System and method for reducing desensitization of a base station transceiver for mobile wireless repeater systems

1. A repeater system comprising:

bi-directional amplifier circuitry configured for repeating signals between at least one device and at least one signal source;

receiver circuitry configured for receiving downlink signals from at least one signal source and for receiving uplink signals from at least one device;

the bi-directional amplifier circuitry including transmitter circuitry configured for transmitting uplink signals to at least one signal source;

controller circuitry configured for monitoring at least one parameter associated with a signal strength of a downlink signal from a first signal source and at least one parameter associated with a signal strength of a downlink signal from at least one second signal source, and also monitoring at least one parameter of at least one uplink signal from the at least one device and configured for controlling the transmitter circuitry of the bi-directional amplifier circuitry;

the controller circuitry further configured for using the monitored parameters, including the parameters associated with signal strength of the downlink signals, to make a determination of whether transmitted uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source; and

the controller circuitry further operable for adjusting the power level of the transmitted uplink signals based on the determination that those uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source.

2. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein at least one monitored parameter is reflective of a property of the signal source that includes at least one of a location of the signal source with respect to the repeater system, or a path loss between the repeater system and the signal source or a strength of a downlink signal received from the signal source.

3. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein at least one monitored parameter is an RSSI value associated with a downlink signal from at least one of the first and second signal sources.

4. The repeater system of claim 3 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to compare the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value to a threshold and to reduce the power level of the transmitted uplink signals in response to the RSSI value exceeding the threshold.

5. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein the receiver circuitry is configured for receiving downlink signals from at least the first and second signal sources and the controller circuitry is configured for monitoring RSSI values associated with the downlink signals from each of the first and second signal sources for making a determination of whether transmitted uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source.

6. The repeater system of claim 5 wherein the controller circuitry is configured for determining a difference value for the difference between the RSSI values associated with the downlink signals from the first and second signal sources and comparing the difference value to a threshold, the controller circuitry adjusting the power level of the transmitted uplink signals in response to the difference value exceeding the threshold.

7. The repeater system of claim 1 further comprising reducing the power level of the transmitted uplink signals.

8. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein at least one monitored parameter is reflective of a property of the device that includes at least one of the frequency of uplink signals from the device or the power level of uplink signals from the device.

9. The repeater system of claim 8 , wherein the controller circuitry is configured for determining if the frequency and power level of uplink signals from the device will yield intermodulation products that fall within a frequency band of the second signal source.

10. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein the power level is adjusted by a power reduction factor determined by the controller circuitry.

11. The repeater system of claim 1 wherein the power level is reduced incrementally.

12. The repeater system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal source is an EGSM signal source and second signal source is a GSM-R signal source, the receiver circuitry configured to receive downlink signals from the first and second signal sources.

13. A method of repeating signals between at least one device and a first signal source, the method comprising:

receiving uplink signals from at least one device and downlink signals from at least one signal source and transmitting uplink signals to at least one signal source;

monitoring at least one parameter associated with a signal strength of a downlink signal from a first signal source and at least one parameter associated with a signal strength of a downlink signal from at least one second signal source, and also monitoring at least one parameter of at least one uplink signal from the at least one device;

using the monitored parameters, including the parameters associated with signal strength of the downlink signals, and making a determination of whether transmitted uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source; and

adjusting the power level of transmitted uplink signals based on the determination that those uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one monitored parameter is reflective of a property of the signal source that includes at least one of a location of the signal source with respect to the repeater system, or a path loss between the repeater system and the signal source or a strength of a downlink signal received from the signal source.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising monitoring a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value associated with a downlink signal from at least one of the first and second signal sources.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising comparing the RSSI value to a threshold and reducing the power level of the transmitted uplink signals in response to the RSSI value exceeding the threshold.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving downlink signals from at least the first signal source and the second signal source; and

monitoring RSSI values associated with a the downlink signal signals from each of the first and second signal sources and making a determination of whether transmitted uplink signals will desensitize the operation of the second signal source.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining a difference value for the difference between the RSSI values associated with the downlink signals from the first and second signal sources;

comparing the difference value to a threshold; and

adjusting the power level of the transmitted uplink signals in response to the difference value exceeding the threshold.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one monitored parameter is reflective of a property of the device that includes at least one of the frequency of uplink signals from the device or the power level of uplink signals from the device, the method further comprising determining if the frequency and power level of uplink signals from the device will yield intermodulation products that fall within a frequency band of the second signal source.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first signal source is an EGSM signal source and second signal source is a GSM-R signal source, the method further comprising receiving downlink signals from the first and second signal sources.