Method and devices for amplifying radio signals between a terminal device and an antenna
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radio signal amplification methods for mobile devices within vehicles face challenges due to vehicle body shielding, requiring multi-band capable circuit arrangements that often lead to increased complexity and interference between amplifier paths, especially in bidirectional time-division multiplex methods with identical transmission and reception frequency ranges.
Innovation Solution
A method and circuit arrangement that detect signal power in both transmission and reception directions to activate or deactivate amplifier paths based on relative signal strengths, allowing for efficient amplification and reducing interference, even in TDD methods where frequency-selective distinction is not possible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple amplifiers are provided for different frequency ranges to ensure multiband capability, then the support for various communication standards is improved, but the complexity of the circuit arrangement increases and mutual interference occurs between amplifier paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between amplifier paths based on the active communication standard. The control unit activates only the amplifier path corresponding to the currently used frequency range, while deactivating others. This dynamic activation/deactivation reduces mutual interference between amplifiers and simplifies the effective circuit complexity while maintaining multiband capability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If amplifiers for unused frequency ranges are deactivated to avoid mutual interference, then interference is reduced, but the ability to quickly switch between frequency ranges may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the operating state of the terminal device and proactively switches between amplifier paths in advance based on detected communication standard changes. By detecting the intended frequency range before actual transmission begins, the system can pre-activate the appropriate amplifier path, ensuring seamless transitions without interference during switching.
3Measurement precision
If high filtering effect is implemented in detector branches to detect minimum TX signal levels while suppressing adjacent RX signal levels, then signal detection accuracy is improved, but the complexity of filter technologies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and amplifies only the relevant frequency components corresponding to the active communication standard using selectively activated amplifier paths. By deactivating amplifiers for unused frequency ranges, the system inherently filters out adjacent frequency signals without requiring complex filtering circuitry in each detector branch, thus achieving signal detection accuracy with reduced complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a circuit arrangement for amplifying radio signals between a terminal device and an antenna, and a corresponding circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement has an amplifying unit having a transmission amplifier path and a receiving amplifier path. The method comprises: detecting a signal power in a first frequency range in the transmission direction, from the point of view of the terminal device, in order to determine a transmission signal power; and detecting a signal power in a second frequency range in the receiving direction, from the point of view of the terminal device, for determining a receiving signal power. The method further comprises comparing the detected transmission signal power to the detected receiving signal power. If the detected transmission signal power is stronger than the detected receiving signal power, the transmission amplifier path is activated in order to amplify transmission signals in the first frequency range. If the detected receiving signal power is stronger than the detected transmission signal power, the receiving amplifier path is activated in order to amplify receiving signals in the second frequency range. In this way it is possible to improve the directional detection of radio signals in bidirectional amplifier systems.