Selectively Or Alternately Connected To Receiver Patents (Class 455/277.1)
  • Patent number: 7447482
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an antenna selection method for use in a radio communication apparatus in which there is no downlink data loss which occurs due to an antenna selection operation. In a portable telephone set of the CDMA communication system, an antenna selection operation is performed in accordance with the received signal power at each of a plurality of antennas, when the communication with the base station is interrupted. As one example, the antenna selection operation is performed in response to a change of channel between the portable telephone set and the base station. Also, as another example, the antenna selection operation is performed in response to a stop of a transmitting operation in the portable telephone set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Hirata
  • Patent number: 7447171
    Abstract: A system (100) for combining satellite and terrestrial signals from spatially diverse antennas (102 and 104) includes a tuner (101) and at least first and second analog to digital converters (103, 105) for converting at least two among the plurality of satellite signals and the terrestrial signal to a first digital stream and a second digital stream. A switch arrangement (106, 102 126) selectively switches among the first digital stream and the second digital stream before demodulating the digital streams using a plurality of algorithms (112, 122, 130) that selectively uses respectively demodulated signals of the first digital stream and the second digital stream to control (114, 124, 132) the switch arrangement to provide a plurality of multiplexed signals (161, 162, 163) that are combined (134) to form a combined signal (170). The combined signal can then be forward error corrected (136).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: XM Satellite Radio, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Smallcomb, Paul Marko, Craig Wadin
  • Patent number: 7447530
    Abstract: In a portable radio communication apparatus including a housing, at least one part of the housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion by an electrically conductive material. The housing electrical conductor portion is connected with a radio communication circuit of the portable radio communication apparatus so as to operate as at least one part of an unbalanced type antenna of the radio communication circuit. Further, the portable radio communication apparatus further includes a boom portion coupled with the housing at least at two positions so as to provide at least one penetrating hole between the housing and the boom portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwai, Atsushi Yamamoto, Kenichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7444166
    Abstract: A low-cost diversity receiver includes two receiver units for a primary path and a secondary/diversity path. The first receiver unit is compliant with, for example, IS-98D requirements. The second receiver unit is not fully compliant with the IS-98D requirements (e.g., may meet requirements for sensitivity but not for out-of-band rejection). The second receiver unit is wideband and designed with lower power consumption, less area, and lower cost than the first receiver unit. For a multi-antenna receiver, the two receiver units are used to simultaneously process two received signals from two antennas. For a single-antenna receiver, one of the two receiver units is used to process a received signal from one antenna. For a dual-band design, each receiver unit can operate at two frequency bands. Narrowband circuit blocks are used for the first receiver unit, and wideband circuit blocks are used for the second receiver unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Gurkanwal Singh Sahota
  • Patent number: 7430407
    Abstract: A circuit for providing enhanced directivity in the form of a narrowed receive beam and a relatively small antenna with performance comparable to a much larger antenna at similar frequencies. Received signals are converted to digital values and stored in a manner which enables subsequent processing directed to improving the resolution of the received signals and to reduce the associated noise corresponding to the received data samples. The Signal-to-Noise ratio of the received data signals is improved as a result of processing techniques made possible by the configuration of the antenna and the digitally stored nature of the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: APEX/ECLIPSE Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Harry B Smith
  • Patent number: 7428408
    Abstract: A communications device with a switched beam antenna operates in a wireless local area network (WLAN) that includes a plurality of transmitters. The switched beam antenna generates a plurality of antenna beams. A method for operating the communications device includes receiving signals from the plurality of transmitters operating within the WLAN, identifying the received signals comprising medium access control (MAC) information, and determining a quality metric for each received signal comprising MAC information. A transmitter is selected based on the quality metrics. The antenna beams are scanned for receiving from the selected transmitter the signals comprising MAC information. A quality metric associated with each scanned antenna beam is determined. One of the scanned antenna beams is then selected for communicating with the selected transmitter based on the quality metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Inhyok Cha, Yingxue Li
  • Patent number: 7424308
