SIGNAL BOOSTER FOR BOOSTING SIGNALS IN CONTIGUOUS BANDS
Technology for a signal booster is disclosed. The signal booster can include a first signal booster, and a second signal booster communicatively coupled to the first signal booster. The first signal booster can be configured to amplify signals in a first band. The second signal booster can be configured to amplify signals in a second band, and a frequency range of the second band is contiguous with a frequency range of the first band.
1 . A signal booster, comprising:
a first signal booster configured to amplify signals in a first band; and
a second signal booster communicatively coupled to the first signal booster, wherein the second signal booster is configured to amplify signals in a second band, and a frequency range of the second band is contiguous with a frequency range of the first band.
2 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the signal booster is operable to boost signals in multiple frequency-contiguous bands using the first signal booster that is physically isolated from the second signal booster within the signal booster.
3 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the first signal booster comprises:
an uplink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the first band; and
a downlink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the first band.
4 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the second signal booster includes a downlink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the second band.
5 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the first band is band 12 (B12) and the second band is band 29 (B29), wherein B12 corresponds to a frequency range of 699 megahertz (MHz) to 716 MHz in an uplink and a frequency range of 729 MHz to 746 MHz in a downlink, and B29 corresponds to a frequency range of 717 MHz to 728 MHz in a downlink.
6 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the first signal booster comprises:
a first inside antenna configured to communicate signals with a mobile device; and
a first outside antenna configured to communicate signals with a base station.
7 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the second signal booster comprises:
a second inside antenna configured to communicate signals with a mobile device; and
a second outside antenna configured to communicate signals with a base station.
8 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the first signal booster further comprises a controller operable to perform network protection.
9 . The signal booster of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of a received signal communicated from the second signal booster; and
adjust a gain of an uplink signal path in the first signal booster based on the RSSI of the received signal in order to perform the network protection.
10 . The signal booster of claim 9 , wherein the uplink signal path is associated with band 2 (B2) or band 4 (B4), and the RSSI of the received signal is associated with band 29 (B29).
11 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein first signal booster antennas are positioned at a selected distance from second signal booster antennas to increase physical isolation between the first signal booster antennas and the second signal booster antennas, wherein the physical isolation serves to mitigate an overlap between one or more band pass filters in the first signal booster and the second signal booster.
12 . The signal booster of claim 1 , wherein the first signal booster and the second signal booster are included in a single form factor, and the first signal booster includes a first set of antenna ports and the second signal booster includes a second set of antenna ports.
13 . A cellular signal booster, comprising:
a first signal booster, comprising:
a first cellular signal amplifier configured to amplify signals in a first band;
a first inside antenna communicatively coupled to the first cellular signal amplifier; and
a first outside antenna communicatively coupled to the first cellular signal amplifier; and
a second signal booster communicatively coupled to the first signal booster, the second signal booster comprising:
a second cellular signal amplifier configured to amplify signals in a second band, and a frequency range of the second band is contiguous with a frequency range of the first band;
a second inside antenna communicatively coupled to the second cellular signal amplifier; and
a second outside antenna communicatively coupled to the second cellular signal amplifier.
14 . The cellular signal booster of claim 13 , wherein the cellular signal booster is operable to boost signals in multiple frequency-contiguous bands using first signal booster antennas that are physically isolated from second signal booster antennas within the cellular signal booster.
15 . The cellular signal booster of claim 13 , wherein the first signal booster comprises:
an uplink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the first band; and
a downlink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the first band.
16 . The cellular signal booster of claim 13 , wherein the second signal booster includes a downlink signal path configured to amplify and filter signals in the second band.
17 . The cellular signal booster of claim 13 , wherein the first band is band 12 (B12) and the second band is band 29 (B29), wherein B12 corresponds to a frequency range of 699 megahertz (MHz) to 716 MHz in an uplink and a frequency range of 729 MHz to 746 MHz in a downlink, and B29 corresponds to a frequency range of 717 MHz to 728 MHz in a downlink.
18 . A signal repeater comprising:
a first signal repeater configured to amplify signals in a first band; and
a second signal repeater communicatively coupled to the first signal repeater, wherein the second signal repeater is configured to amplify signals in a second band, and a frequency range of the second band is contiguous with a frequency range of the first band.
19 . The signal repeater of claim 18 , wherein the signal repeater is operable to boost signals in multiple frequency-contiguous bands using the first signal repeater that is physically isolated from the second signal repeater within the signal repeater.
20 . The signal repeater of claim 18 , wherein:
the first signal repeater comprises one or more uplink signal paths and one or more downlink signal paths; and
the second signal comprises at least one downlink signal path.
