Frequency agile duplex filter

• US 8,351,889 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Roussel, Alain, Nicholls, Charles W. T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/540,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/78, 455/570, 455/114.2, 455/213, 455/306, 455/307, 455/61, 455/23, 455/42, 455/102, 455/108, 375237-239, 375/241, 375/242, 375/268, 375/271, 375/298
• US Class Current: 455/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for an electronically adjustable signal filter system, which comprises, in some embodiments, a first filter coupled to an antenna coupling network and a second filter, a power amplifier coupled to the first filter, an antenna connected to an antenna coupling network, a pilot tone generator coupled to the first filter, and a first signal source connected to the power amplifier and first filter. In some embodiments, the power amplifier amplifies the first signal, the first filter places a notch into the first signal transmitted to the antenna coupling network, the antenna coupling network combines the first signal and a second signal received from the antenna and transmits a third signal to the second filter.

Claims

1. A method of filtering a signal to reduce signal power in at least one reject band, the method comprising:

coupling a first portion of an input signal to a first vector modulator;

coupling a second portion of the input signal to a second vector modulator;

coupling a third portion of the input signal to a power amplifier and operating the power amplifier to provide an amplified signal;

coupling a first portion of the amplified signal to the first vector modulator;

coupling a second portion of the amplified signal to the second vector modulator;

operating the first and second vector modulators in response to the coupled portions of the input signal and the coupled portions of the amplified signal to provide first and second cancellation signals respectively;

coupling a pilot signal, the first and second cancellation signals and at least one portion of the amplified signal to a third vector modulator;

operating the third vector modulator to provide a third cancellation signal; and

combining the third cancellation signal with the amplified signal to reduce pilot and receive band noise in the amplified signal.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein coupling a first portion of the input signal to the first vector modulator comprises:

splitting power of the first portion of the input signal into a least two signal components;

applying a respective delay to each of the signal components; and

applying a gain to at least one of the signal components.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein coupling a second portion of the input signal to the second vector modulator comprises:

splitting power of the second portion of the input signal into a least two signal components;

applying a respective delay to each of the signal components; and

applying a gain to at least one of the signal components.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising applying a delay to the amplified signal before combining the third cancellation signal with the amplified signal.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising applying a gain to the third cancellation signal before combining the third cancellation signal with the amplified signal.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising applying a delay to the second portion of the amplified signal before coupling the second portion of the amplified signal to the second vector modulator.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising controlling parameters of the first, second and third vector modulators to control the first, second and third cancellation signals such that the third cancellation signal substantially cancels pilot and receive band noise in the amplified signal.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

coupling a pilot signal, the first and second cancellation signals and at least one portion of the amplified signal to a fourth vector modulator;

operating the fourth vector modulator to provide a fourth cancellation signal; and

combining the fourth cancellation signal with the amplified signal to reduce pilot and receive band noise in the amplified signal.