Optic repeater system for extending coverage

Claim 2

A communication system, comprising: a slave repeater that receives RF signals and outputs repeated RF signals; and a base station that has first and second base antennas that each receive RF signals, a first base combiner coupled to receive and combine RF signals from the first base antenna and the repeated RF signals output by the slave repeater, a first down converter coupled to receive and convert combined RF signals outputted from the first base combiner to first baseband signals, a second down converter coupled to receive and convert the RF signals from the second base antenna to second baseband signals, and a CDMA channel that transmits a combination of the first and second baseband signals.

Claim 3

The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising: multiple slave repeaters that each receive RF signals and output the repeated RF signals, wherein the first base combiner is coupled to receive and combine the repeated RF signals output by each of the slave repeaters and the RF signals from the first base antenna.

Claim 4

The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising: multiple slave repeaters that receive RF signals, each slave repeater has an RF/optic converter that converts the received RF signals to optical signals; and a master repeater that has an optic/RF converter that converts the optical signals received from each of the slave repeaters into regenerated RF signals and a master combiner that combines the regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter, wherein the first base combiner combines the combined RF signals received from the master combiner with the RF signals received from the first base antenna.

Claim 5

The communication system of claim 3 , further comprising multiple optical cables, wherein each optical cable communicates the optical signals from a separate slave repeater to the master repeater.

Claim 6

The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising: multiple slave repeaters that receive RF signals, each slave repeater has an RF/optic converter that converts the received RF signals to optical signals; and a master repeater that has an optic/RF converter that converts the optical signals received from each of the slave repeaters into regenerated RF signals and first and second master combiners that each combine a subset, which is smaller than the entire set, of the regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter, wherein the first base combiner combines a first combined subset of the regenerated RF signals received from the first master combiner with the RF signals received from the first base antenna, a second base combiner combines a second combined subset of the regenerated RF signals received from the second master combiner with the RF signals received from the second base antenna, and the group of RF signals combined by the second base combiner are converted by the second down converter into the second baseband signals.

Claim 7

The communication system of claim 5 , further comprising multiple optical cables, wherein each optical cable communicates the optical signals from a separate slave repeater to the master repeater.

Claim 8

A communication system, comprising: multiple slave repeaters that each have a slave reception antenna for receiving RF signals, a slave LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the received RF signals, and an RF/optic converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals to optical signals; a master repeater that has an optic/RF converter that converts the optic signals received from each of the slave repeaters to RF signals and a first master combiner that combines a first subset of the set of regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter; a base station that has first and second base antennas for receiving RF signals, a first base combiner that combines the RF signals received from the first base antenna and the first subset of regenerated RF signals received from the first master combiner, a first LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner, a first down converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the first LNA/filter to first baseband signals, a second LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the RF signals received by the second base antenna, a second down converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the second LNA/filter to second baseband signals, and a CDMA channel that combines the first and second baseband signals.

Claim 9

A communication system, comprising: multiple slave repeaters that each have a slave reception antenna for receiving RF signals, a slave LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the received RF signals, and an RF/optic converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals to optical signals; a master repeater that has an optic/RF converter that converts the optic signals received from each of the slave repeaters to RF signals and a first master combiner that combines a first subset of the set of regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter; a base station that has first and second base antennas for receiving RF signals, a first base combiner that combines the RF signals received from the first base antenna and the first subset of regenerated RF signals received from the first master combiner, a first LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner, a first down converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the first LNA/filter to first baseband signals, a second LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the RF signals received by the second base antenna, a second down converter that converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the second LNA/filter to second baseband signals, and a CDMA channel that combines the first and second baseband signals.

Claim 10

The communication system of claim 7 , wherein: the master repeater has a second master combiner that combines a second subset of the set of regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter, both the first and second subsets of regenerated RF signals are smaller than the entire set of regenerated RF signals produced by the optic/RF converter; the base station has a second base combiner that combines the RF signals received from the second base antenna and the second subset of regenerated RF signals received from the second master combiner; and the second LNA/filter amplifies and filters the combined RF signals received from the second base combiner.

