Reception system having a switching arrangement for suppressing change-over interference in the case of antenna diversity

• US 8,107,557 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Lindenmeier, Heinz, Lindenmeier, Stefan, Hopf, Jochen, Reiter, Leopold
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US12/101,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20080260079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0831 Compensation of the diversity switching process for non-uniform properties or faulty operations of the switches used in the diversity switching process

Abstract

A diversity processing system for providing interference masking signals in an interference suppression circuit. These interference masking signals are generated by an interference detector which through a coupling element couples in a signature signal into a reception signal. This reception signal is then passed to an amplifier, an optional frequency converter, an IF filter, a frequency demodulator and then on to an interference suppression circuit which provides a masking pulse to mask any distortion or interference associated with the diversity switching of antennas during operation.

Claims

1. A reception system having a switching arrangement for suppressing change-over interference in a base band range of a multi-antenna scanning diversity system, comprising:

a) a plurality of antennas;

b) a diversity processor for receiving antenna signals from said plurality of antennas and which is adapted to generate antenna change-over signals for changing over to a different antenna signal if interference reception conditions are present;

c) an interference suppression circuit situated in a base band part of the system for receiving interference-masking-signals, which are derived in said diversity processor from switching signals for changing over to a different antenna signal;

d) an interference detector for checking for interference in the reception signal, said interference detector being in communication with said diversity processor, said interference detector for creating switching signal pulses for changing over to a different antenna signal and for causing a pulse-like signature signal which is fed into a signal path of the reception signals;

e) a coupling element, for coupling in a pulse like signature signal with the antenna reception signals for time marking a change-over process that occurs in coordination with switching wherein said coupling element, and

f) a reception channel filter of said reception system that limits a frequency band, wherein said reception channel filter is disposed downstream from said coupling element;

wherein said interference suppression circuit initiates interference masking from a base band signature signal formed after said reception channel filter,

said reception system further comprising;

a frequency converter;

an oscillator;

an FM demodulator;

an interference masking unit; and

a reception channel filter, which is structured as an IF filter wherein said IF signal is passed to said diversity processor to test for interference in said reception signal wherein said IF filter is followed by said FM demodulator, wherein said FM demodulator is followed by said interference masking unit, wherein said audio signal is passed to said interference suppression circuit contained in the unit and also passed to said signature signal evaluation, wherein said signature signal evaluation produces an interference masking signal that is present at an output of said signature signal evaluation, wherein said interference masking signal is passed to said interference suppression circuit to trigger interference masking, so that an audio signal that has been purified of switching interference is present at an output of said interference masking unit.

2. A reception system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one diversity unit which includes said diversity processor, said diversity processor comprising said antenna signal change over switch, said interference detector, said signature signal formation and said signature signal switch, wherein said diversity unit further comprises a selection device, an HF line, and a receiver wherein said plurality of antennas and said HF line feed into said receiver, wherein said HF line further includes an IF signal coupled into said HF line, wherein said IF signal is fed into said selection device and which said IF signal is also fed into said interference detector.

3. The reception system as in claim 2, further comprising an oscillator oscillation signal selectively coupled in and out by way of said selection device, and wherein said selection device is situated in said diversity unit, and said receiver, and wherein said oscillator oscillation signal is passed to said signature signal formation to form a signature signal.

4. The reception system according to claim 2, further comprising a tunable oscillator, and a ramp function transducer, wherein said tunable oscillator is present in said signature signal formation unit, wherein said tunable oscillator is tuned by said ramp function transducer, so that its oscillation frequency is changed in a few microseconds, proceeding from the lowest frequency of the ultra-short-wave frequency band, towards an increasing frequency, and additively superimposed on the reception signal, as a signature signal, so that when the band limit of the reception channel is reached, a pulse is derived as an interference masking signal at the output of said FM demodulator, because of the resulting frequency jump, in a differentiation circuit situated in said interference masking unit.

5. The reception system according to claim 1, further comprising a switch wherein the signature signal is formed as a sine-shaped oscillation as the signature signal carrier, having a sufficiently great frequency distance (f_S) from the current frequency of the HF carrier oscillation (f_H) of the reception channel, and the signature signal carrier is superimposed onto the reception signal in said signature signal switch;

wherein said switch is controlled by means of the switching signal pulses, in pulse-like manner, and thus a sufficiently great frequency interference deviation pulse is contained in the marked reception signal.

