Antenna system for two-way UHF underground radio system

• US 6,195,561 B1
• Filed: 07/03/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tunnel Radio of America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tunnel Radio of America Incorporated
• Inventors: Rose, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US09/110,064
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 455/4.1, 455/15, 455/523, 455/129, 455/7, 455/11.1, 324/316, 324/639, 343/754, 370/407, 370/297
• US Class Current: 455/523
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/04 Adaptation for subterranean or subaqueous use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04

Abstract

An antenna system for a multi-channel, two-way UHF underground communication includes a base radio station; a non-radiating coaxial cable attached to the transmit/receive connector on said base radio station; radiators affixed to said non-radiating coaxial cable at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, wherein said radiator is insulated from the center conductor of said coaxial cable; and bi-directional amplifiers spaced at predetermined intervals along the length of said coaxial cable.

Claims

1. An antenna system for a multi-channel, two-way UHF underground communication comprising:

a base radio station for transmitting and receiving RF signals;

plural portable transceivers for transmitting and receiving RF signals;

a non-radiating coaxial cable attached to a transmit/receive connector on said base radio station for transmitting the RF signals;

radiators affixed to said non-radiating coaxial cable at predetermined intervals along the length thereof for transmitting and receiving RF signals, wherein each of said radiators is insulated from a center conductor of said coaxial cable; and

bi-directional amplifiers spaced at predetermined intervals along the length of said coaxial cable to boost the RF signal.

2. The system of claim 1 where said radiators include a length of stranded, insulated wire which is placed within said coaxial cable and insulated from the central conductor thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said bi-directional amplifiers includes a connector for said coaxial cable on a base-station side thereof;

a connector for said coaxial cable on a tunnel side thereof, and an “

F”

connector for branching an antenna off each of said bi-direction amplifiers.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said bi-directional amplifiers includes

a transmit side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 465 Mhz to 475 Mhz;

a receive side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 440 Mhz to 455 Mhz; and

wherein said transmit side and said receive side are joined by a pair of signal splitter/combiners which draw operating current for each of the bi-directional amplifiers from the antenna system.

5. An antenna system for a multi-channel, two-way UHF underground communication comprising:

a base radio station having a transmit/receive connector thereon;

an antenna system; and

bi-directional amplifiers spaced at predetermined intervals along the length of said coaxial cable, wherein said bi-directional amplifiers include a single-frequency transmit side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 465 Mhz to 475 Mhz;

a single-frequency receive side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 440 Mhz to 455 Mhz; and

wherein said transmit side and said receive side are joined by a pair of signal splitter/combiners which draw operating current for each of the bi-directional amplifiers from the antenna system.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said antenna system includes a non-radiating coaxial cable, having a central conductor, attached to said transmit/receive connector on said base radio station;

and radiators affixed to said non-radiating coaxial cable at predetermined intervals alone the length thereof, wherein said radiators include a length of stranded, insulated wire which is placed within said coaxial able and insulated from said central conductor.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein each of said bi-directional amplifiers includes a connector for said coaxial cable on a base-station side thereof;

a connector for said coaxial cable on a tunnel side thereof, and an “

F”

connector for branching an antenna off of each of said bi-direction amplifiers.

8. An antenna system for a multi-channel, two-way UHF underground communication comprising:

a base radio station having a transmit/receive connector thereon;

a non-radiating coaxial cable, having a center conductor, attached to the transmit/receive connector on said base radio station;

radiators affixed to said non-radiating coaxial cable at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, wherein each of said radiators is insulated from a center conductor of said coaxial cable; and

bi-directional amplifiers spaced at predetermined intervals along the length of said coaxial cable, wherein each of said bi-directional amplifiers includes a transmit side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 465 Mhz to 475 Mhz;

a receive side having multiple band-pass filters and plural discrete transistor amplifiers, and which operates in a range of about 440 Mhz to 455 Mhz; and

wherein said transmit side and said receive side are joined by a pair of signal splitter/combiners which draw operating current for each of said bi-directional amplifiers from the antenna system, and wherein each of said bi-directional amplifiers further includes a connector for said coaxial cable on a base-station side thereof, a connector for said coaxial cable on a tunnel side thereof, and an “

F”

connector for branching an antenna off of each of said bi-direction amplifiers.

9. The system of claim 8 where said radiators include a length of stranded, insulated wire which is placed within said coaxial cable and insulated from the central conductor thereof.