RF repeater for TDMA mobile telephone systems

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of employing the control output to alter said signal level of at least one of said first and second receive signals comprises attenuating said at least one of said first and second receive signals.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of employing the control output to alter said signal level of at least one of the first and second receive signals comprises squelching that one of said first and second receive signals which has the lowest signal level.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing said detected signal levels of said first and second receive signals comprises determining which of said first and second receive signals has the lowest signal level, and the step of altering the signal level of at least one of said first and second receive signals comprises increasing said lowest signal level, said method further comprising frequency converting said first and second receive signals to different first and second frequencies at said RF repeater, supplying both of said first and second receive signals at said first and second frequencies from the RF repeater through said signal conduit to said base station and effecting diversity selection of the first and second receive signals at said base station.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising frequency converting the other of said first and second receive signals to third and fourth receive signals having different frequencies, supplying said third and fourth receive signals through said signal conduit to said base station and effecting diversity selection of said third and fourth receive signals at said base station.

Claim 9

A cordless time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone system, comprising: a mobile TDMA handset; an RF repeater for exchanging TDMA transmit and receive signals as radio signals with said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater; a base station interfacing with a public switched telephone network; a remote antenna signal processor (RASP) connected between said base station and said signal conduit; said RF repeater having a signal timing detector device responsive to transmit signals sent from said RASP through said signal conduit to a remote antenna driver for detecting the timing of said transmit signals and a pair of spaced-apart antennas for broadcasting said transmit signals to said handset and for receiving receive signals from said handset and first and second signal paths connected to respective ones of said antennas; said first and second signal paths including signal level detectors for detecting the signal levels of said receive signals; and a processor connected to said signal timing detector and to said signal level detectors and responsive to said transmit signal timing and to said signal levels to provide a control output; and each of said first and second signal paths having a signal control device responsive to said processor for controlling to level of the receive signal in the respective signal path.

Claim 10

A cordless time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone system, comprising: a mobile TDMA handset; an RF repeater for exchanging TDMA transmit and receive signals as radio signals with said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater; a base station interfacing with a public switched telephone network; a remote antenna signal processor (RASP) connected between said base station and said signal conduit; said RF repeater having a signal timing detector device responsive to transmit signals sent from said RASP through said signal conduit to a remote antenna driver for detecting the timing of said transmit signals and a pair of spaced-apart antennas for broadcasting said transmit signals to said handset and for receiving receive signals from said handset and first and second signal paths connected to respective ones of said antennas; said first and second signal paths including signal level detectors for detecting the signal levels of said receive signals; and a processor connected to said signal timing detector and to said signal level detectors and responsive to said transmit signal timing and to said signal levels to provide a control output; and each of said first and second signal paths having a signal control device responsive to said processor for controlling to level of the receive signal in the respective signal path.

Claim 11

A cordless time division multiple access telephone system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said signal level control devices comprise squelch circuits.

Claim 12

A cordless time division multiple access telephone system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said signal level control devices comprise attenuators.

Claim 13

A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first and second signal paths include a pair of frequency converters for converting said receive signals on said first and second signal paths to first and second frequencies, respectively, for transmission as separate signal channels through a CATV plant and wherein said base station comprises means for effecting diversity selection of said signal channels.

Claim 14

A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said RF repeater includes a path selector controlled by said processor and interconnecting said first and second signal paths, whereby only that one of said first and second signal paths selected by said processor as carrying a higher receive signal level than the other is connected to both frequency converters.

Claim 15

A cordless time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone system, comprising: a mobile TDMA handset; an RF repeater for exchanging TDMA transmit and receive signals as radio signals with said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater; a base station interfacing with a public switched telephone network; a remote antenna signal processor (RASP) connected between said base station and said signal conduit; said RF repeater having a signal timing detector device responsive to transmit signals sent from said RASP through said signal conduit to said RF repeater for detecting the timing of said transmit signals; said RF repeater having a pair of spaced-apart antennas for broadcasting said transmit signals to said handset and for receiving receive signals from said handset and first and second signal paths connected to respective ones of said antennas; said first and second signal paths including a pair of frequency converters for converting said receive signals on said first and second signal paths to first and second frequencies, respectively, for transmission as separate signal channels through said signal conduit; and said base station comprising means for effecting diversity selection of said signal channels.

Claim 16

A cordless time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone system, comprising: a mobile TDMA handset; an RF repeater for exchanging TDMA transmit and receive signals as radio signals with said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater; a base station interfacing with a public switched telephone network; a remote antenna signal processor (RASP) connected between said base station and said signal conduit; said RF repeater having a signal timing detector device responsive to transmit signals sent from said RASP through said signal conduit to said RF repeater for detecting the timing of said transmit signals; said RF repeater having a pair of spaced-apart antennas for broadcasting said transmit signals to said handset and for receiving receive signals from said handset and first and second signal paths connected to respective ones of said antennas; said first and second signal paths including a pair of frequency converters for converting said receive signals on said first and second signal paths to first and second frequencies, respectively, for transmission as separate signal channels through said signal conduit; and said base station comprising means for effecting diversity selection of said signal channels.

Claim 17

An RF repeater arrangement for exchanging time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone signals with a mobile handset, comprising: a RF repeater for broadcasting a TDMA transmit signal to said handset as a radio signal and receiving a TDMA receive signal, as a radio signal, from said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater for transporting said transmit signal to said RF repeater and for transporting said receive signal from said RF repeater in a predetermined frequency band; an amplifier connected to said signal conduit for amplifying said receive signal; a squelch circuit connected to said signal conduit upstream from said amplifier; said squelch circuit being operable to squelch said predetermined frequency band; a timing detector for detecting the timing of said transmit signal as an indication of the timing of said receive signal; a signal level detector responsible to the presence and absence of said receive signal; and a processor connected to said timing detector, said level detector and said squelch circuit and responsive to absence of said receive signal for causing said squelch circuit to squelch said predetermined frequency band.

Claim 18

An RF repeater arrangement for exchanging time division multiple access (TDMA) telephone signals with a mobile handset, comprising: a RF repeater for broadcasting a TDMA transmit signal to said handset as a radio signal and receiving a TDMA receive signal, as a radio signal, from said handset; a signal conduit connected to said RF repeater for transporting said transmit signal to said RF repeater and for transporting said receive signal from said RF repeater in a predetermined frequency band; an amplifier connected to said signal conduit for amplifying said receive signal; a squelch circuit connected to said signal conduit upstream from said amplifier; said squelch circuit being operable to squelch said predetermined frequency band; a timing detector for detecting the timing of said transmit signal as an indication of the timing of said receive signal; a signal level detector responsible to the presence and absence of said receive signal; and a processor connected to said timing detector, said level detector and said squelch circuit and responsive to absence of said receive signal for causing said squelch circuit to squelch said predetermined frequency band.