Method and Apparatus for Eliminating Intermodulation Interference in Cellular Telephone Systems

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to methods and devices for reducing interference with wireless communications, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for reducing intermodulation interference in mobile cellular telephones.

2. Description of Related Art

Currently, much of the infrastructure for cellular telephone systems in the United States comprises AMPS (advanced mobile phone system) or analog-type cellular telephone systems. Next-generation CDMA (code division multiple access) cellular telephone systems are now being installed, often in parallel with AMPS cellular telephone systems. These CDMA cellular telephone systems rely on low power broadband spread spectrum transmission techniques. In most circumstances, CDMA and AMPS cellular systems can coexist without significant interference. However, recent experience has shown that interference between CDMA and the AMPS systems is possible under some circumstances. For example, when a CDMA mobile unit approaches an AMPS-only site, the AMPS signal overloads the CDMA mobile cellphone receiver radio frequency (RF) front-end circuits due to the relative strength of the AMPS signal and the relative weakness of the spread-spectrum CDMA signal. Intermodulation (IM) components created by the AMPS signal after low noise amplification (LNA) also interfere with the weak CDMA signal.

Efforts to curb this problem have focused on modifying the CDMA mobile units by the conventional method of adding attenuation pads and changing the range of LNA to reduce IM problems. Unfortunately, these changes are costly and difficult to implement because they rely on design changes to the mobile cellphones, which are large in number. Further, even where this technique has been used, it has not substantially improved reception quality.

Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive and effective system and method for eliminating intermodulation interference in cellular telephone systems.

To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses an apparatus for reducing AMPS-related interference received by a CDMA cellular telephone mobile receiver. The apparatus comprises a first antenna for receiving the CDMA signal, an interference-eliminating signal generator, and a second antenna for transmitting the interference-eliminating signal. The interference-eliminating signal generator comprises a signal processor and adaptive nuller for adaptively reducing the foreign signal and passing forward channel signals, a low noise amplifier and an attenuator. In one embodiment, the interference-eliminating signal generator further comprises a filter to shape the spectral content of the interference-eliminating signal. In another embodiment, the attenuator is adjustable, and can be adjusted according to the distance between the second antenna and the AMPS transmitter, or according to the measured amplitude of the AMPS receiver. The present invention also incorporates antenna adaptive techniques to null the foreign signal. Similarly, the method comprises the steps of receiving the CDMA signal, and processing the signal to pass the forward channel signals and reject the reverse channel signals, amplifying the signal, and transmitting the amplified CDMA signal to the mobile cellular telephone.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding elements throughout:

FIG. 1 is a diagram presenting an overview of key elements of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention incorporating signal processor and an adaptive nuller;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention, incorporating a trigger; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present invention.

In the following description of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, a specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be used and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1. Overview

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the operation of the present invention. Currently, two types of cellular telephone systems are used in the United States. These include the advanced mobile phone system (AMPS), and the code division multiple access system (CDMA). The AMPS cellular telephone systems, which currently predominate, use an array of AMPS cell sites 102 to transmit a relatively high-power analog signal. CDMA cellular telephone systems rely on digital technology, and use an array of CDMA cell sites 100 to transmit and receive a low power, spread spectrum signal. Currently, two CDMA bands, Band A and Band B are authorized, and each has nine channels. Full duplex CDMA communications are provided by transmitting base transceiver to cellphone communications on a forward channel, and cellphone to base transceiver communications on a reverse channel covering a separate frequency spectrum.

In most circumstances, CDMA and AMPS cellular telephone systems coexist with little or no interference. This is due both to the inherent interference-resistant characteristics of the broadband spread spectrum communication techniques employed in the CDMA cellular telephone system and judicious selection of AMPS and CDMA broadcast frequencies.

