Discrete power level coding for indicating uplink mobile receive level in a wireless repeater system

Abstract

A method for managing a plurality of mobile units in a wireless cellular communication system having a plurality of repeater stations includes the step of receiving a signal on an uplink communication channel from a mobile transceiver unit at one of the repeaters. The method also measures at the repeater station a power level of the signal as received by the repeater station. The method further includes the step of transmitting a backhaul signal from the repeater station to the base transceiver station on a backhaul communication link, where the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of the power level as measured by the repeater station.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a wireless cellular communication system having a base transceiver station located within a home cell and at least one substantially adjacent cell having a repeater located therein, a method for managing a plurality of mobile transceiver units, comprising the steps of:
 receiving at said repeater a signal from a mobile transceiver unit on an uplink communication channel; 
 measuring at said repeater a power level of said signal as received by said repeater; and 
 transmitting a backhaul signal from said repeater to said base transceiver station on a backhaul communication link, wherein said backhaul signal is selectively transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels, each of said discrete power levels representing a coded indication of said power level as measured by said repeater. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1  wherein said backhaul signal is comprised of at least a traffic portion of said signal received from said mobile transceiver unit. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said selectively transmitting step further comprises the steps of:
 generating power level data which is a digital representation of said power level as measured at said repeater; 
 correlating said power level data to a predetermined transmitter power level associated with said power level; and 
 controlling a transmitter of said repeater to transmit at said predetermined transmitter power level. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said base transceiver station (BTS) assigns channels in said wireless communication system based on said indication of said power level. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein a base station controller (BSC) coupled to the base transceiver station assigns channels in said wireless communication system based on said indication of said power level. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of selectively transmitting further comprises the step of selecting from among four discrete power levels to provide an indication if the power level as measured by the repeater is too high, in range, below range, or requiring handoff. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises the step of receiving the backhaul signal at one of four discrete power levels at said base transceiver station and correspondingly transmitting instructions to the mobile transceiver unit to decrease power, maintain power, boost power, or prepare for hand off to another base transceiver station or repeater. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises the step of delaying the step of transmitting the backhaul signal by a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       9. A repeater in a wireless cellular communication system having a base transceiver station located within a home cell and a plurality of substantially adjacent cells at least one having said repeater located therein, said repeater comprising:
 a receiver for receiving at one of said repeaters a signal from a mobile transceiver unit via an uplink communication channel; 
 power measurement means for measuring at said repeater a power level of said signal as received by said repeater; and 
 a transmitter for transmitting a backhaul signal from said repeater to said base transceiver station via a backhaul communication link, wherein said backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels selected in accordance with a predetermined coding scheme for providing an indication of said power level from the mobile transceiver as measured by said repeater. 
 
     
     
       10. The repeater according to  claim 9 , wherein said backhaul signal comprises at least a traffic portion of said signal received from said mobile transceiver unit. 
     
     
       11. The repeater according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of said power level as measured by said repeater are four discrete power levels to provide an indication if the power level as measured by the repeater is too high, in range, below range, or requiring handoff to another repeater or base transceiver station. 
     
     
       12. In a wireless cellular communication system having a base transceiver station located within a home cell, and a plurality of substantially adjacent cells, with at least one having a repeater located therein, a method for automatically controlling power level in a backhaul communication link, said link having at least one channel, the method comprising:
 receiving at said repeater a signal from an uplink channel; 
 measuring at said repeater a signal power level of said signal as received by said repeater; 
 transmitting a backhaul signal from said repeater to said base transceiver station, wherein said backhaul signal comprises at least a traffic portion of said signal received from the uplink channel which is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of said signal power level as measured by said repeater; 
 receiving at a base transceiver station said indication of said signal power level and said at least a traffic portion of said signal; and 
 assigning channels in said wireless communication system at said base station, based on said signal power level. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said signal from an uplink channel received at one of said repeaters is from a mobile transceiver signal. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said signal from an uplink channel received at one of said repeaters is from a pilot signal. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises the step of delaying the step of transmitting the backhaul signal by at least one frame. 
     
     
       16. A configurable base transceiver station in a communication system having the base transceiver station located within a home cell and a plurality of substantially adjacent cells, with at least one of said adjacent cells having a repeater located therein, said base transceiver station comprising:
 a transmitter for transmitting traffic and control signals to the repeater; 
 a receiver for receiving a backhaul signal from the repeater, wherein the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels indicative of a power level measured from an uplink communication channel at the repeater; and 
 a processor that is programmed to selectively configure the plurality of discrete power levels at which the repeater will transmit the backhaul signal, wherein the processor is further programmed to decrease the power level of the uplink channel if the backhaul signal is transmitting at a first power level, maintain the power level of the uplink channel if the backhaul signal is transmitting at a second power level, increase the power level if the backhaul signal is transmitting at a third power level, and request that the uplink channel handoff to another repeater or base transceiver station if the backhaul signal is transmitting at a fourth power level. 
 
     
     
       17. A configurable base transceiver station comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit traffic and control signals to a repeater;   a receiver configured to receive a backhaul signal from the repeater, wherein the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels, the one of the plurality of discrete power levels representing a coded indication of a power level as measured from an uplink communication channel at the repeater; and   a processor that is programmed to selectively configure the plurality of discrete power levels at which the repeater is transmitting the backhaul signal.   
     
