Radio system

Abstract

A radio system (110) comprising a first (120) and a second (130) radio unit which comprise a transmitter (122, 132) and a receiver (121, 131). The first radio unit (120) communicates with a first external radio unit (101) and the second radio unit (140) with a second external radio unit (102). Both transmitters (122, 132) are arranged to vary their output power level in response to a request from the external radio unit with which they are arranged to communicate. Both of the transmitters also vary their output power level in response to a variation in the transmitter output power level of the other radio unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio system comprising:
 at least a first and a second radio unit, both of which radio units comprise a transmitter and a receiver; 
 the first radio unit arranged to communicate with a first external radio unit and the second radio unit arranged to communicate with a second external radio unit; and 
 and the transmitters of both the first and the second radio units arranged to vary the output power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a request communication from the external radio unit with which they are arranged to communicate, with both of said transmitters also being arranged to vary the output power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a variation in the output power level of the transmitter of the other of the first and second radio unit, so that a requested variation in the output power level of one of the transmitters results in a variation in the output power level of both transmitters, wherein both radio units are arranged to enable their transmitters to use a larger of an increase in a variation in the output power level specified in a request from both of the first and second external radio units, wherein the request includes the variation which is an increase during the same time period both of said transmitters also being arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions such that, when a communication from the first external radio unit would cause a first increase value in output power level at the first radio unit in a time period, and a communication from the second external radio unit would cause a second increase value in output power level at the second radio unit during the time period, both the first and the second radio units use a larger of the first increase value and the second increase value to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions. 
 
     
     
       2. The radio system of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second radio units are arranged to enable their transmitters to only carry out a decrease in the power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to requests for communications that would cause a decrease which are requested by both of the first and second external radio units during the same time period. 
     
     
       3. The radio system of  claim 2 , wherein the decrease which is carried out by the transmitters of the first and second radio units is the smaller of that requested by the first and second external radio units, if the requested amounts vary both of said transmitters also being arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions such that, when the communication from the first external radio unit would cause a first decrease value in output power level at the first radio unit in a time period, and the communication from the second external radio unit would cause a second decrease value in output power level at the second radio unit during the time period, both the first and the second radio units use a smaller of the first decrease value and the second decrease value to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions. 
     
     
       4. The radio system of  claim 3 , wherein said requested the decrease in output power level is carried out used by the transmitters of both the first and second radio units in equal amounts. 
     
     
       5. The radio system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second radio units are arranged to ignore requests for communications that would cause increases or decreases in the output power of their transmitters during a defined period of time following an increase or decrease in their output power level. 
     
     
       6. The radio system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second radio units is equipped with a cancellation circuit for cancelling interference from the external radio unit with which the other radio unit in the system is arranged to communicate, said cancellation circuit being arranged to perform cancelation by receiving samples of the signals received by the receivers of both the first and second radio units. 
     
     
       7. A method for use in a radio system , system, comprising the use of at least a first radio unit in order to communicate with a first external radio unit and a second radio unit in order to communicate with a second external radio unit, both of said radio units comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising:
 enabling the transmitters of both the first and the second radio units to vary the output power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a request communication from the external radio unit with which they communicate; and enabling both of said transmitters to vary the output power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a variation in the output power level of the transmitter of the other of the first and second radio unit, so that a requested variation in the output power level of one of the transmitters results in a variation in the output power level of both transmitters, wherein both radio units enable their transmitters to use the larger increase in the case that both of the first and second external radio units request a variation which is an increase during the same time period of said transmitters also being arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions such that, when a communication from the first external radio unit would cause a first increase value in output power level at the first radio unit in a time period, and a communication from the second external radio unit would cause a second increase value in output power level at the second radio unit during the time period, both the first and the second radio units use a larger of the first increase value and the second increase value to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the transmitters of both of said first and second radio units only carry out a decrease in the power level respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to requests for communications that would cause a decrease which are requested by both of the first and second external radio units during the same time period. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the decrease which is carried out by the transmitters of the first and second radio units is the smaller of that requested by the first and second external radio units, if the requested amounts vary, when the communication from the first external radio unit would cause a first decrease value in output power level at the first radio unit in a time period, and the communication from the second external radio unit would cause a second decrease value in output power level at the second radio unit during the time period, both the first and the second radio units use a smaller of the first decrease value and the second decrease value to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said requested the decrease in output power level is carried out used by the transmitters of both the first and second radio units in equal amounts. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the radio units ignore requests for communications that would cause increases or decreases in the respective output power levels of their transmitters during a defined period of time following an increase or decrease in their output power level. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the radio units carries out a cancelling operation in order to cancel interference from the external radio unit with which the other radio unit in the system is arranged to communicate, said canceling being performed by receiving samples of the signals received by the receivers of both the first and second radio units. 
     
