Radio signal repeater for e.g. boat or vehicle, capable of automatically selecting chosen network settings and altering amplification settings for network frequency band

(54) NAME Repeater (56) PUBLICATIONS TO BE CALLED: - - (57) SUMMARY:

The invention relates to a repeater arranged to be mounted on a moving object, for example a ship or a vehicle. The repeater is arranged to operate in conjunction with at least two different radio transmission networks, and it comprises means providing information regarding the repeater's position, and a database comprising information concerning which radio transmission network to be selected as a function of the repeater's position. The repeater is configured to automatically provide the database with the repeater's position, to select settings for the selected network, and. adjusting the gain setting for the frequency bands belonging to the selected network, including the ability to effectively switch off communication with a particular network. The agents providing information about the repeater's position use radio modem data to calculate the repeater's position, such as MCC, MNC, LA.C, CID or TA., Or include a GPS receiver.

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<td>.AP</td><td>African Regional</td><td>CN</td><td>China</td><td>Kl Kiribati</td><td>RU</td><td>Russian Federation</td>

<td></td><td>Industrial Property</td><td>CO</td><td>Colombia</td><td>KM Comorema</td><td>RW</td><td>Ruanda</td>

<td></td><td>Organization (.ARIPO)</td><td>CR</td><td>Costa Rica</td><td>KN St Kitts</td><td>SA</td><td>Saudi Arabia</td>

<td>EA</td><td>Euroasian Patent Office</td><td>CU</td><td>Cuba</td><td>KP Dem. People's Republic of Korea</td><td>SB</td><td>Salomonöama</td>

<td></td><td>(E.APO)</td><td>CV</td><td>Cape Verde</td><td>KR Republic of Korea</td><td>SC</td><td>Seychelles</td>

<td>EP</td><td>European Patent Office</td><td>CY</td><td>Cyprus</td><td>KW Kuwait</td><td>SD</td><td>sudan</td>

<td></td><td>(EPO)</td><td>CZ</td><td>The Czech Republic</td><td>KY Cayman Island</td><td>SEE</td><td>Sweden</td>

<td>OA</td><td>African Intellectual</td><td>THE</td><td>Germany</td><td>KZ Kazakhstan</td><td>SG</td><td>singapore</td>

<td></td><td>Property Organization</td><td>DJ</td><td>djibouti</td><td>LA Laos</td><td>SH</td><td>St. Helena</td>

<td></td><td>(O.API)</td><td>DK</td><td>Denmark</td><td>LB Lebanon</td><td>SI</td><td>Slovenia</td>

<td>WO</td><td>World Intellectual</td><td>DM</td><td>dominica</td><td>LC Saint Lucia</td><td>SK</td><td>Slovakia</td>

<td></td><td>Property Organization</td><td>DO</td><td>Dominican Republic</td><td>LI Liechtenstein</td><td>SL</td><td>Sierra Leone</td>

<td></td><td>(WIPO)</td><td>DZ</td><td>Algeria</td><td>LK Sri Lanka</td><td>SM</td><td>San Marino</td>

<td>IB</td><td>WIPO (in some cases)</td><td>EC</td><td>Ecuador</td><td>LR Liberia</td><td>SN</td><td>senegal</td>

<td></td><td></td><td>EE</td><td>Estonia</td><td>LS Lesotho</td><td>SE</td><td>somalia</td>

<td>.A.D</td><td>.Andorra</td><td>EC</td><td>Egypt</td><td>LT Lithuania</td><td>SR</td><td>Suriname</td>

<td>AE</td><td>United Arab Emirates</td><td>ES</td><td>Spain</td><td>LU Luxembourg</td><td>ST</td><td>Säo Thomé</td>

<td>AF</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>ET</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>LY Latvia</td><td>EN</td><td>El Salvador</td>

<td>AG</td><td>Antigua</td><td>FI</td><td>Finland</td><td>LY Libya</td><td>SEW</td><td>Syria</td>

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<td>AN</td><td>Netherlands Antilles</td><td>GA</td><td>Gabon</td><td>MG Madagascar</td><td>TH</td><td>thailand</td>

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<td>.ARE</td><td>Argentina</td><td>DG</td><td>grenada</td><td>ML Mali</td><td>TM</td><td>turkmenistan</td>