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device having an antenna switch able to efficiently switch connection between reception signals from a plurality of antennas and signal processing circuits of the reception signals is provided. The device is able to communicate by a first data transmission system performing a diversity reception and a second data transmission system not performing the diversity reception. The device includes: a first antenna; a second antenna; an antenna attachable and detachable and detachable portion, to which a third antenna is attached and from which the third antenna is detached; a first wireless circuit for performing communication using the first antenna or the third antenna; a second wireless circuit for performing communication using the second antenna; a third wireless circuit for performing communication using the first antenna or the third antenna; and an antenna switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashige Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20080214243
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for improving signal reception in a wireless communication device by selectively processing one of two or more signals received over two or more antennas that are configured at least partially orthogonal. In one embodiment, the signal source selection is based on comparison of a signal error rate to a threshold value. Error rates in excess of the threshold value may initiate a switching apparatus to selectively enable signal reception from a different antenna to improve the error rate. In one embodiment, amplifiers are located between the switching apparatus and the two or more antennas to thereby reduce noise. In an alternative embodiment control signals selectively enable and disable the amplifiers to control signal reception.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventor: Timothy FORRESTER
  • Patent number: 7421288
    Abstract: A multi-antenna system comprising a plurality of linearly connected antenna units, and a base station device connected to at least one of the antenna units. The antenna units connected in a first direction or a second direction are combined to constitute a multi antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Toshiaki Funakubo
  • Patent number: 7398109
    Abstract: In a wireless LAN base station device including plural antennas for making communications with a wireless terminal, plural transmission-reception portions connected to the plural antennas, plural control processors for controlling the plural transmission-reception portions, and a central processor for controlling the plural control processors, each transmission-reception portion measures a reception level or/and each control processor measures a communication error occurrence rate, and the central processor controls the plural control processors to select a transmission-reception portion so that the reception level is maximum or/and the communication error occurrence rate is minimum. The control processors cease prescribed transmission-reception portions for a time zone in which the communication load is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation
    Inventors: Fidol Joaquin Parra, Yoshikazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7392029
    Abstract: A system for wireless communication, particularly for receiving communication signals, said system comprising: A main antenna structure (330), said antenna structure adapted to receive a communication signal (325a) as a first internal signal; and an antenna cable, said antenna cable having a first end operationally coupled to said main antenna structure and a second end, said antenna cable including a main conductor (335) for passing said first internal signal, and a second receiving conductor (340), said second receiving conductor adapted to receive said communication signal as a second internal signal, and wherein said second receiving conductor as a receiving element is spatially separated from the main antenna structure. The disclosed antenna system and apparatus for the extraction of the second, spatially-separated received signal achieves spatial diversity to alleviate multipath effects in wireless communication systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Viatcheslav Pronkine
  • Patent number: 7392030
    Abstract: A cell phone antenna switching circuit includes a plurality of built-in antennas which perform radio transmission/reception. This circuit includes reception level measuring sections and an antenna switching section. The reception level measuring sections measure the reception levels of the corresponding built-in antennas. The antenna switching section always automatically selects an antenna whose reception level is high during a standby period, and selects an antenna with good antenna characteristics depending on a function during speech communication. A cell phone antenna switching method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Teruhide Sunaga
  • Publication number: 20080139154
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for signal processing are disclosed and may include receiving a plurality of wireless signals via a plurality of M receive antennas. Each of M phase shifters coupled to each of the M receive antennas may be set to operate in a bypass mode or with an arbitrary phase setting. Corresponding signal strengths of M signals generated when each of the M phase-shifters is coupled to each of the M receive antennas may be measured, while at least a portion of the M receive antennas are turned off. Selecting one of the M generated signals for processing without the use of an antenna switch, based on the measured signal strength. A signal strength of each of the generated M amplified signals may be measured while turning off at least one of the plurality of M receive antennas and without the use of the phase-shifters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Arya Behzad, Ali Afsahi, Mark Gonikberg
  • Patent number: 7382314
