Patent ID: 7979022

Claim:
A method for generating a switching timing signal to separate RF signals transmitted in an RF repeater of a mobile communication system between an AP (Access Point) and an AT (Access Terminal) into downlink signal(s) and uplink signal(s) with the RF repeater operation based on a TDD scheme and an OFDM modulation scheme, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an RF signal from the AP, extracting only a part of the RF signal from a coupler in the RF repeater, and transmitting the part of the RF signal extracted from the coupler to a switching timing signal generating circuit; (b) deriving a pulse waveform from the extracted RF signal by using a pulse generator; (c) generating a reference pulse waveform for comparison with the derived pulse waveform; (d) correlating the derived pulse waveform from step (b) with the reference pulse waveform from step (c) to generate a correlated comparison signal; (e) determining a frame start position using the correlated comparison signal wherein the frame start position is at a location where the correlation of the derived pulse waveform and the reference pulse waveform is maximized; (f) calculating a starting point for the downlink signal and for the uplink signal based on the frame start position; (g) generating a switching timing signal based on the calculated starting point of the downlink signal and the uplink signal, and transmitting the switching timing signal to switches of the RF repeater, wherein the switches of the RF repeater respond to the switching timing signal by separating the RF signal into the downlink signal and the uplink signal; and (h) wherein the downlink signal and the uplink signal are separately transmitted to an antenna through which the downlink and uplink signals are radiated using the switching timing signal.