By Signal Quality (e.g., Noise) Patents (Class 455/277.2)
  • Patent number: 8165545
    Abstract: A terminal (200) and method for operation thereof for use in a wireless communication system (100), the terminal including a plurality of antennas (215, 235, 255) and a plurality of receiver chains (217, 237, 257) each including an associated one of the antennas, the terminal being operable to receive a signal including a plurality of time divided portions including a first portion (303) and a second portion (304), characterized in that the terminal is operable in a manner such each of the plurality of receiver chains is active when the first portion of the signal is being received and at least one of the receiver chains is inactive when the second portion of the signal is being received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Moshe Ben-Ayun, Ovadia Grossman, Salomon Serfaty, Gadi Shirazi
  • Patent number: 8160648
    Abstract: Receiver diversity in a wireless device is controlled in response to operating conditions, transmission requirements, and control settings. The control of diversity reduces power consumption by enabling receive diversity on given conditions. Operating conditions, transmission requirements, and control settings are used separately or used in conjunction to determine whether benefits of multi-antenna receive diversity, such as higher link capacity, higher data throughput, lower transmit power, and lower error rate, warrant the higher power cost of the diversity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Fatih Ulupinar, Gregory A. Breit, Brian C. Banister, Edward G. Tiedemann, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8150470
    Abstract: A system and method for improved data transmission on a wireless link to a remote receiving node includes a communication device for converting packets to RF at a physical data rate, an antenna apparatus having a plurality of antenna configurations for transmitting the RF, and a processor for selecting the antenna configuration and the physical data rate based on whether the remote receiving node indicated reception of the data transmission. The processor may determine a table of success ratios for each antenna configuration and may rank each antenna configuration by the success ratio. The processor may transmit with an unused antenna configuration to probe the unused antenna configuration and update the table of success ratios. Similarly, the processor may maintain a table of effective user data rates, rank each physical data rate by the effective user data rate and probe unused physical data rates to update the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Kish, John Chanak
  • Patent number: 8145163
    Abstract: A method of detecting a received signal, which is received by a receiving side of a communication system, is disclosed. The present invention includes comparing signal quality relevant information of the received signal to a prescribed reference value, selecting a pre-processing scheme to be applied to the received signal according to a result of the comparing step, and detecting a signal by applying the selected pre-processing scheme to the received signal. Thus, a pre-processing scheme for received signal detection can be differently applied according to a size of quality relevant information of a received signal. Accordingly, the present invention lowers a false alarm probability and/or a miss occurrence probability of the received signal, thereby raising a signal detection probability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Mi Yi
  • Patent number: 8134976
    Abstract: Techniques to calibrate the downlink and uplink channels to account for differences in the frequency responses of the transmit and receive chains at an access point and a user terminal. In one embodiment, pilots are transmitted on the downlink and uplink channels and used to derive estimates of the downlink and uplink channel responses, respectively. Two sets of correction factors are then determined based on the estimates of the downlink and uplink channel responses. A calibrated downlink channel is formed by using a first set of correction factors for the downlink channel, and a calibrated uplink channel is formed by using a second set of correction factors for the uplink channel. The first and second sets of correction factors may be determined using a matrix-ratio computation or a minimum mean square error (MMSE) computation. The calibration may be performed in real-time based on over-the-air transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark S. Wallace, John W. Ketchum, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Patent number: 8135371
    Abstract: A receiving apparatus (2) includes a radio unit (2a) and a main receiving unit (2b) detachably connected with each other, the radio unit (2a) stores radio unit ID information (12a) as identification information to identify the radio unit itself, the main receiving unit (2b) stores a process condition table (16a) in which process conditions corresponding to the radio units are stored, the main receiving unit (2b) includes a setting controller (C1b) which serves as a setting controller that sets the process condition of the main receiving unit (2b), the setting controller (C1b) acquires the radio unit ID information (12a) from the radio unit (2a), selects the process condition of the main receiving unit (2b) corresponding to the acquired radio unit ID information (12a) from the process condition table (16a), and sets the selected process condition as the process condition of the main receiving unit (2b), so that, when a replaceable unit detachably connected to a shared unit is replaced with another replaceable
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Ayako Nagase
