ANTENNA DIVERSITY SYSTEM HAVING TWO ANTENNAS FOR RADIO RECEPTION IN VEHICLES

• US 20090036074A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: LINDENMEIER, Stefan, HOPF, Jochen, REITER, Leopold, LINDENMEIER, Heinz
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/179.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0851 using training sequences or error signal minimizing error signal H04B7/0854

Abstract

There is an antenna diversity system for radio reception in moving vehicles which includes a receiver, and at least two antennas coupled to the receiver. These antennas transmit antenna feed signals to an antenna diversity module coupled between the receiver and the antennas. In at least one embodiment, the antenna diversity module comprises at least one evaluation circuit for evaluating an interference in a reception signal, and at least one processor for adjusting a magnitude em and a phase angle of a linear combination of the antenna feed signals. The evaluation circuit reads and sends an interference indication signal to the processor to create a relatively low interference signal. Thus, the diversity module combines the antenna feed signals in an adjustable manner based on an magnitude of phase angle, to form a linear combined signal that is present at the output of the antenna diversity module as a reception signal.

Claims

1. An antenna diversity system for radio reception in moving vehicles comprising:

a) a receiver;

b) a receiver line;

c) at least two antennas;

d) a plurality of antenna feed lines coupled to said at least two antennas for transmitting a plurality of antenna feed signals; and

e) an antenna diversity module coupled to said receiver, via said receiver line, and to said at least two antennas, via said plurality of antenna feed lines, said antenna diversity module comprising;

i) at least one evaluation circuit for evaluating an interference in a reception signal from said antenna feed signals; and

ii) at least one processor for adjusting a magnitude mand a phase angle of a linear combination of said plurality of antenna feed signals for creating a relatively low interference reception signal by said at least one evaluation circuit reading and sending an interference indication signal to said at least one processor;

wherein said antenna diversity module combines said plurality of antenna feed signals in an adjustable manner based on a magnitude and a phase angle, to form a linear combined signal that is present at an output of said antenna diversity module as a reception signal.

2. The diversity system as in claim 1, wherein said antenna diversity module further comprises,

an adjustable linear combination element, having a first and a second input for receiving at least one of said plurality of antenna feed signals wherein said plurality of antenna feed signals are superimposed in said adjustable linear combination element, wherein said plurality of antenna feed signals are combined according to magnitude and phase, forming a linear combined signal that is weighted at an output of said antenna diversity module, which is in the form of said reception signal;

at least one adjustable linear transmission element having an adjustable complex transmission factor (k) in said adjustable linear combination element to set a weighing of superimposition according to magnitude of signal and phase;

wherein said interference indication signal of said evaluation circuit is passed to said at least one processor wherein a set of setting signals passed from said at least one processor are for setting said adjustable linear combination element; and

wherein said at least one processor has a memory which stores a search algorithm according to an interference indicated by said at least one evaluation circuit, wherein interference of said reception signal arriving at said receiver is successively reduced in steps that follow one another within a relatively short period of time.

3. The antenna diversity system as in claim 2, wherein said adjustable linear combination element further comprises:

a summation element;

at least one first and at least one second separate signal path, wherein an output of said signal paths are passed to a set of inputs of said summation element and wherein said signal paths M are summed in said summation element forming a summed signal which is passed to said receiver via said receiver line;

at least one adjustable signal level element for setting an magnitude of complex transmission factor of said separate signal paths, wherein at least one level setting signal is passed to at least one adjustable signal level element;

at least one adjustable phase rotation device for setting a phase angle of said complex transmission factor of said signal path; and

wherein a phase signal which is required for setting a phase angle of said complex transmission factor of said signal path is passed to said at least one adjustable phase rotation device.

4. The antenna diversity system as in claim 3, wherein said at least one signal level element which is for setting a magnitude of a complex transmission factor, and wherein said at least one phase rotation device which is present for setting a phase angle of said complex transmission factor, are both digitally adjustable, wherein said output signal of said processor is configured as a logical setting signal for setting a complex transmission factor.

5. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a) a plurality of IF frequency converters disposed in said antenna diversity module, for converting each of said antenna feed signals, wherein each of said plurality of IF frequency converters convert an antenna feed signal to an IF frequency plane;

b) an oscillator disposed in said receiver which provides oscillator voltage which is passed to said plurality of IF frequency converters via said receiver line, wherein said adjustable linear combination element, is configured for intermediate frequency, and wherein said reception signal is formed at an output of said adjustable linear combination element as an IF reception signal.

6. The antenna diversity system as in claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of analog to digital converters wherein each of said plurality of IF frequency converters is coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of analog to digital converters,

at least one digital signal processor disposed along an intermediate frequency plane wherein functions of said adjustable linear combination element, said at least one evaluation circuit, and said at least one processor are performed by said at least one digital signal processor, in a digitized manner, wherein said reception signal is passed to said receiver as a digital reception signal via said receiver line for further processing;

wherein said at least one digital signal processor (14) performs calculations using a search algorithm, wherein said calculations are for instructing said at least one evaluation circuit (19) to provide a digital output variable for setting a linear combination.

7. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an oscillator disposed in said antenna diversity module, wherein said antenna diversity module is configured to be digitally tunable wherein a set of frequency data is passed to said oscillator, as a digital signal by said receiver, via said receiver line to set an oscillator frequency.

8. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, wherein said at least two antennas are configured as having a limiting effect tailored to a receiver frequency band in question, to suppress mirror frequencies.

9. The antenna diversity system as in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of IF frequency converters disposed in said antenna diversity module;

wherein said at least two antennas are structured as active antennas having a sufficiently great signal amplification, and wherein said at least two antennas have a signal level regulation device, wherein said antenna reception signals are passed to a related one of said plurality of IF frequency converters.

10. The antenna diversity system as in claim 9, wherein said at least two antennas have approximately a same reception power;

wherein said at least one processor has a search algorithm that selects different phase settings in consecutive search steps, wherein said search algorithm is stored in a memory of said processor, wherein when said setting occurs, different magnitude values are set for linear combination, wherein said process is continued until said interference indication signal assumes a small value, which corresponds to a reception perceived as relatively pure, such as until the indication signal assumes a minimal value.

11. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, wherein said at least two antennas have a same reception power;

wherein said processor has a search algorithm and conducts consecutive search steps at a setting transmission factor of |k|=1 and wherein a corresponding interference indication signal is detected and compared, and, wherein the processor conducts the following steps;

a) detecting and comparing interference indication signals (18);

b) determining an angle setting having a smallest interference by means of halving a remaining angle region of at least one quadrant of at least four angle quadrants, in an analog manner, with said angle being determined with an accuracy up to minimally 10 degrees, wherein at this setting, said magnitude |k| is changed, beginning with greater steps and proceeding with smaller steps up to 1 dB, wherein said search process is stopped when said interference indication signal assumes a small value that corresponds to a reception perceived as pure.

12. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one evaluation circuit and said processor are disposed in said antenna diversity module and wherein said reception signal is passed to said antenna diversity module by way of said antenna reception line and wherein said reception signal is passed to said at least one evaluation circuit to check for interference in the form of an IF signal formed in said receiver.

13. The antenna diversity system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a) at least one receiver tuner disposed in said receiver, wherein said receiver tuner is for selective reception of an additional radio channel, wherein reception signals which are received by at least one of said at least two antennas are passed through said antenna diversity module in an original frequency position, and then passed to said receiver by way of said receiver line and then on to said receiver tuner for selective reception of an additional radio channel.

14. The antenna diversity system as in claim 5, further comprising:

a) at least one receiver tuner disposed in said receiver, wherein said receiver tuner is for selective reception of an additional radio channel, wherein reception signals which are received by at least one of said at least two antennas are passed through said antenna diversity module in an original frequency M position, and then passed to said receiver by way of said receiver line and then on to said receiver tuner for selective reception of an additional radio channel.

