Wireless digital communication system, a radio apparatus, a digital speaker, and a digital speaker controlling apparatus

• US 5,799,042 A
• Filed: 10/16/1995
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pendragon Wireless LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Xiao, Qun
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Amanda T.
• Application Number:
  US08/543,669
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 375/267, 375/285, 375/346, 375/347, 455/33.3, 455/65, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/278.1, 455/280, 455/283, 455/293, 455/277.2, 370/334, 371/5.1, 371/30, 371/37.5
• US Class Current: 375/285
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Wireless digital communication systems apply an antenna diversity scheme to combat fading in a received signal as received by a receiver in the system. A radio apparatus having a single receiver front-end comprises a simple and robust antenna diversity scheme. In the system, digital radio signals are transmitted to the radio apparatus, wherein the transmitted radio signals comprise redundant information for allowing error correction at reception side. The error correction capability at reception side is applied for antenna diversity switching. Within the error correction capability of an error correction decoder comprised in the radio apparatus, the radio apparatus searches for a better antenna or antenna combination. When a better antenna or antenna combination is found, the receiver front-end is coupled to the better antenna or antenna combination.

Claims

1. A wireless digital communication system comprising a radio apparatus having at least two antennas and a single receiver front-end, the single receiver front-end being coupled to the antennas via an antenna selection switching arrangement, and having a diversity controlling arrangement for diversity controlling the antenna switching arrangement on the basis of at least one measured reception parameter, wherein said radio apparatus further comprises an error correction decoder coupled to the receiver front-end, and further wherein the diversity controlling arrangement is arranged for carrying out a search for a better antenna or antenna combination substantially within an error correction capability of the error correction decoder.

2. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 1, wherein a searching frequency (PF) of the search is adaptive to an overall reception condition of signals received by the antennas.

3. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 2, wherein the searching frequency (PF) is decreased when continuously no better antenna or antenna combination is found.

4. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 3, wherein the searching frequency (PF) is exponentially decreased.

5. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 4, wherein the searching frequency (PF) is set to a predetermined maximum frequency (MAX) when the overall reception condition is representative for a completely lost signal.

6. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one measured reception parameter comprises a field strength (FS) of a received signal and a bit-error-rate (BER) determined from an output signal (EF) of the error correction decoder, the diversity controlling arrangement deciding on a quality of received signals on the basis of one parameter selected from the group consisting of the measured field strength (FS) and the determined bit-error-rate (BER).

7. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 3, wherein the searching frequency (PF) is set to a predetermined maximum frequency (MAX) when the overall reception condition is representative for a completely lost signal.

8. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one measured reception parameter comprises a field strength (FS) of a received signal and a bit-error-rate (BER) determined from an output signal (EF) of the error correction decoder, the diversity controlling arrangement deciding on a quality of received signals on the basis of one parameter selected from the group consisting of the measured field strength (FS) and the determined bit-error-rate (BER).

9. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 2, wherein the searching frequency (PF) is set to a predetermined maximum frequency (MAX) when the overall reception condition is representative for a completely lost signal.

10. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one measured reception parameter comprises a field strength (FS) of a received signal and a bit-error-rate (BER) determined from an output signal (EF) of the error correction decoder, the diversity controlling arrangement deciding on a quality of received signals on the basis of one parameter selected from the group consisting of the measured field strength (FS) and the determined bit-error-rate (BER).

11. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one measured reception parameter comprises a field strength (FS) of a received signal and a bit-error-rate (BER) determined from an output signal (EF) of the error correction decoder, the diversity controlling arrangement deciding on a quality of received signals on the basis of one parameter selected from the group consisting of the measured field strength (FS) and the determined bit-error-rate (BER).

12. The wireless digital communication system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one measured reception parameter comprises a field strength (FS) of a received signal and a bit-error-rate (BER) determined from an output signal (EF) of the error correction decoder, the diversity controlling arrangement deciding on a quality of received signals on the basis of one parameter selected from the group consisting of the measured field strength (FS) and the determined bit-error-rate (BER).

13. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 12, wherein a decision of the diversity controlling arrangement is based upon the measured field strength (FS) of a signal at a current antenna or antenna combination when the measured field strength (FS) of the signal is above a predetermined threshold (TH1), the diversity controlling arrangement further starting a peeking to another antenna when the measured field strength (FS) decreases with successive measurements.

14. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 12, wherein a decision of the diversity controlling arrangement is based upon the determined bit-error-rate (BER) corresponding to a signal received at the current antenna or antenna combination when a measured field strength of the signal is below a predetermined threshold (TH1), the diversity controlling arrangement starting a peeking to another antenna when the determined bit-error-rate (BER) increases with successively determined bit-error-rates.

15. The wireless digital communication system according to claim 14, wherein a searching frequency is set to a predetermined maximum frequency (MAX) when the determined bit-error-rate exceeds a predetermined maximum value (TH2).

16. A digital radio apparatus for use in a digital communication system, said digital radio apparatus comprising at least two antennas and a single receiver front-end, the single receiver front-end being coupled to the antennas via an antenna selection switching arrangement, and a diversity controlling arrangement for diversity controlling the antenna switching arrangement on the basis of at least one measured reception parameter, wherein said radio apparatus further comprises an error correction decoder coupled to the receiver front-end, and wherein the diversity controlling arrangement is arranged for carrying out a search for a better antenna or antenna combination substantially within an error correction capability of the error correction decoder.

17. A digital speaker comprising an audio amplifier and at least one speaker, said digital speaker further comprises a digital radio apparatus coupled to the audio amplifier, the digital radio apparatus having at least two antennas and a single receiver front-end, the single receiver front-end being coupled to the antennas, via an antenna selection switching arrangement and having a diversity controlling arrangement for diversity controlling the antenna switching arrangement on the basis of at least one measured reception parameter, the radio apparatus further comprising an error correction decoder coupled to the receiver front-end, and wherein the diversity controlling arrangement is arranged for carrying out a search for a better antenna or antenna combination substantially within an error correction capability of the error correction decoder .