Radio frequency signal boosters for vehicles
Apparatus and methods for signal boosters for vehicles are provided. In certain embodiments, a vehicle signal booster system includes an interior unit including a mobile station antenna that receives an RF uplink signal and transmits a boosted RF downlink signal. The vehicle signal booster system further includes a top unit including a base station antenna that receives an RF downlink signal and transmits a boosted RF uplink signal. The vehicle signal booster system further includes booster circuitry that generates the boosted RF downlink signal based on amplifying one or more downlink channels of the RF downlink signal, and that generates the boosted RF uplink signal based on amplifying one or more uplink channels of the RF uplink signal. The booster circuitry is implemented in the top unit or in the top unit and the interior unit.
1. A vehicle signal booster system comprising:
a top unit configured for installation on a roof of a vehicle, wherein the top unit is configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) downlink signal from a base station antenna and to provide a boosted RF uplink signal to the base station antenna; and
an interior unit configured for installation in a cabin of the vehicle and configured to connect to the top unit by a cable, wherein the interior unit is configured to receive an RF uplink signal from a mobile station antenna and to provide a boosted RF downlink signal to the mobile station antenna,
wherein the top unit comprises a first booster circuit configured to separate the RF downlink signal into a high frequency downlink signal and a low frequency downlink signal, wherein the top unit amplifies the low frequency downlink signal but does not amplify the high frequency downlink signal, and wherein the interior unit comprises a second booster circuit.
2. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the first booster circuit comprises a first diplexer configured to separate the RF downlink signal, wherein the high frequency downlink signal has a frequency greater than 1 GHz, wherein the low frequency downlink signal has a frequency lower than 1 GHz, wherein the first booster circuit further comprises low frequency amplification circuitry configured to amplify the low frequency downlink signal.
3. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the interior unit amplifies the high frequency downlink signal but not the low frequency downlink signal.
4. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 2 , wherein the first booster circuit further comprises a second diplexer configured to combine the high frequency downlink signal and the amplified low frequency downlink signal for transmission over the cable to the interior unit.
5. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 2 , wherein the low frequency amplification circuitry is further configured to amplify a low frequency uplink signal received from the cable via the second diplexer.
6. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the second booster circuit comprises a first diplexer configured to separate the RF uplink signal into a high frequency uplink signal of a frequency greater than 1 GHz, and a low frequency uplink signal of a frequency lower than 1 GHz, and high frequency amplification circuitry configured to amplify the high frequency uplink signal.
7. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 6 , wherein the interior unit does not amplify the low frequency uplink signal.
8. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 6 , wherein the second booster circuit further comprises a second diplexer configured to combine the amplified high frequency uplink signal and the low frequency uplink signal for transmission over the cable to the top unit.
9. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 6 , wherein the high frequency amplification circuitry is further configured to amplify a high frequency downlink signal received from the cable via the second diplexer.
10. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the cable carries both DC power and RF signals.
11. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 2 , wherein the second booster circuit includes a second diplexer configured to separate the RF uplink signal into a high frequency uplink signal of a frequency greater than 1 GHz, and a low frequency uplink signal of a frequency lower than 1 GHz.
12. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the first booster circuit comprises an RF amplification path configured for amplification of multiple frequency bands.
13. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the top unit is implemented in a housing including a plastic cover and a metal base, wherein the metal base is configured to transfer heat to the roof of the vehicle to provide cooling.
14. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the interior unit is configured to receive DC power from a power source of the vehicle.
15. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 14 , wherein the interior unit comprises a DC/RF combiner configured to combine the RF uplink signal and the DC power, and to provide the RF uplink signal and the DC power to the top unit via the cable.
16. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 14 , wherein the top unit comprises a DC/RF separator configured to separate the RF uplink signal and the DC power received from the cable.
17. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the top unit comprises a magnet configured to secure the top unit to the roof of the vehicle and to dissipate heat to the roof of the vehicle.
18. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the top unit comprises a temperature sensor, wherein the vehicle signal booster system is configured to reduce a signal bandwidth in response to the temperature sensor detecting a temperature over a threshold.
19. The vehicle signal booster system of claim 1 , wherein the first booster circuit comprises low frequency amplification circuitry and passive high frequency processing circuitry, and wherein the second booster circuit comprises high frequency amplification circuitry and passive low frequency processing circuitry.