  • Patent number: 8126096
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system (300-400), apparatus (300-400), and method for an energy-based antenna selection technique in which the antenna that observes the largest SNR averaged over all carriers per sub-band (405) is selected for space-time coded MB-OFDM systems. Due to the frequency-selective nature of the system, different sub-band may have different channel gaining effect from the multi-path channels. We can perform energy-based antenna selection per sub-band, and the simulation results show that the proposed technique works not only for MB-OFDM UWB channels with shadowing, but also for the same channel without shadowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Jun Yang, Dagnachew Birru, Seyed-Alireza Seyedi-Esfahani, Charles Razzell
  • Patent number: 8121556
    Abstract: An isolation circuit includes a low dropout operational current control loop and a shunt regulator. The current control loop is configured to drive the shunt regulator to result in a high dynamic impedance ratio between a voltage source and a load. The current control loop may include a series-pass transistor, a current sensing resistor, and a high side current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventor: Jorgen Andersen
  • Patent number: 8107915
    Abstract: A receiver system and method for receiving signals are provided, wherein the system includes a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive a transmitted signal. A receiver device is in communication with the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the receiver device is configured to emit an output based upon the received signal, and communicate a control signal that corresponds to a determined signal quality of the received signal. A switch device is adapted to switch among the plurality of antenna elements to electrically connect a selected antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements to the receiver device. A controller is in communication with the receiver device, such that the controller receives the control signal, wherein the controller commands the switch device to directly switch to any of the antenna elements to electrically connect one of the plurality of antenna elements to the receiver device based upon the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nazar F. Bally, Daniel G. Morris, Raed S. Shatara, Steven S. Langston
  • Publication number: 20110300822
    Abstract: Systems and methods that provide channel-adaptive antenna selection in multi-antenna-element communication systems are provided. In one embodiment, a method that selects a subset of receive antennas of a receiver to receive a transmitted RF signal may include, for example, one or more of the following: establishing possible subsets of the receive antennas; determining sets of channel parameter statistics corresponding to the possible subsets of the receive antennas; computing output bit error rates of the receiver, each output bit error rate being computed based on at least one set of channel parameter statistics; selecting a particular possible subset of the receive antennas based upon a criterion predicated on the computed output bit error rates; and connecting one or more RF chains of the receiver to the receive antennas of the selected particular possible subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Severine Catreux-Erceg, Vinko Erceg, Pieter Roux, Pieter Van Rooyen, Jack Winters
  • Patent number: 8064861
    Abstract: An asynchronous receiver system has multiple antennae and an asynchronous receiver circuit with a signal input. The asynchronous receiver circuit receives a wireless signal at the signal input and generates a first quality signal responsive to the received wireless signal. A switch selects one of the antennae for coupling to the input of the asynchronous receiver circuit responsive to a control signal. A controller receives the first quality signal and generates the switching control signal. The controller sequentially selects each one of the antennae, measures the first quality signal and starts a timer with a time value for the selected antenna. The controller selects a next one of the antennae if the measured first quality signal value is below a threshold value and the timer expires and receives a remainder of a data packet based on the measured first signal quality values for the plurality of antennae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Hendricus De Ruijter
  • Patent number: 8064862
    Abstract: In a radio communication station having N antennas an antenna diversity system and a gain controllable amplifier the gain of the gain controllable amplifier is set by using a first antenna, the signal levels of signals received at the antennas is measured, a group of antennas is determined having a signal level which exceeds the signal level of the first antenna by no more than a predetermined value (X), and out of said group of antennas the antenna with the highest signal level is selected out or the first antenna is selected out if said group is empty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Mikael Rudberg
  • Patent number: 8059031
    Abstract: A beam switching antenna method and apparatus for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the least one conductive reflector, the method including selectively configuring the beam switching antenna system for a current-directional beam pattern to receive a first signal and for a non-directional beam pattern to receive a second signal; comprising the first and second signals; and controlling, using the ground switch; the beam based on the comparison of the first and second switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: LG Uplus Corp.