    Abstract: A handheld GPS device has a device body. A base band processor is installed in the device body. Three antennas with high directivity are respectively installed perpendicular to three surfaces of the device body for receiving GPS signals. A control device is coupled to the base band processor and the antennas with high directivity. At least two switches are respectively coupled to the control device and each of the three switches corresponds to one of the three antennas with high directivity. One of the switches enables the control device to permit the base band processor receiving GPS signal from the corresponding antenna with high directivity when the frame triggers one of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Asustek Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chu Liao, Ching-Chung Tang, Che-Ying Su
  • Patent number: 7379445
    Abstract: Techniques and structures are presented for use in mitigating the effects of platform noise within a wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Inventors: Yongfang Guo, Xintian E. Lin, Qinghua Li
  • Patent number: 7376398
    Abstract: A method for implementing a smart antenna in establishing association between a station (STA) and an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network begins by transmitting a beacon frame by the AP on one antenna beam. The beacon frame is received at the STA, which measures the signal quality of the beacon frame. The AP switches to a different antenna beam and repeats the method until the beacon frame has been transmitted on all antenna beams. The STA associates to the AP that transmits the beacon frame with the highest signal quality on one of its antenna beams. A similar method may be used in which the STA sends a probe request frame to the AP, which then responds with probe response frames sent on multiple antenna beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent Roy, Paul Marinier, Arty Chandra, Inhyok Cha
  • Publication number: 20080112468
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for achieving receiver diversity. A wireless unit includes a plurality of antennas, an antenna selector to select one or more antennas from the plurality of antennas, a processor with input data from an inertial sensor for monitoring the orientation of the wireless unit. Based on the input data, the processor commands the antenna selector to select one or more antennas. In one aspect, the processor is a diversity processor. Based on the input data from the inertial sensor, the diversity processor computes the combination of the received signals. In another aspect, the wireless unit further includes a baseband processor to process the output of the diversity processor for a particular unit application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Leonid Sheynblat, Douglas N. Rowitch, Ardalan Heshmati
  • Patent number: 7369832
    Abstract: A receiving diversity apparatus and method for a mobile station in an HDR mobile communication system measures C/I values of pilot channels on respective antennas, measures a C/I value of in-phase combined pilot channel, and then selectively performs one of a selection diversity receiving operation and an in-phase combining receiving operation according to the measured C/I values. An optimal diversity receiving status is then maintained according to changes of a presently received pilot channel, and the optimal diversity receiving operation between the selection diversity receiving operation and the in-phase combining diversity receiving operation is selected at a starting point of the pilot channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Nam-Shin Cho
  • Patent number: 7366263
    Abstract: When a radio communication terminal including an AGC receiver starts, a set gain of the AGC receiver is switched in a short updating period. At this time, the terminal switches among antennas, and calculates and stores a received power of a received radio signal through each antennal. This calculation is performed a predetermined number of times for each antenna. After that, the terminal compares the calculated received powers of the radio signal through each antenna, and fixedly uses, as a receiving antenna, one of the antennas which receives a signal with the largest power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Terao
  • Patent number: 7366473
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for diversity switching control are generally described herein. According to one embodiment, a diversity control network is introduced which effectively reduces the number of coaxial cables required to interface with N antennas from the conventional N cables, to N/2 thereby providing significant cost saving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Xintian E. Lin, Qinghua Li, Allen W. Bettner
  • Patent number: 7363016
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a first signal adjusting unit for amplifying a first signal received by a first antenna; a second signal adjusting unit for amplifying and phase-shifting a second signal received by a second antenna to generate a phase-shifted signal; first and second mixers for respectively mixing signals generated by said first and second signal adjusting units to generate respective first and second intermediate frequency signals; a signal combiner for generating an output signal provided to a demodulator, the output signal comprising at least one of the first intermediate frequency signal and/or the second intermediate frequency signal; and a phase detector for extracting phase information from the signals generated by the first and second signal adjusting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: One-Pil Lee
  • Publication number: 20080088518
    Abstract: A method for antenna alignment includes defining a first link budget for wireless communication between first and second communication systems via respective first and second antennas in a normal operational mode in which a main lobe of the first antenna points toward the second antenna. The first antenna is aligned to point to the second antenna responsively to an alignment indication provided by communicating between the first and second communication systems in an alignment operational mode having a second link budget greater than the first link budget.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: PROVIGENT LTD.