6. The reception system according to claim 5, further comprising a signal generator and a frequency mixer, disposed in said signature signal formation unit and wherein said said frequency mixer is adapted to receive an oscillator oscillation signal and an output signal of said signal generator and wherein a frequency of said signal generator is set in fixed manner, based on a knowledge of the intermediate frequency and the desired frequency departure of the signature signal carrier which is present at the output of said frequency mixer from the high-frequency carrier of the reception signal, and

wherein the signature signal carrier is additively superimposed on the reception signal in said coupling element, by way of said switch which is controlled by the switching signal pulses, so that a pulse is derived as an interference masking signal at the output of the FM demodulator, in a differentiation circuit situated in the interference masking unit, because of the resulting frequency jump pulse.

7. The reception system according to claim 6, wherein said signature signal formation unit generates a pulse series having a predetermined pulse frequency, and wherein said signature signal formation unit is triggered by a switching signal pulse by means of alternating closing and opening of said switch, and wherein said interference masking unit further comprises a frequency-selective pulse evaluation and a pulse former for configuring the interference masking signal.

8. The reception system according to claim 5, further comprising a frequency converter and a fixed-frequency oscillator, having an inherent frequency f_S that is present in said signature signal formation unit, to which the reception signal and the output signal of said fixed-frequency oscillator are passed, and

wherein the signature signal, formed at the output of said signature signal formation unit, is formed by means of the reception signal offset by the frequency departure f_S;

and

wherein said switch which is controlled by the switching signal pulse wherein the signature signal is fed into the signal path of the reception signals, in a pulse-like manner, so that the momentary frequency of the signature signal deviates from the momentary frequency of the reception signal that occurs at the moment of the pulse, by the inherent frequency f_S of said fixed-frequency oscillator, in pulse-like manner.

9. The reception system as in claim 8, wherein said frequency converter is formed from two symmetrical mixers, to the first output of which the reception signal is passed, in each instance, whereby these reception signals, however, are offset at the two first inputs by the phase angle of approximately π

/2, relative to one another, and to the second output of which the output signal of the fixed-frequency oscillator is passed, in each instance, whereby these signals, however, are also offset by the phase angle of approximately π

/2, relative to one another, and the signature signal is formed by addition of the output signals of the two symmetrical mixers.

10. The reception system according to claim 9, wherein said two symmetrical mixers each further comprise first and second inputs, and wherein said two symmetrical mixers receive a phase difference of the reception signal of π

/2 that prevails at said first inputs of said two symmetrical mixers;

wherein the system further comprises;

a −

45°

HF phase rotation element coupled to an input of one symmetrical mixer and

a +45°

HF phase rotation element coupled to an in put of another symmetrical mixer of said two symmetrical mixers;

wherein the system further comprises;

an additional −

45°

LF phase rotation element coupled to at least one symmetrical mixer of said two symmetrical mixers;

an additional +45°

LF phase rotation element coupled to at least another symmetrical mixer of said two symmetrical mixers;

wherein the phase difference of the signal of said fixed-frequency oscillator of π

/2 that prevails at said second inputs of the two symmetrical mixers is brought about using;

said additional −

45°

LF phase rotation element coupled to said at least one symmetrical mixer; and

said additional +45°

LF phase rotation element at the other of said two symmetrical mixers,

wherein said 45°

HF phase rotation elements are formed from RC elements, in the case of which π

/4 phase conditions are fulfilled approximately at the center frequency of the FM frequency band.

11. The reception system according to claim 10, wherein said frequency converter signal amplification is selected so that an amplitude of the signature signal is approximately equal to the amplitude of the high-frequency oscillation in the reception signal, so that when the signature signal occurs in the signal at the output of said coupling element, said coupling element only receives a desired frequency deviation pulse, and not any significant amplitude jump.

12. The reception system as in claim 8, wherein said interference detector, said the signature signal formation unit, and said signature signal switch are disposed in said receiver, wherein said receiver is coupled along said intermediate-frequency plane ahead of said IF filter, and wherein said reception signal in said intermediate frequency plane is passed to said signature signal formation, and wherein said phase rotation elements for turning on the two first inputs of said two symmetrical mixers are structured for the IF carrier frequency of the IF reception channel.

13. The reception system according to claim 1, wherein said

the interference detector, said signature signal formation unit, and said coupling element are disposed in said receiver;

wherein said coupling element is coupled along an intermediate frequency plane ahead of said IF filter,

wherein said signature signal formation unit further comprises a signal generator, and a switch,

wherein said switch disposed in said signature signal formation unit produces an oscillation frequency of which has the desired frequency departure (f_S) from the intermediate-frequency carrier (f_Z), and whose oscillations, initiated by switching signal pulses, is additively superimposed on the reception signal in the intermediate-frequency plane, in pulse-like manner.