    Inventor: Hyo Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 8055207
    Abstract: A receiver includes a plurality of RF receiver modules, a plurality of analog baseband sections, a plurality of analog to digital conversion sections, and a digital baseband processing module. The RF receiver modules convert inbound RF signals into a plurality of inbound analog signals. When the receiver is in a first mode, one of the plurality of analog baseband sections is active to adjust one of the plurality of inbound analog signals to produce an adjusted inbound analog signal; one of the plurality of analog to digital conversion sections converts the adjusted inbound analog signal into an inbound digital signal; and a portion of the digital baseband processing module is active to convert the inbound digital signal into inbound data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arya Reza Behzad, Rohit V. Gaikwad
  • Patent number: 8050639
    Abstract: Reception signals received by first to fourth antennas 11 to 14 are sequentially selected one by one repeatedly in accordance with first to fourth switches 31 to 34 being controlled by first to fourth switch control circuits 41 to 44, respectively, so as to be inputted to a signal shaping section 60. The reception signals having been shaped by the signal shaping section 60 are sampled by a sample-and-hold section 71 and AD-converted by an AD converter 72 in accordance with a time at which the reception signals are sequentially selected. The resultant signals are converted into parallel signals by a serial-parallel conversion section 73. Thus, the parallel signals are obtained as the reception signals of the first to the fourth antennas 11 to 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Nakatani, Hiroshi Iwai
  • Patent number: 8036691
    Abstract: A first signal containing first data multiplied by a first weight factor is transmitted from a first radio station to a first terminal. The first weight factor is calculated taking into account a second weight factor to be used by a second radio station for transmission of a second signal containing the first data multiplied by the second weight factor, such that simultaneous reception of both the first signal and the second signal at the first terminal will cause the first data to be substantially cancelled. Further, the first weight vector is calculated taking into account first and second channel state information received from the first terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Jee Hyun Kim, Egon Schulz, Wolfgang Zirwas
  • Patent number: 8036610
    Abstract: A wireless terminal using switchable first and second reception antennas to perform diversity reception of data transmitted from a base station is proposed. The terminal includes an average value calculation unit that calculates an average value of a reception level measurement result of the first reception antenna and a reception level measurement result of the second reception antenna; and a correction unit that corrects the average value calculated on the basis of a predetermined thermal noise level, a received RSSI value measurement result of the first reception antenna, and a received RSSI value measurement result of the second reception antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Kawagishi, Tsutomu Itou, Yuki Idogawa, Masayuki Muranaka, Atsushi Manabe
  • Patent number: 8036711
    Abstract: Systems and methods that provide antenna selection in multi-antenna-element communication systems are provided. In one embodiment, a system that selects N antenna elements in an M-antenna-element transmitter or an M-antenna-element receiver, in which N is less than M, may include, for example, M antenna elements in the M-antenna-element transmitter or the M-antenna-element receiver; N RF chains; and a switch coupled to the N RF chains. The M-antenna-element receiver may determine a bit error rate for each possible N antenna element subset of the M antenna elements. The M-antenna-element receiver may determine the particular N antenna element subset with a lowest bit error rate. In response to the determination of the particular N antenna element subset with the lowest bit error rate, the switch may couple the N RF chains to the particular N antenna element subset with the lowest bit error rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Severine Catreux-Erceg, Vinko Erceg, Pieter Roux, Pieter Van Rooyen, Jack Winters
  • Patent number: 8036620
    Abstract: In order to restore synchronization quickly in the case where synchronization with a transmission signal is not established, when a synchronization signal is not received by an antenna selected in advance in a receiving apparatus (2), a selection controller (C2) continuously switches between antennas (6a to 6h), repeats an antenna switching process for measuring received strengths of the respective antennas in a cycle shorter than a transmission period of transmission information in a radio signal so as to detect an antenna with maximum strength, selects and switches to the detected antenna with maximum strength as a receiving antenna for receiving synchronization information, and continues the connection until at least the synchronization information is received. Further, the selection controller (C2) makes a control so that the antenna switching process for detecting the antenna with maximum strength is repeated for a period longer than a non-transmission period of transmission information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Seiichiro Kimoto
  • Patent number: 8036621
    Abstract: There is provided a receiving apparatus having a simple configuration and an excellent ability to eliminate multipath noise, in which an antenna in a good reception state can be instantly selected. A reception signal from an antenna is inputted to an intermediate-frequency amplifying circuit via an antenna switching circuit, a front end and an A/D converting circuit, and an S meter signal from an S meter circuit is inputted to a controlling section via a noise detecting filter and an absolute value circuit. Then, the controlling section compares noise components outputted from the absolute value circuit (noise level) with a threshold value Vth outputted from a threshold value setting section. When the noise level becomes higher than the threshold value Vth, an antenna selection controlling signal is outputted to the antenna switching circuit, and antennas are switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8027315
