Method device base station and site for reducing the number of feeders in an antenna diversity diversity system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving at each of at least two diversity antennas that are spaced apart and/or that have different polarizations and are included in a tower mounted amplifier unit (TMA), a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the same transmitter, where each RF signal received at each of the spaced apart diversity antennas is at the same frequency and carries the same information;
converting in the TMA one or more of the received diversity antenna signals into a corresponding number of different frequency signals by mixing with a first set of a corresponding number of reference signals;
band pass filtering each converted diversity antenna signal using a respective band pass filter included in the TMA;
combining in the TMA each band pass filtered diversity antenna signal and an amplified non-converted received diversity antenna signal into a composite signal;
band pass filtering the composite signal using another band pass filter included in a duplexer of the TMA;
forwarding the band pass filtered composite signal on a single external feeder to a radio base station such that a number of feeders required between the radio base station and the TMA is reduced; and
diversity processing the forwarded composite signal to obtain a single enhanced received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal.
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Abstract
A method, device and system for reducing the number of feeders (2, 3) between a radio base station (1) and an antenna diversity arrangement (10, 11, 12, 13) at which RF signals of the same frequency are received. In a tower mounted amplifier (45) individual RF signals from some or all of the antennas are frequency converted into intermediate frequency (IF) signals on mutually different intermediate frequencies which are combined and forwarded to the radio base station on a reduced number of feeders. In the radio base station the combined signal is split into individual signals amongst which the IF signals are frequency transformed to a signal suitable for diversity processing.
60 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving at each of at least two diversity antennas that are spaced apart and/or that have different polarizations and are included in a tower mounted amplifier unit (TMA), a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the same transmitter, where each RF signal received at each of the spaced apart diversity antennas is at the same frequency and carries the same information; converting in the TMA one or more of the received diversity antenna signals into a corresponding number of different frequency signals by mixing with a first set of a corresponding number of reference signals; band pass filtering each converted diversity antenna signal using a respective band pass filter included in the TMA; combining in the TMA each band pass filtered diversity antenna signal and an amplified non-converted received diversity antenna signal into a composite signal; band pass filtering the composite signal using another band pass filter included in a duplexer of the TMA; forwarding the band pass filtered composite signal on a single external feeder to a radio base station such that a number of feeders required between the radio base station and the TMA is reduced; and diversity processing the forwarded composite signal to obtain a single enhanced received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. The method recited in 1, further comprising the steps of:
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converting, at the radio base station, one or more of frequency-converted signals into other frequency-converted signals, all on the same intermediate frequency, by mixing them with a set of reference signals, and subjecting the twice frequency converted signals on the common intermediate frequency to the diversity processing.
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7. A receiver diversity antenna arrangement, comprising:
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a tower mounted amplifier unit (TMA) including at least two diversity antennas that are spaced apart and/or that have different polarizations, each of the diversity antennas being adapted for reception of radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the same transmitter, where each RF signal received at each of the spaced apart diversity antennas is at the same frequency and carries the same information; one or more frequency converters in the TMA each adapted to convert a respective one of the diversity antenna signals to a respective, different frequency signal by mixing it with a corresponding reference frequency; one or more band pass filters in the TMA for respectively band pass filtering each converted diversity antenna signal; a combiner in the TMA for combining each band pass filtered diversity antenna signal and an amplified non-converted received diversity antenna signal to form a composite signal; a band pass filter included in a duplexer of the TMA for band pass filtering the composite signal; a single feeder external to the TMA and coupled to a radio base station for forwarding the band pass-filtered composite signal to the radio base station; and a diversity processor in the radio base station for diversity processing the forwarded composite signal to obtain an enhanced received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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receiving at each of at least two diversity antennas that are spaced apart and/or that have different polarizations and are included in a tower mounted amplifier unit (TMA), a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the same transmitter, where each RF signal received at each of the diversity antennas is at the same frequency and carries the same information; converting in the TMA each of the received diversity antenna signals into a corresponding number of different frequency signals by mixing with a first set of a corresponding number of reference signals; band pass filtering each converted diversity antenna signal using a respective band pass filter included in the TMA; combining in the TMA the filtered diversity antenna signals into a composite signal; band pass filtering the composite signal using another band pass filter included in a duplexer of the TMA; forwarding the band pass filtered composite signal on a single external feeder to a radio base station such that a number of feeders required between the radio base station and the TMA is reduced; and diversity processing the forwarded composite signal to obtain a single enhanced received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A receiver diversity antenna arrangement, comprising:
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a tower mounted amplifier unit (TMA) including at least two diversity antennas that are spaced apart and/or that have different polarizations, each of the diversity antennas being adapted for reception of radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the same transmitter, where each RF signal received at each of the spaced apart diversity antennas is at the same frequency and carries the same information; one or more frequency converters in the TMA each adapted to convert a respective one of the diversity antenna signals to a respective, different frequency signal by mixing it with a corresponding reference frequency; one or more band pass filters in the TMA for respectively band pass filtering each converted diversity antenna signal; a combiner in the TMA for combining all of the band pass filtered diversity antenna signals into a composite signal; a further band pass filter included in a duplexer of the TMA for band pass filtering the composite signal; a single feeder external to the TMA and coupled to a radio base station for forwarding the band pass-filtered, composite signal to the radio base station; and a diversity processor in the radio base station for diversity processing the forwarded composite signal to obtain an enhanced received signal corresponding to the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification