In-building radio frequency communications system with automatic failover recovery

Abstract

An improved in-building radio frequency communications system with automatic failover recovery comprising a primary external antenna and one ancillary external antenna, each antenna directed to a primary transmission tower and to an ancillary transmission tower, respectively, and a diversity site donor system capable of monitoring the strength and/or quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary transmission tower and switching communications between the primary transmission tower and the ancillary transmission tower based on the strength and/or quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary transmission tower.

1 . An in-building radio frequency communications system comprising
 a primary external antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said primary external antenna located on an exterior of a structure and oriented towards a primary radio frequency signal transmission tower such that the primary external antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower;   an ancillary external antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said ancillary external antenna located on the exterior of the structure and oriented towards an ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower such that the ancillary external antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from the ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower;   a donor site diversity system, in connection with the primary external antenna and with the ancillary external antenna, said donor site diversity system suitably configured to monitor the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower and capable of switching between the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower and the ancillary radio frequency signal transmission tower based on the strength and quality of the radio frequency signals received from the primary radio frequency signal transmission tower;   an internal antenna, suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, said internal antenna located within an interior of the structure such that the internal antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from one or more wireless communication devices located within the structure; and   a bi-directional amplifier, in connection with the donor site diversity system and with the internal antenna, said bi-directional amplifier suitably configured to increase the strength of radio frequency signals received from the radio frequency signal transmission towers through the external antennas and received from the one or more wireless communication devices through the internal antenna;   wherein the primary external antenna and the ancillary external antenna are suitably configured such that both the primary external antenna and the ancillary external antenna are capable of operating independently from the other, where at any given time only one of said primary and ancillary external antennas is receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals for the purpose of providing a communications link between one of the radio frequency signal transmission towers and the one or more wireless communication devices, while the other of said primary and ancillary external antennas is in stand-by mode whereby it is not providing a communications link between either of the radio frequency signal transmission towers and the one or more wireless communication devices.   
   
   
       2 . The in-building radio frequency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the donor site diversity system is connected with the primary external antenna and with the ancillary external antenna by coaxial cables and/or fiber optic cable, and the bi-directional amplifier is connected with the donor site diversity system and with the internal antenna by coaxial cables and/or fiber optic cable. 
   
   
       3 . The in-building radio frequency communications system of  claim 1  further comprising multiple internal antennas, each internal antenna suitably configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, with the multiple internal antennas distributed throughout the interior of the structure, such that each of the internal antennas is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals to and from wireless communication devices located within the structure, and with each of the internal antennas in connection with the bi-directional amplifier;
 wherein the multiple internal antennas are suitably configured such that each of the multiple internal antennas is capable of operating independently from each other of the multiple internal antennas for the purpose of providing a communications link between one of the radio frequency signal transmission towers and the one or more wireless communication devices.