Link 16 radio receiver using antenna diversity
First Claim
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1. A Link 16 radio system for use in an aircraft, comprising:
- a first hemispherical antenna element for disposition on an upper portion of the aircraft;
a second hemispherical antenna element for disposition on a lower portion of the aircraft;
a combiner coupled to the first hemispherical antenna element and the second hemispherical antenna element, the combiner configured to receive a first Link 16 signal from the first hemispherical antenna element and a second Link 16 signal from the second hemispherical antenna element, the combiner providing a combined signal based on the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal, the first Link 16 signal being delayed with respect to the second Link 16 signal; and
a rake receiver configured to receive the combined signal from the combiner and identify a strongest signal, wherein the strongest signal is one of the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal wherein an analog gain of 3 dB can be achieved due to collecting the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal but with half the noise from each of the first and second hemispherical antenna elements.
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Abstract
A Link 16 radio receiving system includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a combiner and a rake receiver. The combiner is coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna. The combiner provides a combined signal. The rake receiver is coupled to the combiner to receive the combined signal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A Link 16 radio system for use in an aircraft, comprising:
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a first hemispherical antenna element for disposition on an upper portion of the aircraft; a second hemispherical antenna element for disposition on a lower portion of the aircraft; a combiner coupled to the first hemispherical antenna element and the second hemispherical antenna element, the combiner configured to receive a first Link 16 signal from the first hemispherical antenna element and a second Link 16 signal from the second hemispherical antenna element, the combiner providing a combined signal based on the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal, the first Link 16 signal being delayed with respect to the second Link 16 signal; and a rake receiver configured to receive the combined signal from the combiner and identify a strongest signal, wherein the strongest signal is one of the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal wherein an analog gain of 3 dB can be achieved due to collecting the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal but with half the noise from each of the first and second hemispherical antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of receiving information in a Link 16 system disposed on an aircraft, the method comprising:
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receiving a first Link 16 signal at a first hemispherical antenna element disposed on a first surface of the aircraft; receiving a second Link 16 signal at a second hemispherical antenna element disposed on a second surface of the aircraft opposite the first surface; providing the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal in a multipath environment to a rake receiver the first Link 16 signal being delayed and with respect to the second Link 16 signal; and recovering the information from the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal, wherein an analog gain of 3 dB can be achieved due to collecting the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal but with half the noise from each of the first and second hemispherical antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication system for an aircraft comprising:
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a first hemispherical antenna element disposed on the aircraft; a second hemispherical antenna element disposed on the aircraft; and means for receiving a single signal derived from a first Link 16 signal received on the first antenna and a second Link 16 signal received on the second antenna, wherein the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal are delayed with respect to each other due to the placement of the first hemispherical antenna element with respect to the second hemispherical antenna element, the means for receiving correlating a first event associated with the first Link 16 signal received on the first antenna and a second event associated with the second Link 16 signal received on the second antenna, wherein an analog gain of 3 dB can be achieved due to collecting the first Link 16 signal and the second Link 16 signal but with half the noise from each of the first and second hemispherical antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification