Modular filter/duplexer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020252091-A1
Application number	US-202016783763-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modular filter system includes a front panel, a back panel, and a multiband combiner coupled to the front panel, the combiner including an antenna connector and filter connectors. The modular filter system further includes filter modules separate from the combiner, each filter module including first and second connectors to pass respective frequency bands, and a combiner connector to pass the frequency bands. Each filter module is configured to duplex, combine, or split first signals in the first frequency band and second signals in the second frequency band. The combiner connector of each filter module is coupled to a respective filter connector using a respective cable. The modular filter system further includes a fixing system comprising bars and plates, the bars coupled to the front and back panels using fasteners, wherein the bars and plates are configured to secure the filter modules between the combiner and the back panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A modular filter system, comprising:
a front panel and a back panel; a multiband combiner coupled to the front panel, wherein the multiband combiner comprises an antenna connector and a plurality of filter connectors; a plurality of filter modules separate from the multiband combiner, wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules includes a first connector configured to pass a first frequency band, a second connector configured to pass a second frequency band, and a combiner connector configured to pass the first frequency band and the second frequency band, wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules is configured to duplex, combine, or split first signals in the first frequency band and second signals in the second frequency band, wherein the combiner connector of each filter module of the plurality of filter modules is coupled to a respective filter connector of the plurality of filter connectors using a respective cable; and a fixing system comprising a plurality of bars and a plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of bars is coupled to the front panel and the back panel using fasteners, wherein the plurality of bars and the plurality of plates are configured to secure the plurality of filter modules between the combiner and the back panel.

2 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules is oriented parallel to the front panel.

3 . The modular filter system of claim 2 , wherein the modular filter system is configured to accommodate additional filter modules by expanding in a single dimension, wherein the modular filter system is configured to expand away from the front panel.

4 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bars comprises:
a first plurality of bars oriented perpendicular to the front panel and coupled to the front panel and the back panel using fasteners; and a second plurality of bars oriented perpendicular to the front panel and coupled to the front panel and the back panel using fasteners, wherein the first plurality of bars and the second plurality of bars are positioned on opposite sides of the plurality of filter modules.

5 . The modular filter system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of plates comprises a first plate oriented parallel to the front panel and positioned between at least two filter modules of the plurality of filter modules and a second plate oriented parallel to the front panel and positioned between the at least one filter module and the back panel.

6 . The modular filter system of claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of bars further comprises:
a third plurality of bars oriented perpendicular to the front panel and coupled to the combiner and one or more filter modules; and
a fourth plurality of bars oriented perpendicular to the front panel and coupled to the combiner and one or more filter modules, wherein the third plurality of bars and the fourth plurality of bars are positioned on opposite sides of the plurality of filter modules;
wherein the plurality of plates includes four plates coupled to the first plurality of bars and the second plurality of bars using fasteners.

7 . The modular filter system of claim 6 , wherein a first bar of the third plurality of bars includes a plurality of holes along a length of the first bar.

8 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein a first filter module of the plurality of filter modules is configured to pass radio frequency signals less than 1 GHz, wherein a second filter module of the plurality of filter modules is configured to pass radio frequency signals higher than 1.4 GHz.

9 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein a first filter module of the plurality of filter modules is positioned to minimize a length of the cable used to couple the respective combiner connector of the first filter module to the respective filter connector of the plurality of filter connectors.

10 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein a first modular filter configured to pass radio frequency signals in a first frequency band combination can be swapped with a second modular filter configured to pass radio frequency signals in a second frequency band combination without modification to the multiband combiner or replacement of the multiband combiner.

11 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules is oriented perpendicular to the front panel.

12 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plates comprises at least one plate oriented perpendicular to the front panel, wherein the at least one plate is coupled between two or more filter modules.

13 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein at least one filter module of the plurality of filter modules includes a groove configured to receive a single bar of the plurality of bars.

14 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein at least one plate of the plurality of plates includes a notch configured to lock the at least one plate to a single bar of the plurality of bars.

15 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the modular filter system is integrated into a node of a telecommunications system, the node of the telecommunications system comprising:
a plurality of power amplifiers, wherein each power amplifier is communicatively coupled to a respective filter module of the plurality of filter modules, wherein each power amplifier is coupled to a respective first connector of the respective filter module; and one or more processors configured to condition signals in at least one of the uplink path or downlink path of the node of the telecommunications system.

16 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the node of the telecommunications system comprises one of:
a remote unit of a distributed antenna system; a radio frequency repeater; a radio point for a small cell; or an access point.

17 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein a first filter module of the plurality filter modules is oriented perpendicular to the front panel; and
wherein a second filter module of the plurality of filter modules is oriented parallel to the front panel.

18 . The modular filter system of claim 17 , wherein the first filter module of the plurality of filter modules is configured to pass radio frequency signals less than 1 GHz, wherein the second filter module of the plurality of filter modules is configured to pass radio frequency signals higher than 1.4 GHz.

19 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter modules is a plurality of duplexer modules, wherein the first connector is a downlink connector, wherein the second connector is an uplink connector.

20 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter modules is a plurality of diplexer modules.

21 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter modules is a plurality of combiner modules.

22 . The modular filter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter modules is a plurality of splitter modules.

23 . A method of assembling a modular filter system, the method comprising:
positioning a plurality of filter modules between two plates, wherein the plurality of filter modules are oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the modular filter system, wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modu

Assignees

• Andrew Wireless Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Ondracek Frantisek
• Hofman Roman
• Kufa Martin
• Strachon Libor
• Schmid Peter

Classifications

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B1/0057 Primary

  using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band · CPC title

• H01P11/007

  Manufacturing frequency-selective devices (resonators H01P11/008) · CPC title

• H01P1/213 Primary

  combining or separating two or more different frequencies (H01P1/215 takes precedence) · CPC title