# US 10,374,275 B2 · Pluggable receiver splitter for two-transmitter two-receiver microwave digital radios > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,275 B2 - Document ID: US10374275B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/735,904 - Filed: 2016-06-10 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-12 - Assignees: Zte Corporation - Applicants: Zte Corporation - Inventors: Ying Shen; Edwin Nealis; Zhiping Feng; Zhuo Li; Shawn Walsh; Thanh H. Nguyen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374275B2 ## CPC - H01P 1/39: Hollow waveguide circulators - H01P 1/213: combining or separating two or more different frequencies (H01P1/215 takes precedence) - H01P 1/36: Isolators - H01P 3/123: with a complex or stepped cross-section, e.g. ridged or grooved waveguides (H01P3/14 takes precedence) - H01P 5/04: with variable factor of coupling - H01P 5/12: Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence) - H01Q 1/52: Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure (absorbing means H01Q17/00) - H04B 1/44: Transmit/receive switching - H04B 1/525: with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A circulator plate for a microwave radio system is disclosed. The circulator plate includes a circulator including a first port, a second port, and a third port; a first isolator including an input port and an output port; a second isolator including an input port and an output port; and a splitter including an input port, a first output port, and a second output port. The output port of the first isolator is coupled to the first port of the circulator. The input port of the second isolator is coupled to the third port of the circulator. The input port of the splitter is coupled to the output port of the second isolator. The first output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to a first receiver. The second output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to a second receiver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circulator plate for a microwave radio system, the circulator plate comprising: a circulator including a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the second port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to an antenna; a first isolator including an input port and an output port, wherein the output port of the first isolator is coupled to the first port of the circulator; a second isolator including an input port and an output port, wherein the input port of the second isolator is coupled to the third port of the circulator; and a splitter including an input port, a first output port, and a second output port, wherein: the input port of the splitter is coupled to the output port of the second isolator, the first output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to a first receiver, and the second output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to a second receiver, wherein the splitter further comprises: a pluggable insertion plate located between the first output port and the second output port of the splitter, and wherein the splitter is configured to split signals received from the input port of the splitter into a first portion and a second portion, and transmit the first portion of the signals to the first receiver via the first output port and the second portion of the signals to the second receiver via the second output port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circulator plate of claim 1, wherein the insertion plate further comprises: an opening formed along an elongated side of the insertion plate; and a plurality of pins located within the opening and protruding laterally from the elongated side of the insertion plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The circulator plate of claim 2, wherein: the plurality of pins comprise a first group of pins and a second group of pins; the first group of pins are shorter than the second group of pins; and the first group of pins and the second group of pins are alternately deployed along the elongated side of the insertion plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The circulator plate of claim 3, wherein a height of each pin in the first group of pins is between 2 mm and 3 mm, a height of each pin in the second group of pins is between 3.5 mm and 4.5 mm, and a width of each pin in the plurality of pins is between 1 mm and 2.4 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The circulator plate of claim 2, wherein: a length of the opening is between 80 mm and 95 mm; a total number of the plurality of pins is seven; and a coupling factor of the splitter is between 2.6 dB and 3.4 dB. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The circulator plate of claim 2, wherein: a length of the opening is between 50 mm and 70 mm; a total number of the plurality of pins is six; and a coupling factor of the splitter is between 4.8 dB and 6.6 dB. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The circulator plate of claim 2, wherein: a length of the opening is between 30 mm and 45 mm, a total number of the plurality of pins is four, and a coupling factor of the splitter is between 9.4 dB and 11.2 dB. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The circulator plate of claim 1, wherein: the output port of the first isolator is configured to be coupled to an input port of a first filter, and the first port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to an output port of the first filter, the third port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to an input port of a second filter, and the input port of the second isolator is configured to be coupled to an output port of the second filter, and the first filter and the second filter are located outside the circulator plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The circulator plate of claim 1, wherein the first receiver and the second receiver are located outside the circulator plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The circulator plate of claim 1, wherein the input port of the first isolator is configured to be coupled to a combiner located outside the circulator plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The circulator plate of claim 1, wherein the first isolator, the circulator, the second isolator, and the splitter are formed using a single plate. ### Claim 12 A two-transmitter two-receiver wireless communication system, the system comprising: a first receiver; a second receiver; a first transmitter; a second transmitter; and an antenna coupling unit configured to be coupled to the first receiver, the second receiver, the first transmitter, the second transmitter, and an antenna, the antenna coupling unit comprising: a circulator including a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the second port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to the antenna; a first isolator including an input port and an output port, wherein the output port of the first isolator is coupled to the first port of the circulator, and the input port of the first isolator is configured to be coupled to the first transmitter and the second transmitter; a second isolator including an input port and an output port, wherein the input port of the second isolator is coupled to the third port of the circulator; and a splitter including an input port, a first output port, and a second output port, wherein: the input port of the splitter is coupled to the output port of the second isolator, the first output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to the first receiver, the second output port of the splitter is configured to be coupled to the second receiver, wherein the first isolator, the circulator, the second isolator, and the splitter are formed using a single circulator plate, and wherein the first receiver, the second receiver, the first transmitter, and the second transmitter are located outside the antenna coupling unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the splitter further comprises: a pluggable insertion plate located between the first output port and the second output port of the splitter, wherein the insertion plate is configured to split signals received from the input port of the splitter into a first portion and a second portion, and transmit the first portion of the signals to the first receiver via the first output port and the second portion of the signals to the second receiver via the second output port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein: the output port of the first isolator is configured to be coupled to an input port of a transmitter filter, and the first port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to an output port of the transmitter filter, the third port of the circulator is configured to be coupled to an input port of a receiver filter, and the input port of the second isolator is configured to be coupled to an output port of the receiver filter, and the transmitter filter and the receiver filter are located outside the single circulator plate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the input port of the first isolator is configured to be coupled to an output port of a transmitter combiner, and the first transmitter and the second transmitter are configured to be coupled to an input port of the transmitter combiner, the transmitter combiner located outside the circulator plate. ### Claim 16 An antenna coupling unit for routing radio-frequency or microwave signals, the antenna coupling unit comprising: a single circulator plate and filters; a circulator formed using the single circulator plate; one or more isolators formed using the single circulator plate; and a splitter formed using the single circulator plate and coupled to an isolator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The antenna coupling unit of claim 16, wherein the splitter further comprises a pluggable insertion plate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The antenna coupling unit of claim 17, wherein the insertion plate further comprises: an opening formed along an elongated side of the insertion plate; and a plurality of pins located within the opening and protruding laterally from the elongated side of the insertion plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The antenna coupling unit of claim 16, wherein the splitter is configured to split signals received from the isolator into a first portion and a second portion, and transmit the first portion of the signals to a first receiver and the second portion of the signals to a second receiver.