Patent · US Active

Node in a communication system with switchable antenna functions

US9031519B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
8References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 11, 2010
Grant dateMay 12, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 28, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L5/0048
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a node (1) in a wireless communication system, the node (1) comprising at least a first and second antenna function (2, 3), and a first and second radio chain (4, 5). At least at the start of a first mode of operation, each antenna function (2, 3) is connected to a corresponding radio chain (4, 5). The node further comprises a switching network (6) and a beamforming network (7), which switching network (6), at least at the start of a second mode of operation, is arranged to disconnect at least one antenna function (2) from its corresponding radio chain (4) and connect it to another of the radio chains (5) via at least a part of the beamforming network (7), such that at least two antenna functions (2, 3) are connected to the same radio chain (5). The node (1) is arranged to perform beamforming for said at least two antenna functions (2, 3) by means of said beamforming network (7), the switching network (6) being arranged to switch between the first mode and the second mode.

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