Antenna system and method for optimizing an RF signal
First Claim
1. An antenna system comprising:
- a first antenna input for receiving a first RF signal from a first antenna;
a second antenna input for receiving a second RF signal from a second antenna;
an evaluation branch circuit includingat least one evaluation signal conditioner electrically connected to one of said antenna inputs for changing an electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals, andan evaluation combiner electrically connected to one of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner and at least one of another of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner, said first antenna input, and said second antenna input for combining at least two of the RF signals to produce an evaluation RF signal,an implementation branch circuit separate from said evaluation branch circuit, said implementation branch circuit includingat least one implementation signal conditioner electrically connected to one of said antenna inputs for changing an electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals, andan implementation combiner electrically connected to one of said at least one implementation signal conditioner and at least one of another of said at least one implementation signal conditioner, said first antenna input, and said second antenna input for combining at least two of the RF signals to produce an implementation RF signal; and
a controller electrically connected to said evaluation combiner for receiving the evaluation RF signal from said evaluation combiner;
said controller in control of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner to produce a plurality of evaluation RF signals, each evaluation RF signal having different electrical characteristics;
said controller analyzing the plurality of evaluation RF signals to determine an optimized evaluation RF signal from the plurality of evaluation RF signals; and
said controller in communicative control of said at least one implementation signal conditioner to change the electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals based on the optimized evaluation RF signal to produce an optimized implementation RF signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An antenna system and method utilize an evaluation branch circuit and an implementation branch circuit. These circuits are each connected to both a first antenna input and a second antenna input. An output of the evaluation branch circuit is in communication with a controller while an output of the implementation branch circuit is in communication with a receiver. Each branch circuit includes at least one signal conditioner to change an electrical characteristic of RF signals received from antennas via the antenna inputs. The evaluation branch circuit, controlled by the controller, changes the electrical characteristics of the RF signals in a variety of different ways to discover an optimized evaluation RF signal. Once the optimized evaluation RF signal is determined, the implementation branch circuit is controlled, by the controller, to produce an optimized implementation RF signal in accordance with that discovered by the evaluation branch circuit.
117 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An antenna system comprising:
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a first antenna input for receiving a first RF signal from a first antenna; a second antenna input for receiving a second RF signal from a second antenna; an evaluation branch circuit including at least one evaluation signal conditioner electrically connected to one of said antenna inputs for changing an electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals, and an evaluation combiner electrically connected to one of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner and at least one of another of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner, said first antenna input, and said second antenna input for combining at least two of the RF signals to produce an evaluation RF signal, an implementation branch circuit separate from said evaluation branch circuit, said implementation branch circuit including at least one implementation signal conditioner electrically connected to one of said antenna inputs for changing an electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals, and an implementation combiner electrically connected to one of said at least one implementation signal conditioner and at least one of another of said at least one implementation signal conditioner, said first antenna input, and said second antenna input for combining at least two of the RF signals to produce an implementation RF signal; and a controller electrically connected to said evaluation combiner for receiving the evaluation RF signal from said evaluation combiner; said controller in control of said at least one evaluation signal conditioner to produce a plurality of evaluation RF signals, each evaluation RF signal having different electrical characteristics; said controller analyzing the plurality of evaluation RF signals to determine an optimized evaluation RF signal from the plurality of evaluation RF signals; and said controller in communicative control of said at least one implementation signal conditioner to change the electrical characteristic of at least one of the RF signals based on the optimized evaluation RF signal to produce an optimized implementation RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification