Patent ID: 6529715
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: H03F

Abstract:
In a wireless communications system operable to transmit modulated carrier signals from a base station to served wireless stations, a method for grouping carriers into one or more subsets of available carriers in said system to effect a reduction in a number of transmitting antennas required for said system, said method comprising the steps of:selecting a first subset of carriers to include at least two of said available carriers; combining modulated carrier signals corresponding to said selected subset of carriers into a single RF signal stream; dividing that single RF signal stream among inputs of a plurality of RF power amplifiers; causing output signals from said plurality of RF power amplifiers to be combined into one amplified RF signal; bandpass filtering said one amplified RF signal; and applying said filtered signal to a transmitting antenna; selecting at least one additional subset of carriers to include at least one of said available carriers remaining after selection of said first subset of carriers; iteratively repeating said combining, said dividing, said causing and said filtering steps for said at least one additional subset and applying an output of said filtering step to said transmitting antenna.