The signals transmitted from AMPS sites can cause radio frequency (RF) front end interference of CDMA cellphones. For example, when a CDMA receiver such as CDMA handheld cellphone 106 or CDMA mobile cellphone 104 is located within IM interference region 108 (at position 106A or 104A respectively), the signal from AMPS cell site 102 can be strong enough to overload the RF front-end of the CDMA handheld cellphone 106 or CDMA mobile cellphone 104, causing sufficient intermodulation distortion to compromise the performance of the CDMA cellular telephone system. The shape and extent of the IM interference region 108 will depend on the CDMA cell site 100 signal, the AMPS cell site 102 signal, and the design of the CDMA handheld cellphone 106 or CDMA mobile cellphone 104. This problem is made worse by the fact that fewer CDMA cell sites 100 are needed in a given area due to the increased capacity of CDMA.

This intermodulation interference problem exists on both the forward and reverse channels. That is, an AMPS signal from an approaching AMPS mobile 108 can overload the RF front-end of CDMA cell sites 100 as well as CDMA handheld and mobile cellphones 106, 104. Similarly, CDMA handheld and mobile cellphones 106, 104 may be overloaded as they approach a transmitting AMPS cell site 102. Reverse channel intermodulation interference at the CDMA cell sites 100 caused by AMPS signals can be minimized using sharp filter skirts or by commanding increased transmitter signal output from the cellphones 104 and 106, using well known cellular telephone techniques. However, this solution cannot be used to reduce intermodulation interference in cellphones 104 and 106, because cellphones 104 and 106 are usually too small in size to accommodate sharp skirt filters. Further, this solution would require LNA dynamic ranges approaching or exceeding 80 dB, and LNAs capable of this performance level are prohibitively expensive.

Previous efforts to solve forward channel intermodulation interference problems have focused on making the CDMA handheld 106 and mobile 104 telephone RF front-ends more resistant to overload, and less vulnerable to the high amplitude AMPS signal. However, these techniques are expensive, difficult to implement, and do not solve interference problems with existing CDMA handheld 106 and mobile 104 cellphones.

Of course, additional, closely-spaced, CDMA cell sites 100 would reduce intermodulation interference, but this brute-force solution is unnecessarily complex and expensive because two-way, full-power transception capability is not required to eliminate IM distortion in the cellphones 104 and 106.

The present invention offers a simple, inexpensive solution to the IM interference problem, using an IM interference eliminator 120. The IM interference eliminator 120 processes received CDMA signals to reject foreign channel signals, and is designed to operate only on forward channel CDMA signals transmitted from the CDMA cell sites 100 to the CDMA handheld 106 or mobile 104 cellphones alone. Signals transmitted from the CDMA handheld 106 or mobile 104 cellphones to the CDMA cellular telephone system remain unaffected. By operating only on forward communication channels, the design of the IM interference eliminator 120 is dramatically simplified, resulting in effective performance at low cost.

2. IM Interference Eliminator Description

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the IM interference eliminator 120. The IM interference eliminator 120 is an "F1F1" device, that is, the frequency of the received and transmitted signals are the same. The signals received and transmitted by the IM interference eliminator 120 are also largely steady signals, because the IM interference eliminator 120 is used only over the forward link (from the CDMA cell sites 100 to the CDMA mobile 104 and handheld 106 cellphones). Thus, the IM interference eliminator 120 can be implemented with simple, inexpensive, electronic hardware that can be mounted anywhere. In fact, the IM interference eliminator 120 should cost about $1000 or less, and should be no larger than a shoebox.

Ordinarily, the IM interference eliminator 120 is mounted at or proximate to the AMPS cell site 102 that is the source of the IM interference region 108, but may be used anywhere an external signal introduces IM distortion in a wireless transceiver, and mounted accordingly. Since the required transmitting power of the IM interference eliminator 120 is low, it may receive operating power from batteries or an integrated or external solar panel.

The IM interference eliminator 120 comprises a receiving antenna 122, coupled to a signal processor filter 130, an amplifier 124, and a transmitting antenna 128. The receiving antenna 122 receives transmitted signals (including forward CDMA signals, and AMPS signals). Filter 130, which is manually adjustable, reduces foreign signals received by the receiving antenna 122, and passes only forward channel signals. In one embodiment, filter 130 comprises a channel filter, which shapes the spectral content of the signals from the receiving antenna 122 to pass only forward channel signals.

