US 9,001,803 B2 · Method and system for switched beam antenna communications

Abstract

A system for processing an RF signal received via a plurality of antenna elements includes a connection arrangement for selecting a sub-set of a given number of RF signals received from the antenna elements as well as a processing arrangement for combining the received RF signals of the selected sub-set into a single RF signal for demodulation. The system includes an RF phasing circuit for producing selective combinations of the received RF signals by applying relative RF phase shift weights to the RF signals that are combined; each combination includes RF signals received from a number of adjacent antenna elements equal to the number of the RF signals in the sub-set to be selected. A radio performance estimator generates for each selective combination of RF signals at least one non-RF radio performance indicator representative of the quality of the RF signals in the combination. A decision block identifies the sub-set of received RF signals to be selected as a function of the one radio performance indicator generated for the selective combinations of the received RF signals.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of processing an RF signal received via a plurality of antenna elements, comprising:

selecting a sub-set of received RF signals from said antenna elements, said sub-set comprising a given number of RF signals;
and
combining the received RF signals of said selected sub-set into a single RF signal for demodulation;
wherein selecting said sub-set of received RF signals comprises:
passing selective ones of said RF signals received from groupings of all said antenna elements through respective two-layer switching networks;
producing selective sets of said received RF signals by applying relative RF phase shift weights to the RF signals from said two-layer switching networks, wherein each set comprises RF signals received from a number of adjacent antenna elements equal to said given number;
generating for each said selective set of RF signals, at least one radio performance indicator representative of the quality of the RF signals in the set;
and
identifying the sub-set to be selected as a function of said at least one radio performance indicator generated for selective sets of said received RF signals.

6 more elements

A system for processing an RF signal received via a plurality of antenna elements, comprising:

a connection arrangement for selecting a sub-set of received RF signals from said antenna elements, said sub-set comprising a given number of RF signals;
a processing arrangement for combining the received RF signals of said selected sub-set into a single RF signal for demodulation;
a plurality of two-layer switching networks each configured to pass selective ones of said RF signals received from groupings of all said antenna elements;
an RF phasing circuit for producing selective sets of said received RF signals by applying relative RF phase shift weights to the RF signals from said two-layer switching networks, wherein each set comprises RF signals received from a number of adjacent antenna elements equal to said given number;
a radio performance estimator for generating for each selective set of RF signals, at least one radio performance indicator representative of a quality of the RF signals in the set;
and
a decision block for identifying the sub-set of received RF signals to be selected by said connection arrangement as a function of said at least one radio performance indicator generated for said selective sets of said received RF signals.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for switched beam antenna communications

Life of this patent

Method and system for switched beam antenna communications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16