Circuitry for a receiving system with improved directivity and signal to noise ratio

• US 7,389,092 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Apex/Eclipse Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Harry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/145,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 455/226.1, 455/226.3, 455/67.11, 455/562.1, 455/561, 455/277, 455/139, 455/276.1, 455/296, 455/135, 455/277.2, 343/703, 343/372
• US Class Current: 455/135
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]

Abstract

A receive system, including special integrated circuits, for providing enhanced directivity in the form of a narrowed receive beam and a relatively small antenna with performance comparable to a much larger antenna at similar frequencies. Received signals are converted to digital values and stored in a manner which enables subsequent processing directed to improving the resolution of the received signals and to reduce the associated noise corresponding to the received data samples. The Signal-to-Noise ratio of the received data signals is improved as a result of processing techniques made possible by the configuration of the antenna and the digitally stored nature of the received data.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit device operable to perform an iterative processing method, said device comprising:

means for injecting a series of predetermined digital values;

means for storing new digital values resulting from said injection of digital values, said stored new digital values constituting a stored topographical number matrix in which two, or more, rows accommodate each of a plurality of trials of each of a plurality of iterative steps and wherein each iterative step introduces a number probe which causes a relative displacement between two rows, each of which contains column information, to afford an opportunity to match the stored entry values in two appropriate columns by a digital number comparator,

wherein the polarity and magnitude of a next iterative probe are determined to control a next iterative result and the algebraic sum of said probes values provides an accurate estimate of the polarity and magnitude of the noise portion of each separate iterative signal-to-noise sample thereby allowing the noise to be subtracted from the delayed signal-plus-noise input to yield an enhanced signal with reduced noise, and

wherein further each frame of signal information is enhanced by several iterative steps that reduce the noise by providing the device with the information such that each iteration results in a noise value that is either closer to, or further from, a topocentric or zero reference of an array consisting of two, or more, rows, wherein one of the rows is displaced, or shifted, in column location by an amount corresponding to a dispersion amount (difference) between a noise average of a sextet or octet that provides the information from an antenna and the average of a similar entry that is closest to the noise average by comparing values in appropriate columns so that information regarding polarity and magnitude is derived with respect to each of a succession of iterative probes.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

means for preserving and executing the number injections, sensing of the results in each of the two (or more) rows of the topographical number array to provide the results of selecting appropriate columns by matching nearly equal numerical column value entries from the two rows and repeating the above process for each iteration, starting each iteration with conditions resulting from the previous iteration.

3. An integrated circuit device for iteratively processing a received signal-plus-noise signal, the device comprising:

a sampling portion operable to sample the signal-plus-noise signal having both informational signal content and noise;

a conversion portion operable to convert the sampled signal-plus-noise signal into a digital form;

a probe portion operable to sequentially add each of a series of predetermined probe values to the digital form of the signal-plus-noise signal;

a first logic portion operable to determine an average of the noise associated with the signal-plus-noise signal based on the results of the probe values being added to the digital form of the signal-plus-noise signal;

a second logic portion operable to subtract the average of the noise from the signal-plus-noise signal;

an in-phase probe portion operable to sequentially add each of a series of predetermined probe values to a digital form of an in-phase (I) version the signal-plus-noise signal; and

a quadrature probe portion operable to sequentially add each of a series of predetermined probe values to a digital form of a quadrature (Q) version the signal-plus-noise signal,

wherein a respective signal-to-noise ratio for each of the I and Q versions of the signal-plus-noise signal is independently improved.

4. The integrated circuit device claimed in claim 3, wherein the noise, the average of which is subtracted from the signal-plus-noise signal, is a result of at least one of imperfect phase multiplication of phase angles, conversion noise from said conversion portion and residual results of bipolar constants of integration.