    Inventors: Dan Charash, Ahikam Aharony
  • Patent number: 7359679
    Abstract: A wireless access point is equipped with both an omnidirectional antenna and a directable antenna that can be selectively directed to any of a plurality of directional spaces overlapping the network space served by the omnidirectional antenna. The directable antenna is directed to an optimal directional space for a client when the access point is communicating with the client at a high data rate. The access point can intermittently exchange information with other clients using the omnidirectional antenna. The omnidirectional antenna enables broadcast signals to be transmitted to any client in the entire network space, but at a lower data rate. A preferred data rate and an optimal client directional space are re-determined periodically or as necessary based on parameters such as the data rate, signal strength, and rate of success in communicating data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne G. King, Craig Steven Ranta, Edward C. Giaimo, III, James Brennan
  • Patent number: 7359677
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a stacked die configuration of a high isolation switch and a rejection filter where transmit and receive signals are desired to have a high out-of-band rejection and a low loss band-pass region. In some aspects of the invention the high isolation switch is a double pole double throw switch modified to operate as a high isolation single pole double throw (SPDT) switch. In some aspects of the invention the high isolation switch is a conventional high isolation SPDT switch. The switch is mounted on a low profile rejection filter having metallization on a portion of an outer surface of the rejection filter. The metallization on the outer surface of the rejection filter provides an AC ground layer in close proximity to the switch that provides a short coupling path between the switch and the AC ground. The resulting switch-filter component also results in a smaller footprint than if the two devices were mounted individually and/or adjacently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Sige Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Chun-Wen Paul Huang, William Vaillancourt
  • Patent number: 7359692
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of wireless communications, more particularly to a method of and device for switching between antennae in communication with a diversity receiver, each of the antennae receiving signals transmitted from a single source. A packet from a transmitter is received by respective antenna communicating with a diversity receiver. The signal strength of the preamble of the packet received in a first antenna is sampled. If the signal strength is of sufficient magnitude to affect reliable reception, the associated antenna is selected for the duration of the packet transmission. If the signal strength is below a predetermined threshold the signal strength of the preamble of the packet received in a second antenna is sampled and compared to the sample associated with the first antenna. If the magnitude of the second sample is greater, the signal associated with the second antenna is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund, LLC
    Inventors: Aryan Saèd, Phil Guillemette
  • Patent number: 7353012
    Abstract: If it is judged by a signal from a first signal processing unit that a signal of a first communication system is not received and it is judged by a signal from a second signal processing unit that a signal of a second communication system is received, wireless communication is performed by the second communication system. If it is judged that the signals of the first and the second communication systems are received, a system judging unit judges which communication system is to be used for the wireless communication, based on the signals from the first signal processing unit and the second signal processing unit. If the wireless communication is to be performed by the first communication system, diversity reception or transmission is performed by first and second antenna elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Indutrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentaro Miyano, Junji Sato
  • Publication number: 20080062053
    Abstract: An antenna arrangement (30) for a frequency modulated modulator that intentionally modulates and transmits a source signal to a frequency modulated radio receiver (28) in a vehicle can include a portable audio source (32 or 34), a frequency modulator (10) coupled to the audio source, a coaxial transmission line (23) coupled to the frequency modulator, and a frequency modulated antenna or coupler (24) coupled to the coaxial transmission line where the coaxial transmission line is of sufficient length to enable the placement of the coupler substantially close to a frequency modulated radio receive antenna (26) coupled to the frequency modulated radio receiver in the vehicle. The portable audio source and the frequency modulator can be co-located in a single unit. The portable audio source can be a satellite radio receiver or a portable digital music player and recording device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: XM SATELLITE RADIO, INC.
