METHOD TO CALIBRATE RF PATHS OF AN FHOP ADAPTIVE BASE STATION

• US 20100069120A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Treble Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Smith, Jeffrey W., Noll, John R., Tomarchio, Shannon, Gaughan, Brady
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting

Abstract

A method for calibration of RF paths of a frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station is provided. The method of calibration calibrates a wireless cellular telecommunication system with a frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station including an adaptive antenna array with two or more RF traffic transceiver apparatus chains. The wireless cellular telecommunication system communicates with mobile units on a frequencies defined by a hop list. The method of calibration includes the step of periodically interrupting a frequency hopping process of the frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station while calls are in progress. The method of calibration further includes the step of calibrating an antenna transmit path for a RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain at a frequency selected to include one or more frequencies in the hop list to determine a set of weighting parameters for the antenna transmit path at the one or more frequencies. A self-calibrating frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station is also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

directing RF energy to a first mobile unit to obtain a first signal level, by an adaptive base transceiver station having an adaptive antenna array including an RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain;

generating a null in a direction of said first mobile unit to obtain a second signal level; and

obtaining a peak gain derived from said first signal level and said second signal level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing is in response to a periodic interruption of a frequency hopping process while a call is in progress.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said periodically interrupting comprises routing said call to an RF beacon transceiver apparatus.

5. A method comprising:

periodically interrupting a frequency hopping process while a call is in progress, wherein said periodically interrupting comprises routing said call to an RF beacon transceiver apparatus;

calibrating an antenna transmit path for an RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain at a selected frequency to determine a set of weighting parameters for said antenna transmit path at said selected frequency; and

returning said call to said frequency hopping process.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said calibrating comprises calculating adjustment values to achieve a null for said RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station performs said frequency hopping process.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station comprises an adaptive antenna array.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said adaptive antenna array comprises said RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing said calibrating during times of low mobile unit activity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting said times of low mobile unit activity from predetermined times defined by a time list.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a period of low mobile unit activity by determining a number of calls in progress.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising automatically applying said set of weighting parameters to a signal path to modify a phase and amplitude of said antenna transmit path.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein said calibrating further comprises establishing an RF link with a transceiver unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said transceiver unit comprises a mobile telephone.

16. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

direct RF energy to a first mobile unit to obtain a first signal level, by an adaptive base transceiver station having an adaptive antenna array including an RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain;

generate a null in a direction of said first mobile unit to obtain a second signal level; and

obtain a peak gain derived from said first signal level and said second signal level.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further comprising, prior to said directing, periodically interrupting a frequency hopping process while a call is in progress.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein said first mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein said periodically interrupting comprises routing said call to an RF beacon transceiver apparatus.

20. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

periodically interrupt a frequency hopping process while a call is in progress, wherein said periodically interrupting comprises routing said call to an RF beacon transceiver apparatus;

calibrate an antenna transmit path for an RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain at a selected frequency to determine a set of weighting parameters for said antenna transmit path at said selected frequency; and

return said call to said frequency hopping process.

21. A system comprising:

an adaptive base transceiver station comprising an adaptive antenna array; and

an RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain of said adaptive antenna array,

wherein said adaptive base transceiver station is configured to direct RF energy to a first mobile unit to obtain a first signal level,

wherein said adaptive base transceiver station is configured to generate a null in a direction of said first mobile unit to obtain a second signal level,

wherein said adaptive base transceiver station is configured to obtain a peak gain derived from said first signal level and said second signal level.