the maximum gain level for the repeater to be below a repeater oscillation level by a defined oscillation margin, wherein the repeater oscillation level is a difference between the antenna feedback path loss plus a repeater gain and the defined oscillation margin.

2. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
increase the maximum gain level for the repeater when the antenna feedback path loss is increased while avoiding the oscillation in the repeater; or
decrease the maximum gain level for the repeater when the antenna feedback path loss is decreased.

3. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
disable one or more radio frequency (RF) signal paths of the repeater before a maximum gain level is set; and
enable the one or more RF signal paths after the maximum gain level is set.

4. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine the antenna feedback path loss and set the maximum gain level when the repeater is powered on, wherein the oscillation in the repeater is avoided when the repeater is powered on; and
determine a subsequent antenna feedback path loss and set a subsequent maximum gain level for the repeater in accordance with a defined periodicity.

5. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal in a periodic or random manner when the path loss signal is a cellular signal, and the signal is included in an operating cellular frequency range of the repeater.

6. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the maximum gain level for the repeater in accordance with a defined pattern of antenna feedback path losses for the repeater.

7. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the signal transmitted by the transmitter and received at the receiver is an out-of-band industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) signal or an in-band cellular signal.

8. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine the antenna feedback path loss for an out-of-band signal; and
use the antenna feedback path loss for an out-of-band frequency of the out-of-band signal to determine a second antenna feedback path loss for an in-band cellular frequency.

9. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine multiple antenna feedback path losses based on multiple out-of-band signals transmitted by the transmitter and received at the receiver; and
interpolate the determined multiple antenna feedback path losses to an in-band cellular frequency path loss to set the maximum gain level for the repeater.

10. The repeater of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first antenna communicatively coupled to the first port, the path loss signal being transmitted from the transmitter via the first antenna; and
a second antenna communicatively coupled to the second port, the path loss signal being received at the receiver via the second antenna.

11. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the repeater is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-compatible cellular signal repeater.

12. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the path loss signal is transmitted in a downlink.

13. The repeater of claim 1 , further comprising an indication to show an amount of oscillation margin available for the repeater based on the antenna feedback path loss and the maximum gain level set for the repeater.

14. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver is further configured to scan for open channels; and
the transmitter is further configured to transmit the path loss signal on one of the open channels.

15. A repeater, comprising:
a first port;
a second port;
a transmitter communicatively coupled to the first port;
a receiver communicatively coupled to the second port; and
a controller configured to:
detect an oscillation in the repeater;
identify a first power level of a signal transmitted from the transmitter, wherein the signal is a licensed or unlicensed radio frequency (RF) signal;
identify a second power level of the signal received at the receiver;
determine, after the oscillation occurs in the repeater, an antenna feedback path loss of the repeater based on the first power level and the second power level, wherein the antenna feedback path loss is associated with the oscillation; and
set a maximum gain level for the repeater based in part on the antenna feedback path loss to avoid a subsequent oscillation in the repeater,
wherein the controller is configured to:
disable one or more radio frequency (RF) signal paths of the repeater before a maximum gain level is set; and
enable the one or more RF signal paths after the maximum gain level is set.

16. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to set the maximum gain level for the repeater to be below a repeater oscillation level by a defined oscillation margin, wherein the repeater oscillation level is a difference between the antenna feedback path loss plus a repeater gain and the defined oscillation margin.

17. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:
increase the maximum gain level for the repeater when the antenna feedback path loss is increased while avoiding the subsequent oscillation in the repeater; or
decrease the maximum gain level for the repeater when the antenna feedback path loss is decreased.

18. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a subsequent antenna feedback path loss and set a subsequent maximum gain level for the repeater in accordance with a defined periodicity.

19. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the signal transmitted by the transmitter and received at the receiver is an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) signal or a cellular signal.

20. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal and the receiver is configured to receive the signal after the oscillation occurs in the repeater.

21. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine the antenna feedback path loss for an out-of-band signal; and
use the antenna feedback path loss for an out-of-band frequency of the out-of-band signal to determine a second antenna feedback path loss for an in-band cellular frequency.

22. The repeater of claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to calibrate an ISM path loss that corresponds to the antenna feedback path loss to the in-band cellular frequency path loss by measuring the ISM path loss when the oscillation occurs in the repeater, wherein the oscillation is a cellular oscillation.

23. A

Assignees

• Wilson Electronics Llc

Inventors

• Ashworth Christopher Ken
• Cook Patrick Lee
• Anderson Dale Robert

Classifications

• H04B7/15535 Primary

  Control of relay amplifier gain (amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578) · CPC title

• H04B7/15571 Primary

  by signal isolation, e.g. isolation by frequency or by antenna pattern, or by polarization · CPC title

• H04B17/24

  with feedback of measurements to the transmitter · CPC title

• H04B17/14

  of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back · CPC title

• H04B17/40

  of relay systems · CPC title