RF Transceiver Antenna Switching for Capacity Scaling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a cost-effective radio frequency transceiver that can be easily scaled to support both low power and a low number of RF carriers, while also allowing for the addition of power and carriers, is challenging, especially in wireless network base stations, where older designs often require multiple transceivers or expensive multi-carrier devices to support wider bandwidths.
Innovation Solution
A radio frequency transceiver system with two receivers that can be switched between different antenna sections and tuned to different RF channel sets, allowing for dual diversity and cross-connected modes to support both diversity reception and double-bandwidth communications, enabling modular expansion of network capacity without the need for multiple transceivers or expensive amplifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple parallel transceivers are used to add capacity, then the voice or data-carrying capability increases, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the base station transceiver into separate functional modules: a first transceiver for primary operations and a second transceiver for additional capacity. Each transceiver can be independently configured and scaled, allowing the system to segment capacity addition rather than requiring a monolithic increase in complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the transceivers to support multiple functions through software configuration and antenna switching. The same hardware platform can operate in different modes (single-carrier, multi-carrier, diversity reception) and can be dynamically reconfigured to support varying capacity requirements without physical hardware changes
2Productivity
If wider band transmitters and receivers are designed to support more RF carriers, then the bandwidth and capacity increase, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes through dynamic frequency tuning and switching between different RF channel sets. The transceivers can operate across different bandwidths and frequency allocations by adjusting operational parameters rather than requiring physically wider bandwidth hardware, thereby maintaining cost-effectiveness while supporting capacity growth
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic antenna switching and configurable transceiver operation to adapt the effective bandwidth and carrier configuration in real-time. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same hardware to serve different capacity requirements without manufacturing for maximum bandwidth, reducing costs while maintaining scalability
3Reliability
If a single transceiver with two receivers is used for diversity reception, then the reliability improves, but the adaptability for different transmission modes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between different operational modes including diversity reception mode, cross-connected mode, and single-carrier mode. The system can dynamically reconfigure which receivers are active, how they are connected to antennas, and what RF channel sets are tuned, thereby maintaining high adaptability while preserving diversity reception capabilities when needed
Data Source
AI summary
A transceiver system for RF communications in a wireless network includes a transceiver having first and second receivers and a transmitter. The first receiver and transmitter are connected to first antenna section. The second receiver is switchable between connection to a second antenna section and connection to the first antenna section. In a dual diversity mode, the second receiver is connected to the second antenna section, and the two receivers are tuned to the same RF channel set. Thus, multi-path faded signals in the RF channel set are received at the two antenna sections. In a cross-connected mode, two of the transceivers are used together, with the second receiver in each being connected to the first antenna section. Each transceiver supports one antenna, and the receivers in each transceiver (as well as the transmitters) are respectively tuned to different RF channel sets. Thus, system capacity is doubled in conjunction with diversity reception.