Hybrid electronic radio repeater

• US 4,862,514 A
• Filed: 11/24/1986
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Kedjierski, Fred D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUNTZ, CURTIS A
• Application Number:
  US06/934,267
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 455/161, 455/9, 455/10, 455/11, 455/13, 455/20, 455/22, 455/52, 455/164, 455/165, 455/57, 455/21, 455/23, 455/197, 370/75, 370/4
• US Class Current: 455/161.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium

Abstract

An improved hybrid electronic radio repeater comprising an antenna means for receiving a select, narrow frequency band of radio wave signals, the radio wave signal(s) being transmitted from discrete sources wherein the radio wave signals contain source, status and control information. A radio frequency amplifier means filters and amplifies the radio signals and passes them to a mixing means. The mixing means, including a local oscillator means, combines the radio frequency signals with the local oscillator signals to produce intermediate frequency signals. The intermediate frequency signals are narrow filtered causing tuning by local oscillator tuning means. An intermediate frequency amplifier means detects and amplifies the IF signals and generates a signal strength level indication in response thereto. A control means, the control means being an intelligent unit capable of discerning information and generating responses thereto, monitors the signal strength level indications and also initiates the tuning voltage level of said narrow frequency band local oscillator tuning, for the presence of select radio wave signals, the control means tuning the hybrid radio repeater in response to the presence of the select signals.

Claims

1. An improved hybrid electronic radio repeater, comprising:

antenna means, for receiving a select, narrow frequency band of radio wave signals;

said radio wave signals being transmitted from a source, said radio wave signals containing source status and control information;

radio frequency amplifier means, for filtering and amplifying said radio signals;

mixing means, including local oscillator means, for combining said radio frequency signals with said local oscillator signals to produce intermediate frequency signals;

tuning means for filtering, tuning, and controlling the bandpass of said intermediate frequency signals;

intermediate frequency amplifier means, for detecting and amplifying said intermediate frequency signals, and for generating a signal strength level indication in response thereto; and

control means, said control means including microprocessor means, said control means being an intelligent unit capable of discerning information and generating responses thereto, for monitoring said signal strength level indication, said control means also for initiating the scan of said narrow frequency band for the presence of select radio wave signals, said control means tuning said hybrid repeater in response to the presence of said select signals,

said control means tuning said receiver by scanning a select frequency bandwidth, reading the signal strength level indicator at each scan location, storing maximum readings at each scan frequency corresponding thereto, storing noise data corresponding to each said reading, generating and storing a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to each said reading, and fine tuning said receiver based upon a slow scan generated in response to said signal-to-noise readings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

audio tone detector means, responsive to said intermediate frequency amplifier means, for detecting select audio tones and indicating the presence of said tones to said control means, said control means utilizing said tone indications for synchronization and parity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitter means, for transmitting radio wave signals, said transmitter means being initiated by, and under the control of, said control means, said control means capable of initiating the transmission of radio waves simulating said received select radio waves, and said control means capable of initiating the transmission of discrete, original radio waves in response to said received select radio waves.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

ancillary circuit means, said ancillary circuit means being initiated by, and under the control of, said control means, for performing one or more of the functions taken from the group including battery level monitor, switch enables, remote control relay enables, status indicators, or power monitors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

interface port means for interfacing said control means with peripheral support equipment, said peripheral support equipment being initiated by, and under the control of, said control means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said radio frequency amplifier means comprises an RF transistor and ancillary biasing and filtering components.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mixing means comprises an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having a local oscillator, said local oscillator being tuned by a DC voltage, said DC voltage being determined by said control means, said integrated circuit having an RF mixer and an RF amplifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said intermediate frequency amplifier means comprises an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having an IF amplifier, a detector, an audio amplifier, and a signal strength level indicator, said signal strength level indicator being a signal generated in proportion to the strength of a select received signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises digital control circuitry, said control means converting analog signals to a digital data format, processing said converted data and generating receiver control data in response thereto, said control means including a microprocessor, an analog to digital converter, a digital to analog converter, and a digital data interface bus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said microprocessor tunes said receiver by scanning a select frequency bandwidth, reading the signal strength level indicator at each scan location, storing maximum readings at each scan frequency corresponding thereto, storing noise data corresponding to each said reading, generating and storing a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to each said reading, and fine tuning said receiver based upon a slow scan generated in response to said signal-to-noise readings.