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of communicating between a first transceiver including a plurality of antennas and a second transceiver, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from the first transceiver to said second transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas of the first transceiver; at the second transceiver, selecting one of the plurality of antennas for use; and communicating between the two transceivers using this selected antenna. The invention is also directed to apparatus and software for performing the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Urquhart, Simon Gale
  • Patent number: 8023906
    Abstract: Power consumption is reduced in a diversity receiver. A diversity receiver (10) comprises a condition determination circuit (26) determining whether a predefined condition is satisfied; and a control circuit (28) suspending diversity reception if the condition determination circuit determines that the predefined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventor: Yukihiko Okumura
  • Patent number: 8023915
    Abstract: Beams are used to communicate in a wireless network including mobile and stationary receivers. The network operates according to the IEEE 802.11p in wireless access to vehicular environments (WAVE). A direction from the mobile transceiver to the stationary receiver is predicted using geographic information available to the mobile transceiver. A set of signals are received in the mobile transceiver from the stationary transceiver, wherein the signals are received by an array of antennas, and wherein the signals are received using a set of beams, and wherein each beam is approximately directed at the stationary receiver. A signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is measured for each beam, and the beam with an optimal SNR is selected as an optimal beam for communicating data between the mobile transceiver and the stationary transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip V. Orlik, Raymond Yim, Ramesh Annavajjala, Jinyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 8018902
    Abstract: A channel quality indicator value is determined on a per transport block basis. A signal-to-interference ratio estimate of a control channel and a channel quality estimate of user-data channel are employed in the determination of the channel quality indicator. The channel quality estimate of the user-data channel can include information about Automatic Retransmission Request (ARQ) processing, and the number of iterations of a Turbo decoder. Additionally, information about the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), which is determined on a per transport block basis, can be employed in the channel quality indicator determination. The determined channel quality indicator is reported to the radio communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Ola Wintzell
  • Patent number: 8019303
    Abstract: A multicarrier receiver changes receive capabilities based on a current channel utilization. The number of antennas used to receive multicarrier communication signals may be changed or the channel bandwidth may be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Changwen Liu, Qinghua Li, Robert J. Stacey, Adrian P Stephens
  • Patent number: 8014439
    Abstract: A communication device selects an optimal modulation method even when a propagation path condition is changed. In the communication device, a second communication device has a transmission path condition estimation unit for estimating the propagation path condition change speed and a communication quality estimation unit for modifying the communication quality estimation method according to the speed of the change of the propagation path condition and for estimating the communication quality according to the modified estimation method. The information on the estimated propagation path condition and the information on the communication quality are transmitted from a transmission processing unit, and an adaptive modulation control unit of the first communication device sets a condition for selecting the modulation method and decides the modulation method according to the set condition and the information on the communication quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takenori Sakamoto, Katsuaki Abe, Akihiko Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8000746
    Abstract: Systems and methods that provide channel-adaptive antenna selection in multi-antenna-element communication systems are provided. In one embodiment, a method that selects a subset of receive antennas of a receiver to receive a transmitted RF signal may include, for example, one or more of the following: establishing possible subsets of the receive antennas; determining sets of channel parameter statistics corresponding to the possible subsets of the receive antennas; computing output bit error rates of the receiver, each output bit error rate being computed based on at least one set of channel parameter statistics; selecting a particular possible subset of the receive antennas based upon a criterion predicated on the computed output bit error rates; and connecting one or more RF chains of the receiver to the receive antennas of the selected particular possible subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Severine Catreux-Erceg, Vinko Erceg, Pieter Roux, Pieter Van Rooyen, Jack Winters
  • Patent number: 7996049
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus implementing spatial processing in a remote unit. In general, in one aspect, a remote unit in accordance with the invention includes a spatial processing unit to process signals received by a plurality of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Craig H. Barratt, Athanasios A. Kasapi
  • Publication number: 20110136459
