SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SIGNALS OF MULTIPLE ACTIVE WIRELESS TRANSMITTERS

• US 20150010111A1
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shen, Ying
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/299
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0682 using phase diversity (e.g. phase sweeping)
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/36 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/366 Arrangements for compensating undesirable properties of the transmission path between the modulator and the demodulator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/368 adaptive predistortion

Abstract

Systems and methods for combining signals from multiple active wireless transmitters are discussed herein. An exemplary system comprises a radio enclosure, a first transmitting RFU, a second transmitting RFU, and a combiner. The first transmitting RFU may be configured to receive a signal, upconvert the signal, compare a phase of the upconverted signal to a predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the signal based on the comparison to provide a first phase-adjusted upconverted signal. The second transmitting RFU may be configured to receive the signal, upconvert the signal, compare a phase of the upconverted signal to the predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the signal based on the comparison to provide a second phase-adjusted upconverted signal. The coupler may be configured to combine the first and second phase-adjusted upconverted signals to create an output signal and provide the output signal to an antenna for transmission.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first transmitting radio frequency unit configured to receive a first transmission signal based on a signal to be transmitted, generate a first comparison by comparing a phase of the first transmission signal to a predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the first transmission signal based on the first comparison to provide a first phase-adjusted signal;

a second transmitting radio frequency unit configured to receive a second transmission signal based on the signal to be transmitted, generate a second comparison by comparing a phase of the second transmission signal to the predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the second transmission signal based on the second comparison to provide a second phase-adjusted signal; and

a coupler configured to combine the first and second phase-adjusted signals to create an output signal and provide the output signal to an antenna for transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the phase of the first phase-adjusted signal is substantially similar to the phase of the second phase-adjusted signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmitting radio frequency unit is further configured to compare a gain of the first transmission signal to a predetermined gain value and adjust the gain of the first transmission signal based on the comparison of the gain of the first transmission signal to the predetermined gain value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second transmitting radio frequency unit is further configured to compare a gain of the second transmission signal to the predetermined gain value and adjust the gain of the second transmission signal based on the comparison of the gain of the second transmission signal to the predetermined gain value.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the gain of the first phase-adjusted signal is substantially similar to the gain of the second phase-adjusted signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein if the first transmitting radio frequency unit fails, the second transmitting radio frequency unit performs hitless protection by providing the second phase-adjusted signal to the antenna for transmission.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmitting radio frequency unit further comprises a modem configured to provide the first transmission signal based on an in-phase component of a baseband signal and a quadrature component of the baseband signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first transmitting radio frequency unit configured to adjust the phase of the first transmission signal comprises the first transmitting radio frequency unit configured to adjust a phase of the in-phase component and adjust a phase of the quadrature component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second transmitting radio frequency units are coherent.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupler provides the output signal to the antenna via a waveguide filter and a waveguide for point-to-point microwave transmission.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first transmitting radio frequency unit, a first transmission signal based on a signal to be transmitted;

generating, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, a first comparison by comparing a phase of the first transmission signal to a predetermined phase value;

adjusting, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, the phase of the first transmission signal based on the first comparison to provide a first phase-adjusted signal;

receiving, by a second transmitting radio frequency unit, a second transmission signal based on the signal to be transmitted;

generating, by the second transmitting radio frequency unit, a second comparison by comparing a phase of the second transmission signal to the predetermined phase value;

adjusting, by the second transmitting radio frequency unit, the phase of the second transmission signal based on the second comparison to provide a second phase-adjusted signal;

combining the first and second phase-adjusted signals to create an output signal; and

providing the output signal to an antenna for transmission.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the phase of the first phase-adjusted signal is substantially similar to the phase of the second phase-adjusted signal.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, a gain of the first transmission signal to a predetermined gain value and adjusting, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, the gain of the first transmission signal based on the comparison of the gain of the first transmission signal to the predetermined gain value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising comparing, by the second transmitting radio frequency unit, a gain of the second transmission signal to the predetermined gain value and adjusting, by the second transmitting radio frequency unit, the gain of the second transmission signal based on the comparison of the gain of the second transmission signal to the predetermined gain value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the gain of the first phase-adjusted signal is substantially similar to the gain of the second phase-adjusted signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing, by the second transmitting radio frequency unit, hitless protection by providing the second phase-adjusted signal to the antenna for transmission if the first transmitting radio frequency unit fails.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, the first transmission signal comprises receiving a first in-phase signal and a first quadrature signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, the phase of the first transmission signal comprises adjusting, by the first transmitting radio frequency unit, a phase of the first in-phase signal and a phase of the first quadrature signal.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second transmitting radio frequency units are coherent.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering the output signal with a waveguide filter and propagating electromagnetic waves of the output signal with a waveguide.

21. A method comprising:

installing, within a radio enclosure, a first transmitting radio frequency unit, the first transmitting radio frequency unit configured to receive a first transmission signal based on a signal to be transmitted, generate a first comparison by comparing a phase of the first transmission signal to a predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the first transmission signal based on the first comparison to provide a first phase-adjusted signal;

installing, within the radio enclosure, a second transmitting radio frequency unit, the second transmitting radio frequency unit configured to receive a second transmission signal based on the signal to be transmitted, generate a second comparison by comparing a phase of the second signal to the predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the second transmission signal based on the second comparison to provide a second phase-adjusted signal;

providing a coupler configured to combine the first and second phase-adjusted signals to create an output signal;

filtering the output signal with a waveguide filter; and

providing the filtered output signal to an antenna for transmission.