11. An improved, hybrid electronic radio repeater, including an intelligent digital control unit capable of discerning information and generating control data in response thereto, said receiver capable of initiating and controlling ancillary circuitry and equipment in response to received data, and further facilitating digital telemetry, comprising:

an antenna, said antenna receiving select, narrow frequency bands of radio wave signals, said radio wave signals being transmitted from discrete sources, said radio wave signals containing source status and control information;

a radio frequency amplifier, for filtering and amplifying said received radio signals, said amplifier being an RF transistor and ancillary biasing and filter components;

an RF mixer, said RF mixer being an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having a local oscillator, said local oscillator being tuned by DC voltage, said integrated circuit having an RF mixer and an RF amplifier;

an intermediate frequency amplifier, said intermediate frequency amplifier being an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having an IF amplifier, a detector, an audio amplifier, and a signal strength level indicator, said signal strength level indicator being a signal generated in proportion to the strength of a select received signal;

a control unit, said control unit being an intelligent unit capable of discerning information and generating responses thereto, said control unit facilitating digital telemetry, said control unit capable of initiating the scan of said narrow frequency band for the presence of select radio wave signals, said control unit tuning said hybrid radio repeater in response to the presence of said select signals, said control unit comprised of digital control circuitry, said control unit converting analog signals to a digital format, processing said converted data and generating receiver control data in response thereto, said control unit including a microprocessor, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, and a digital data interface bus, said microprocessor tuning said receiver by scanning a select frequency bandwidth, reading the signal strength level indicator at each scan location, storing maximum readings at each scan frequency corresponding thereto, storing noise data corresponding to each said reading, generating and storing a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to each said reading, and fine tuning said receiver based upon a slow scan generated in response to said signal-to-noise readings;

audio tone detectors, said audio tone detectors being integrated circuits which detect select audio tones received from said intermediate frequency amplifier, said audio tone detectors generating signals which indicate the presence of select audio tones, said control unit receiving said audio tone indications, said control unit utilizing said audio tone indications for synchronization and parity;

a transmitter, said transmitter being initiated by, and under the control of, said control unit, said control unit capable of initiating the transmission of radio waves simulating said received select radio waves, and said control unit capable of initiating a transmission of discrete, original radio wave signals in response to said received select radio wave signals; and

ancillary support circuits, said ancillary circuits being initiated by, and under the control of, said control unit, said ancillary control circuits performing one or more of the functions taken from the group which include battery level monitor, switch enables, remote control relay enables, status indicators, or power monitors.

12. A process for receiving and repeating radio wave signals, said process including intelligent data recognition and controlled responses thereto, comprising:

receiving select, narrow bands of radio wave signals transmitted from discrete sources, said signals containing source and status information;

amplifying, filtering and tuning said received signals;

mixing said received RF signal with a local oscillator frequency to produce intermediate frequency signals;

filtering and tuning said IF signals to a select bandpass frequency;

detecting and amplifying said IF signals, and generating signal strength level indicators in response thereto;

digitally monitoring said signal strength level indicators and recording peak values and frequency reading corresponding thereto;

storing background noise data corresponding to each said signal strength level indicator and calculating a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding thereto;

digitally controlling the scan and fine tuning of said select, narrow bands of radio wave signals based upon said signal-to-noise ratios; and

transmitting RF signals in response to said received, select radio wave signals;

whereby, an intelligent, digital monitoring circuit automatically controls the scan and fine tuning of a radio receiver to maximize the reception of distant source signals and enables the generation of intelligent transmissions in response thereto.

13. The process of claim 12 further comprising:

processing said IF signals through audio tone detection circuitry, and utilizing said audio tone indications to digitally synchronize the tuning of said receiver and for digital parity of said digital processing system.

14. The process of claim 12 further comprising:

digitally controlling ancillary circuitry and peripheral support equipment in response to received status and information data.

15. The process of claim 12 further comprising:

digitally establishing drift alarm zones which indicate the rift of a transmitters output frequency beyond acceptable limits, and through said digital monitoring system, automatically sensing an unacceptable output signal and initiating an alarm in response thereto.

16. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

simultaneously recognizing two or more of said select received RF signals, said recognition by said digital monitoring circuit during said scanning and fine tuning of said narrow frequency bandwidth.

17. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

digitally detecting extraneous jamming signals and digitally generating alarm signals to indicate said jamming attempt.

18. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting RF test signals from said sources, said test signal containing source status and control information, digitally processing said test signals for verification, and generating transmitted RF signals in response thereto.

19. The process of claim 12, wherein an RF amplifier amplifies, filters and tunes said received radio wave signals in cooperation with biasing and filtering components;

a radio frequency integrated circuit accomplishes said mixing, wherein said RF IC contains a local oscillator, a mixer, and an amplifier;

the frequency of the local oscillator being determined and tuned by an external DC voltage, said DC voltage being determined by said digital monitoring system;

a second RF integrated circuit accomplishing said detection and amplification of said intermediate frequency signals, and generating said signal strength level indicator in response thereto;

said second RF IC being an audio amplifier.

20. The process of claim 12, wherein a microprocessor, in conjunction with an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, and a digital interface data bus communicating therebetween, digitally monitors said signal strength level indicators, records said peak values and frequency readings, stores background noise data corresponding thereto, calculates a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding thereto, and digitally controls the scanning and fine tuning of said select, narrow frequency bands of radio wave signals based upon said signal-to-noise ratios, said microprcessor representing an intelligent, digital monitoring unit which automatically controls the scan and fine tuning of said radio receiver, said microprocessor automatically controlling the tuning of said local oscillator thereby fine tuning the frequency of said receiver, said microprocessor initiating the transmission of RF signals in response to said select received RF signals.