Diversity reception signal processing system

• US 5,828,944 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Superconductor Corporation
• Inventors: Laves, Edward W., Uppaluri, Moorthy K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US08/585,151
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.3, 455/33.4, 455/67.1, 455/8, 455/9, 455/561, 455/562, 455/423, 455/424, 455/446, 379/59, 395/182.02, 395/182.08-182.09, 505/201, 505/202, 333/1, 333/125-126, 333/129, 333/132
• US Class Current: 455/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/036 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence

Abstract

A signal receiving system has an antenna assembly divided into sectors. Each sector employs diversity by having at least two antennae for receiving signals from that sector. Signals from the antennae are passed to filters where the filters contain superconductors requiring cooling. The filters are housed in cryocoolers in a manner such that no cryocooler contains more than one filter receiving signals from a given sector. After filtering, the signals are sent to diversity receivers which combine or compare signals from antennae in the same sector.

Claims

1. A signal receiving system comprising:

an input assembly comprising a plurality of sectors wherein each of the sectors has at least two inputs;

a plurality of signal processors wherein each signal processor is connected to an input to receive a signal from that input and wherein the signal processors should be maintained at specified environmental conditions for optimum signal processor performance; and

a plurality of environmental maintenance units wherein each of the units maintains at least two of the signal processors at the specified environmental conditions for optimum performance of the signal processors;

wherein an environmental maintenance unit for a signal processor connected to an input in a sector does not maintain all signal processors connected to all inputs in that sector;

a first signal from a signal processor connected to a first input in one of the sectors and a second signal from a signal processor connected to a second input from that sector are sent to a receiver; and

the receiver outputs a third signal based on the first and the second signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the signal processors are filters and the filters contain a superconducting material having a critical temperature; and

the environmental maintenance units maintain the superconducting material in the filters at or below the critical temperature.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the environmental maintenance units maintain the signal processors at or below a specified temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the environmental maintenance units maintain the signal processors in a vacuum.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the inputs are antennae for receiving radio signals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the environmental maintenance units for one of the signal processors connected to one of the inputs in a sector does not maintain another one of the signal processors connected to another input in that sector.

7. A radio signal receiving system comprising:

an antenna assembly having a first sector, a second sector and a third sector;

a first antenna and a second antenna in the first sector;

a third antenna and a fourth antenna in the second sector;

a fifth antenna and a sixth antenna in the third sector;

a first signal processor, a second signal processor, a third signal processor, a fourth signal processor, a fifth signal processor and a sixth signal processor connected, respectively, to the first antenna, the second antenna, the third antenna, the fourth antenna, the fifth antenna and the sixth antenna wherein the signal processors should be maintained at specified environmental conditions for optimal signal processor performance; and

a first environmental maintenance unit, a second environmental maintenance unit and a third environmental maintenance unit;

wherein the first environmental maintenance unit maintains the first signal processor and the third signal processor at the specified environmental conditions, the second environmental maintenance unit maintains the fourth signal processor and the fifth signal processor at the specified environmental conditions, and the third environmental maintenance unit maintains the second signal processor and the sixth signal processor at the specified environmental conditions.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the signal processors are filters and the filters contain a superconducting material having a critical temperature; and

the environmental maintenance units maintain the superconducting material in the filters at or below the critical temperature.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the environmental maintenance units maintain the signal processors at or below a specified temperature.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the environmental maintenance units maintain the signal processors in a vacuum.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein:

each signal processor has an output signal;

the output for the first signal processor and the second signal processor are sent to a first receiver;

the output for the third signal processor and the fourth signal processor are sent to a second receiver; and

the output for the fifth signal processor and the sixth signal processor are sent to a third receiver.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each receiver receives a first signal and a second signal and outputs a third signal based on the first signal and the second signal.

13. A radio signal receiving system comprising:

an antenna assembly having a first sector, a second sector and a third sector;

a first antenna and a second antenna in the first sector;

a third antenna and a fourth antenna in the second sector;

a fifth antenna and a sixth antenna in the third sector;

a first filter, a second filter, a third filter, a fourth filter, a fifth filter, and a sixth filter connected, respectively, to the first antenna, the second antenna, the third antenna, the fourth antenna, the fifth antenna, and the sixth antenna, wherein each of the filters contains a superconducting material that must be maintained at or below a critical temperature; and

a first cryocooler, a second cryocooler, and a third cryocooler;

wherein the first cryocooler maintains the first filter and third filter at or below the critical temperature, the second cryocooler maintains the fourth filter and the fifth filter at or below the critical temperature, and the third cryocooler maintains the second filter and the sixth filter at or below the critical temperature;

each of the filters has an output signal;

the outputs for the first filter and the second filter are sent to a first receiver;

the outputs for the third filter and the fourth filter are sent to a second receiver; and

the outputs for the fifth filter and the sixth filter are sent to a third receiver.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the receivers receives a first signal and a second signal and outputs a third signal based on the first signal and the second signal.

15. A signal handling apparatus, comprising:

a first plurality of signal developing devices each developing a signal having information content therein wherein at least a portion of the information content of each of the signals is substantially the same as the information content of another one of the signals associated therewith; and

a second plurality of receivers each receiving one of the signals and the signal associated with the one signal; and

a third plurality of environmental maintenance units each providing a controlled environment for at least two of the signal developing devices wherein the at least two of the signal developing devices are connected to different receivers.