Patent Description:
When the number of bands a repeater can relay is fewer than the number of frequency bands supported by a mobile network, an algorithm is needed to instruct the repeater which frequency bands should be relayed. This process can be extremely difficult in mobile environments where cells and Frequencies may be constantly changing due to signal fading conditions or changes in the frequencies deployed on a geographic basis.

<CIT> describes a relay configuration method and a device. The method includes: receiving, by a configuration apparatus, a first candidate frequency band set, a second candidate frequency band set, and an adjacent-frequency guard interval, and/or receiving, by the configuration apparatus, a duplex mode capability supported by a relay; determining configuration results according to the first candidate frequency band set, the second candidate frequency band set, and the adjacent-frequency guard interval, and/or the duplex mode capability supported by the relay; and sending the configuration results to the relay and the base station separately, so that the relay and the base station configure, according to the configuration results, frequency bands and/or a duplex mode for an access link and a backhaul link to work. The configuration results are determined, and the frequency bands and/or the duplex mode are configured, according to the configuration results, for the access link and the backhaul link to work, so that a communications network can be flexibly configured according to an interference status and a load status.

<CIT> describes a booster capable of preventing itself from adversely influencing a base station. The booster comprises a plurality of downstream signal amplifying parts and a plurality of upstream signal amplifying parts. A received signal analysing part analyses the perch channel information of a signal received from a base station to generate analysis information. When the analysis information shows that the reception quality of the received signal is below a threshold value, halt control parts halts the operations of those ones of the downstream signal amplifying parts and upstream signal amplifying parts that are related to that analysis information. When the analysis information shoes that a path-loss value or a base station interference power is above a threshold value, the halt control parts may halt the operations of those ones of the downstream signal amplifying parts and upstream signal amplifying parts that are related to that analysis information.

In an aspect, a system includes a repeater and a data processor. The repeater is for relaying data between a base station and a handset. The repeater is configured to receive data from a plurality of base stations of cells in a network and relay at least a portion of the received data to a handset on a first channel. The data processor is coupled to the repeater. The data processor is configured to extract, from the received data, network information characterizing different channels in a network being utilized by neighbor cells. The data processor is configured to determine, from a set of supported channels that the repeater is capable of utilizing for relaying data and using the extracted network information including a neighbor cell list providing frequencies of channels utilized by the plurality of neighbor cells, a set of monitor channels including only frequencies provided by the neighbor cell list. The repeater is configured to monitor a channel characteristic of channels contained in the set of monitor channels. The data processor is configured to reconfigure the repeater to relay the data signal on a second channel selected from the set of monitor channels. the reconfiguration is in response to a change in the first channel based at least in part on the channel characteristic of the channels contained in the set of monitor channels; and wherein the network information includes cell selection criteria broadcast by the network to the handset or cell reselection criteria broadcast by the network.

Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

A need exists for a method to dynamically monitor and select the frequencies to be relayed in a mobile repeater.

The current subject matter includes a repeater system where the set of possible channels to boost is reduced from a larger superset to a smaller viable set by reading neighbor cell information transmitted by the network. This information can be contained, for example, in SIB3, SIBS or SIB7 of an LTE network as described in 3GPP <NUM>. Instead of monitoring all possible frequencies that might be boosted, the current subject matter can monitor only the frequencies provided by the neighbor cell list. This can significantly increase the speed at which a repeater can find the appropriate set of frequencies to be repeated.

In some implementations, the system ranks the detected and monitored cells in a priority order that can be pre-determined or dynamically determined. The repeater relay bands can be assigned (e.g., the repeater can be reconfigured) in order of priority to the frequencies on which cells were detected.

<FIG> is a system diagram of an example network <NUM>. The network <NUM> includes four base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which in an LTE network can be referred to as an evolved nodeBs (eNodeBs). Each base station <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> has a respective cell coverage area <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>. Each base station <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> can have a different operator and operating frequencies. A repeater <NUM> is within coverage areas <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> and is able to boost (e.g., relay) signals received from the base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The repeater <NUM> can boost/relay signals within an associated repeater coverage area <NUM>. A user equipment (UE) <NUM>, also referred to as a handset, is within repeater coverage area <NUM> but not cell coverage areas <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. Repeater <NUM> can connect UE <NUM> to one or more base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

In operation, network information is broadcast by the network <NUM> (e.g., base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to UE <NUM>. The network information can include system information. System information is broadcasted by LTE eNodeBs over logical channel Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH). This logical channel information is further carried over transport channel Broadcast Channel (BCH) or carried by Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH). System information includes a Master Information Block (MIB), which is static, and System Information Block (SIB), which is dynamic. MIB carries information including channel bandwidth, PHICH configuration details; transmit power, no. of antennas and SIB scheduling information transmitted along with other information on the DL-SCH. SIB is mapped on RRC SI messages (SI-<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) over DL-SCH and transmitted using PDSCH at periodic intervals.

