Switched transmit antennas with no feedback for multipath reduction

Abstract

A communication system is provided comprising a transmitter coupled to a switch, which is further coupled to at least two antennas for switching the transmit signal to one of the antennas, with no feedback. The communication system further comprises at least one receiver for receiving the transmitted signal. The communication system in the present invention is able to help mitigate the effects of multipath. Previous attempts to mitigate the effects of multipath suffer from various problems: increased complexity needed to measure channel parameters and a feedback loop to switch the transmit antenna based on the parameters. The system is particularly useful when deployed in a MAS system or a jamming system.

Claims

1. A communication system for reducing multipath comprising: a transmitter; a switch coupled to the transmitter; at least two antennas, coupled to the switch, for switching a transmit signal to one of the antennas, wherein the transmit signal is received by at least one receiver through a receive antenna; and wherein the switch switches the transmit signal with no explicit and no implicit feedback associated with the at least one receiver.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is switched periodically based on a fixed time period.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is switched periodically based on a random time period.

4. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the fixed time period is equal for each antenna.

5. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the fixed time period is not equal for each antenna.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein an external transmit signal is transmitted by an external transmitter.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmit signal dominates the external transmit signal.

8. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter is a jammer.

9. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter is a part of a DAS system.

10. A communication system for reducing multipath comprising: a first transmitter; a switch, coupled to the first transmitter; at least two antennas, coupled to the switch, wherein the switch switches a first transmit signal to one of the antennas; a first receiver, associated with the first transmitter; and a first receive antenna coupled to the first receiver for receiving an ambient signal environment; wherein the first transmit signal is received by at least one secondary receiver, through a secondary receive antenna, and the secondary receiver is associated with at least one respective secondary transmitter, coupled to a secondary transmit antenna; and wherein the switch switches the first transmit signal with no explicit and no implicit feedback associated with the at least one secondary receiver.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the switch is switched periodically based on a fixed time period.

12. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the switch is switched periodically based on a random time period.

13. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the fixed time period is equal for each antenna.

14. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the fixed time period is not equal for each antenna.

15. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein an external transmit signal is transmitted by an external transmitter.

16. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the first transmit signal dominates the external transmit signal.

17. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the first transmitter is a jammer.

18. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the first transmitter is a part of a DAS system.

19. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the first transmit signal is a jamming signal.

20. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the first transmit signal is a MAS signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in detail below by way of preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a transmitter, coupled to a switch, which is further coupled to at least two antennas for switching the transmit signal to one of the antennas, with no feedback. The transmit signal is received by at least one receiver;

(3) FIG. 2 is a drawing similar to FIG. 1 with transceivers on both ends of the communication link;

(4) FIG. 3 is a drawing similar to FIG. 1 with the addition of an external transmitter;

(5) FIG. 4 is a drawing similar to FIG. 2 with the addition of an external transmitter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a communication system having switched transmit antennas, with no explicit and no implicit feedback from the associated receiver, for multipath reduction will now be described with several preferred embodiments. It is understood that the embodiments described herein do not limit the scope of the invention, but merely provide examples of the present invention as used in several different instances.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a communication system comprising a transmitter 100 coupled to a switch 110, which is further coupled to at least two antennas 120 & 130 for switching the transmit signal 140 to one of the antennas, with no explicit and no implicit feedback from the associated receiver. The transmit signal 140 is received by at least one receiver 200 & 300 through respective receive antennas 210 & 310.

(8) The switch 110 can be switched periodically based on a fixed time period or based on a random time period. If a fixed time period is used, it can either be equal for all the antennas or different.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a communication system comprising a first transceiver 190 with the associated transmitter 100 coupled to a switch 110, which is further coupled to at least two antennas 120 & 130 for switching the transmit signal 140 to one of the antennas, with no explicit and no implicit feedback from the associated receiver. The first transceiver 190 further includes a first receiver 150 coupled to a first receive antenna 160 for receiving an ambient signal environment (for example, from an external transmitter such as a base station). The transmit signal 140 is received by at least one secondary transceiver 290 and 390. The secondary transceiver 290 and 390 include a respective secondary receiver 200 & 300 coupled to respective further antennas 210 & 310 to receive transmit signal 140. The secondary transceiver 290 and 390 further include a respective secondary transmitter 220 & 320 coupled to respective further antennas 230 & 330.

(10) The switch 110 can be switched periodically based on a fixed time period or based on a random time period. If a fixed time period is used, it can either be equal for all the antennas or different.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a communication system comprising a transmitter 100 coupled to a switch 110, which is further coupled to at least two antennas 120 & 130 for switching the transmit signal 140 to one of the antennas, with no explicit and no implicit feedback from the associated receiver. The communication system further comprises at least one receiver 200 & 300 for receiving the transmit signal 140. Additionally, the communication system includes an external transmitter 400 coupled to an external antenna 420 that is transmitting an external transmit signal 440 to at least one of the receivers 200 & 300. In this system, the signal strength of transmit signal 140 may dominate the signal strength of the external transmit signal 440 when measured at the receiver 200 & 300.

(12) In one embodiment of the invention, the transmitter 100 is a jammer and the transmit signal 140 is a jamming signal that jams the external transmit signal 440 of external transmitter 400.

(13) In another embodiment of the invention, the transmitter 100 is a MAS system and the transmit signal 140 is a MAS signal that dominates the external transmit signal 440 of external transmitter 400.

(14) FIG. 4 shows a communication system comprising a first transceiver 190 with the associated transmitter 100 coupled to a switch 110, which is further coupled to at least two antennas 120 & 130 for switching the transmit signal 140 to one of the antennas, with no explicit and no implicit feedback from the associated receiver. The first transceiver 190 further includes a first receiver 150 coupled to a first antenna 160 for receiving an ambient signal environment (for example, from an external transmitter such as a base station). The transmit signal 140 is received by at least one secondary transceiver 290 and 390. The secondary transceiver 290 and 390 include a respective secondary receiver 200 & 300 coupled to respective further antennas 210 & 310 to receive transmit signal 140. The secondary transceiver 290 and 390 further include a respective secondary transmitter 220 & 320 coupled to respective further antennas 230 & 330. Additionally, the communication system includes an external transmit signal 440 generated by an external transmitter 400 coupled to an external antenna 420 that is transmitting to at least one of the receivers 200 & 300. In this system, the signal strength of transmit signal 140 should dominate the signal strength of the external transmit signal 440 when measured at least one of the receivers 200 & 300.

(15) In one embodiment of the invention, the transmitter 100 is a jammer and the transmit signal 140 is a jamming signal that jams the external transmit signal 440 of external transmitter 400.

(16) In another embodiment of the invention, the transmitter 100 is a MAS system and the transmit signal 140 is a MAS signal that dominates the external transmit signal 440 of external transmitter 400.

(17) While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to a number of preferred embodiments, it is well known to those of skill in the art that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically disclosed and claimed herein.

(18) For example, although some of the TX and RX antennas are shown as separate antennas, it is well known by those of the ordinary skill in the art that the same effect can be accomplished with a single antenna for TX and RX that uses a diplexer to separate signals.