Airborne Repeater Antenna Sharing via Vertical Isolator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable repeaters suffer from significant signal losses due to the use of small diameter coaxial cables, which are necessary for portability, limiting their effectiveness in boosting communication ranges, especially in emergency situations where infrastructure is damaged.
Innovation Solution
The Rapid Deployment Airborne Repeater (RDAR) system is designed to operate at the same height as the antenna, eliminating the need for long coaxial cables and using a compact communication isolator to allow the transmitter and receiver to share an antenna, thereby minimizing signal losses and enhancing portability and deployment efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If small diameter coaxial cables are used for portability, then the repeater becomes more portable, but signal losses increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the coaxial cable connection between the repeater and antenna by extracting this component from the system. The repeater is positioned at the same location as the antenna, eliminating the need for signal transmission through cables and thereby eliminating cable-related signal losses while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the repeater and antenna into the same physical location and enclosure. By combining these two components at the same site, the system eliminates the signal transmission path through coaxial cables, resolving the contradiction between portability and signal loss.
2Loss of energy
If the repeater is positioned at the same height as the antenna, then antenna transmission line signal losses are eliminated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the repeater system into modular components that can be independently positioned and connected. The repeater unit is designed to be placed at the antenna location with minimal integration, allowing the system to achieve cable-less operation while keeping individual component complexity manageable through modular architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a communication isolator is added to allow transmitter and receiver to share an antenna, then antenna sharing is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a vertically stacked configuration where the communication isolator is nested within the repeater enclosure. This nesting approach allows the isolator to be integrated into the existing repeater structure rather than adding external complexity, enabling antenna sharing while maintaining compact form factor.
Data Source
AI summary
A compact, portable repeater system is disclosed. In an implementation, the system includes a receiver configured to receive a first signal via an antenna during a first time interval, a transmitter configured to transmit a second signal via the antenna during a second time interval, and a communication isolator coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. The communication isolator is configured to communicatively isolate the transmitter from the receiver to allow the transmitter and the receiver to utilize the antenna. The transmitter, the receiver, and the receiver are enclosed within a vault. The communication isolator has a vertically stacked configuration for allowing the communication isolator to be enclosed within the vault. The portable repeater system is configured to be deployed at the same height as the antenna to at least substantially eliminate antenna transmission line signal losses.