<td>AT</td><td>Austria</td><td>GIVE</td><td>Georgia</td><td>MM Mayanmar</td><td>TN</td><td>Tunisia</td>

<td>Af!</td><td>Australia</td><td>GH</td><td>Ghana</td><td>MN Mongolia</td><td>TO</td><td>tonga</td>

<td>.AZ</td><td>Azerbaijan</td><td>GI</td><td>Gibraltar</td><td>MR Mauritania</td><td>TR</td><td>Turkey</td>

<td>BA</td><td>Bosnia too</td><td>GM</td><td>gambia</td><td>MS Monsterrat</td><td>TT</td><td>Trinidad and Tobago</td>

<td></td><td>Herzegovina</td><td>GN</td><td>guinea</td><td>MT Malta</td><td>TV</td><td>tuvalu</td>

<td>BB</td><td>barbados</td><td>GQ</td><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>ML Mauritius</td><td>TW</td><td>taiwan</td>

<td>BD</td><td>bangladesh</td><td>GR</td><td>Greece</td><td>MV Maldivema</td><td>TZ</td><td>tanzania</td>

<td>ASK</td><td>Belgium</td><td>GT</td><td>Guatemala</td><td>MW Malawi</td><td>UA</td><td>Ukraine</td>

<td>BF</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>GW</td><td>Guinea Bissau</td><td>MX Mexico</td><td>UG</td><td>Uganda</td>

<td>BG</td><td>Bulgaria</td><td>GY</td><td>guyana</td><td>MY Malaysia</td><td>US</td><td>United States (USA)</td>

<td>BH</td><td>bahrain</td><td>HK</td><td>Hong Kong</td><td>MZ Mozambique</td><td>(Ύ</td><td>uruguay</td>

<td>Bl</td><td>Burundi</td><td>HN</td><td>honduras</td><td>NA Namibia</td><td>UZ</td><td>uzbekistan</td>

<td>BJ</td><td>benin</td><td>HR</td><td>Croatia</td><td>NG Nigeria</td><td>VA</td><td>Vatican City</td>

<td>BM</td><td>bermuda</td><td>HT</td><td>Haiti</td><td>NI Nicaragua</td><td>VC</td><td>St Vincent</td>

<td>STAY</td><td>bolivia</td><td>HU</td><td>Hungary</td><td>NL The Netherlands</td><td>VE</td><td>venezuela</td>

<td>BR</td><td>Brazil</td><td>ID</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>NO Norway</td><td>VG</td><td>Virgin Islands</td>

<td>BS</td><td>Bahamaöama</td><td>IU</td><td>Ireland</td><td>NP Nepal</td><td>VN</td><td>Viet Nam</td>

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<td>VILLAGE</td><td>Belarus</td><td>IQ</td><td>Iraq</td><td>OM Oman</td><td>YD</td><td>South Yemen</td>

<td>BZ</td><td>belize</td><td>IR</td><td>Iran</td><td>PA Panama</td><td>YE</td><td>Yemen</td>

<td>CA</td><td>Canada</td><td>ICE</td><td>Iceland</td><td>PE Peru</td><td>YU</td><td>Yugoslavien</td>

<td>CF</td><td>central African</td><td>IT</td><td>Italy</td><td>PG Papua New Guinea</td><td>ZA</td><td>South Africa</td>

<td></td><td>Republic</td><td>JM</td><td>jamaica</td><td>PH Philippines</td><td>ZM</td><td>Zambia</td>

<td>CG</td><td>Congo</td><td>YES</td><td>Jordan</td><td>PK Pakistan</td><td>ZR</td><td>Zaire</td>

<td>CH</td><td>Switzerland</td><td>JP</td><td>Japanese</td><td>PL Poland</td><td>ZW</td><td>Zimbabwe</td>

<td>Cl</td><td>iVORY COAST</td><td>KE</td><td>Kenya</td><td>PT Portugal</td><td></td><td></td>

<td>CL</td><td>chile</td><td>KG</td><td>Kyrgyzstan</td><td>PY Paraguay</td><td></td><td></td>

<td>CM</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>KH</td><td>Cambodia</td><td>RO Romania</td><td></td><td></td>

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Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a radio signal repeater in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. In particular, the invention relates to a repeater intended for mounting on a moving object, such as a ship or vehicle.