     
       18. The configurable base transceiver station of claim 17, wherein the uplink communication channel is a channel containing signals from a mobile transceiver unit. 
     
     
       19. The configurable base transceiver station of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to process the coded indication of the power level to control a power level of the mobile transceiver unit based on the coded indication of the power level. 
     
     
       20. A method for managing a plurality of mobile transceiver units comprising:
 receiving at a repeater a signal on an uplink communication channel;   measuring at the repeater a power level of the signal as received by the repeater; and   transmitting a backhaul signal from the repeater to the base transceiver station on a backhaul communication link, wherein the backhaul signal is selectively transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels, the one of the plurality of discrete power levels representing a coded indication of the measured power level.   
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the backhaul signal is comprised of at least a traffic portion of the signal received from the mobile transceiver unit. 
     
     
       22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the selectively transmitting comprises:
 generating power level data which is a digital representation of the measured power level;   correlating the measured power level data to a predetermined transmitter power level associated with the measured power level; and   controlling a transmitter of the repeater to transmit at the predetermined transmitter power level.   
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising assigning channels, by a base transceiver station (BTS), in a wireless communication system based on the coded indication of the measured power level. 
     
     
       24. The method according to claim 22, wherein a base station controller (BSC) coupled to the BTS assigns channels in the wireless communication system based on the coded indication of the measured power level. 
     
     
       25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the selectively transmitting comprises selecting from four discrete power levels to provide an indication of a plurality of indications, in response to the measured power level, the plurality of indications comprising too high, in range, below range, or requiring handoff. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, further comprises receiving the backhaul signal at one of four discrete power levels at the BTS and correspondingly transmitting a selected instruction of a plurality of instructions to the mobile transceiver unit, the plurality of instructions comprising decrease power, maintain power, boost power, or prepare for hand off to another BTS or repeater. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 20, further comprises delaying the transmitting the backhaul signal by a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       28. A repeater comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive at the repeater a signal via an uplink communication channel;   power measurement means configured to measure at the repeater a power level of the signal received by the repeater; and   a transmitter configured to transmit a backhaul signal from the repeater to the base transceiver station via a backhaul communication link, wherein the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels selected in accordance with a coding scheme configured to provide an indication of the power level from a mobile transceiver measured by the repeater.   
     
     
       29. The repeater of claim 28, wherein the backhaul signal comprises at least a traffic portion of the signal received from the mobile transceiver. 
     
     
       30. The repeater of claim 29, wherein the plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of the power level measured by the repeater comprises four discrete power levels comprising too high, in range, below range, or requiring handoff to another repeater or base transceiver station. 
     
     
       31. A method for controlling power level in a backhaul communication link comprising:
 receiving at a repeater a signal from an uplink channel;   measuring at the repeater a signal power level of the signal received by the repeater;   transmitting a backhaul signal from the repeater to the base transceiver station, wherein the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of the measured signal power level;   receiving at a base transceiver station the indication of the measured signal power level; and   assigning channels in a wireless communication system at the base transceiver station, based on the signal power level.   
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31, wherein the signal from an uplink channel received at the repeater is from a mobile transceiver signal. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 31, wherein the signal from an uplink channel received at the repeater is from a pilot signal. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 31, further comprising delaying the transmitting the backhaul signal by at least one frame. 
     
     
       35. A method for automatically controlling power level in a backhaul communication link comprising:
 receiving at a base transceiver station a backhaul signal transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels,   receiving at a repeater a signal from an uplink channel,   wherein a power level of the backhaul signal indicates a power level of a signal received by the repeater from the uplink channel, the indication of the signal power level and the at least a traffic portion of the signal; and   assigning channels in a wireless communication system at the base transceiver station, based on the signal power level.   
     
     
       36. A method comprising:
 transmitting traffic and control signals to a repeater;   receiving a backhaul signal from the repeater, wherein the backhaul signal is transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels indicative of a power level measured from an uplink channel at the repeater;   selectively configuring the plurality of discrete power levels at which the repeater will transmit the backhaul signal;   programming a processor to decrease the power level of the uplink channel in response to the backhaul signal being transmitting at a first power level;   maintaining the power level of the uplink channel in response to the backhaul signal being transmitting at a second power level;   increasing the power level in response to the backhaul signal being transmitting at a third power level; and   request the handoff of the uplink channel to another repeater or base transceiver station in response to the backhaul signal being transmitting at a fourth power level.   
     
     
       37. A wireless cellular communication system comprising:
 a base transceiver station located within a home cell;   a plurality of substantially adjacent cells, wherein at least one of the plurality of substantially adjacent cells comprising a repeater located therein,
 wherein the repeater is operatively connected to the base transceiver station by a backhaul communication link comprising at least one channel, 
 wherein the repeater is configured to measure a signal power level of a plurality of signals received by the repeater from an uplink channel and transmits a backhaul signal from the repeater to the base transceiver station, the backhaul signal being transmitted at one of a plurality of discrete power levels providing an indication of the signal power level measured by the repeater, and 
 wherein the base transceiver station is configured to assign channels at the base station, based on the signal power level. 
   
     
     
       38. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of signals from the uplink channel received at the repeater are from a plurality of mobile transceivers. 
     
     
       39. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of signals from the uplink channel received at the repeaters are pilot signals. 
     
     
       40. The system according to claim 37, wherein the transmission of the backhaul signal is delayed by at least one frame.