Method and apparatus providing simultaneous dual mode operations for radios in the shared spectrum

• US 6,643,522 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Young, Song-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/536,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552, 455/553, 455/575, 455/550, 455/73, 455/422, 455/41, 455/78, 455/552.1, 455/90.2, 455/442.1, 455/41.2, 370/441, 370/442, 370/464, 370/335, 370/342, 370/344, 370/296, 370/465, 375/133, 375/141
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• 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 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A dual mode RF radio includes a first transceiver operating under a first transmitter/receiver protocol, and having a first receiver portion and a first transmitter portion therein; and a second transceiver operating under a second transmitter/receiver protocol, and having a second receiver portion and a second receiver portion therein; wherein both transmitter/receiver protocols are spread spectrum protocols; a shared antenna operatively connected to both said first transceiver and said second transceiver; and an isolation mechanism for isolating said first and second receiver portions from a transmitter portion while said transmitter portion is transmitting. A method of simultaneously operating a dual mode RF radio includes operating a first transceiver under a first transmitter/receiver protocol; operating a second transceiver under a second transmitter/receiver protocol, wherein both transmitter/receiver protocols are spread spectrum protocols; sharing an antenna between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and isolating the receiver portions of the transceivers from the transmitter portion of the transceivers while a transmitter portion is transmitting, including providing a circulator for connecting the receiver portions and the transmitter portions to the shared antenna.

Claims

1. A dual mode RF radio comprising:

a first transceiver operating under a first transmitter/receiver protocol in an RF band, and having a first receiver portion and a first transmitter portion therein; and

a second transceiver operating under a second transmitter/receiver protocol in the same RF band as the first transmitter/receiver, and having a second receiver portion and a second transmitter portion therein;

wherein both transmitter/receiver protocols are time division duplex protocols having non-synchronous transmissions;

a shared antenna operatively connected to both said first transceiver and said second transceiver; and

an isolation mechanism for isolating said first and second receiver portions from a transmitter portion while said transmitter portion is transmitting to reduce desensitization.

2. The radio of claim 1 wherein said isolation mechanism includes a circulator for connecting said receivers and said transmitters to said antenna, a power splitter for splitting a received signal between said first transceiver and said second transceiver, and a power combiner for combining a transmitted signal from said first transceiver and said second transceiver.

3. The radio of claim 1 which further includes a main processor operatively connected to both transceivers and a collision avoidance mechanism for determining which of the frequencies in the spectrum will be used by each of said transceivers for a next transmission.

4. The radio of claim 3 wherein said collision avoidance mechanism includes a collision avoidance algorithm and a switching mechanism for avoiding the channel that is being used by the other transceiver.

5. A dual mode RF radio comprising:

a first transceiver operating under a first transmitter/receiver protocol in an RF band, and having a first receiver portion and a first transmitter portion therein; and

a second transceiver operating under a second transmitter/receiver protocol in the same RF band as the first transmitter/receiver, and having a second receiver portion and a second transmitter portion therein;

wherein both transmitter/receiver protocols are time division duplex protocols having non-synchronous transmissions;

a shared antenna operatively connected to both said first transceiver and said second transceiver;

a main processor operatively connected to both transceivers and a collision avoidance mechanism for determining which of the frequencies in the spread spectrum will be used by each of said transceivers for a next transmission; and

an isolation mechanism for isolating said first and second receiver portions from a transmitter portion while said transmitter portion is transmitting to reduce desensitization.

6. The radio of claim 5 herein said isolation mechanism includes a circulator for connecting said receivers and said transmitters to said antenna, a power splitter for splitting a received signal between said first transceiver and said second transceiver, and a power combiner for combining a transmitted signal from said first transceiver and said second transceiver.

7. The radio of claim 5 wherein said collision avoidance mechanism includes a collision avoidance algorithm and a switching mechanism for avoiding the channel that is being used by the other transceiver.

8. A method of simultaneously operating a dual mode RF radio comprising:

operating a first transceiver under a first transmitter/receiver protocol in an RF band;

operating a second transceiver under a second transmitter/receiver protocol in the RF band, wherein both transmitter/receiver protocols are time division duplex protocols having non-synchronous transmissions;

sharing an antenna between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and

isolating the receiver portions of the transceivers from the transmitter portion of the transceivers while a transmitter portion is transmitting to reduce desensitization.

9. The method of claim 8 which further includes providing a circulator for connecting the receiver portions and the transmitter portions to the shared antenna.

10. The method of claim 8 which further includes avoiding collisions on a same channel frequency between the transmitter portions of the two transceivers by determining which of the frequencies in the spectrum will be used by each of said transceivers for a next transmission and switching one of the transmitter portions to another channel.