Radio system for long-range high-speed wireless communication

• US 9,972,912 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Schulz, Gary D., Odlyzko, Paul, Sanford, John R., Fay, Christopher, Lee, Jude, Macenski, Charles D., Keniuk, Richard J., Lascari, Lance D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/289,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1228 on a boom
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/134 Rear-feeds; Splash plate feeds
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

Devices and systems, and methods of using them, for point-to-point transmission/communication of high bandwidth signals. Radio devices and systems may include a pair of reflectors (e.g., parabolic reflectors) that are adjacent to each other and configured so that one of the reflectors is dedicated for sending/transmitting information, and the adjacent reflector is dedicated for receiving information. Both reflectors may be in a fixed configuration relative to each other so that they are aligned to send/receive in parallel. In many variations the two reflectors are formed of a single housing, so that the parallel alignment is fixed, and reflectors cannot lose alignment. The device/systems may be configured to allow switching between duplexing modes. These devices/systems may be configured as wide bandwidth zero intermediate frequency radios including alignment modules for automatic alignment of in-phase and quadrature components of transmitted signals.

Claims

1. A radio device for point-to-point transmission of high bandwidth signals, the device comprising:

a housing forming a pair of reflectors including a first reflector and a second reflector, wherein the pair of reflectors are situated on a front side of the housing and aimed directionally parallel with each other, wherein each reflector comprises an parabolic reflector having a parabolic reflecting surface and the parabolic reflecting surfaces have different diameters; and

a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising at least a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter couples with the first reflector to form a dedicated transmitting antenna configured to transmit but not to receive and the receiver couples with the second reflector to form a dedicated receiving antenna configured to receive but not to transmit, wherein a reflector with a larger diameter is coupled to the receiver.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver can be operated either a full-duplex mode or a half-duplex mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pair of reflectors are formed using a single mold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the profiles of the first and second reflectors overlap.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a mounting unit for mounting the radio device onto a pole, wherein the mounting unit is coupled to the backside of the housing.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the mounting unit includes:

an azimuth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the reflectors'"'"' azimuth; and

an elevation-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the reflectors'"'"' elevation.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the PCB further comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip coupled to the transmitter and the receiver.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the PCB further comprises a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the FPGA chip.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising an Ethernet transceiver coupled to the FPGA chip.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the PCB further comprises a GPS receiver.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter further comprises a quadrature modulator for modulating transmitted signals.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter further comprises an IQ alignment module for automatic alignment of in-phase and quadrature components of transmitted signals.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are configured to operate in a 24 GHz frequency band.