Patent · US Expired

Dual antenna null elimination

US5923292A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
3References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 11, 1997
Grant dateJul 13, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01Q3/2611
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

RF signal nulling and loss of RF lock (i.e., loss of a communications or command link) is resolved by changing the phase of signals derived from first and second (+Z and -Z) antennas so that they add in phase instead of canceling. This is accomplished automatically by using a computer or processor to measure the RF signal level output by a receiver and change the phase of the incoming signal using a phase shifter to achieve the highest level. A squelch circuit in the receiver is used to determine the maximum obtainable RF signal level. The squelch level is compared in a computer to a threshold when the system looks for a higher squelch level. The phase of the phase shifter is changed using a computer to maximize the received signal level. A feedback loop from the receiver through the computer to the phase shifter provides a path to shift the phase of the incoming RF signal in one of the paths so the respective signals add instead of cancel, which eliminates the signal nulling problem.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.