Booster system in a cellular phone base station
OwnerAllen Coheninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A booster system in a cellular phone base station comprises a plurality of power amplifiers, each of which configured to receive a signal provided by a corresponding transceiver unit that is coupled to said booster system. A hybrid combiner is coupled to the power amplifiers, and is configured to combine the signals generated by each of the power amplifiers. A VSWR sensor is configured to sense a voltage standing wave ratio at an output port of the booster system. Furthermore, a radio frequency relay is provided, which is configured to receive signals provided by the transceiver units. The radio frequency relay is triggered in response to an indication signal based on either a failure in the booster system or a failure in the signal path following the booster system.
Claims24
A booster system in a cellular phone base station comprising:
- a plurality of boosters each of which having:
- a plurality of power amplifiers, each of which configured to receive a signal provided by a corresponding transceiver unit coupled to said booster system;
- a booster hybrid combiner coupled to said plurality of power amplifiers, said hybrid combiner configured to combine the signals generated by each of said power amplifiers;
- and
- a VSWR sensor configured to sense a voltage standing wave ratio at an output port of said booster system, wherein said booster system maintains a first, a second and a third booster, each configured to receive a first and second radio frequency signal such that the output of said first booster is coupled to a first input of a booster system hybrid combiner and the output of said second booster is coupled to a second input of said booster system hybrid combiner and the output of said third booster is coupled to a third input of said booster system hybrid combiner, said booster system hybrid combiner providing via its output port a combined signal of six carrier frequencies.
A method for boosting signals via a plurality of booster in a booster system in a cellular phone base station comprising the steps of:
- in each one of said boosters,
- amplifying via power amplifiers, a plurality of signals received from a corresponding plurality of transceiver units;
- combining each of said amplified signals by a booster hybrid combiner;
- and
- sensing via a VSWR sensor a voltage standing wave ratio of signals generated by said hybrid combiner, wherein said first and second radio frequency signals are received via a first one of said boosters, a third and forth radio frequency signals are received via a second one of said boosters, such that the output of said first booster is coupled to a first input of a booster system hybrid combiner and the output of said second booster is coupled to a second input of said booster system hybrid combiner, said booster system hybrid combiner providing via its output port a combined signal of four carrier frequencies.
A cellular phone base station system comprising:
- a plurality of transceiver units configured to provide radio frequency carrier signals at a specified power output level;
- a plurality of booster systems each comprising a plurality of power amplifiers, each of which configured to receive a signal provided by a corresponding one of said transceiver units coupled to said booster system;
- a hybrid combiner coupled to said plurality of power amplifiers, said hybrid combiner configured to combine the signals generated by each of said power amplifiers;
- and
- said booster systems further comprising a VSWR sensor configured to sense a voltage standing wave ratio at an output port of said booster system, said transceiver units operating at a power output level lower than a maximum power output level specified for each of said transceiver units, wherein said operating power output level for each transceiver unit is about up to 3 dB less than the maximum rated power output level of said transceiver unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.