MIMO bolt-on device, MIMO channel emulator, and MIMO channel emulation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10879966-B2
Application number	US-202016991583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) bolt-on device for a single-input and single-output (SISO) radio, a MIMO channel emulator for testing the MIMO bolt-on device, and a MIMO channel emulation method are provided. The MIMO bolt-on device includes: a plurality of antennas, a multi-channel receiver, a plurality of couplers, a micro-controller, and a switch device. The multi-channel receiver includes a plurality of channels for signal transmission. Each coupler is configured to couple the multi-channel receiver with one of the plurality of antennas. The micro-controller is coupled to the multi-channel receiver to compare signals from the plurality of channels, thereby identifying a channel with a highest signal-to-noise (SNR) among the plurality of channels. The switch device is coupled to the micro-controller and configured to select an antenna corresponding to the channel with the highest SNR among the plurality of antennas for a connection between a selected antenna and the SISO radio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) bolt-on device for a single-input and single-output (SISO) radio, the device comprising:
a plurality of antennas;
a multi-channel receiver, including a plurality of channels for signal transmission;
a plurality of couplers, wherein each coupler is configured to couple one of the plurality of antennas with one of the plurality of channels in the multi-channel receiver;
a micro-controller, coupled to the multi-channel receiver to compare signals from the plurality of channels, thereby identifying a channel with a highest signal-to-noise (SNR) among the plurality of channels; and
a switch device, coupled to the micro-controller and configured to select an antenna of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the channel with the highest SNR among the plurality of antennas for a connection between the selected antenna and the SISO radio.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further including:
a tunable local oscillator, coupled with the multi-channel receiver and configured to adjust the multi-channel receiver to work at a desired frequency.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the micro-controller further includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), configured to convert analog signals passing through the plurality of channels into digital signals for signal comparison.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the switch device further includes a plurality of switches, and
the switch device is configured to switch on a switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to the selected antenna.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multi-channel receiver includes a plurality of limiters, a plurality of mixers, a plurality of filters, a plurality of amplifiers, and a plurality of integrators, forming the plurality of channels.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the micro-controller is configured to identify the channel with the highest SNR using a non-data-aided M2M4 SNR estimation algorithm.

Assignees

• Intelligent Fusion Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wang Zhonghai
• Li Lun
• Lu Jingyang
• Chen Genshe
• Su Weifeng
• Lin Xingping
• Xiang Xingyu
• Xiong Wenhao

Classifications

• H04B17/0087 Primary

  using auxiliary channels or channel simulators · CPC title

• H04B17/3912

  Simulation models, e.g. distribution of spectral power density or received signal strength indicator [RSSI] for a given geographic region · CPC title

• H04B17/336

  Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] · CPC title

• H04B7/0413 Primary

  MIMO systems · CPC title