Radio receiver having a diversity antenna structure

• US 20050032497A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated), VIXS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rybicki, Mathew A., Girardeau, James Ward Jr., Subasic, Bojan, Astrachan, Paul Morris
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/272
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]

Abstract

A radio receiver includes a first diversity antenna structure, a second diversity antenna structure, a first RF receiver section, a second RF receiver section, a combining module, and a baseband processing module. The first diversity antenna structure includes a plurality of first antennas and each of the plurality of first antennas is operably coupled to receive inbound radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein the first diversity antenna structure provides the received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of first antennas based on a first antenna selection signal to produce first received inbound RF signals. The second diversity antenna structure includes a plurality of second antennas and each of the plurality of second antennas is operably coupled to receive the inbound RF signals, wherein the second diversity antenna structure provides the received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of second antennas based on a second antenna selection signal to produce second received inbound RF signals. The first RF receiver section is operably coupled to convert the first received inbound RF signals into first inbound baseband signals. The second RF receiver section is operably coupled to convert the second received inbound RF signals into second inbound baseband signals. The combining module is operably coupled to combine the first and second inbound baseband signals to produce inbound baseband signals. The baseband processing module is operably coupled to convert the inbound baseband signals into inbound data and to produce the first and second antenna selection signals based on signal integrity of the first and second diversity antenna structures, respectively.

Claims

1. A radio receiver comprises:

a first diversity antenna structure having a plurality of first antennas, wherein each of the plurality of first antennas is operably coupled to receive inbound radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein the first diversity antenna structure provides the received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of first antennas based on a first antenna selection signal to produce first received inbound RF signals;

a second diversity antenna structure having a plurality of second antennas, wherein each of the plurality of second antennas is operably coupled to receive the inbound RF signals, wherein the second diversity antenna structure provides the received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of second antennas based on a second antenna selection signal to produce second received inbound RF signals;

a first RF receiver section operably coupled to convert the first received inbound RF signals into first inbound baseband signals;

a second RF receiver section operably coupled to convert the second received inbound RF signals into second inbound baseband signals;

combining module operably coupled to combine the first and second inbound baseband signals to produce inbound baseband signals; and

baseband processing module operably coupled to convert the inbound baseband signals into inbound data and to produce the first and second antenna selection signals based on signal integrity of the first and second diversity antenna structures, respectively.

2. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein the baseband processing module functions to:

adjust at least one of gain and phase of at least one of the first and second RF receiver sections based on signal integrity of at least one of the first received inbound RF signals and the second received inbound RF signals.

3. The radio receiver of claim 2, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

adjust the at least one of the gain and phase in a digital domain on a subcarrier by subcarrier basis prior to generating the antenna select signals or after generating the antenna select signals.

4. The radio receiver of claim 2, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

adjust the at least one of the gain or phase in an analog domain at a channel level.

5. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first and second antennas comprises at least one of:

a spatial diverse antenna; and

a polar diverse antenna.

6. The radio receiver of claim 1 further comprises:

a third diversity antenna structure having a plurality of third antennas, wherein each of the plurality of third antennas is operably coupled to receive the inbound RF signals, wherein the third diversity antenna structure provides the received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of third antennas based on a third antenna selection signal to produce third received inbound RF signals;

a third RF receiver section operably coupled to convert the third received inbound RF signals into third inbound baseband signals;

the combining module operably coupled to combine the first, second, and third inbound baseband signals to produce the inbound baseband signals; and

baseband processing module operably coupled to produce the third antenna selection signals based on the signal integrity of the third diversity antenna structure.

7. A radio receiver comprises:

a diversity antenna structure having a plurality of antennas, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is operably coupled to receive inbound radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein the diversity antenna structure selects first received inbound RF signals from one of the plurality of antennas based on a first antenna selection signal and selects second received inbound RF signals from another one of the plurality of antennas based on a second antenna selection signal;

a first RF receiver section operably coupled to convert the first received inbound RF signals into first inbound baseband signals;

a second RF receiver section operably coupled to convert the second received inbound RF signals into second inbound baseband signals;

combining module operably coupled to combine the first and second inbound baseband signals to produce inbound baseband signals; and

baseband processing module operably coupled to convert the inbound baseband signals into inbound data and to produce the first and second antenna selection signals based on signal integrity of the first and second diversity antenna structures, respectively.

8. The radio receiver of claim 7, wherein the diversity antenna structure comprises:

a multiplexer that includes M outputs, wherein N inputs of the multiplexer are operably coupled to the plurality of antennas and a control inputs is operably coupled to receive the first and second antenna selection signals; and

a plurality of low noise amplifiers operably coupled to the M outputs of the multiplexer, wherein the plurality of low noise amplifiers provide the first and second received inbound RF signals.

9. The radio receiver of claim 7, wherein the diversity antenna structure comprises:

a plurality of low noise amplifiers operably coupled to the plurality of antennas; and

a multiplexer that includes M outputs, wherein N inputs of the multiplexer are operably coupled to outputs of the plurality of low noise amplifiers, and a control inputs is operably coupled to receive the first and second antenna selection signals, wherein the M outputs of the multiplexer provide the first and second received inbound RF signals.

10. The radio receiver of claim 7, wherein the baseband processing module functions to:

adjust at least one of gain and phase of at least one of the first and second RF receiver sections based on signal integrity of at least one of the first received inbound RF signals and the second received inbound RF signals.

11. The radio receiver of claim 10, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

adjust the at least one of the gain and phase in a digital domain on a subcarrier by subcarrier basis prior to generating the antenna select signals or after generating the antenna select signals.

12. The radio receiver of claim 10, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

adjust the at least one of the gain or phase in an analog domain at a channel level.

13. The radio receiver of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of antennas comprises at least one of:

a spatial diverse antenna; and

a polar diverse antenna.