Systems and methods for reducing radio receiver interference from an on-board avionics transmitter

• US 7,142,818 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gibson, Timothy P., Richey, Manuel F., Hunter, Jeffrey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/365,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/131, 455/212, 455/208, 455/264, 455/265, 455/260, 375/267, 375/326, 375/344, 375/347, 381/15
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1036 with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing interference in an enhanced radio receiver from a transmitter when both are located in the same aircraft are provided. The enhanced radio receiver detects and attenuates a signal from the transmitter, without attenuation or interference with other desired signals. An enhanced radio transmitter may inform the enhanced radio receiver of the frequency of transmission via a data communication path such that the enhanced radio receiver attenuates the transmitted frequency for the duration of transmission.

Claims

1. A system for reducing radio interference between a radio transmitter and a radio receiver located in a common aircraft and operating in a common radio frequency band, comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter for converting signals representative of the common radio frequency band to a digital data stream;

a signal processor for (a) processing the digital data stream to detect presence of a first radio signal, within the common radio frequency band and from the radio transmitter, (b) generating a control signal indicative of the first radio signal, and (c) demodulating one or more second radio signals from the radio receiver for output as one or more user selected channels; and

an adaptive notch filter responsive to the control signal for attenuating the first radio signal to reduce interference between the first radio signal and the output.

2. A system of claim 1, the signal processor comprising a signal level monitor for measuring signal levels within the digital data stream to determine non-existence of the first radio signal.

3. A system of claim 1, the signal processor comprising a receive channel demodulator for demodulating the one or more second radio signals simultaneously.

4. A system of claim 1, the signal processor comprising an adaptive notch filter control for generating the control signal.

5. A system of claim 1, further comprising a full communications band filter for filtering analog signals input to the radio receiver to the common radio frequency band.

6. A system of claim 1, further comprising a local oscillator, frequency mixer and IF low pass filter, the local oscillator, frequency mixer and IF low pass filter cooperating to generate an intermediate frequency band from the common radio frequency band, the analog-to-digital converter being constructed and arranged to process the intermediate frequency band to convert the signals to the digital data stream.

7. A system of claim 1, further comprising a data communication path for connecting between the radio transmitter and the radio receiver, the radio transmitter communicating frequency of the first radio signal to the signal processor, the control signal indicating the frequency for input to the adaptive notch filter.

8. A system of claims 1 or 7, further comprising the radio transmitter and the radio receiver.

9. An enhanced radio receiver for reducing interference from an on-board radio transmitter operating in a like frequency band, comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter for converting signals representative of the frequency band to a digital data stream;

a signal processor for (a) processing the digital data stream to detect presence of a first radio signal, within the frequency band and from the radio transmitter, (b) generating a control signal indicative of the first radio signal, and (c) demodulating one or more received radio signals for output as one or more user selected channels; and

an adaptive notch filter responsive to the control signal for attenuating the first radio signal to reduce interference between the first radio signal and the output.

10. An enhanced radio receiver of claim 9, the signal processor comprising a signal level monitor for measuring signal levels within the digital data stream to determine non-existence of the first radio signal.

11. An enhanced radio receiver of claim 9, the signal processor comprising a receive channel demodulator for demodulating the one or more received radio signals simultaneously.

12. An enhanced radio receiver of claim 9, the signal processor comprising an adaptive notch filter control for generating the control signal.

13. An enhanced radio receiver of claim 9, further comprising a full communication band filter for filtering antenna signals to the frequency band.

14. An enhanced radio receiver of claim 9, further comprising a local oscillator, frequency mixer and IF low pass filter, the local oscillator, frequency mixer and IF low pass filter cooperating to generate an intermediate frequency band from the frequency band, the analog-to-digital converter being constructed and arranged to process the intermediate frequency band to convert the signals to the digital data stream.

15. A method of reducing interference between a radio receiver and a radio transmitter located in the same aircraft and operating in a common frequency band, comprising the steps of:

monitoring signal levels within the frequency band;

detecting a first radio signal from the transmitter; and

tuning a notch filter within the radio receiver to attenuate the first radio signal during transmission of the first radio signal to reduce interference with one or more second radio signals output by the radio receiver.

16. A method of claim 15, the steps of monitoring and detecting comprising the steps of translating the frequency band into an intermediate frequency band, converting the intermediate frequency band into a digital data stream, and digitally processing the digital data stream to detect the first radio signal.

17. A method of claim 16, further comprising the step of digitally processing the digital data stream to demodulate and output the second radio signals with reduced interference by the first radio signal.

18. A method of reducing interference between a radio receiver and a radio transmitter located in the same aircraft and operating in a common frequency band, comprising the steps of:

communicating a transmission frequency from the radio transmitter to the radio receiver, the transmission frequency corresponding to a first radio signal generated by the radio transmitter; and

tuning a notch filter within the radio receiver to attenuate the first radio signal during transmission of the first radio signal to reduce interference with one or more second radio signals demodulated and output by the radio receiver.

19. A system for reducing radio interference between a radio transmitter and a radio receiver located in a common aircraft and operating in a common radio frequency band, comprising:

a fixed frequency local oscillator and a frequency mixer cooperating to convert the common radio frequency band into an intermediate frequency band;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting the intermediate frequency band to a digital data stream;

a signal processor for (a) processing the digital data stream to detect presence of a first radio signal, within the common radio frequency band and from the radio transmitter, (b) generating a control signal indicative of the first radio signal, and (c) demodulating one or more second radio signals from the radio receiver for output as one or more user selected channels; and

first and second adaptive notch filters, the first adaptive notch filter filtering the common radio frequency band and the second adaptive notch filter filtering the intermediate frequency band, the first and second adaptive notch filters being responsive to the control signal for attenuating the first radio signal to reduce interference between the first radio signal and the output.

20. A system for reducing radio interference between a radio transmitter and a radio receiver located in a common aircraft and operating in a common radio frequency band, comprising:

a fixed frequency local oscillator and a frequency mixer cooperating to convert the common radio frequency band into an intermediate frequency band;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting the intermediate frequency band to a digital data stream;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting the intermediate frequency band to a digital data stream;

a signal processor for (a) processing the digital data stream to detect presence of a first radio signal, within the common radio frequency band and from the radio transmitter, (b) generating a control signal indicative of the first radio signal, and (c) demodulating one or more second radio signals from the radio receiver for output as one or more user selected channels; and

an adaptive notch filter for filtering the intermediate frequency band, the adaptive notch filter being responsive to the control signal for attenuating the first radio signal to reduce interference between the first radio signal and the output.