Background of the invention

The invention relates to a repeater for use in cellular telecommunications systems, primarily but not necessarily of the type which includes two antennas and two sets of amplifier chains for amplifying a signal from a base station (downlink) and a signal from a cellular mobile telephone (uplink). In such a system, the repeater receives, amplifies and transmits signals, in one or more frequency bands, between the base station and the mobile phone in both directions. However, the invention can also be applied to repeaters with only one signal path, ie. downlink.

Typically, such a repeater is arranged to communicate with a particular radio network, although it may be prepared for use in conjunction with any of a plurality of different networks. In that case, the repeater must include transmitters / receivers for different frequency bands, as well as additional software and other communication devices in accordance with different communication standards. Repeaters arranged for communication with different networks are necessary if the repeater is to be mounted on an object that moves between areas covered by different networks, such as repeaters mounted on, for example, trains or ferries moving between different countries or regions. Although the repeater is arranged for communication with one of a variety of networks, it will not automatically change settings in accordance with any particular se text; 02-06-26

519 389

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web. This means that prior art repeaters, when moving between the coverage areas of two different networks, can amplify an incoming signal in a frequency band used in the first network, which completely or partially overlaps a frequency band used in the second network. Consequently, the repeater will interfere with the communications in the other network. Furthermore, a repeater may be arranged to amplify signals in a frequency band used in the first network while this particular frequency band is not used at all in the second network, thus rendering the repeater unusable in the coverage area of ​​the second network.

Summary of the Invention

It is a general object of the invention to provide a repeater which is arranged to automatically select settings for a particular network and accordingly change amplifier settings for the associated frequency bands.

This object is achieved with a repeater having the features set forth in claim 1.

The invention thus relates to a repeater intended to be mounted on a moving object such as a vehicle or a vessel, for example a ferry or a train. The non-stationary repeater is arranged to select amplification in frequency bands in response to the particular radio network coverage area where it is located. The repeater includes transmitting / receiving means arranged to amplify radio communication signals in one or more preselected frequency bands, or not to amplify in any frequency band, depending on the particular network coverage area, means providing information regarding the repeater's position, and a database comprising information on which frequency band the will reinforce as a function of the repeater's se text; 02-06-26

519 389 position. The repeater automatically supplies the database with the repeater's position and accordingly chooses which frequency band it should amplify, or whether it should not amplify in any frequency band at all.

WO 97/45969 shows an advantageous method of changing the width and center frequency of the bands in which reinforcement is desired.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the gain in a selected band is not set to a on or off state, but is continuously adjusted to an appropriate level. Such automatic gain control is useful if the repeater moves between short and long distances to the nearest base station, or if the transfer characteristics change a lot during the movement. The uplink gain is controlled with distributed automatically in response to varying signal levels in the downlink.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the means providing information about the repeater position uses radio modem roaming data to calculate the repeater position. Here, the position is mainly a way of expressing within which the network's radio coverage area the repeater is currently located, which is indirectly related to the geographical position. In the present case, the database must provide information as to which frequency band it should amplify, or if it should not amplify in any frequency band, as a function of modem roaming data, and this information is usually determined as long as the communication standards used are unchanged.

Radio modem roaming data used may be, for example, a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a local area code (LAC), a cell identity (CID) or time advance (TA). The advantage of se-text; 02-06-26

519 389 using modem roaming data is that no additional device is required to determine the position of the repeater.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the means for providing information regarding the position of the repeater comprises a GPS receiver. In this case, the database provides information with which the radio transmission network repeater should exchange information as a function of its geographical location.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the means for providing information about the repeater position includes a GPS receiver and also uses radio modem roaming data to calculate the repeater position. Any combination of information sources can be used, and the repeater will choose one of a variety of methods to combine the results from the different position data sources.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows an overview view of a system containing a repeater according to the invention mounted on a ferry.

Figure 2 shows a general view of a system containing a repeater according to the invention mounted on a train.

