Self-adaptive frequency band-pass filtering device in microwave signal transceiver

• US 7,082,294 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Gilberton, Philippe, Denis, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/297,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 455/76, 455/260, 455/320, 455/313, 455/314, 455/234.1, 455/234.2, 455/80, 375/376, 375/316, 375/345, 386/16
• US Class Current: 455/260
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/01 Circuitry controlling the selecting or switching action
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/244 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-adaptive band-pass filtering device in a microwave signal transmitter and/or receiver, the receiver being connected to a microwave signal receiving antenna connected to the input of a low-noise amplifier, a mixer that receives, on the one hand, the output signal of the low-noise amplifier and, on the other hand, the signal from a frequency synthesizer, characterized in that the self-adaptive filtering device comprises, upstream of the amplifier, on the one hand, at least one filtering means having at least two different frequency bands and, on the other hand, means for selecting either a filtering means or one of the frequency bands depending on the frequency of the signal to be received.

Claims

1. A receiving device in a microwave signal transmitter/receiver or receiver, the receiving device including a microwave signal receiving antenna connected to the input of a low-noise amplifier through a self adaptive band pass filtering device comprises, at least one filtering means having at least two different frequency bands and, means for selecting one of the frequency bands depending on the frequency of the signal to be received, a mixer that receives the output signal of the low-noise amplifier and the signal from a frequency synthesizer, wherein said means for selecting comprise switches which are triggered by a control means associated with the frequency synthesizer.

2. The receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the filtering means comprise two band-pass filters and the selection means comprise a pair of microwave switches switching between two states, the said pair of switches being placed on each side of each band-pass filter, so that, in a first state of the pair of switches the signal received by the antenna is filtered by a first of the two filters and in a second state of the pair of switches the signal received by the antenna is filtered by the second of the two filters.

3. The receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the two filters are intended for filtering a first frequency band and a second frequency band, respectively.

4. The receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the frequency bands of the filtering means are separated.

5. The receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the filtering means comprise a filter based on microstrip lines, each microstrip line of which is divided into two separate portions by the switching means, each of the first and second portions of the microstrip lines being of a length defined so that when the switching means allow the received signal to pass, by coupling between microstrip lines, only into the first portion the filter is tuned to a first frequency band, and when the switching means allow the signal to pass, by coupling between microstrip lines, into the first and second portions the filter is tuned to a second frequency band.

6. The receiving device according to claim 3, wherein when the frequency imposed by the frequency synthesizer lies within the first frequency band of the filtering means the control means delivers a signal for making the switches pass into the first state, and when the frequency imposed by the frequency synthesizer lies within the second frequency band of the filtering means the control means delivers a signal for making the switches pass to the second state.

7. The receiving device according to claim 6, wherein the control means comprises a comparator, a first input of which is connected via a buffer stage to the frequency synthesizer in order to receive the voltage-converted image of the frequency produced by the frequency synthesizer and a second input of which receives a defined reference voltage.

8. The receiving device according to claim 6, wherein the control means comprises a comparator, a first input of which is connected to a processing circuit intended to deliver a voltage-converted image either of the frequency generated by the voltage-controlled oscillator or of the frequency of the microwave signal received by the antenna.

9. The receiving device according to claim 8, wherein the processing circuit comprises a phase/frequency comparator, a first input of which receives a signal generated by a fixed-frequency oscillator, the second input of the phase/frequency comparator is connected to a switch controlled by the microprocessor, making it possible to connect the second input either, in a first position, to the output of the voltage-controlled oscillator or, in a second position, to a coupler delivering an image of the frequency of the signals received on the antenna, and the second input of the comparator receives a defined reference voltage.

10. The receiving device according to claim 6, wherein each switch comprises a pair of high-speed diodes mounted in series so that a first pair of diodes is mounted between the antenna and the two filters and the second pair of diodes is mounted between the low-noise amplifier and the two filters.

11. The receiving device according to claim 10, wherein the anode of a first diode of the first pair, connected via its cathode to the first filter, and the cathode of a second diode of the first pair, connected via its anode to the second filter, are connected, on the one hand, to the antenna and, on the other hand, to the output of the comparator via a first link which includes a shock inductor, and wherein the anode of a first diode of the second pair, connected via its cathode to the first filter, and the cathode of a second diode of the second pair, connected via its anode to the second filter, are connected, on the one hand, to the input of the low-noise amplifier and, on the other hand, to the output of the comparator via a second links which includes a shock inductor, the cathode of the first diode and the anode of the second diode of each pair of diodes being also connected to ground through shock inductors.

12. The receiving device according to claim 10, wherein the microwave switches of each microstrip line of the filter include a diode mounted in series between the two portions of the microstrip lines, the cathode of each diode is connected to a first end of the first portion of the microscrip lines, the second end of which is connected to ground, and the anode of each diode is connected to a first end of the second portion of the microstrip lines, the second end of which is connected to the output of the control means.

13. The receiving device according to claim 12, wherein the change of state of the switches of the selection means is triggered by a control means associated with the frequency synthesizer so that when the frequency imposed by the frequency synthesizer lies within the first frequency band of the filtering means the control means delivers a signal for making the switches pass into the first state, and when the frequency imposed by the frequency synthesizer lies within the second frequency band of the filtering means the control means delivers a signal for making the switches pass to the second state.

14. The receiving device according to claim 13, wherein the control means comprises a comparator, a first input of which is connected via a buffer stage to the frequency synthesizer in order to receive the voltage-converted image of the frequency produced by the frequency synthesizer and a second input of which receives a defined reference voltage.

15. The receiving device according to claim 13, wherein the control means comprises a comparator, a first input of which is connected to a processing circuit intended to deliver a voltage-converted image either of the frequency generated by the voltage-controlled oscillator or of the frequency of the microwave signal received by the antenna.

16. The receiving device according to claim 15, wherein the processing circuit comprises a phase/frequency comparator, a first input of which receives a signal generated by a fixed-frequency oscillator, the second input of the phase/frequency comparator is connected to a switch controlled by the microprocessor, making it possible to connect the second input either, in a first position, to the output of the voltage-controlled oscillator or, in a second position, to a coupler delivering an image of the frequency of the signals received on the antenna, and the second input of the comparator receives a defined reference voltage.