    Inventors: PAUL MARKO, PAUL D. KRAYESKI, MICHAEL ABBATE, MICHAEL J. HARTIGAN, ANH NGUYEN
  • Publication number: 20080064356
    Abstract: A multiple antenna receiver receives a wideband signal containing two or more sub-signals of interest. The receiver may be selectively configured to receive all sub-signals of interest with all antennas, or to receive different sub-signals of interest with different antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventor: Ali S. Khayrallah
  • Patent number: 7340236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for providing simultaneous operation of disparate wireless telecommunication technologies within a single device (102). The device comprises a plurality of antennas (112, 114). The system provides an antenna switching function (116) communicatively coupled to the plurality of antennas. A first wireless telecommunications function (104) is communicatively coupled to the antenna switching function, as is a second wireless telecommunications function (106). The system provides an arbitration function (118) communicatively coupled to the antenna switching function and the first and second wireless telecommunications functions. A defined prioritization scheme is provided. The arbitration function operates to control access to the plurality of antennas by the first and second wireless telecommunications functions according to the defined prioritization scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jie Liang, Matthew B. Shoemake, Kofi Anim-Appiah, Anuj Batra
  • Patent number: 7339979
    Abstract: Wireless communication systems and methods are provided that a) enable progressive beamforming with antenna arrays and subarrays, b) provide current and delayed versions of data-carrying signals, and c) provide time-of-arrival of data-carrying signals. The progressive beamforming substantially reduces computational complexity. The current and delayed versions of data-carrying signals facilitate optimization of spatial information and optimization of information from non-coherent delays (which are delays beyond the handling capability of a system's modulation). The time-of-arrival information is used to facilitate a single matrix inversion which substantially reduces the complexity of conventional beamforming computations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Calamp Corp.
    Inventor: Kris Kelkar
  • Publication number: 20080014891
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to enabling antenna switching in a wireless terminal that has multiple receive antennas per receive chain via soft-demodulation and interleaving of concatenated code received in a strip channel. A coherent demodulation protocol may be performed to estimate an SNR for a first antenna during a first time period, and a non-coherent demodulation protocol may be utilized on the strip channel to estimate an SNR for at least one other antenna during a second time period. SNRs may be compared and the terminal may select the antenna with the highest SNR for a next transmission superslot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Hui Jin, Tom Richardson, Rajiv Laroia, Junyi Li
  • Publication number: 20080014892
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for an antenna selection algorithm at the transmitter are presented. Aspects of a system for joint antenna selection may include a receiving mobile terminal that enables reception of a plurality of sounding frames via a plurality of receiving antennas. A processor may enable mapping of one of the plurality of receiving antennas to one of a plurality of received radio frequency (RF) chain signals based on the reception of the plurality of sounding frames. The receiving mobile terminal may enable transmission of antenna selection feedback information computed based on the reception of the plurality of sounding frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventor: Carlos Aldana
  • Patent number: 7317935
    Abstract: In a radio receiver according to the present invention, an N:1 multiplexer multiplexes N signals received through N receiver antennas into one output, and a downconverter downconverts the combined signals into baseband signals, and two 1:N analog demultiplexers demultiplex the N combined and downconverted received signals into in-phase signal elements of N received signals and quadrature-phase signal elements of N received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hsiao-Ping Tsai, Kazuhiko Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20080003969
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and apparatus of receiving signals of a plurality of communication services. The apparatus may include, for example, a plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wireless communication services, wherein the number of the plurality of communication services is equal to or greater than the number of the plurality of multimode receivers; and a controller to control a receive mode of the plurality of receivers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Eran Segev, Daniel Yellin, Eliav Zipper, Avi Brillant
  • Patent number: 7315733
    Abstract: An antenna-switching diversity receiver is capable of switching antennas without bringing about deterioration of reception characteristics even when applied to the CDMA communication method. A TFCI bit decoding/determination unit decodes TFCI bits that have been extracted by a TFCI bit extractor and determines the presence or absence of communication control data based on the TFCI bits that have been decoded. An antenna switching control unit uses a timer to check for the presence or absence of communication control data in each of fixed time intervals based on the determination results of the TFCI bit decoding/determination unit and then controls the antenna switch in intervals that lack communication control data to measure the reception level of the common pilot channel at the other antenna that differs from the antenna that is currently receiving and then select the antenna having the higher reception level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Michihiro Ohsuge
