RF block of mobile communication base station

• US 6,671,519 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Jang Ho, Byun, Mun Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/736,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/422.1, 455/127.2, 455/232.1, 455/234.1, 455/115, 455/127.1, 455/13.4, 455/522
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a RF block of a mobile communication base station in which separated modules therein is implemented into one module, in which an antenna diagnosis function is performed by using a modem (control module) embedded therein, and in which implementation of a filter is simplified. The RF block of a mobile communication base station of the present invention has many advantages in that each of the separated modules therein is implemented into one module so that a degree of utility of a space is improved, and therefore, the number of components and a unit price is reduced, thereby curtailing a cost when configuring a system, in that a variable attenuator can vary an output level of the system so that a variable range thereof is wider than that implemented by a PCB circuit of a up-converter, and in that a control/alarm signal is processed by a modem so that it is easy to monitor the mobile communication base station upon operation thereof.

Claims

1. An RF block of a mobile communication base station including a up-converter adapted to receive an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to up-convert in frequency the received IF signal into a UHF signal, and then, to generate the up-converted signal, a down-converter adapted to receive the UHF signal to down-convert in frequency the received UHF signal into the IF signal, and then, to generate the down-converted signal, and a main control section adapted to perform an overall control function of the mobile communication base station, comprising:

a forward link section adapted to generate a DC power supply required for driving each unit in the mobile is communication base station, and being adapted to receive the UHF signal from the up-converter to amplify the received UHF signal and then to generate the amplified UHF signal;

a first backward link section adapted to receive the UHF signal to low noise-amplify the received UHF signal for application to the down-converter;

a second backward link section adapted to receive the UHF signal to low noise-amplify the received UHF signal, and then convert the low noise-amplified signal into an IF signal for application to the down-converter, and being adapted to be supplied with a power supply to generate a signal associated with whether or not a normal operation is performed due to the supplied power supply;

a triplexer adapted to receive the UHF signal from the forward link section to filter the received signal, and then, generate the filtered signal, being adapted to be supplied with a signal received from a receiving antenna to filter the supplied signal for application to the first and second backward link sections, and being adapted to couple a power signal from a transmitting antenna with the UHF signal received from the forward link section to generate the coupled transmitting antenna power diagnosis signal;

a first directional coupler adapted to transmit an output signal from the triplexer through the transmitting antenna, while being adapted to couple the output signal from the triplexer with a signal reflected by the receiving antenna and returning therefrom to generate the coupled signal;

a second directional coupler 700 adapted to apply a signal received from the receiving antenna to the triplexer, while being adapted to couple the received signal from the receiving antenna with an output signal from the first directional coupler to generate the coupled signal;

a one-to-one switch adapted to connect the first directional coupler with the second directional coupler by a one-to-one corresponding relation, and being adapted to receive a signal outputted from the first directional coupler to generate the received signal as a signal;

a two-to-one switch adapted to connect the first directional coupler and the second directional coupler 700 with a VSWR sensor by a two-to-one corresponding relation, and being adapted to receive signals outputted from the first directional coupler and the second directional coupler to generate the received signals as a signal;

the voltage standing wave ratio (“

VSWR”

) sensor adapted to be supplied with the signals outputted from the first directional coupler and the second directional coupler through the two-to-one switch to diagnose a status of the antenna, and then, to generate data corresponding to the diagnosis of the antenna status;

a power supply sensor adapted to sense a power supply signal inputted thereto from the triplexer to generate data corresponding to the sensing of the power supply signal, while being adapted to receive a power supply sensing control signal according to the generation of the data for application to the triplexer; and

a control module adapted to supply the forward link section and the first and second backward link sections with a plurality of control signals to adjust the transmitting power level of the base station, being adapted to receive an antenna diagnosis signal from the VSWR sensor to diagnose the status of the antenna, and being adapted to receive the power supply signal from the power supply sensor to monitor the power supply of the antenna.

2. The RF block of the mobile communication base station according to claim 1, wherein the forward link section comprises:

a first damping section adapted to receive the UHF signal from the up-converter 20 to adjust the received UHF signal into a signal with a speed of a constant level, and then generate the adjusted signal;

an AC/DC conversion section adapted to be supplied with AC power supply from a power supply path, and then generate a stable DC power supply required for driving each functional unit for application to the first damping section;

a second damping section adapted to be supplied with the UHF signal and stable DC power supply from the first damping section to adjust the supplied UHF signal and the DC power supply into a signal with a speed of a constant level, respectively, and then to generate the adjusted UHF signal and DC power supply;

a Tx variable attenuator adapted to receive the UHF signal from the second damping section to adjust a transmitting power level of the base station for the received UHF signal under the control of the control module, and then generate the adjusted signal; and

an HPA adapted to receive the UHF signal from the Tx variable attenuator to amplify the received signal for application to the triplexer, and if there is generated a defect in the driving of the HPA when diagnosing the driving status of the HPA itself, being adapted to generate an alarm signal according to generation of the defect for application to the control module.

3. The RF block of the mobile communication base station according to claim 1, wherein the first backward link section comprises:

an LNA adapted to receive the UHF signal from the triplexer to low noise-amplify the received signal, and then to generate the low noise-amplified signal while being supplied with a power supply input signal from the control module to output a response signal for a driving thereof according to the supplied power supply to the control module;

an Rx variable attenuator adapted to receive the UHF signal from the LNA to adjust a receiving power level of the base station for the received UHF signal under the control of the control module, and then generate the adjusted signal;

a third damping section adapted to receive the UHF signal from the Rx variable attenuator to adjust an output amount of data to be a constant level; and

a fourth damping section adapted to receive the UHF signal from the third damping section to adjust the received signal to have a speed of a constant level for application to the down-converter.

4. The RF block of the mobile communication base station according to claim 1, wherein the first backward link section comprises:

an LNA adapted to receive the UHF signal from the triplexer to low noise-amplify the received signal, and then to generate the low noise-amplified signal while being supplied with a power supply input signal from the control module to output a response signal for a driving thereof according to the supplied power supply to the control module;

an Rx variable attenuator adapted to receive the UHF signal from the LNA to adjust a receiving power level of the base station for the received UHF signal under the control of the control module, and then generate the adjusted signal;

a fifth damping section adapted to receive the UHF signal from the Rx variable attenuator to adjust an output amount of data to be a constant level, while being adapted to receive various diagnosis information and alarm information from the control module to generate the received diagnosis and alarm information; and

a sixth damping section adapted to receive the UHF signal from the fifth damping section to adjust the received signal to have a speed of a constant level for application to the down-converter, and receive diagnosis information and alarm information from the fifth damping section for application to the main control section, while being adapted to receive a control signal from the main control section for application to the fifth damping section.

5. The RF block of a mobile communication base station according to claim 4, wherein the fifth damping section and the sixth damping section include a function of a diplexer to transmit UHF data toward the base station and output the control signal toward the RF block.