Currently, CDMA signals are transmitted over two bands, A and B, each with nine channels, and only one (the primary channel) of the nine CDMA channels is in use. To reduce cost, the filter 130 may be set to pass only the primary forward CDMA channel. In another embodiment, the filter 130 may be set to cover selected CDMA forward channels in any combination, allowing more flexible and adaptable implementations to be produced.

Amplifier 124 is a low noise linear amplifier with a gain of up to 40 dB, operating in the CDMA frequency range. Of course, amplifier 124 gains in excess of 40 dB may be used, but because the signal received from the CDMA cell sites 100 is a steady signal, the amplifier 124 gain characteristic need only be linear over a 20 dB range to accommodate the forward power control variation. The CDMA signal is received by the receiving antenna 122, is filtered and amplified by the amplifier 124. This signal is then transmitted by the transmitting antenna 128, and received by the CDMA mobile 104 and handheld 106 cellphones.

In one embodiment, the IM interference eliminator 120 also comprises an adjustable attenuator 126 to attenuate the amplified signal. Adjustable attenuator 126 is adjusted to assure that the transmitted CDMA signal power is limited to that which is necessary to reduce IM interference for CDMA mobile 104 and handheld 106 cellphones within the IM interference region 108. This adjustment capability may be implemented separately or in the amplifier 124, and may also account for any combination of the separation between the CDMA cell site 100 and the IM interference eliminator 120, the strength of the CDMA and/or AMPS signals received at the IM interference eliminator 120, or the distance from the transmitting antenna 128 to the AMPS cell site 102.

In one embodiment, the filter 130, either separately or in combination with the channel selecting capabilities described above, comprises a notch filter tuned to the frequency of signal from the AMPS cell site 102. This allows the impact of unwanted in-CDMA-band signals such as the narrow band AMPS signal to be minimized before amplification and transmission to the CDMA mobile 104 or handheld 106 cellphones. This notch filter can be expensive and physically too large to be implemented in the CDMA mobile 104 or handheld 106 cellphones. By placing the filter in the IM interference eliminator 120, the present invention provides performance improvement without incurring these additional costs or size constraints.

FIG. 3 presents another embodiment of the IM interference eliminator 120, wherein the characteristics of the IM interference eliminator 120 can be selected according to the measured signal characteristics of the signal from the CDMA cell sites 100 and/or the AMPS transmitters 102. These signal characteristics can be measured by an external source, or within the IM interference eliminator 120 by signal processor 121, using a signal provided by the receiving antenna 122 or secondary antenna 134. Signal processor 121 is capable of measuring parameters of the signals from the CDMA cell sites 100, signals from the AMPS cell sites 102, signals from other sources, and background noise. Measured parameters include the power, amplitude, and spectral content of the received signals, but may include other parameters as well, singularly, or in any combination without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the receiving antenna 122 may be an array antenna, providing the signal processor 121 with additional information from which to derive the control signals, such as angular information from the received signal. This information can be used to allow the adaptive nuller 123 to further optimize the IM interference eliminating signal.

In this embodiment, the IM interference eliminator 120 further comprises an adaptive nuller 123 coupled between the receiving antenna 122 and the filter 130. Signal processor 121 generates control signals for the adaptive nuller 123, the filter 130, and the attenuator 126. These control signals allow adjustment of the adaptive nuller 123, filter 130, and attenuator 126 in any combination to optimally reject any unwanted signals received by the receiving antenna 122, and to transmit the optimum IM interference eliminating signal via the transmitting antenna 128. These adjustments may be performed once, on a periodic basis, continuously, or automatically or upon command from the CDMA cell sites 100 or other command sources. Further, this process may be implemented by a variety of techniques. For example, the signal processor 121 may be an analog power measurement device which supplies a voltage or current proportioned to the measured power to the filter 130 and/or antennae 122, 134. Or, the signal processor 121, filter 130, and attenuator 126 may be individually or all digitally implemented in a microprocessor or computer. All of these embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in one embodiment, the signal processor 121 measures the power and spectral content of the signal from the AMPS cell site 102, and adjusts the bandpass characteristics of the filter 130 to remove these components before low noise amplification. In another embodiment, the attenuation of the attenuator 126 is selected according to the power and spectral content of the AMPS cell site 102 signal. To optimize the IM interference eliminating signal, both the attenuation of the attenuator 126 and the characteristics of the filter 130 may be adjusted according to commands from the signal processor 121.

