SYSTEM FOR OPERATING MULTIPLE TRANSCEIVER MODULES CONCURRENTLY

• US 20180131435A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Atkinson, Shannon, Pheil, Holli
• Granted Patent: US 10,924,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0288 using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/62 Two-way amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/52 Hybrid arrangements, i.e. arrangements for transition from single-path two-direction transmission to single-direction transmission on each of two paths or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578

Abstract

Embodiments describe systems, apparatuses, and methods for transmitting/receiving signal data to/from a plurality of transceiver modules. Devices in accordance with some embodiments can include a plurality of wireless transceiver modules, each wireless transceiver module to be communicatively coupled to a corresponding external transceiver module, one or more antennas to exchange signal data with the plurality of external transceiver modules, a radio frequency (RF) circulator, and one or more amplifiers to amplify the signal data received by the one or more antennas and signal data to be transmitted by the one or more antennas. The use of the RF circulator prevents transmitting signals that may collide with each other and cause interference with the communications.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of wireless transceiver modules, each wireless transceiver module to be communicatively coupled to a corresponding external transceiver module;

one or more antennas to exchange signal data with the plurality of external transceiver modules;

a radio frequency (RF) circulator comprising a plurality of ports, including;

a first port to receive signal data from the one or more antennas;

a second port to output signal data from the plurality of wireless transceiver modules to the one or more antennas; and

a third port to direct signal data from the first port to one or more of the plurality of wireless transceiver modules, and to direct signal data from one or more of the plurality of wireless transceiver modules to the second port; and

one or more amplifiers to amplify the signal data received by the one or more antennas and signal data to be transmitted by the one or more antennas.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a signal splitter/combiner disposed between the RF circulator and the plurality of wireless transceiver modules, configured to;

split the received signal data from the one or more antennas into a plurality of signal channel data corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless transceiver modules; and

combine signal channel data from the plurality of wireless transceiver modules into a multi-channel signal data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more amplifiers comprise a bi-directional amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more amplifiers comprise:

a gain amplifier to amplify the signal data to be transmitted by the one or more antennas; and

a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify the signal data received by the one or more antennas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless transceiver modules comprise a plurality of Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) transceiver modules, a plurality of Wi-Fi transceiver modules, or a plurality of Zigbee transceiver modules.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interconnect input/output (I/O) interface to couple the apparatus to a host system; and

a power coupling circuit to receive power from the host system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the interconnect I/O interface and the power coupling circuit are included in a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the interconnect I/O interface comprises an Ethernet interface and the power coupling circuit comprises a power-over-Ethernet (POE) port.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery power supply configured to provide power to the apparatus.

10. A system comprising:

a first set of wireless transceiver modules; and

a transceiver device comprising;

a second set of wireless transceiver modules corresponding to the first set of wireless transceiver modules;

one or more antennas to transmit signal data to the first set of wireless transceiver modules, and to receive data from the first set of wireless transceiver modules;

a radio frequency (RF) circulator comprising a plurality of ports including;

a first port to receive signal data from the one or more antennas;

a second port to output signal data from the second set of wireless transceiver modules to the one or more antennas; and

a third port to direct signal data from the first port to one or more of the second set of wireless transceiver modules, and to direct signal data from one or more of the second set of wireless transceiver modules to the second port; and

one or more amplifiers to amplify the signal data received by the one or more antennas, and signal data to be transmitted by the one or more antennas.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transceiver device further comprising:

a signal splitter/combiner disposed between the RF circulator and the plurality of wireless transceiver modules, configured to;

split the received signal data from the one or more antennas into a plurality of signal channel data corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless transceiver modules; and

combine signal channel data from the plurality of wireless transceiver modules into a multi-channel signal data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more amplifiers of the transceiver device comprise a bi-directional amplifier.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more amplifiers of the transceiver device comprise:

a gain amplifier to amplify the signal data to be transmitted by the one or more antennas; and

a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify the signal data received by the one or more antennas.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of wireless transceiver modules of the transceiver device comprise a plurality of Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) transceiver modules, a plurality of Wi-Fi transceiver modules, or a plurality of Zigbee transceiver modules.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a mobile computing device communicatively coupled to the transceiver device;

wherein the transceiver device further comprises;

an interconnect input/output (I/O) interface to couple the transceiver to the mobile computing device; and

a power coupling circuit to receive power from the mobile computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interconnect I/O interface and the power coupling circuit of the transceiver device are included in a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the interconnect I/O interface of the transceiver device comprises an Ethernet interface and the power coupling circuit of the transceiver device comprises a power-over-Ethernet (POE) port.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the transceiver device further comprises:

a battery power supply configured to provide power to the transceiver device.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the first set of wireless transceiver modules and the transceiver device are included in an Internet of Things (IOT) network.

20. A method comprising:

receiving signal data from a first set external radio units, each external radio unit coupled to an object;

filtering the received signal data for each of a second set of radio units corresponding to the first set of external radio units;

processing the received signal data for transmission to one or more processing units,

determining, via the one or more processing units, object attributes for each of the objects coupled to the first set of external radio units based, at least in part, on the received signal data; and

generating display data for one of more of the object attributes for display via a graphical user interface (GUI).

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more processing units are included in a mobile computing device, and the second set of radio units are included in a peripheral device removably coupled to mobile computing device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second set of radio units and the one or more processing units are included in a mobile computing device.