Diversity receiver

• US 9,813,659 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Drone Works LLC
• Original Assignee: Drone Racing League, Inc.
• Inventors: Tholen, Lucas J., Mitchell, David A., Anderson, Gregory Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US15/151,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 348726, 348728, 348729, 348731, 348735, 348725, 348724, 348720, 348719, 348718, 348711, 348707, 348706, 348705, 348638, 348659, 348682, 348500, 348507, 348508, 348513, 348516, 348521, 348525, 348563, 348571, 348572, 348580, 3484231, 3484251, 3484254, 3484331, 348464, 348470, 348484, 348383, 348194, 348144, 455 631, 455 77, 455275, 4552771, 455418, 455562, 37524002, 375293
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0007 wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/067 Arrangements or circuits at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/455 Demodulation-circuits

Abstract

A diversity receiver synchronizes and mixes multiple input signals. In one embodiment, the receiver demodulates the multiple input signals prior to synchronizing, converts the demodulated multiple input signals from analog signals to digital signals, synchronizes the demodulated digital signals, converts the synchronized demodulated digital signals to analog signals and mixes the synchronized demodulated analog signals based on a characteristic of the input signals existing prior to the demodulating.

Claims

1. A receiver, comprising:

multiple receiving circuits that are configured to receive the multiple video signals from multiple signal paths of a common video signal and provide an indication of signal strength of the multiple video signals;

one or more synchronization circuits configured to synchronize the multiple video signals to each other, the one or more synchronization circuits are configured to synchronize the multiple video signals received from the multiple signal paths to a common reference signal; and

a mixing circuit configured to mix the synchronized multiple video signals based on the indication of signal strength for each of the multiple signals paths to create a combined video signal.

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the multiple receiving circuits are configured to receive FM modulated signals from the multiple signal paths and demodulate the FM modulated signals.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more synchronization circuits are configured to convert received analog video signals to digital video signals, synchronize the digital video signals, and convert the synchronized digital video signals to synchronized analog output video signals.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the multiple video signals received at the receiver are modulated signals;

the one or more synchronization circuits are configured to synchronize demodulated digital versions of the multiple video signals received at the receiver; and

the mixing circuit is configured to mix synchronized demodulated analog versions of the multiple video signals received at the receiver.

5. A receiver, comprising:

one or more synchronization circuits configured to synchronize multiple signals received at the receiver;

a mixing circuit configured to mix the synchronized multiple signals received at the receiver; and

multiple receiving circuits that are configured to receive the multiple signals that represent multiple signal paths of a common live video signal wirelessly transmitted from an aircraft, the receiving circuits provide the multiple signals to the one or more synchronization circuits which synchronize the multiple signals in real time.

6. A receiver, comprising:

one or more synchronization circuits configured to synchronize multiple signals received at the receiver; and

a mixing circuit configured to mix the synchronized multiple signals received at the receiver;

the multiple signals are multiple video signals representing a common video stream; and

the mixing circuit mixes the multiple video signals based on a mixing ratio that changes over time without interrupting an output video that comprises the mixed video signals.

7. A method for receiving wireless signals, comprising:

receiving multiple signals that are multiple representations of a common source signal;

synchronizing the multiple signals to each other;

mixing the synchronized multiple signals;

demodulating the multiple signals prior to the synchronizing;

converting the demodulated multiple signals from analog demodulated multiple signals to digital demodulated multiple signals, the synchronizing is performed on the demodulated digital multiple signals; and

converting the synchronized digital demodulated multiple signals to synchronized analog demodulated multiple signals, the mixing is performed on the synchronized analog demodulated multiple signals based on a characteristic of the multiple signals existing prior to the demodulating.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the receiving multiple signals includes receiving multiple live video signals;

the synchronizing the multiple signals includes synchronizing the multiple live video signals; and

the mixing the synchronized multiple signals includes mixing the synchronized multiple live video signals.

9. A receiver, comprising:

an input interface configured to receive multiple signals from multiple signal paths of a common signal; and

a processing circuit, connected to the input interface, configured to synchronize the multiple signals to a common reference signal and mix the synchronized multiple signals received from the multiple signal paths based on a characteristic of the multiple signals from the multiple signals paths, the processing circuit is configured to demodulate the multiple signals prior to synchronizing the multiple signals, the processing circuit is configured to mix the synchronized multiple signals by mixing the synchronized demodulated multiple signals based on the characteristic of the multiple signals existing prior to demodulating the multiple signals.

10. The receiver of claim 9, wherein:

the processing circuit is configured to convert the demodulated multiple signals from analog demodulated multiple signals to digital demodulated multiple signals;

the processing circuit is configured to synchronize the digital demodulated multiple signals;

the processing circuit is configured to convert the synchronized digital demodulated multiple signals to synchronized analog demodulated multiple signals; and

the processing circuit is configured mix the synchronized analog demodulated multiple signals based on the characteristic of the multiple signals existing prior to the demodulating.

11. A method for receiving wireless signals, comprising:

receiving multiple wireless analog video signals that include multiple representations of a common video feed from a common source that have different transmission paths;

determining signal strength of the multiple wireless analog video signals; and

mixing the multiple wireless analog signals based on the determined signal strength to create a combined video signal based on the multiple representations of the common video feed from the common source.