Methods, devices and systems for increasing wireless communication range

• US 9,769,594 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cassia Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cassia Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Kunpeng, Zhao, Fuyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US14/639,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 455 16, 455 131, 455 111, 4555521-5531, 370252, 343861
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A device for supporting wireless communication is provided. The device includes a transceiver, an antenna, and a radio frequency (RF) front end system communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the antenna. The RF front end system may include: a RF sampling block coupled to the transceiver and configured to sample signals received from the transceiver and output voltage signals; a RF switching logic coupled to the RF sampling block to receive the voltage signals and configured to switch the front end RF system between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode; a RF transmission gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to increase a transmission power of the signals received from the transceiver; and a RF receiving gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to remove noise signals contained in radio frequency signals received from the antenna.

Claims

1. A device for supporting wireless communication, comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna; and

a radio frequency (RF) front end system communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the antenna, the RF front end system comprising;

a RF sampling block coupled to the transceiver and configured to sample a portion of signals output from the transceiver, convert the sampled portion of signals to voltage signals, and output the voltage signals;

a RF switching logic coupled to the RF sampling block to receive the voltage signals and configured to switch the RF front end system between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode;

a RF transmission gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to increase a transmission power of the signals received from the transceiver;

a RF receiving gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to suppress noise signals contained in radio frequency signals received from the antenna;

a first RF switching block coupled to the transceiver, the RF switching logic, and the RF transmission gain block, and configured to;

receive a first control signal from the RF switching logic, and

direct first RF signals, which are the remaining signals output from the transceiver, to pass through the RF transmission gain block to the antenna; and

a second RF switching block coupled to the antenna, the RF switching logic, and the RF receiving gain block, and configured to;

receive a second control signal from the RF switching logic, and

direct second RF signals received from the antenna to pass through the RF receiving gain block to the transceiver.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF sampling block is configured to sample the signals at a rate substantially lower than a rate of the signals output from the transceiver.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF switching logic switches the RF front end system to the transmitting mode if a power of the voltage signals is greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF sampling block comprises a low pass filter for filtering the voltage signals.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF transmission gain block comprises a ceramic filter and a step RF attenuator for shaping the signals output from the transceiver.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first RF switching block is coupled to the RF gain block'"'"'s input;

the second RF switching block is coupled to the RF transmission gain block'"'"'s output;

the first RF switching block is configured to, responsive to the first control signal indicating switching to the transmitting mode, cause the first RF signals to pass through the first RF switching block, the RF transmission gain block, and the second switching block to reach the antenna; and

the second RF switching block is configured to, responsive to the second control signal indicating switching to the receiving mode, cause the second RF signals to pass through the second RF switching block, the RF receiving gain block, and the first switching block to reach the transceiver.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF switching logic is configured to enable or disable the RF transmission gain block by sending the first control signal to the RF transmission gain block.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF switching logic is configured to enable or disable the RF receiving gain block by sending the second control signal to the RF receiving gain block.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein RF switching logic is configured to switch the RF front end system between the transmitting mode and the receiving mode based on the voltage signals.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver and the signals are Bluetooth signals.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF sampling block is configured to sample less than 1% of the signals output from the transceiver.