Implementation of a low cost S-UMTS extension to a T-UMTS terminal

• US 20030186649A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Dieudonne, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/391,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20030186649A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention is related to a terrestrial UMTS or equivalent terminal for the reception of broadcast and/or multicast information, comprising a reconfigurable baseband processor and an internal RF front-end for terrestrial reception, characterised in that said reconfigurable baseband processor is reconfigurable for terrestrial and satellite UMTS or equivalent reception and in that said terminal comprises a connector at intermediate frequency arranged to connect an external RF front-end for satellite UMTS reception.

Claims

1. A terrestrial UMTS or equivalent terminal (1) for the reception of broadcast and/or multicast information, comprising a reconfigurable baseband processor (6) and an internal RF front-end for terrestrial reception, characterised in that said reconfigurable baseband processor (6) is reconfigurable for terrestrial and satellite UMTS or equivalent reception and in that said terminal comprises a connector at intermediate frequency arranged to connect an external RF front-end (8) for satellite UMTS reception.

2. The terrestrial UMTS terminal as in claim 1, wherein the internal RF front-end is arranged for terrestrial UMTS transmission.

3. The terrestrial UMTS terminal as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the external RF front-end is powered by a battery (7) comprised in said terminal.

4. The terrestrial UMTS terminal as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the external RF front-end is powered by an external power source.

5. A satellite UMTS extension for connection to a terrestrial UMTS terminal, characterised in that it comprises an external front-end for satellite reception and a connector arranged to connect to the connector at intermediate frequency such as in claim 1.

6. A car cradle arranged for plugging the terminal as in any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it comprises the satellite UMTS extension of claim 5 and is arranged to connect the connector of the satellite UMTS extension to the connector at intermediate frequency of said terrestrial UMTS terminal.

7. The car cradle as in claim 6, characterised in that the reconfigurable baseband processor (6) is arranged to be reconfigured from terrestrial to satellite UMTS reception when the terminal is plugged in the car cradle.