Granted Patent B2

US 8,031,647 · App. 12/707,921 · Granted Oct 4, 2011

Abstract

Claims (79)

1. A system for transceiving radio frequency signals, the system comprising:

a multiplexing apparatus at a base of a tower and communicatively coupled to a cable, the cable being communicatively coupled to at least one antenna at the top of the tower, the multiplexing apparatus including a transmitter path, a portion of a receiver path, and a transceiver path portion, wherein the multiplexing apparatus includes:

a transmitter filter communicatively coupled between the cable and a first-band base transceiver station,

a band pass filter portion including at least one band pass filter communicatively coupled between the cable and at least one second-band base transceiver station, and

a first receiver filter communicatively coupled between the cable and a low noise amplifier;

a second receiver filter; and

the low noise amplifier at the base of the tower, the low noise amplifier operable to amplify signals in a first spectral region, the low noise amplifier communicatively coupled to the portion of the receiver path of the multiplexing apparatus, wherein the multiplexing apparatus is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station via the portion of the receiver path of the multiplexing apparatus and the low noise amplifier, and wherein the multiplexing apparatus is further configured to pass signals in a second spectral region between the cable and the at least one second-band base transceiver station via the transceiver path portion, wherein the transmitter filter is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region from the first-band base transceiver station to the cable,

wherein the first receiver filter is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region from the cable to the first-band base transceiver station via the low noise amplifier and the second receiver filter,

wherein each filter in the band pass filter portion is configured to filter and pass signals in respective portions of the second spectral region between the cable and a respective one of the at least one second-band base transceiver station.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter path and the receiver path are between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station,

wherein the transmitter path comprises the transmitter filter operably positioned between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station, and

wherein the receiver path comprises the first receiver filter, the low noise amplifier, and the second receiver filter.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the low noise amplifier is communicatively coupled between the first and second receiver filters.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one band pass filter in the band pass filter portion is an inline cavity filter.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing apparatus is a diplexing apparatus, wherein the transceiver path portion comprises a single transceiver path, wherein the transceiver path comprises a band pass filter positioned between the cable and a respective second-band base transceiver station, the transceiver path operable to transmit and receive signals in the second spectral region.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna, the system further comprising:

the cable;

a diplexer communicatively coupled to the cable;

the first antenna configured to receive and transmit signals in the first spectral region; and

the second antenna, wherein the second antenna is configured to receive and transmit signals in the second spectral region, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are communicatively coupled to the cable via the diplexer.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver path portion comprises at least two transceiver paths for transmitting and receiving signals in respective at least two portions of the second spectral region, wherein each of the at least two transceiver paths comprises a respective band pass filter in the band pass filter portion positioned between the cable and a respective one of the at least one second-band base transceiver station, each second-band base transceiver station configured to transceive signals in a respective portion of the second spectral region.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one antenna includes a first antenna and at least two other antennae, the system further comprising:

the cable;

a multiplexer communicatively coupled to the cable;

the first antenna configured to receive and transmit signals in the first spectral region; and

the at least two other antennae, wherein each of the other antennae is configured to receive and transmit signals in a respective portion of the second spectral region, wherein the first antenna and the at least two other antennae are communicatively coupled to the cable via the multiplexer.

9. A method of transceiving signals in a multiplexing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a combined signal comprising signals in two spectral regions via a radio frequency cable at the multiplexing apparatus at a base of a tower;

splitting the combined signal into a first-spectral-region signal in a first spectral region and at least two second-spectral-region signals in a second spectral region in the multiplexing apparatus;

sending the first-spectral-region signal from the multiplexing apparatus to a first receiver in a first-band base transceiver station via a receiver filter in the multiplexing apparatus and via a low-noise amplifier positioned at the base of the tower;

sending the at least two second-spectral-region signals in at least two respective portions of the second spectral region from the multiplexing apparatus to respective receivers in at least two second-band base transceiver stations via at least two respective band pass filters in the multiplexing apparatus:

receiving a first-spectral-region signal in the first spectral region from a transmitter in the first-band base transceiver station at the multiplexing apparatus;

receiving at least two second-spectral-region signals in the at least two respective portions of the second spectral region from at least two respective transmitters in the at least two second transceiver base stations at the multiplexing apparatus;

combining the received signal in the first spectral region with the received at least two signals in the respective at least two portions of the second spectral region at the multiplexing apparatus; and

sending the combined signal from the multiplexing apparatus via the radio frequency cable.

10. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:

receiving the combined signal from the multiplexing apparatus at a multiplexer via the radio frequency cable;

splitting the combined signal into a plurality of signals at the multiplexer;

sending the first-spectral-region signal from the multiplexer to a first antenna;

sending the at least two second-spectral-region signals from the multiplexer to at least two other antennae, respectively;

transmitting first-spectral-region signal from the first antenna responsive to receiving the first-spectral-region signal from the multiplexer; and

transmitting the at least two second-spectral-region signals from the respective at least two other antennae responsive to receiving the signals in the portions of the second spectral region from the multiplexer.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein sending the at least one second-spectral-region signal from the multiplexing apparatus to the respective receiver in the at least one second-band base transceiver station via the respective band pass filter in the multiplexing apparatus comprises:

sending a second-spectral-region signal from the multiplexing apparatus to the receiver in the second-band base transceiver station via the respective band pass filter in the multiplexing apparatus, and wherein the multiplexing apparatus is a diplexing apparatus, the method further comprising

receiving a first-spectral-region signal from a transmitter in the first-band base transceiver station at the diplexing apparatus;

receiving the second-spectral-region signal from the transmitter in the second transceiver base station at the diplexing apparatus;

combining the received first-spectral-region signal and second-spectral-region signal at the diplexing apparatus; and

sending the combined signal from the diplexing apparatus via the radio frequency cable.

12. The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising:

receiving the combined signal from the diplexing apparatus at a diplexer via the radio frequency cable;

splitting the combined signal into two signals at the diplexer;

sending the first-spectral-region signal from the diplexer to a first antenna;

sending the second-spectral-region signal from the diplexer to a second antenna;

transmitting first-spectral-region signal from the first antenna responsive to receiving the signal in the first spectral region from the diplexer; and

transmitting the second-spectral-region signal from the second antenna responsive to receiving the second-spectral-region signal from the diplexer.

13. A system for transceiving radio frequency signals, the system comprising:

a first antenna at a top of a tower, the first antenna configured to receive and transmit signals in a first spectral region;

at least one other antenna at the top of the tower, the at least one other antenna configured to receive and transmit signals in a second spectral region;

a cable communicatively coupled to the first antenna and the at least one other antenna;

a multiplexing apparatus at a base of the tower and communicatively coupled to the first antenna and the at least one other antenna via the cable, the multiplexing apparatus including a transmitter path, a portion of a receiver path, and a transceiver path portion, wherein the multiplexing apparatus includes:

a transmitter filter communicatively coupled between the cable and a first-band base transceiver station,

a band pass filter portion including at least one band pass filter communicatively coupled between the cable and at least one second-band base transceiver station, and

a first receiver filter communicatively coupled between the cable and the low noise amplifier; and

a second receiver filter; and

a low noise amplifier at the base of the tower, the low noise amplifier operable to amplify signals in the first spectral region, the low noise amplifier communicatively coupled to the multiplexing apparatus, wherein the multiplexing apparatus is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station via the portion of the receiver path of the multiplexing apparatus and the low noise amplifier, and wherein the multiplexing apparatus is further configured to pass signals in the second spectral region between the cable and the at least one second-band base transceiver station via the transceiver path portion,

wherein the transmitter filter is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region from the first-band base transceiver station to the cable,

wherein the first receiver filter is configured to pass signals in the first spectral region from the cable to the first-band base transceiver station via the low noise amplifier and the second receiver filter, and

wherein each filter in the band pass filter portion is configured to filter and pass signals in respective portions of the second spectral region between the cable and a respective one of the at least one second-band base transceiver station.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitter path and the receiver path are between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station,

wherein the transmitter path comprises the transmitter filter operably positioned between the cable and the first-band base transceiver station, and

wherein the receiver path comprises the first receiver filter, the low noise amplifier, and the second receiver filter.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the low noise amplifier is communicatively coupled between the first and second receiver filters.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one band pass filter in the band pass filter portion is an inline cavity filter.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the multiplexing apparatus is a diplexing apparatus, wherein the transceiver path portion comprises a single transceiver path, wherein the transceiver path comprises a band pass filter positioned between the cable and a respective second-band base transceiver station, the transceiver path operable to transmit and receive signals in the second spectral region.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one other antenna is a second antenna, the system further comprising:

a diplexer to communicatively couple the cable to the first antenna and the second antenna.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver path portion comprises at least two transceiver paths for transmitting and receiving signals in respective at least two portions of the second spectral region, wherein each of the at least two transceiver paths comprises a respective band pass filter in the band pass filter portion positioned between the cable and a respective one of the at least one second-band base transceiver station, each second-band base transceiver station configured to transceive signals in a respective portion of the second spectral region.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one other antenna is at least two other antennae, wherein each of the other antennae is configured to receive and transmit signals in a respective portion of the second spectral region, the system further comprising:

a multiplexer to communicatively couple the cable to the first antenna and the at least two other antennae.

Assignments (16)