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for selecting an antenna of a diversity antenna system that includes an antenna selector selecting one of a first antenna and a second antenna in accordance with an antenna selection signal, a receiver measuring a quality value of a signal from the antenna selected by the antenna selector and determining detection of the signal by comparing whether or not the measured quality value of the signal is higher than a predetermined first reference value, and a selection controller determining an antenna change error by comparing whether or not an antenna stay time when the signal is continuously detected is within a predetermined error available time when the signal is detected in the receiver and controls the changing of the antenna to a previous antenna when the antenna stay time is within the error available time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Hyun MIN
  • Patent number: 7937052
    Abstract: A multiple input multiple output signal receiving apparatus includes a first antenna configured to receive a first radio frequency (RF) signal, a second antenna configured to receive a second RF signal, a superheterodyne receiver, a direct conversion receiver, and an antenna switching module. The superheterodyne receiver is configured to convert one or both of the first and second RF signals into at least one first analog signal. The direct conversion receiver is configured to convert one or both of the first and second RF signals into at least one second analog signal. The antenna switching module couples the first and second antennas to the superheterodyne receiver and the direct conversion receiver, and is configured to selectively direct the first and second RF signals to the superheterodyne receiver and/or the direct conversion receiver, depending on an antenna switch control signal indicating a signal quality derived from the first and second analog signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: An Tuyen Banh, Yong Su, Xinguang Xu
  • Patent number: 7937057
    Abstract: A spatial filtering adaptable for an interference wave that appears unsteadily can be implemented and also an interference canceling ability can be increased even in a condition that the interference wave does not steadily exist. At a time of non-active communication, the signals from a plurality of interference source radio communication devices 2 are received in advance by an interference signal receiving section 6 as the pre-process mode, then a resultant interference correlation matrix RI is stored in a storing section 7, and then an interference wave receiving antenna weight WI used to receive selectively the transmission signals from the interference source radio communication devices 2 is prepared based on the resultant interference correlation matrix RI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Naoki Adachi, Yoichi Nakagawa, Hidekuni Yomo, Shutai Okamura
  • Patent number: 7936852
    Abstract: An antenna diversity system for radio reception for motor vehicles, which comprises a multi-antenna system having several antennas with antenna feed lines. There can be a diversity switching device for selection of a different reception signal, and an evaluation circuit which evaluates the reception quality of the reception signal just arriving at the receiver. This evaluation circuit is designed to bring a different reception signal in terms of diversity to the receiver if interference occurs, by switching over. This design also includes at least one phase rotation device which is disposed along at least one of the signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Delphi Delco Electronics Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Lindenmeier
  • Patent number: 7929924
    Abstract: A mobile phone includes a controller; a receipt adjusting unit for controlling receipt of the (RF) radio frequency signal and controlling receipt diversity under control of the controller; a first RF signal receiver for converting the RF signal received through the first antenna into a baseband signal to be transmitted to the controller under control of the receipt adjusting unit; a second RF signal receiver for converting the RF signal received through the second antenna into a baseband signal to be transmitted to the controller under control of the receipt adjusting unit; a transmission diversity adjusting unit for controlling transmission diversity under control of the controller; and an RF signal transmitter for converting the baseband signal transmitted from the controller into an RF signal to be transmitted to the first antenna and transmitting the RF signal to the second antenna under control of the transmission diversity adjusting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignees: Pantech Co. Ltd., SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Kwang Kim, Hong Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 7925302
    Abstract: Receiver diversity in a wireless device is controlled in response to operating conditions, transmission requirements, and control settings. The control of diversity reduces power consumption by enabling receive diversity on given conditions. Operating conditions, transmission requirements, and control settings are used separately or used in conjunction to determine whether benefits of multi-antenna receive diversity, such as higher link capacity, higher data throughput, lower transmit power, and lower error rate, warrant the higher power cost of the diversity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Fatih Ulupinar, Gregory A. Breit, Brian C. Banister, Edward G. Tiedemann, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7917116
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for antenna selection diversity with prediction. An antenna diversity system may use information that it has stored on the antenna selection process in previous frames to predict the starting receiving antenna and the starting transmission antenna for the next frame. The prediction may be based on which antennas were selected in previous frames or may be based metrics associated with performance of the antennas. Prediction may be based on a majority polling scheme of previously selected antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Prediction may also be based on a weighted sum of at least one selection metric for all antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Antenna prediction provides a significant performance improvement by reducing the processing and operational overhead in cases where a transmit or a receive antenna dominates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Min Chuin Hoo, Rajendra Tushar Moorti
