Wireless home repeater for satellite radio products

• US 20060133465A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHINIA Holdings Jersey Ltd. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yegin, Korkut, Livengood, William R., Farrow, Daniel W., Morris, Daniel G., Dockemeyer, Joseph R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form

Abstract

A system for receiving a satellite digital radio signal, the system comprising: a repeater having a unibody housing and an antenna disposed within the housing, the antenna being configured for receiving the satellite digital radio signal; a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as a first signal containing audio data capable of being transmitted through electrical wiring; a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive the first signal; and wherein the receiver circuit receives the first signal from a power cable of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

Claims

1. A system for receiving a satellite digital radio signal, the system comprising:

a repeater comprising a unibody housing and an antenna disposed within the housing, the antenna being configured for receiving the satellite digital radio signal;

a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as a first re-transmitted signal containing audio data capable of being transmitted through electrical wiring;

a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive the first re-transmitted signal; and

wherein the receiver circuit receives the first re-transmitted signal from a power cable of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the unibody housing further comprises a telescoping portion for extending the effective length of the housing and the antenna.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the unibody housing further comprises an AC plug depending directly away from the housing.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a low noise amplifier, an automatic gain control, a mixer, and an amplifier each being receptive to the satellite digital radio signal as well as conditioning a portion of the satellite digital radio signal for transmission as the first re-transmitted signal to the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a coupler/isolator for transmitting the first re-transmitted signal through the AC plug of the housing.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna is received at a frequency of approximately 2.3 GHz and the first re-transmitted signal is transmitted through the AC plug at a frequency of approximately 20 MHz.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the coupler/isolator is configured to isolate wanted signals from signals having a frequency of about 60 Hz.

8. The system as in claim 6, wherein the receiver circuit further comprises a mixer for converting the frequency of the first signal back to 2.3 GHz.

9. The system as in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises an AC plug depending directly away from the housing.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a low noise amplifier, an automatic gain control, a mixer, and an amplifier each being receptive to the satellite digital radio signal as well as conditioning a portion of the satellite digital radio signal for transmission as the first re-transmitted signal to the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a coupler for transmitting the first re-transmitted signal through an AC plug of the housing.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the first re-transmitted signal is transmitted through the AC plug at a frequency of approximately 20 MHz and the coupler is configured to isolate wanted signals from signals having a frequency of about 60 Hz.

13. A system for a satellite digital radio signal, the system comprising:

a repeater having a unibody housing and an antenna disposed within the housing, the antenna being configured for receiving the satellite digital radio signal;

a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as a radio frequency signal; and

a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive the radio frequency signal wherein the receiver circuit receives the radio frequency signal from a receiver antenna of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the housing further comprises a telescoping portion for extending the effective length of the housing and the antenna.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the housing further comprises an AC plug depending directly away from the housing.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a low noise amplifier, an automatic gain control, a mixer, and an amplifier each being receptive to the satellite digital radio signal as well as conditioning a portion of the satellite digital radio signal for re-transmission of the radio frequency signal to the receiver antenna of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the radio frequency signal is received by the repeater circuit at 2.3 GHz and the radio frequency signal is re-transmitted by the repeater circuit at a frequency in the range of 900-915 MHz and the receiver circuit of the satellite digital radio signal is configured to convert the re-transmitted radio frequency signal back to 2.3 GHz.

18. A system for receiving a satellite digital radio signal, comprising:

a repeater comprising a unibody housing having an antenna disposed within the housing, the antenna being configured for receiving the satellite digital radio signal;

a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as either a radio frequency signal at a radio frequency suitable for radio transmission or as a first signal at a frequency suitable for transmission through an AC power plug of the repeater and the first signal is capable of being transmitted through electrical wiring, wherein the re-transmitted signal contains audio data; and

a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive the radio frequency signal from a receiver antenna and receive the first signal from a power cable of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the receiver circuit receives the radio frequency signal in a first mode of operation and the receiver circuit receives the first signal in a second mode of operation and the receiver circuit further comprises a dual mode controller for determining whether the receiver circuit should operate in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the dual mode controller further comprises a control circuit for determining a signal strength of the radio frequency signal and a signal strength of the first signal and the control circuit compares the signal strength of the radio frequency signal and the signal strength of the first signal, and the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation is selected according to the signal strength of the first signal and the signal strength of the radio frequency signal.

21. A system for receiving a satellite digital radio signal, the system comprising:

a repeater comprising a unibody housing configured to be coupled to an antenna, the antenna being configured for receiving the satellite digital radio signal;

a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as a first re-transmitted signal containing audio data capable of being transmitted through electrical wiring;

a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive and re-condition the first re-transmitted signal; and

wherein the receiver circuit receives the first re-transmitted signal from a power cable of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein the unibody housing further comprises an AC plug depending directly away from the housing.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a low noise amplifier, an automatic gain control, a mixer, and an amplifier each being receptive to the satellite digital radio signal as well as conditioning a portion of the satellite digital radio signal for transmission as the first re-transmitted signal to the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a coupler for transmitting the first re-transmitted signal through the AC plug of the housing.

25. The system as in claim 24, wherein the receiver circuit further comprises a mixer for converting the frequency of the first signal back to 2.3 GHz.

26. The system as in claim 21, wherein the receiver circuit is coupled to the satellite digital radio signal receiver by a cable extension allowing the satellite digital radio signal receiver to be remotely positioned with respect to the receiver circuit.

27. A system for a satellite digital radio signal, the system comprising:

a repeater having a unibody housing configured to be coupled to an external antenna, the external antenna being configured to receive the satellite digital radio signal;

a repeater circuit for receiving the satellite digital radio signal of the antenna, the repeater circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit the satellite digital radio signal as a radio frequency signal; and

a satellite digital radio signal receiver having a receiver circuit being configured to receive and re-condition the radio frequency signal wherein the receiver circuit receives the radio frequency signal from a receiver antenna of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

28. The system as in claim 27, wherein the repeater circuit further comprises a low noise amplifier, an automatic gain control, a mixer, and an amplifier each being receptive to the satellite digital radio signal as well as conditioning a portion of the satellite digital radio signal for re-transmission of the radio frequency signal to the receiver antenna of the satellite digital radio signal receiver.

29. The system as in claim 28, wherein the radio frequency signal is received by the repeater circuit at 2.3 GHz and the radio frequency signal is re-transmitted by the repeater circuit at a frequency in the range of 900-915 MHz and the receiver circuit of the satellite digital radio signal receiver is configured to convert the re-transmitted radio frequency signal back to 2.3 GHz.

30. The system as in claim 27, wherein the receiver circuit is coupled to the satellite digital radio signal receiver by a cable extension allowing the satellite digital radio signal receiver to be remotely positioned with respect to the receiver circuit.