FIG. 4 presents another embodiment of the present invention, incorporating a trigger 136 coupled between the signal processor 121 and the amplifier 124. The trigger 136 detects whether an active CDMA forward channel signal has been received by the IM interference eliminator 120. If a signal has been received, the trigger sends a command signal to enable the amplifier 124. This prevents the IM interference eliminator 120 from transmitting signals when no input f.sub.1 ' is found or amplification is not required, thereby saving power and preventing unwanted interference. This feature is particularly useful for solar or battery powered devices which are implemented in remote locations. Different triggering schemes are employed depending on the needs of the particular installation. In one embodiment, trigger 136 enables the amplifier 124 when the trigger detects a CDMA signal of a minimum amplitude or power threshold. In another embodiment, trigger 136 enables the amplifier only when the forward channel CDMA signal is above the noise floor, but below a threshold amplitude or power value. This embodiment prevents operation of the IM interference eliminator 120 in situations where the CDMA forward channel signal is of sufficient amplitude that no intermodulation distortion is expected to be created in CDMA handheld cellphone 106 or CDMA mobile cellphone 104. Trigger 136 can also enable the amplifier when the CDMA forward channel amplitude is between a minimum and a maximum threshold value or when a nearby AMPS signal is detected, and can be used with the signal processor 121 to implement other triggering schemes.

FIG. 5 presents a flowchart describing a method of reducing IM interference. The process begins in block 200 by receiving the CDMA signal from the CDMA cell site 100. This signal processed in block 203 to pass only forward channel signals and reject reverse channel signals. As shown in block 204, if no CDMA forward channel signal is received, IM interference eliminating operation is not required, and the process ends, without activating the amplifier 124. If a CDMA forward channel signal is received and IM interference eliminating is required, the process continues.

If filtering of the signal is not desired 205, the signal is amplified, as depicted in block 206. Thereafter, if no attenuation is desired, the amplified CDMA signal is transmitted to the CDMA mobile 104 or handheld 106 cellphones, as depicted in block 214.

If filtering of the signal is desired, the desired filtering characteristic is determined and applied as shown in blocks 216, 218, and 220. Filtering may be based on measured values, as depicted in blocks 220 and 218, or on other selected criteria, which may be pre-selected or controlled from an external source.

If attenuation of the signal is desired 207, the attenuation value is determined and applied as depicted in blocks 208, 222, and 210. If the desired attenuation is based on measured values, whether of the AMPS or other external signal, the selected value is measured and the attenuation value derived therefrom is applied to the signal, as depicted in blocks 222 and 210, respectively. The attenuation value may be selected from other criteria, such as the distance from the IM interference eliminator 120 to the AMPS cell site 102. In these cases, the attenuation value is simply applied to the signal.

The present invention describes a wideband wireless device which reduces or mitigates intersystem interference. While the present invention has been described with respect to reduction of IM interference in CDMA systems, it will be noted by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied to any wireless communication system, including Group of Special Mobiles (GSM), Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), Total Access Communication System (TACS), Americal Digital Cellular (ADC), including North American TDMA (ND-TDMA) and North American CDMA (NA-CDMA) and others, as long as the undesired signal may overload the mobile units and cause IM interference. The IM interference eliminator can be applied to different frequencies and other systems as well, such as Personal Communications Service (PCS), and Digital European Cordless Telecommunication Systems (DECT).

3. Conclusion

This concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. In summary, the present invention describes an apparatus for reducing interference between a first signal received and a second signal transmitted by a foreign or external wireless transceiver. The apparatus comprises a first antenna for receiving the first signal, an interference eliminator, and a second antenna. The interference eliminator comprises filter optimally controlled by a signal processor to eliminate foreign (AMPS) signals, an amplifier and an attenuator. In one embodiment, the invention also comprises an adjustable attenuator. The present invention also describes a method of reducing intermodulation interference in a wireless receiver, comprising the steps of receiving a first signal, amplifying the first signal, attenuating the amplified first signal, and transmitting the attenuated signal from a second antenna to the wireless transceiver.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.