  • Patent number: 7313391
    Abstract: A data collection and evaluation method for determination of wireless signal propagation from an incomplete set of measured data and for modeling the system as a set of RF point sources located at the tower in each cell. RF propagation measurements are collected according to the present invention, by moving through the wireless system while collecting signal strength data at a large number of locations throughout the wireless system. Signals are received from multiple antennae at each collection location. The present invention develops a non-directional RF propagation model based upon the signals received from each antenna at a particular cell site, the antenna directionality due to the design of the antenna and the orientation of the collection location and the cellular site. The digital identification information on the channel is decoded and used to associate the measurement with an individual originating wireless antenna and/or sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Andrew Corporation
    Inventor: Stanley J. Gutowski
  • Patent number: 7310537
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a communication system wherein stations communicate on a wireless interface. The method includes the steps of including beam identity information into signals transmitted on multiple beams provided by a first station, receiving at a second station signals transmitted from the first station, and identifying beams via which the second station received signals from the first station based on said identity information. At least one beam for transmission on the wireless interface between the stations is then selected. A station configured for the communication comprises antenna means for receiving signals transmitted from the other station on multiple beams and a controller for identifying beams based on beam identity information associated with signals received from the other station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Risto Wichman, Olav Tirkkonen, Rinat Kashaev
  • Patent number: 7310503
    Abstract: The circuit size of a diversity receiver for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal is reduced, and the diversity effect is increased, by providing a power ratio comparator that calculates a difference value as a ratio of powers derived from channel estimation results for subcarrier components received from two antennas (11), (21) and compares the calculated difference value with a predetermined threshold, and a selective/equal gain combining selector (33) that outputs one of the received demodulated signals when the comparison result indicates that the calculated difference value is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Ido
  • Patent number: 7308286
    Abstract: A wireless communication receiver (20) comprises an antenna structure (22) and a joint searcher and channel estimator (24). The antenna structure acquires dimensionally differentiated signals which are concurrently utilized by the joint searcher and channel estimator for determining both a time of arrival and channel coefficient. The wireless communication receiver can be either a mobile terminal or a network node (e.g., a radio access network node such as a base station node, also called Node-B). In “spatial” embodiments, the antenna structure comprises an array of plural antennas. The signals acquired by different antennas of the array are dimensionally differentiated with regard to a spatial dimension, and the time of arrival and a composite channel coefficient are essentially concurrently determined by the joint searcher and channel estimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Stefan Felter
  • Publication number: 20070281654
    Abstract: A method of selecting an antenna for ranging detection in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access system, the method including: receiving at least one ranging symbol from the antenna; and determining whether to select the antenna, by correlation computing the received ranging symbol in a time domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventor: Joonsang Choi
  • Publication number: 20070281621
    Abstract: A device belonging to a wireless communication system and adapted to exchange information with another device of the system within a main band of frequencies includes N different antennas having respectively different antenna characteristics, with N being greater than one. A controllable selector selects one of the antennas. A detector detects through the selected antenna the eventual presence of at least one interferer operating within the main band of frequencies. A controller, upon presence of a detected interferer, controls the selector for selecting another antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Eric ACHKAR, Friedbert Berens
  • Patent number: 7302238
    Abstract: A transmit diversity system, method, and computer program product which can prevent signal power from being wasted and also prevent interference between a plurality of beams. In the transmit diversity system, a transmitter transmits a signal after allocating the signal to a beamspace of multiple beams and a receiver receives the multiple beams and obtains a channel estimate of each of the multiple beams. A beam pair, which has the largest sum of powers of respective channel estimates of two corresponding beams, is selected from a plurality of beam pairs of the multiple beams. One of the two beams of the selected beam pair is selected as a single beam for use if the difference between the powers of the respective channel estimates of the two beams is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Fujil
  • Patent number: 7299071