21 . The signal repeater of claim 18 , wherein the first band is band 12 (B12) and the second band is band 29 (B29), wherein B12 corresponds to a frequency range of 699 megahertz (MHz) to 716 MHz in an uplink and a frequency range of 729 MHz to 746 MHz in a downlink, and B29 corresponds to a frequency range of 717 MHz to 728 MHz in a downlink.
22 . The signal repeater of claim 18 , wherein the first signal repeater further comprises a controller operable to:
determine a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of a received signal communicated from the second signal repeater; and
adjust a gain of an uplink signal path in the first signal repeater based on the RSSI of the received signal in order to perform network protection.
23 . A signal booster, comprising:
a first amplification and filtering path operable to amplify and filter signals in a first band; and
a second amplification and filtering path operable to amplify and filter signals in a second band, wherein a frequency range of the second band is contiguous with a frequency range of the first band.
24 . The signal booster of claim 23 , wherein:
the first amplification and filtering path includes a first intermediate frequency (IF) filter to shift a frequency of a first signal, and the first signal with a shifted frequency is passed through a first band pass filter (BPF) on the first amplification and filtering path; and
the second amplification and filtering path includes a second intermediate frequency (IF) filter to shift a frequency of a second signal, and the second signal with a shifted frequency is passed through a second band pass filter (BPF) on the second amplification and filtering path.
25 . The signal booster of claim 23 , wherein the first amplification and filtering path and the second amplification and filtering path include one or more switchable band pass filters (BPFs).
26 . The signal booster of claim 25 , wherein:
a signal in the first band is directed to a first switchable BPF in the first amplification and filtering path, and the first switchable BPF is associated with the first band; and
a signal in the second band is directed to a second switchable BPF in the first amplification and filtering path, and the second switchable BPF is associated with the second band.
27 . The signal booster of claim 25 , wherein the one or more BPFs are switched on or off depending on a geographical location of the signal booster.
28 . The signal booster of claim 23 , wherein the first band is band 12 (B12) and the second band is band 29 (B29), wherein B12 corresponds to a frequency range of 699 megahertz (MHz) to 716 MHz in an uplink and a frequency range of 729 MHz to 746 MHz in a downlink, and B29 corresponds to a frequency range of 717 MHz to 728 MHz in a downlink.
29 . The signal booster of claim 23 , further comprising:
an inside antenna configured to transmit signals to a mobile device; and
an outside antenna configured to transmit signals to a base station,
wherein the first amplification and filtering path is coupled between the inside antenna and the outside antenna, and the second amplification and filtering path is coupled between the inside antenna and the outside antenna.
30 . A signal booster, comprising:
an inside antenna;
an outside antenna;
a selected number of downlink amplification and filtering paths for a selected number of bands, the downlink amplification and filtering paths being positioned in between the inside antenna and the outside antenna; and
a selected number of uplink amplification and filtering paths for a selected number of bands, the uplink amplification and filtering paths being positioned in between the inside antenna and the outside antenna.
31 . The signal booster of claim 30 , further comprising:
a first diplexer communicatively coupled to the inside antenna; and
a second diplexer communicatively coupled to the outside antenna.
32 . The signal booster of claim 31 , further comprising:
one or more first multiplexers communicatively coupled to the first diplexer; and
one or more second multiplexers communicatively coupled to the second diplexer.
33 . The signal booster of claim 30 , wherein:
the selected number of downlink amplification and filtering paths is for at least 7 bands; and
the selected number of uplink amplification and filtering paths is for at least 7 bands.
34 . A signal booster, comprising:
an inside antenna;
an outside antenna;
a first double-input single-output (DISO) filter communicatively coupled to the inside antenna;
a second DISO filter communicatively coupled to the outside antenna; and
one or more amplification and filtering paths for a selected number of bands, the one or more amplification and filtering paths being communicatively coupled to the first DISO filter and the second DISO filter.
35 . The signal booster of claim 34 , wherein each amplification and filtering path includes at least one single-input single-output (SISO) filter.
36 . The signal booster of claim 34 , further comprising a return loss measurement circuit operable to measure a return loss in a coaxial cable of the signal booster.
37 . The signal booster of claim 36 , further comprising a controller configured to:
determine when the return loss is above a defined threshold; and
generate a notification indicating that the return loss is above the defined threshold.
38 . The signal booster of claim 36 , wherein the return loss measurement circuit includes a directional coupler, a radio frequency (RF) detector and a reference signal source.