Redundancy scheme for the radio frequency front end of a broadband wireless hub

• US 20010051512A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: VYYO, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hendler, Hillel, Wilson, Eric K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A low cost redundancy scheme for the radio frequency front end of a wireless hub that requires a minimum number of down converters and upstream receivers to implement. The redundancy scheme may also be used as a back-up support for any upstream channel that is provided with a greater amount of data than the other upstream channels.

Claims

1. A low noise amplifier redundancy system comprising:

an antenna receiving a received signal;

at least two low noise amplifiers (LNAs), each low noise amplifier comprising a low noise amplifier input that receives the received signal and a low noise amplifier output;

an switch having an input connected to the received signal, and at least two outputs, each output connected to a separate low noise amplifier input;

a controller that controls the switch and the low noise amplifiers to select one of the low noise amplifiers, such that the received signal is amplified by only one of the low noise amplifiers; and

a combiner connecting the outputs of the low noise amplifiers to a single signal line.

2. A redundant receiving system comprising:

a plurality of receiving chains, each comprising

a received signal;

a splitter having two outputs with each outputting the same received input signal;

a down converter connected to one output of the splitter; and

an upstream receiver connected to the down converter;

a redundancy switch having a plurality of inputs, each input connected to a splitter output from each receiving chain;

a back-up down converter connected to an output of the redundancy switch;

a back-up upstream receiver connected to the back-up down converter; and

a first controller connected to the redundancy switch to select one of the outputs from the plurality of splitters.

3. The system of

claim 2

, wherein each receiving chain further comprises:

an amplifier switch having an input connected to the received signal, and two outputs;

two low noise amplifiers (LNAs), each low noise amplifier having an input connected to one output of the amplifier switch;

a second controller connected to control the amplifier switch and the low noise amplifiers, such that the received signal is amplified by only one of the low noise amplifiers; and

a combiner connecting the outputs of the low noise amplifiers to the splitter.

4. The system of

claim 3

, wherein each receiving chain further comprises a band-pass filter connected between the antenna and the switch.

5. A method for providing redundancy in a wireless hub, comprising:

receiving a plurality of upstream signals;

amplifying each upstream signal with a separate low noise amplifier;

down converting the output of each of the low noise amplifier by utilizing a separate down converter;

receiving a down converted signal from each down converter with a separate receiver;

providing a data signal from a receiver; and

when no data signal is provided by one of the receivers, selecting an alternate low noise amplifier to amplifier the associated upstream signal.

6. The method of

claim 5

, further comprising when no data signal is provided by one of the receivers after selecting an alternate low noise amplifier, providing the output of the low noise amplifier associated with the receiver to a redundant down converter, the redundant down converter providing a redundant down converted signal to a redundant receiver.

7. A method for providing redundancy in a wireless hub, comprising:

receiving a plurality of upstream signals;

amplifying each upstream signal with a separate low noise amplifier;

down converting the output of each of the low noise amplifier by utilizing a separate down converter;

receiving a down converted signal from each down converter with a separate receiver;

providing a data signal from a receiver; and

when no data signal is provided by one of the receivers, providing the output of the low noise amplifier associated with the receiver to a redundant down converter, the redundant down converter providing a redundant down converted signal to a redundant receiver.

8. A low penetration receiving system comprising:

a plurality of low noise amplifiers;

a switch having a plurality of inputs, each input connected to one low noise amplifier;

a down converter connected to an output of the switch; and

an upstream receiver connected to the down converter;

wherein the down converter and receiver are time shared between signals produced by each low noise amplifier.

9. A low penetration receiving system with redundancy comprising:

a plurality of low noise amplifiers, each amplifier amplifying an upstream signal;

a plurality of splitters, each splitter connected to an amplifier and having a first output and a second output;

a first switch having a plurality of inputs, each input connected to a distinct one of the first outputs of the plurality of splitters;

a second switch having a plurality of inputs, each input connected to a distinct one of the second outputs of the plurality of splitters;

a first down converter connected to an output of the first switch;

a first upstream receiver connected to the first down converter;

a second down converter connected to an output of the second switch; and

a second receiver connected to the second downconverter.

10. The system of

claim 9

, further comprising a plurality of secondary low noise amplifiers, wherein one secondary low noise amplifier is connected in parallel to one of the plurality of low noise amplifiers.

11. A method for low penetration redundancy, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of upstream signals;

amplifying each upstream signal with a separate low noise amplifier;

splitting each amplified signal into two signals;

down converting the output of each of the low noise amplifier with a single down converter;

receiving a down converted signal from the down converter with a single receiver;

time sharing the down converter and receiver during a low penetration period;

providing a data signal from the receiver; and

when no data signal is provided by the receiver when receiving a signal from one of the low noise amplifiers, providing the output of the low noise amplifier to a redundant down converter, the redundant down converter providing a redundant down converted signal to a redundant receiver.