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a downlink signal from a communication station to one or more subscriber units to achieve a desired radiation level over a desired sector (e.g., everywhere), the communication station including an array of antenna elements and one or more signal processors programmed (in the case of programmable signal processors) to weight the downlink signal according to one of a sequence of complex valued weight vectors. The method includes sequentially repeating transmitting the downlink signal, each repetition with a different weight vector from the sequence until all weight vectors in the sequence have been transmitted with. The sequence is designed for achieving the desired radiation level during at least one of the repetitions. In this way, every user in the desired region is transmitted to in the time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: ArrayComm, LLC
    Inventors: Craig H. Barratt, David M. Parish, Christopher R. Uhlik, Stephen Boyd, Louis C. Yun, Marc H. Goldburg
  • Patent number: 7295825
    Abstract: A diversity antenna arrangement to reduce cost and the number of switching operations between different antennas includes an antenna changeover switch for switching between antennas, and an evaluation circuit for evaluating reception quality of a signal derived from a signal received from at least one of the antennas and conveyed to a receiving device via the antenna changeover switch. The evaluation circuit emits an evaluation signal based on the determined reception quality. A control device drives the antenna changeover switch based on the evaluation signal. A weighting device, using a first coefficient, weights the signal conveyed to the receiving device via the antenna changeover switch, and using a second coefficient, weights a signal received from at least one further antenna. A summing circuit adds the weighted signals. A regulating circuit generates the coefficients to minimize the temporal amplitude fluctuations of the composite signal, which is evaluated by the evaluation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Raddant
  • Patent number: 7283798
    Abstract: A method of performing receive antenna selection is presented. The method executes a determination operation for a set of receive antennas, determines a maximum result of the determination operation for two of the antennas, eliminates one of the two antennas from the set of antennas, and repeats the determination and elimination process until only a predetermined number of antennas remain in the set. The signals from these remaining antennas are then processed. The present invention reduces receiver complexity and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Jack Harriman Winters, Yang-Seok Choi, Byoung-Jo J Kim, Andreas Molisch, Moe Z. Win, Hui Luo
  • Patent number: 7283092
    Abstract: Switched-beam antenna arrangement means use a method of controlling an antenna pattern of such antenna arrangement means. Each antenna pattern of a predetermined number of fixed antenna patterns is allocated to a predetermined time slot of a time multiplexed signal. The switched-beam antenna arrangement means is switched to generate the fixed antenna patterns during their allocated time slots. Thereby, any user can choose between distinct beam patterns by selecting an appropriate time slot, so that the risk that the user is located at the intersection area of two beams is greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Minghai Feng, Yuan Zhu, Wujie Hu
  • Patent number: 7277686
    Abstract: An apparatus determines an optimal antenna and frequency combination by selecting the optimal antenna from among a plurality, N, of antennas associated with a receiver and also selects the optimal frequency from among a plurality, M, of alternative receiving frequencies transmitted from a transmitter. This is achieved by determining all N×M possible antenna/frequency combinations, by determining the received signal quality at each combination, by comparing the N×M received signal qualities, and by selecting the one antenna/frequency combination having the optimal received signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Joachim Wietzke, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 7277677
    Abstract: A control device for an antenna matching circuit is configured to output an adjusting signal for changing impedance of an element in the antenna matching circuit based on change over time in signal power ratio of a reflected signal from the antenna matching circuit to an incident signal to the antenna matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Ichirou Ida, Jun-ichi Takada, Takeshi Toda, Yasuyuki Oishi
  • Patent number: 7272417
    Abstract: A Transmit Diversity Redundancy controller dynamically mediates implementation of diversity and antenna hopping by detecting and remediating faults on antenna branches while minimizing the capital investment required. The controller monitors the equipment along the antenna branches. If a fault occurs, the controller determines the appropriate fault remediation measures to implement based on default settings, or relays an indicator to an external processor (e.g., a BTS or BSC CPU) and awaits instructions. If traffic on the BTS is high, the external processor instructs the TDR controller to combine the signals carried by the downed branch with the signals carried by the active branches, and the combined carrier signals are transmitted over the active branches. Otherwise, the external processor instructs the controller to allow signals carried by the downed antenna branch to be dropped, and notifies the BSC to suspend assignment of calls to the dropped carriers until the branch is restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Cingular Wireless II, LLC
    Inventors: Ayman Mostafa, Mark Austin
  • Patent number: 7272364
    Abstract: A wireless system, which minimizes nulls within the wireless system, while simultaneously providing diversity. A wireless system will now have increased capacity and coverage due to an enhanced signal to interference ratio in the areas of beam overlap. The system uses time or frequency offset on the signals input to an antenna to minimize interference in the regions of beam overlap. Additionally, polarization diversity can be introduced using Butler Matrices in conjunction with array elements to enhance the interference reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Frank, Yuda Luz, Jason Jiangnan Chen, John Touvannas