Dual band mobile station

• US 5,963,852 A
• Filed: 03/24/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Schlang, Jeffrey A., Boesch, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/823,068
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/76, 455/83, 455/84, 455/86, 455/188.1, 455/180.1, 455/552, 455/553, 455/550, 455/85
• US Class Current: 455/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/403 using the same oscillator for generating both the transmitter frequency and the receiver local oscillator frequency

Abstract

A dual band mobile station including a main channel synthesizer and an offset synthesizer for generating the transmit frequency and the receive intermediate frequency (IF) required for operation in each of two different bands characterized by different transmit-receive channel offsets. According to the present invention, the main channel synthesizer does not have to change its frequency when the mobile station switches between transmission and reception in either of the two bands so long as a common IF is selected for both bands, which is equal to one or the other of the channel offsets. This IF selection also allows for a reduction in the tuning range of the main channel synthesizer.

Claims

1. A mobile station which operates in first and second radio frequency (RF) bands, each band comprising pairs of transmit and receive RF channels, the frequencies of the transmit and receive channels in any pair in said first band being separated by a first channel offset and the frequencies of the transmit and receive channels in any pair in said second band being separated by a second channel offset, the mobile station comprising:

a main frequency synthesizer for generating a main signal;

an offset frequency synthesizer for generating an offset signal;

means for combining said main signal with said offset signal to produce a signal corresponding to a selected transmit RF channel in said first band;

means for combining said main signal with a signal corresponding to a receive RF channel, that is paired with said selected transmit RF channel in said first band, to produce an intermediate frequency (IF) signal having a frequency f₁ ;

means for scaling the frequency of said main signal to produce a scaled signal corresponding to a selected transmit RF channel in said second band;

means for combining said scaled signal with a signal corresponding to a receive RF channel, that is paired with said selected transmit RF channel in the second band, to produce an IF signal having a frequency f₂ ; and

means for programming said main and offset synthesizers such that said f₁ and f₂ frequencies are both equal to either said first or said second channel offset thereby allowing said main synthesizer to remain at the same frequency when operating on any pair of transmit and receive channels in said first or second band.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein said first band is used by cellular systems and said second band is used by personal communication services (PCS) systems.

3. The mobile station of claim 2 wherein said first band is in the 824-894 MHz range, said second band is in the 1850-1990 MHz range and said first and second channel offsets are 45 MHz and 80.04 MHz, respectively.

4. The mobile station of claim 3 wherein said main synthesizer is tuned within the 925.02-974.01 MHz range and said offset synthesizer is set to 125.04 MHz.

5. The mobile station of claim 3 wherein said scaling means comprises means for doubling the frequency of said main signal.

6. A method of operating a mobile station in first and second radio frequency (RF) bands, each band comprising pairs of transmit and receive RF channels, the frequencies of the transmit and receive channels in any pair in said first band being separated by a first channel offset and the frequencies of the transmit and receive channels in any pair in said second band being separated by a second channel offset, the method comprising:

generating a main frequency signal in said mobile station;

generating an offset frequency signal in said mobile station;

if said mobile station is to be operated in said first band, combining said main signal with said offset signal to produce a signal corresponding to a selected transmit RF channel in said first band;

if said mobile station is to be operated in said first band, combining said main signal with a signal corresponding to a receive RF channel, that is paired with said selected transmit RF channel in said first band, to produce an intermediate frequency (IF) signal having a frequency f₁ ;

if said mobile station is to be operated in said second band, scaling the frequency of said main signal to produce a scaled signal corresponding to a selected transmit RF channel in said second band;

if said mobile station is to be operated in said second band, combining said scaled signal with a signal corresponding to a receive RF channel, that is paired with said selected transmit RF channel in the second band, to produce an IF signal having a frequency f₂ ; and

selecting the frequencies of said main and offset signals so that said f₁ and f₂ frequencies are both equal to either said first or said second channel offset.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said first band is used by cellular systems and said second band is used by personal communication services (PCS) systems.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said first band is in the 824-894 MHz range, said second band is in the 1850-1990 MHz range and said first and second channel offsets are 45 MHz and 80.04 MHz, respectively.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the frequency of said main signal is within the 925.02-974.01 MHz range and the frequency of said offset signal is 125.04 MHz.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the frequency of said scaled signal is twice the frequency of said main signal.