SIBs are grouped in SI containers. Each SI is composed of multiple SIBs. Each SI usually has different transmission frequency and will be sent in a single sub-frame. SIBs are transmitted using BCCH mapped on DL-SCH which in turn mapped on PDSCH.

SIB3 carries cell re-selection information as well as Intra frequency cell re-selection information. SIB4 carries Intra Frequency Neighbors; carries serving cell and neighbor cell frequencies required for cell reselection as well handover between same RAT base stations (GSM BTS1 to GSM BTS2) and different RAT base stations (GSM to WCDMA or GSM to LTE or between WCDMA to LTE and the like). The contents of SIB3 are illustrated in table <NUM>:
<IMG>.

SIBS Carries Inter Frequency Neighbors (on a different frequency); carries E-UTRA LTE frequencies, other neighbor cell frequencies from other RATs. The purpose is cell reselection and handover. The contents of SIBS is illustrated in table <NUM>:
<IMG>.

SIB7 carries GSM neighbor information such as GERAN frequencies as well as GERAN neighbor cell frequencies. It can be used for cell re-selection as well as handover purpose. The contents of SIB7 is illustrated in table <NUM>:
<IMG>.

Additional information may be found in described in 3GPP <NUM>.

<FIG> is a process flow diagram illustrating an example process <NUM> for a repeater <NUM> to dynamically select a channel to relay. The example process <NUM> can, in some implementations, enable determination of which frequency bands should be relayed in mobile environments where cells and frequencies may be constantly changing due to signal fading conditions or changes in the frequencies deployed on a geographic basis.

At <NUM>, a repeater <NUM> can receive data from base stations (e.g., base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the network <NUM>. The data can be transmitted for a handset (e.g., UE <NUM>) and can include system information. The system information can include, for example, a Master Information Block (MIB), which is static, and System Information Block (SIB), which is dynamic. MIB carries information including channel bandwidth, PHICH configuration details; transmit power, number of antennas and SIB scheduling information transmitted along with other information on the DL-SCH. SIB is mapped on RRC SI messages (SI-<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) over DL-SCH and transmitted using PDSCH at periodic intervals. A portion of the data (e.g., a data signal) can be relayed by the repeater to a handset.

At <NUM>, the repeater <NUM> can extract, from the received data, network information including identification of channels utilized by neighbor cells. The network information can characterize a priority of different channels in the network. For example, in an LTE network, the network information can include information contained in SIB3, SIBS or SIB7. The network information can have been determined by a base station. In some implementations, the network information is determined from another component of the telecommunications network. Network information can be extracted for some or all cells that the repeater can receive and transmit.

In some implementations, the repeater can extract network criteria from the system information intended for the handset. For example the extraction of network criteria can include inspecting and/or identifying system information SI, which can have different transmission frequency and can be sent in a single sub-frame. The inspection can include identifying and/or inspecting, the PDSCH, DL-SCH, and BCCH to identify transmitted SIBs. The extraction of network criteria can include identifying the MIB.

At <NUM>, a set of channels to monitor can be determined from a set of support channels. The set of support channels can be the channels that the repeater is capable of utilizing for relaying data. The set of support channels can be predetermined. The set of channels to monitor can be determined by reducing the set of support channels using the extracted neighbor cell information. For example, the Inter-Frequency Neighbor Cell List in SIB5 may be used to reduce a list of all frequencies deployed by an operator in a network to only the frequencies rolled out in the area where the repeater is being used at that particular point in time.

At <NUM>, a channel characteristic of channels contained in the set of monitor channels can be monitored. The monitoring can include measuring a level of signal strength (for example RSCP and RSRP) as well as signal quality (Ec/Io and SNR or CINR).