Description of preferred embodiments

The repeater 1 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a movable object 2, shown here as a ferry. The system also includes a radio communication device 3, and two radio communication networks DK, SE, divided into coverage areas DK1, DK2 and SE1, SE2 respectively. The arrows between the radio communication device 3 and the repeater 1 and between the repeater 1 and one of the radio communication networks DK indicate that information is exchanged between these elements. Obviously the arrows exemplify se-text; 02-06-26

519 389 only a particular transmission direction used at a given moment. When the repeater moves from the area covered by a radio communication network SE to a nearby radio communication network DK, the repeater automatically changes transmitter / receiver settings regarding communication standards, such as frequency bands to be amplified, and possibly modulation schemes and information coding methods to be used. When the local radio communication devices 3 are located within the range of one of the radio communication networks DK, SE, the repeater may be switched off. The repeater may also be turned off upon entry into one of the radio communication networks DK in order not to cause interference in that radio communication network, or in a transitional region where both networks have coverage. In SEI, the settings can also be changed to avoid interfering with DK2.

The mobile repeater 1 selects which radio communication network to exchange information with, using information from one or more means to calculate its position. The position information is fed to a database that responds with the radio communication network to be selected, and possibly also data regarding the frequencies, modulation schemes and information coding methods to be used.

Figure 2 shows a railway track along which a train runs. A repeater according to the invention is mounted on the train. The grooves extend through three networks, 1, 2 and 3, and pass through intermediate regions 1/2 and 2/3, where radio transmission is received from both networks 1 and 2, respectively 2 and 3. As an example to show the principle function in more detail, network 1 uses the frequencies 945-960 MHz, networks 2 uses the frequencies 935-950 and 1850-1860, and network 3 uses the frequencies 935-950. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that all frequencies that are not assigned to any of the networks in their se text; 02-06-26

519 389 and coverage areas are not used for other purposes either.

The train begins its journey in the area covered only by network 1 and the repeater amplifies signals in the frequency band 945-960 MHz.

When the intermediate region 1/2 with coverage of both networks 1 and 2 is reached, the repeater only amplifies in the non-overlapping frequency bands, ie. 950-960 MHz, 935-945 MHz and 1850-1860 MHz, or the repeater does not amplify at all. Upon entering Area 2, the repeater in the frequency bands amplifies 935-950 MHz and 1850-1860 MHz and continues to do so until it reaches range

3rd In area 3, amplification in band 1850-1860 MHz is switched off.

As the repeater moves through the various regions, the received RF power changes with the distance to the nearest base station, and the gain in both directions preferably changes accordingly to compensate for such changes.

The mobile repeater 1 may receive information regarding its position from a plurality of different means, or possibly a plurality of results regarding its position from a means for determining its position. These data, which can indicate different positions or give estimates of positions with different accuracy, can be combined. A weighted mean of position coordinates can give a resulting position with a better accuracy than a single position estimate. If position data gives contradictory results, a simple calculation of an average need not be optimal, and if position data is not expressed as coordinates, but in the form of data indicating a range, averages are not applicable either.

In such a case, it is better to conditionally combine data from different sources. Furthermore, if current data regarding the last position is missing, the repeater is programmed to select a particular network, or not to see text; 02-06-26

519 389 transmit signals at all until new position data is received. The repeater can also be turned off upon entry into one of the radio communication networks 5 or when it is in a transition region.

According to the invention, there are at least two different ways of estimating the repeater's position, namely using a GPS receiver or using the repeater's radio modem data. Using radio modem data has the advantage that no additional means need be included in the repeater, assuming it is already adapted for communication with two or more different networks. Typically, no additional interface is needed to use radio modem data since such an interface is already available. Some position information from the radio modem can be expressed in geographical positions, but with reduced coordinate accuracy or only in relative distance terms. Other types of position information from the radio modem can be expressed in terms of which area the repeater is located

i. A GPS receiver, on the other hand, provides accurate geographical location data, but increases the cost of the repeater. Location data from a GPS receiver and those from the radio modem can be combined.

Position information from the radio modem can be derived from received mobile country code (MSS), a mobile network code (MSC), a near area code (LAC), a cell identity (CID) or time advance (TA). When using only radio modem data, only MCC and MNC are typically used, but the criterion can alternatively be set so that MCC, MNC, LAC and CID should match, and that TA should be maximized. In addition, if a GPS receiver is used, the criterion can be set so that all MCC, MNC, LAC,

CID and GPS data should provide matching results, and that TA should be maximized.

see text; 02-06-26

519 389