Claim 11

A communication device, comprising: first and second antennas that receive RF signals; a first combiner that combines the RF signals received from the first antenna and RF signals received from a first RF interface; a first down converter that converts the combined RF signals received from the first combiner to first baseband signals; a second down converter that converts the RF signals received from the second antenna to second baseband signals; and a CDMA channel that transmits a combination of the first and second baseband signals.

Claim 12

A communication device, comprising: first and second antennas that receive RF signals; a first combiner that combines the RF signals received from the first antenna and RF signals received from a first RF interface; a first down converter that converts the combined RF signals received from the first combiner to first baseband signals; a second down converter that converts the RF signals received from the second antenna to second baseband signals; and a CDMA channel that transmits a combination of the first and second baseband signals.

Claim 13

The communication device of claim 9 , further comprising: a second combiner that combines the RF signals received from the second antenna and RF signals received from a second RF interface; wherein the second down converter converts the combined RF signals received from the second combiner to the second baseband signals.

Claim 14

The communication device of claim 10 , further comprising: a first LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the combined RF signals received from the first combiner; and a second LNA/filter that amplifies and filters the RF signals received from the second combiner, wherein the first down converter converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the first LNA/filter into the first baseband signals, and the second down converter converts the amplified and filtered RF signals received from the second LNA/filter into the second baseband signals.

Claim 15

A communication method, comprising: receiving RF signals with a slave repeater and outputting the received RF signals; receiving RF signals with first and second base antennas of a base station; combining the RF signals received from the first base antenna and the RF signals output by the slave repeater with a first base combiner; converting the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner to first baseband signals with a first down converter; converting the RF signals received from the second base antenna to second baseband signals with a second down converter; and combining the first and second baseband signals into a CDMA channel.

Claim 16

A communication method, comprising: receiving RF signals with a slave repeater and outputting the received RF signals; receiving RF signals with first and second base antennas of a base station; combining the RF signals received from the first base antenna and the RF signals output by the slave repeater with a first base combiner; converting the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner to first baseband signals with a first down converter; converting the RF signals received from the second base antenna to second baseband signals with a second down converter; and combining the first and second baseband signals into a CDMA channel.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12 , further comprising: receiving RF signals with multiple slave repeaters and outputting the received RF signals; and combining the RF signals output by each of the slave repeaters and the RF signals received from the first base antenna with the first base combiner.

Claim 18

The method of claim 12 , further comprising: receiving RF signals with multiple slave repeaters; converting, at each slave repeater, the received RF signals to optical signals with an RF/optic converter; converting, at a master repeater, the optical signals received from each of the slave repeaters into regenerated RF signals with an optic/RF converter; and combining the regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter with a master combiner, wherein the first base combiner combines the combined RF signals received from the master combiner with the RF signals received from the first base antenna, and the first down converter converts the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner into the first baseband signals.

Claim 19

The method of claim 14 , further comprising communicating the optical signals from each slave repeater to the master repeater with a separate optical fiber.

Claim 20

The method of claim 12 , further comprising: receiving RF signals with multiple slave repeaters; converting, at each slave repeater, the received RF signals to optical signals with an RF/optic converter; converting, at a master repeater, the optical signals received from each of the slave repeaters to regenerated RF signals with an optic/RF converter; combining a first subset, which is smaller than the entire set, of the regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter with a first master combiner; combining a second subset, which is smaller than the entire set, of the regenerated RF signals received from the optic/RF converter with a second master combiner; combining the RF signals received from the first base antenna and the first combined subset of regenerated RF signals received from the first master combiner with the first base combiner; and combining the RF signals received from the second base antenna and the second subset of regenerated RF signals received from the second master combiner with a second base combiner, wherein the first down converter converts the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner into the first baseband signals, and the second down converter converts the combined RF signals received from the second base combiner into the second baseband signals.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 , further comprising: amplifying and filtering, at each of the slave repeaters, the received RF signals before converting the received RF signals to optical signals; amplifying and filtering the combined RF signals received from the first base combiner before down converting to the first baseband signals; and amplifying and filtering the combined RF signals received from the second base combiner before down converting to the second baseband signals.