14. The reception system according to claim 13, wherein said switch in said signature signal formation unit is controlled by the switching signal pulse and feeds the signature signal into the signal path of the reception signals, in pulse-like manner, so that the momentary frequency of the signature signal deviates from the momentary frequency of the reception signal, at a moment that the pulse occurs, by the inherent frequency f_S of the fixed-frequency oscillator, in pulse-like manner.

15. The reception system as in claim 13, wherein, said signature signal formation unit and said coupling element are disposed in said receiver, and wherein said interference detector is situated in said diversity unit, and the switching signal pulses are passed to said receiver by way of at least one selection device and the HF line, and there are passed to the switch in said coupling element.

16. The reception system according to claim 13, wherein said coupling element is structured as a signal blending-in device for constant superimposition of the signature signal, and thereby a rise time, a pulse size, and a pulse duration of the frequency interference deviation pulse are set.

17. The reception system according to claim 13 wherein said interference suppression circuit is unchangeably predetermined in said FM radio receiver, and wherein

said interference suppression circuit initiates interference masking by means of a frequency interference deviation pulse having a related combination of rise time, pulse peak value, and pulse duration, which is set to provide reliable initiation of interference masking.

18. The reception system according to claim 1, further comprising a frequency converter disposed in said receiver, an oscillator having its output coupled to said frequency converter, and said FM demodulator is also disposed in said receiver, wherein, the system further comprises:

a noise generator for generating a noise signal that is sufficiently large to cover the frequency band of FM radio, and wherein the signature signal is formed by said noise signal, thereby initiating interference masking in said interference suppression circuit, in place of said signature signal.

19. A reception system having a switching arrangement for suppressing change-over interference in a base band range of a multi-antenna scanning diversity system, comprising:

a) a plurality of antennas;

b) a diversity processor for receiving antenna signals from said plurality of antennas and which is adapted to generate antenna change-over signals for changing over to a different antenna signal if interference reception conditions are present;

c) an interference suppression circuit situated in a base band part of the system for receiving interference-masking-signals, which are derived in said diversity processor from switching signals for changing over to a different antenna signal;

d) an interference detector for checking for interference in the reception signal, said interference detector being in communication with said diversity processor, said interference detector for creating switching signal pulses for changing over to a different antenna signal and for causing a pulse-like signature signal which is fed into a signal path of the reception signals;

e) a coupling element, for coupling in a pulse like signature signal with the antenna reception signals for time marking a change-over process that occurs in coordination with switching wherein said coupling element, and

f) a reception channel filter of said reception system that limits a frequency band, wherein said reception channel filter is disposed downstream from said coupling element,

wherein said interference suppression circuit initiates interference masking from a base band signature signal formed after said reception channel filter, and

wherein said interference detector generates said signature signal prior to generating an antenna change over signal and wherein said pulse duration t_i of said pulse-like signature signal is relatively small in comparison with a time duration t_a of said interference masking.

20. A reception system having a switching arrangement for suppressing change-over interference in a base band range of a multi-antenna scanning diversity system, comprising:

a) a plurality of antennas;

b) a diversity processor for receiving antenna signals from said plurality of antennas and which is adapted to generate antenna change-over signals for changing over to a different antenna signal if interference reception conditions are present;

c) an interference suppression circuit situated in a base band part of the system for receiving interference-masking-signals, which are derived in said diversity processor from switching signals for changing over to a different antenna signal;

d) an interference detector for checking for interference in the reception signal, said interference detector being in communication with said diversity processor, said interference detector for creating switching signal pulses for changing over to a different antenna signal and for causing a pulse-like signature signal which is fed into a signal path of the reception signals;

e) a coupling element, for coupling in a pulse like signature signal with the antenna reception signals for time marking a change-over process that occurs in coordination with switching wherein said coupling element, and

f) a reception channel filter of said reception system that limits a frequency band, wherein said reception channel filter is disposed downstream from said coupling element,

wherein said interference suppression circuit initiates interference masking from a base band signature signal formed after said reception channel filter; and

further comprising a signature signal formation unit disposed in said diversity processor wherein said signature signal formation is turned on by a switching signal pulse wherein said switching signal pulse occurs in connection with said antenna change-over signal that is slightly delayed as compared with said signature signal, when disadvantageous conditions are present, wherein said signature signal is superimposed onto said reception signal.