15. An antenna diversity system for radio reception in moving vehicles comprising:

a) a receiver comprising at least one evaluation circuit for evaluating an interference in a reception signal;

b) a receiver line;

c) at least two antennas coupled to said receiver;

d) a plurality of antenna feed lines coupled to said at least two antennas for transmitting a plurality of antenna feed signals forming at least one reception signal;

e) an antenna diversity module coupled to said receiver, via said receiver line, and to said at least two antennas, via said plurality of antenna feed lines; and

f) at least one processor for adjusting a magnitude and a phase angle of a linear combination of said at least two antenna feed signals for creating a relatively low interference reception signal by said at least one evaluation circuit reading and sending an interference indication signal to said at least one processor;

wherein said diversity module via instructions from said at least one processor combines said plurality of antenna feed signals in an adjustable manner based on a magnitude and a phase angle, determined from said interference indication signal to form a linear combined signal that is present at the output of said antenna diversity module as a reception signal.

16. The antenna diversity system as in claim 15, wherein said at least one processor is disposed in said receiver, wherein said at least one processor generates setting signals in a digital manner, which are passed to said antenna diversity module via said receiver line;

wherein said antenna diversity module comprises;

an adjustable linear combination element, having a first and a second input for receiving at least one of said plurality of antenna feed signals wherein said plurality of antenna feed signals are superimposed in said adjustable linear combination element, wherein said plurality of antenna feed signals are combined according to magnitude and phase, forming a linear combined signal that is weighted at an output of said antenna diversity module, which is in the form of said reception signal, wherein said setting signals from said processor are passed to said adjustable linear combination element.

17. An antenna diversity module having an input capable of coupling to at least two antennas for receiving a plurality of antenna signals and an output for feeding into a receiver, the diversity module comprising:

a) at least one evaluation circuit for evaluating an interference in a reception signal from said antenna feed signals;

b) at least one processor for adjusting a magnitude and a phase angle of a linear combination of said plurality of antenna feed signals for creating a relatively low interference reception signal by said at least one evaluation circuit reading and sending an interference indication signal to said at least one processor;

c) an adjustable linear combination element, having a first and a second input for receiving at least one of the plurality of antenna feed signals wherein the plurality of antenna feed signals are superimposed in said adjustable linear combination element, wherein the plurality of antenna feed signals are combined according to magnitude and phase, forming a linear combined signal that is weighted at an output of said antenna diversity module, which is in the form of said reception signal;

d) at least one adjustable linear transmission element having an adjustable complex transmission factor (k) in said adjustable linear combination element to set a weighing of superimposition according to magnitude of signal and phase;

e) a summation element;

f) at least one first and at least one second separate signal path, wherein an output of said signal paths are passed to a set of inputs of said summation element and wherein said signal paths are summed in said summation element forming a summed signal which is passed to the receiver via a receiver line;

g) at least one adjustable signal level element for setting a magnitude of (the) complex transmission factor of said separate signal paths, wherein at least one level setting signal is passed to said at least one adjustable signal level element from said at least one processor; and

h) at least one adjustable phase rotation device for setting a phase angle of said complex transmission factor of said signal path; and

wherein a phase signal which is required for setting a phase angle of said complex transmission factor of said signal path is passed to said at least one adjustable phase rotation device;

wherein said interference indication signal of said evaluation circuit is passed to said at least one processor wherein a set of setting signals passed from said at least one processor are for setting said adjustable linear combination element;

wherein said at least one processor has a memory which stores a search algorithm according to an interference indicated by said at least one evaluation circuit, wherein interference of said reception signal arriving at said receiver is successively reduced in steps that follow one another within a relatively short period of time;

wherein said antenna diversity module combines said plurality of antenna feed signals in an adjustable manner based on a magnitude and a phase angle, to form a linear combined signal that is present at an output of said antenna diversity module as a reception signal.

18. The antenna diversity module as in claim 17, wherein said relatively low interference reception signal is a a non-disturbing-low interference reception signal.

19. An antenna diversity module which can be connected to a receiver and to antennas creating a plurality of antenna feed signals, the diversity module comprising:

a) at least one evaluation circuit for evaluating an interference in a reception signal from the antenna feed signals; and

b) at least one processor for adjusting a magnitude and a phase angle of a linear combination of the plurality of antenna feed signals for creating a relatively low interference reception signal by said at least one evaluation circuit reading and sending an interference indication signal to said at least one processor;

wherein said antenna diversity module combines the plurality of antenna feed signals in an adjustable manner based on a magnitude and a phase angle, to form a linear combined signal that is present at an output of said antenna diversity module as a reception signal.