Electricity: measuring and testing – Impedance – admittance or other quantities representative of... – Distributive type parameters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-07
2002-04-30
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Impedance, admittance or other quantities representative of...
Distributive type parameters
C324S646000, C343S703000, C343S876000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380748
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and method for diagnosing antennas using switches, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for diagnosing antennas using switches, wherein a system is configured in such a manner that a plurality of switches determine a data flow of a signal for test, so that the antenna diagnosing apparatus can be simplified in circuitry construction and accurately diagnose the performance of the antennas without being subject to any error.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
is a functional block diagram showing the construction of a conventional antenna diagnosing apparatus. As shown in this drawing, the conventional antenna diagnosing apparatus comprises a key input unit
1
, controller
2
, transmission/reception block
3
, first 4-port directional coupler
4
, transmission/reception antenna
5
, switch
6
, first comparator
7
, first amplifier
8
, second 4-port directional coupler
9
, third 4-port directional coupler
10
, reception dedicated antenna
11
, second amplifier
12
, third amplifier
13
and second comparator
14
.
The operation of the conventional antenna diagnosing apparatus with the above-mentioned construction will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG.
1
.
First, if the user selects a transmission/reception antenna test mode through the key input unit
1
, then the controller
2
outputs a switch control signal to the switch
6
such that a terminal a of the switch
6
is connected to a terminal b thereof. The controller
2
further outputs a transmission control signal to the transmission/reception block
3
. In response to the transmission control signal from the controller
2
, the transmission/reception block
3
outputs a radio frequency (referred to hereinafter as “RF”) signal for test to the transmission/reception antenna
5
. At this time, the first 4-port directional coupler
4
sets up a first path along which the test RF signal from the transmission/reception block
3
is transferred to the first comparator
7
through the transmission/reception antenna
5
and a second path along which the test RF signal from the transmission/reception block
3
is transferred to the first comparator
7
directly, not through the transmission/reception antenna
5
. Then, the first comparator
7
compares the level of the test RF signal returned via the transmission/reception antenna
5
with that of the test RF signal returned directly, not via the transmission/reception antenna
5
, to measure a standing wave ratio of the transmission/reception antenna
5
, which is used to diagnose a faulty state of the transmission/reception antenna
5
. Herein, the standing wave ratio of the antenna signifies a ratio of the level of an RF signal transmitted through the antenna to the level of an RF signal not transmitted through the antenna but reflected into the system. As a result, the state of the antenna can be diagnosed on the basis of the standing wave ratio of the antenna.
On the other hand, if the user selects a reception dedicated antenna test mode through the key input unit
1
, then the controller
2
outputs a switch control signal to the switch
6
such that the terminal a of the switch
6
is connected to a terminal c thereof. The controller
2
further outputs a transmission control signal to the transmission/reception block
3
. In response to the transmission control signal from the controller
2
, the transmission/reception block
3
outputs an RF signal for test to the reception dedicated antenna
11
. At this time, the first 4-port directional coupler
4
and second 4-port directional coupler
9
cooperate to set up a path along which the test RF signal from the transmission/reception block
3
is transferred only to the reception dedicated antenna
Upon receiving the test RF signal from the transmission/reception block
3
via the first 4-port directional coupler
4
and switch
6
, the first amplifier
8
amplifies the received test RF signal to a predetermined level and then outputs the amplified test RF signal to the reception dedicated antenna
11
. At this time, the third 4-port directional coupler
10
sets up a first path along which the amplified test RF signal from the first amplifier
8
is transferred to the second comparator
14
through the reception dedicated antenna
11
and a second path along which the amplified test RF signal from the first amplifier
8
is transferred to the second comparator
14
directly, not through the reception dedicated antenna
11
. The second amplifier
12
amplifies the test RF signal returned via the reception dedicated antenna
11
to a predetermined level and then outputs the amplified test RF signal to the second comparator
14
. The third amplifier
13
amplifies the test RF signal returned directly, not via the reception dedicated antenna
11
, to a predetermined level and then outputs the amplified test RF signal to the second comparator
14
. Then, the second comparator
14
compares the level of the amplified test RF signal from the second amplifier
12
with that of the amplified test RF signal from the third amplifier
13
and measures a standing wave ratio of the reception dedicated antenna
11
in accordance with the compared result. Accordingly, a faulty operation of the reception dedicated antenna
11
is diagnosed on the basis of the measured standing wave ratio.
However, the above-described conventional antenna diagnosing apparatus is disadvantageous in that additional components such as a plurality of 4-port directional couplers and a plurality of amplifiers are used to implement a system, resulting in a complexity in circuitry construction and an increase in manufacturing cost. Further, there is a high possibility that data errors will occur when a plurality of 4-port directional couplers determine the flow of a test RF signal, thereby making it impossible to accurately measure a standing wave ratio of an antenna.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for diagnosing antennas using switches, wherein a system is configured in such a manner that a plurality of switches determine a data flow of a signal for test, thereby allowing the antenna diagnosing apparatus to be so simplified in circuitry construction that it can be easy to manufacture at low cost, and to accurately measure standing wave ratios of the antennas without being subject to any error, so as to accurately diagnose the performance of the antennae.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by a provision of an apparatus for diagnosing states of a transmission/reception antenna and a reception dedicated antenna using first to third switches, comprising key input means for generating a transmission/reception antenna test mode signal or reception dedicated antenna test mode signal if the user selects a transmission/reception antenna test mode or reception dedicated antenna test mode to diagnose the state of the transmission/reception antenna or reception dedicated antenna; control means for generating an oscillator operation control signal and a first test mode switching control signal in response to the transmission/reception antenna test mode signal from the key input means and the oscillator operation control signal and a second test mode switching control signal in response to the reception dedicated antenna test mode signal from the key input means, respectively; standing wave ratio detection means for generating a radio frequency signal for test to the transmission/reception antenna or reception dedicated antenna in response to the oscillator operation control signal from the control means, comparing the level of the test radio frequency signal returned via the transmission/reception antenna or reception dedicated antenna with a reference radio frequency power level, measuring a standing wave ratio of the
Hong Seok Jun
Hur Churl
Kang Min Soo
Song Yang Seok
Hyundai Electronics Industries Co,. Ltd.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Nguyen Vincent Q.
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