  • Patent number: 7899406
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus in a diversity system of a mobile terminal having a main receiving unit and a sub-receiving unit, which includes a sub-antenna for receiving an input signal and a part of a transmitted signal of a transmitting unit, a band-pass filter (BPF) designed to greatly attenuate a low-band frequency of the part of the transmitted signal received through the sub-antenna, a high-pass filter (HPF) for additionally attenuating the part of the transmitted signal attenuated through the BPF, a low-noise amplifier for minimizing a noise of an output value of the HPF, an HPF for passing therethrough only a high-frequency component of an output value of the low-noise amplifier, and a mixer for mixing output values of the HPF and outputting a baseband signal. One of two BPFs in the sub-receiving unit is replaced by one HPF, and thus the HPF can be fabricated on chip with the terminal receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Sang-Kook Han, Seong-Joong Kim, Young-Il Son
  • Patent number: 7873318
    Abstract: A radio-frequency communication device arranged to transmit a transmitted signal from a transmitter antenna device toward a communication object, and to receive through a receiver antenna device a reply signal transmitted from the communication object, for radio communication with the communication object, the radio-frequency communication device including a transfer-function calculating portion operable to calculate a transfer function indicative of a relationship between a signal input to the transmitter antenna device and a signal generated by the receiver antenna device due to the signal input to the transmitter antenna device, and a receiver-circuit-constant setting portion operable to set a receiver-circuit constant for improving a quality of the reply signal received by the receiver antenna device, on the basis of the transfer function calculated by the transfer-function calculating portion, and the signal input to the transmitter antenna device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Nagai, Kentaro Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 7847740
    Abstract: An antenna system comprises a receive diversity antenna system and a configurable antenna arrangement. Incoming signals are received through the receive diversity antenna system and outgoing signals are transmitted through the configurable antenna arrangement. A controller generates control signals to adjust the configurable antenna arrangement to change the transmission performance characteristics of the configurable antenna arrangement. The configurable antenna arrangement may be a smart antenna, a plurality of antennas, or a configurable antenna where transmission characteristics change in response to control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Doug Dunn, Gregory Poilasne, Henry Chang, Huan-Sheng Hwang, Ramon Khalona
  • Patent number: 7840235
    Abstract: Systems and methods that provide channel-adaptive antenna selection in multi-antenna-element communication systems are provided. In one embodiment, a method that selects a subset of receive antennas of a receiver to receive a transmitted RF signal may include, for example, one or more of the following: establishing possible subsets of the receive antennas; determining sets of channel parameter statistics corresponding to the possible subsets of the receive antennas; computing output bit error rates of the receiver, each output bit error rate being computed based on at least one set of channel parameter statistics; selecting a particular possible subset of the receive antennas based upon a criterion predicated on the computed output bit error rates; and connecting one or more RF chains of the receiver to the receive antennas of the selected particular possible subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Severine Catreux-Erceg, Vinko Erceg, Pieter Roux, Pieter Van Rooyen, Jack Winters
  • Patent number: 7822154
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for measuring power levels of primary and interfering signals as well as noise, particularly for satellite transmitted signals. A typical method comprises the steps of receiving a signal comprising a primary signal, an interference signal and noise, demodulating the primary signal to remove a carrier frequency, decoding the primary signal to obtain symbols, estimating a power level of the primary signal based upon the demodulated and decoded primary signal. Additionally, an ideal primary signal can be generated from the carrier power and frequency and the symbols and subtracted from the received signal to produce the noise and interference signal. The noise and interference power is then estimated from the noise and interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest C. Chen, Chinh Tran
  • Patent number: 7813702
    Abstract: A receiver comprises an input circuit that receives an input signal. An error circuit generates an error signal based on the input signal. A first noise canceler generates a first noise cancellation signal based on the error signal. A second noise canceler generates a second noise cancellation signal based on the error signal. The input circuit is responsive to the second noise cancellation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Runsheng He
  • Publication number: 20100248672
    Abstract: Beams are used to communicate in a wireless network including mobile and stationary receivers. The network operates according to the IEEE 802.11p in wireless access to vehicular environments (WAVE). A direction from the mobile transceiver to the stationary receiver is predicted using geographic information available to the mobile transceiver. A set of signals are received in the mobile transceiver from the stationary transceiver, wherein the signals are received by an array of antennas, and wherein the signals are received using a set of beams, and wherein each beam is approximately directed at the stationary receiver. A signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is measured for each beam, and the beam with an optimal SNR is selected as an optimal beam for communicating data between the mobile transceiver and the stationary transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Philip V. Orlik, Raymond Yim, Ramesh Annavajjala, Jinyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 7761119