     
       13. The method radio system of  claim 1 , wherein the first radio unit's output power level depends on the output power level requests of caused by a communication from the second radio unit, and the second radio unit's output power level depends on the output power level requests of caused by a communication from the first radio unit. 
     
     
       14. The method radio system of  claim 1 , wherein the variation in the output power level of one of the transmitter transmitters is a requested an increase. 
     
     
       15. The method radio system of  claim 14 , wherein the requested increase results in an increase in the output power level of both transmitters. 
     
     
       16. The method radio system of  claim 1 , wherein the first radio unit includes a first interface unit which connects an antenna of the first radio unit to the first radio unit's transmitter and receiver, and wherein the second radio unit includes a second interface unit which connects an antenna of the second radio unit to the second radio unit's transmitter and receiver. 
     
     
       17. The method radio system of  claim 16 , wherein the first interface unit receives information from the second radio unit that includes samples of signals received by the second radio unit as well as requests for communications that would cause an increase in the output power level of the transmitter of the second radio unit. 
     
     
       18. The method radio system of  claim 1 , wherein the first radio unit includes a first cancellation circuit and the second radio unit includes a second cancellation circuit. 
     
     
       19. The method radio system of  claim 18 , wherein the first cancellation circuit receives a signal from the first radio unit and another signal from the second radio unit, wherein a desired output signal of the first cancellation circuit by multiplying the signal received from the second radio unit by a factor “k.” 
     
     
       20. A radio system comprising:
 at least a first and a second radio unit, both of which radio units comprise a transmitter and a receiver;   the first radio unit arranged to communicate with a first external radio unit and the second radio unit arranged to communicate with a second external radio unit; and   the transmitters of both the first and the second radio units arranged to vary respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a communication from the external radio unit with which they are arranged to communicate, with both of said transmitters also being arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a variation in the output power level of the transmitter of the other of the first and second radio unit, so that, when a communication from one of the first or the second external radio units would cause a variation in the output power level of the transmitter with which it is arranged to communicate, the variation in the output power level of one of the transmitters results in the variation in the output power level of both transmitters.   
     
     
       21. The radio system of claim 20, wherein both of said transmitters are arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions, so that, when communications from both the first and the second external radio units would cause variations in the respective output power levels of the radio units with which each of the external radio units are arranged to communicate, the variations in the output power levels of both of the transmitters results in a variation in the output power levels of both transmitters that is dependent on one of the variations that comprises a largest increase in the output power level. 
     
     
       22. The radio system of claim 20, wherein the variations in the respective output power levels of the radio units comprise variations that are an increase during a same time period. 
     
     
       23. A method for use in a radio system, comprising the use of at least a first radio unit in order to communicate with a first external radio unit and a second radio unit in order to communicate with a second external radio unit, both of said radio units comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising:
 enabling the transmitters of both the first and the second radio units to vary respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a communication from the external radio unit with which they communicate; and   enabling both of said transmitters to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions in response to a variation in the output power level of the transmitter of the other of the first and second radio unit, so that when a communication from one of the first or the second external radio units would cause a variation in the output power level of the transmitter with which it is arranged to communicate, the variation in the output power level of one of the transmitters results in the variation in the output power level of both transmitters.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23, wherein both of said transmitters are arranged to vary the respective output power levels of their transmissions, so that, when communications from both the first and the second external radio units would cause variations in the respective output power levels of the radio units in which each of the external radio units are arranged to communicate, the variations in the output power levels of both of the transmitters results in a variation in the output power levels of both transmitters that is dependent on one of the variations that comprises a largest increase in the output power level. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23, wherein the variations in the respective output power levels of the radio units comprise variations that are an increase during a same time period.