Apparatus for Sharing a Wireless Communication Base Station

• US 20110069644A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KMW Incorporated
• Original Assignee: KMW Incorporated
• Inventors: PARK, Nam-Shin, KIM, Duk-Yong
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless communication base station shares one antenna between a main system and a subsystem. A signal combiner/divider is connected to each of the transmission/reception signal lines of a main and a subsystem duplexer and combines signals according to their phases and divides other signals. A filter is provided in the signal paths between the combiners/dividers.

Claims

1. A wireless communication base station sharing apparatus for sharing one antenna between a main system and a subsystem, comprising:

a first signal combiner/divider connected to a transmission/reception signal line of a main system duplexer through a first port, for dividing a signal received through the first port to second and third ports, and combining signals received through the second and third ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through the first port or a fourth port;

a second signal combiner/divider connected to a transmission/reception signal line of a subsystem duplexer through a fifth port and connected to the antenna through an eighth port, for dividing a signal received through the fifth port to sixth and seventh ports, and combining signals received through the sixth and seventh ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through the fifth port or eighth port;

a first filter unit provided in a signal path between the second port of the first signal combiner/divider and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band; and

a second filter unit provided in a signal path between the third port of the first signal combiner/divider and the seventh port of the second signal combiner/divider and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band.

2. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second filter units comprises:

a plurality of filters, each having an input end and an output end; and

a filter module having a movement plate installed to be movable in interaction with the plurality of filters, an input connector, and an output connector,

wherein the input ends and output ends of the plurality of filters and the input and output connectors of the filter module are installed so that when the movement plate moves, the input ends and output ends of the plurality of filters are sequentially connected to the input and output connectors of the filter module, at a predetermined position.

3. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein movement of the movement plate is rotation and the movement plate is a rotation plate installed rotatably.

4. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the filter module further comprises at least one position sensor for sensing a movement state of the movement plate and outputting a sensing signal of the movement state externally.

5. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the filter module further comprises a fixing device for fixing the movement plate according to an external control signal.

6. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters are stacked to two or more layers and the filter module includes an input connector and an output connector for each layer of filters, and wherein when the movement moves, the input and output ends of a plurality of filters in each layer are sequentially connected to the input and output connectors of the filter module in the layer, at a predetermined position.

7. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters are shaped into spheres or sphere-like forms.

8. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the input and output ends of the plurality of filters are connected to the input and output connectors of the filter module in a non-contact connection structure in which signals are transferred by mutual capacitance coupling.

9. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are hybrid couplers and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are duplexers for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system.

10. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are magic Ts and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are duplexers for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system, further comprising a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the first signal combiner/divider, and a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the second signal combiner/divider.

11. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a load resistor having an isolation function, attached to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider, directly or through a filter of a transmission band.

12. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are hybrid couplers and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are band-pass filters for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system, further comprising a divider for dividing a signal received from a receiver of the subsystem duplexer, and a reception filter for filtering a divided signal received from the divider and providing the filtered signal to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider.

13. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are magic Ts and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are band-pass filters for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system, further comprising a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the second port of the first signal combiner/divider, a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider, a divider for dividing a signal received from the receiver of the subsystem duplexer, and a reception filter for filtering a divided signal received from the divider and providing the filtered signal to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider.

14. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an isolator or a circulator having an isolation function in a signal path between the reception filter and the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider or between the divider and the reception filter.

15. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are hybrid couplers and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are band-pass filters for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system, further comprising a divider or dividing a signal received from the receiver of the subsystem duplexer and providing one of the divided signals to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider.

16. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are magic Ts and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are band-pass filters for passing only the transmission frequency band of the main system, further comprising a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the second port of the first signal combiner/divider, a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider, and a divider or dividing a signal received from the receiver of the subsystem duplexer and providing one of the divided signals to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider.

17. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are magic Ts and the plurality of filters of the first and second filter units are band-pass filters for passing the transmission and reception frequency bands of the main system, further comprising a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the second variable filter and the third port of the first signal combiner/divider, a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider, a divider for dividing a signal received from the receiver of the subsystem duplexer, and a reception filter for filtering a divided signal received from the divider and providing the filtered signal to the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider.

18. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an isolator or a circulator having an isolation function in a signal path between the reception filter and the fourth port of the first signal combiner/divider or between the divider and the reception filter.

19. A wireless communication base station sharing apparatus for sharing one antenna between a main system and a subsystem, comprising:

a first magic T connected to a transmission/reception signal line of a main system duplexer through a fourth port, for dividing a signal received through the fourth port and outputting the divided signals with the same phase to second and third ports, and combining signals received through the second and third ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through a first port or the fourth port;

a second magic T connected to a transmission/reception signal line of a subsystem duplexer through a fifth port and connected to the antenna through an eighth port, for dividing a signal received through the fifth port and outputting the divided signals with the same phase to sixth and seventh ports, and combining signals received through the sixth and seventh ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through the fifth or eighth port;

a first filter unit provided in a signal path between the second port of the first magic T and the sixth port of the second magic T and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band;

a second filter unit provided in a signal path between the third port of the first magic T and the seventh port of the second magic T and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band;

a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the second filter unit and the third port of the first magic T;

a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first filter unit and the sixth port of the second magic T;

a divider for dividing a signal received from a receiver of the subsystem duplexer;

a reception filter for filtering a divided signal received from the divider; and

an isolator or a circulator for providing the filtered signal received from the reception filter to the first port of the first magic T.

20. A wireless communication base station sharing apparatus for sharing one antenna between a main system and a subsystem, comprising:

a first signal combiner/divider connected to a transmission signal line of a main system through a first port, for dividing a signal received through the first port to second and third ports, and combining signals received through the second and third ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through the first port or a fourth port;

a second signal combiner/divider connected to a transmission signal line of a subsystem through a fifth port, for dividing a signal received through the fifth port to sixth and seventh ports, and combining signals received through the sixth and seventh ports according to the phases of the signals and outputting the combined signal through the fifth port or eighth port;

a first filter unit provided in a signal path between the second port of the first signal combiner/divider and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider T and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band;

a second filter unit provided in a signal path between the third port of the first signal combiner/divider and the seventh port of the second signal combiner/divider T and including a plurality of filters designed to have different pass bands and switches for selecting one of the plurality of filters, for filtering all or a selected part of a predetermined frequency band;

a duplexer having a transmitter connected to the eighth port of the second signal combiner/divider, for providing a transmission signal from the transmitter to an antenna; and

a divider for dividing a signal received from a receiver of the duplexer to the main system and the subsystem.

21. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are hybrid couplers.

22. The wireless communication base station sharing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first and second signal combiners/dividers are magic Ts, further comprising a first phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the second port of the first signal combiner/divider, and a second phase rotator provided in a signal path between the first variable filter and the sixth port of the second signal combiner/divider.