In some implementations, monitoring channel characteristics can include receiving data transmissions from neighboring cells; extracting, from the received data transmissions, network information for each neighbor cell; and ranking, according to a measure of quality and using the extracted network information for each neighbor cell, the channels utilized by the neighbor cells. In some implementations, these steps of the receiving of data transmissions from neighboring cells, the extracting network information for each neighbor cell, and the ranking can be repeated over time to continually monitor neighbor cell channel characteristics.

In some implementations, monitoring channel characteristics can include measuring a signal strength and/or signal quality of each of the channels contained in the set of monitor channels.

At <NUM>, the repeater can be reconfigured in response to a change in the first channel. The repeater can reconfigure to relay the data signal on a second data signal on a second channel that is selected from the set of monitor channels. In some implementations, the reconfiguration can be performed by accessing configuration information from a table stored on the repeater <NUM> or by receiving configuration information from the network.

In some implementations, the reconfiguring in response to the change in the first channel can include identifying that a signal strength and/or signal quality associated with the first channel is below a threshold. In some implementations, the repeater can reconfigure in response to a change in a monitored channel, for example, if the signal strength and/or quality increases when compared to the signal strength and/or quality of the first channel.

In some implementations, monitored channels can be ranked or prioritized according to a priority of the channel. This can be performed, for example, by using the CellReselectionPriority information for all cells that are being monitored. Once ranked, the highest priority channel can be selected for reconfiguring the repeater when there is a change in the first channel. In some implementations, the reconfiguration can assign available repeating resources to match the determined ranking. The assignment of available repeating resources can include reconfiguring the repeater to relay signals on a frequency associated with the determined ranking. For example, if a repeater can relay a single LTE channel, it would configure the relay channel to match the frequency containing the highest priority cell. As another example, if a repeater can relay two LTE channels, it can configure to relay the two channels to match the Ffrequencies contained in the two highest priority cells.

In some implementations, the repeater <NUM> can determine receive signal level and associated quality measurements. The associated quality measurements can include signal to noise ratio, average power from a reference signal (RSRP), receive signal strength indication (RSSI), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) (the ratio N×RSRP/(E-UTRA carrier RSSI), where N is the number of RB's of the E-UTRA carrier RSSI measurement bandwidth), and the like. Determination of the receive signal level and associated quality measurements can include measurement of these values and/or measurement of one or more related values by an RF transceiver of the repeater.

<FIG> is a system block diagram illustrating an example repeater <NUM> coupled to a data processor <NUM> and capable of repeating or relaying a data signal bi-directionally between a base station <NUM> and handset <NUM>. The repeater <NUM> includes a donor antenna <NUM> for communicating with the base station <NUM> and a server antenna <NUM> for communicating with the handset <NUM>. The repeater <NUM> includes transceivers <NUM>, <NUM> connected respectively to the donor antenna <NUM> and server antenna <NUM>. Transceivers <NUM>, <NUM> includes receivers <NUM>, <NUM> and transmitters <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively. Transceivers <NUM>, <NUM> are coupled via a bi-directional amplifier <NUM>.

Data processor <NUM> is coupled to the repeater <NUM> and memory <NUM> storing configuration files. These configuration files can specify repeater settings or parameters at which to operate the repeater <NUM> in order to relay signals over different channels (e.g., frequency bands).

Claim 1:
A system comprising:
a repeater (<NUM>, <NUM>) for relaying data between a base station (<NUM>) and a handset (<NUM>, <NUM>), the repeater configured to receive data from a plurality of base stations of (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) cells in a network (<NUM>) and relay at least a portion of the received data to a handset on a first channel; and
a data processor (<NUM>) coupled to the repeater, the data processor configured to extract, from the received data, network information characterizing different channels in a network being utilized by neighbor cells, the data processor configured to determine, from a set of supported channels that the repeater is capable of utilizing for relaying data and using the extracted network information including a neighbor cell list providing frequencies of channels utilized by the plurality of neighbor cells, a set of monitor channels including only frequencies provided by the neighbor cell list;
wherein the repeater (<NUM>,<NUM>) is configured to monitor a channel characteristic of channels contained in the set of monitor channels;
wherein the data processor (<NUM>) is configured to reconfigure the repeater to relay the data signal on a second channel selected from the set of monitor channels, the reconfiguration is in response to a change in the first channel based at least in part on the channel characteristic of the channels contained in the set of monitor channels; and
wherein the network information includes cell selection criteria broadcast by the network to the handset or cell reselection criteria broadcast by the network.