Individuals owning cell phones are well aware of signal loss, especially within buildings or other structures that can attenuate wireless signals. Signals can be boosted by the use of a wireless repeater responsive to the frequency bands used by the cell phones and nearby cell towers.
A cell phone wireless repeater can boost signals between a cell phone and a tower by receiving, amplifying, and retransmitting the signals. Such repeaters employ dual antennae where one antenna communicates with a cell tower while the other antenna communicates with the cell phone. The repeaters can greatly enhance cell phone operation within buildings where cell phone signals are attenuated by the building walls.
The antennae of a wireless repeater should preferably be electrically isolated from each other to prevent the antennae from interfering with each other. Known wireless repeaters achieve some level of electrical isolation by physically separated the antennae by some distance, on the order of a meter or more. Such repeaters are undesirable due to the unsightly separation of the antennae, the cabling, or the physical space requiring by the repeaters.
Some effort has been directed toward to resolving the undesirable characteristics of a wireless repeater. For example, U.S. patent publication 2008/0136736 titled “Multiple-Antenna Device Having an Isolation Element” filed on Dec. 11, 2007, to Proctor et al. describes a repeater having two shielded transceivers that provide electrical isolation between the transceivers. However, the approach taken by Proctor fails to provide sufficient electrical isolation between the antennae while also offering sufficient coverage by the antennae. This and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for wireless repeaters having antennae that are electrically isolated.