    Abstract: A system and method for indicating signal strength of a multi-mode wireless communication device is disclosed. The wireless communications device simultaneously displays signal strength indicators of multiple radio access technologies on the multi-mode wireless communication device. In an exemplary method, the multi-mode wireless device determines a first signal strength of a first radio access technology and displays the signal strength in a designated annunciator area of a display of the device. The device then determines availability and signal strength for a second radio access technology and further displays a second signal strength indicator in the annunciator area corresponding to the second determined signal strength of the second radio access technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Mehul B. Patel
  • Patent number: 7756483
    Abstract: RF communications received by a wireless terminal from a servicing base station are used to determine the channel quality such as reported bit error probability (BEP). The RF communications may be in the form of RF bursts that are part of a data frame. An estimated BEP may be determined from the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the RF bursts and or a sequence of soft decisions extracted from the RF bursts, and their historical performance. The SNR maps to an estimated BEP based upon the modulation format of the RF bursts. The soft decisions decode to produce a data block. When the soft decisions decoded favorably, the re-encoded data block produces a sequence of re-encoded decisions. Comparing the re-encoded decisions to the soft decisions yields a re-encoded bit error (RBER). The reported BEP may be based upon the estimated BEP, RBER, and/or RBER threshold. The RBER threshold may be adaptively incremented or decremented depending upon whether or not the RF communications were properly decoded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Li Fung Chang, Yongqian Wang, Xiaoxin Qiu, Nelson R. Sollenberger
  • Patent number: 7751854
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for modifying a smart antenna processing strategy determined from a set of signals received at an array of antenna elements of a wireless station, such as a set of weights for processing received antenna signals or forming a set of antenna signals for transmission. The method and apparatus uses the signatures of one or more interferers to produce a modified processing strategy that improves the nulling to the one or more interferers in that, when the modified strategy is applied on the downlink, the transmit signal strength in the direction of the one or more interferers is decreased, and, when the modified strategy is applied on the uplink, the sensitivity to signals from the direction of the one or more interferers is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mark C. Leifer, Tibor Boros, Mitchell D. Trott, Louis C. Yun
  • Patent number: 7747233
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying information so that power consumption in a digital broadcast receiving terminal can be reduced and a user can use an appropriate antenna depending on a situation. The digital broadcast receiving terminal includes an external antenna detachably assembled with the outside of the terminal a switch unit for selecting any one among the internal antennas and the external antenna, and a signal-receiving condition sensing unit capable of sensing the signal-receiving condition of the internal antennas and the external antenna. If it is impossible to receive the digital broadcast signal by using the internal antennas, the external antenna is used. If the external antenna is mounted, power is supplied only to an RF unit connected to the external antenna and the power supply to the remaining RF unit is cut off, reducing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kyung-Ha Lee, Byung-Duck Cho
  • Patent number: 7747232
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a radio reception system, which comprises a plurality of receivers assigned to a common output device, in which one of the receivers is designated as audio receiver and is tuned to a frequency of a radio transmitter, and outputs a signal received from the transmitter to the output device. At least one second receiver is designated as search receiver, and continuously searches its own reception frequency band for a frequency of the same transmitter. The system changes to a frequency of this transmitter, which was found by the search receiver, if the quality of the signal received by the audio receiver falls below a certain limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Gierl
  • Patent number: 7734269
    Abstract: Control of receiver antenna diversity is described in relation to apparatuses, user radio terminals, a method, and a computer program. The apparatus comprises an interface configured to obtain information on a power control procedure of a radio receiver and a processing unit configured to switch on/off a receiver antenna diversity branch of the radio receiver on the basis of a comparison between a predetermined condition and the information on the power control procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Petri Komulainen, Risto Timisjärvi
  • Patent number: 7729677
    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: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventors: Aryan Saed, Phil Guillemette
  • Patent number: 7729662
    Abstract: A method for radio communication in a wireless local area network including at least one transceiver equipped with an antenna with a controlled directivity pattern, according to which, in addition to the assignment in advance of the threshold value of communication quality H0 corresponding to the minimum pre-specified communication quality, the current value of communication quality Qcur is periodically determined based on the signal being received, the threshold value of the communication quality Hmax (corresponding to the pre-specified maximum communication quality) is also additionally assigned in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Airgain, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleg Jurievich Abramov, Lev Grigorievich Burov, Alexander Nikolaevich Kirdin