Booster amplifier for cellular telephone cradles

Abstract

A booster amplifier that can be coupled to virtually any cellular telephone handset is provided for use with virtually any cellular communications network. The power output of the booster amplifier is dynamically controlled based upon signals received from the handset to improve the quality and range of communications between the handset and the base stations of the cellular network without interfering with normal communications between the cellular network and other handsets.

1 . A RF power boost control system on an amplifier's transmit path for enhancing communications between a handset and a network base station of a cellular network comprising: 
 a booster amplifier having,    a. at least one variable gain element controlled by a gain controller;    b. at least one amplifier which cooperates with the variable gain element to boost the power of an input signal generated by the handset to provide an output signal to the network base station; and    c. a sensor that sends messages to the gain controller indicative of the power level of the signal generated by the handset after it is boosted by the at least one amplifier, said gain controller dynamically adjusting the power of the output signal up to a predetermined power leveling range.    
   
   
       2 . A RF power boost control system on an amplifier's transmit path for enhancing communications between a handset and a network base station of a cellular network as in  claim 1  wherein, 
 the booster amplifier has,    a. a receive side used to process and deliver signals received from a base station to a handset, said receive side including at least one low noise amplifier;    b. a transmit side used to process and deliver signals from the handset to the base station, said transmit side having a variable attenuator element, at least one amplifier, and an output sensor for sensing the power of signals transmitted;    c. a ground plane separating the transmit side from the receive side.    
   
   
       3 . A RF power boost control system on an amplifier's transmit path for enhancing communications between a handset and a network base station of a cellular network as in  claim 1  wherein, 
 said transmit side having, a gain controller circuitry and, a variable gain element controlled by said gain controller controlling the booster system's transmit gain, an output directional coupler and a detector which generates a signal indicative of the output power to the gain controller, and said gain controller capable of processing signals to control the variable gain element on the transmit side.    
   
   
       4 . A method of operating the power boost system of  claim 1  with the step of, 
 controlling the maximum output power of the transmit path by using the gain controller circuitry from which a signal input to the booster's transmit path cannot be further amplified, the level at which this occurs is set below the transmit path output compression point of the at least one amplifier, ensuring that the booster amplifier's transmit path is highly linear thus minimizing it's output distortion.    
   
   
       5 . A method of operating the power boost system of  claim 1  with the step of, 
 limiting the maximum power of the output signal to a predetermined threshold.    
   
   
       6 . A method of operating the power boost system of  claim 1  with the step of, 
 determining the leveling set point of the booster amplifier gain for the transmit path dynamically as a function of the amplifier output and the amplifiers leveling point.    
   
   
       7 . A method of operating the power boost system of  claim 1  with the step of, 
 following the handset gain control dynamics in the booster amplifier to linearly track the handset output such that the handset's transmit power control range is not decreased.    
   
   
       8 . A method of operating the power boost system of  claim 1  with the step of, 
 monotonically decreasing the transmit path gain during any given power-on cycle period until it is power cycled off and then re-initialized on another power-on cycle event.