Software defined radio and radio system

• US 20020144134A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Koji, Suzuki, Hideya
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/191
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

In order to provide a software defined radio and an approval system of a radio which can flexibly cope with specification alteration, a software defined radio includes a storage for holding transmission and reception characteristic information serving as a specification criterion; and a control unit for comparing a measured value obtained from a measurement circuit with the information of the specification criterion and conducting setting of the radio so as to satisfy the specification.

Claims

1. A software defined radio including a base band unit and a radio frequency unit preset so as to satisfy a first specification criterion prescribing a first transmission and reception characteristic, and said software defined radio conducting data transmission and reception by using an antenna, said software defined radio comprising:

a storage for holding information concerning a second specification criterion, said second specification criterion prescribing a second transmission and reception characteristic different from said first transmission and reception characteristic; and

a control unit for conducting alteration on setting of said base band unit and said radio frequency unit so as to satisfy said second specification criterion, based on said information concerning said second specification criterion.

2. A software defined radio according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement circuit for the transmission and reception characteristic, and

wherein said control unit compares a measured value obtained from said measurement circuit with information concerning said second specification criterion, and conducts alteration on the setting of said base band unit and said radio frequency unit so as to satisfy said second specification criterion.

3. A software defined radio according to claim 2, further comprising:

a switch connected to said antenna, said radio frequency unit, and said measurement circuit, and

wherein when said measurement circuit measures the transmission and reception characteristic, said switch disconnects said radio frequency unit from said antenna and connects said radio frequency unit to said measurement circuit so as to transmit transmission data to said measurement circuit.

4. A software defined radio according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface,

wherein if said control unit cannot conduct alteration on the setting of said base band unit and said radio frequency unit so as to satisfy said second specification criterion, said control unit displays a message to that effect on said user interface.

5. A software defined radio according to claim 4,

wherein if said control unit cannot conduct alteration on the setting of said base band unit and said radio frequency unit so as to satisfy said second specification criterion, said control unit conducts control for suppressing radio wave transmission.

6. A software defined radio according to claim 4, further comprising:

a storage for holding software describing a specification previously confirmed to make communication possible,

wherein if said control unit cannot conduct alteration on the setting of said base band unit and said radio frequency unit so as to satisfy said second specification criterion, said control unit sets said specification described in said software, in said base band unit and said radio frequency unit.

7. A software defined radio according to claim 1, wherein

said radio frequency unit comprises an amplifier or an attenuator, and

said control unit sets an amplification factor or an attenuation factor respectively in said amplifier or attenuator so as to attain at most a transmission power prescribed by said second specification criterion.

8. A software defined radio according to claim 1, wherein

said base band unit comprises a transmission filter, and

said control unit sets a characteristic of said transmission filter so as to attain at most an occupied bandwidth prescribed by said second specification criterion.

9. A method for delivering software to a radio, said software including transmission and reception characteristic information and a control program for controlling a radio so as to satisfy said transmission and reception characteristic information, said method comprising the steps of:

adding information for detecting falsification to said software; and

encrypting and delivering said software with said information for detecting falsification added thereto.

10. A method for delivering software according to claim 9, wherein said method comprises in said radio the steps of:

decoding said encrypted software; and

inspecting whether said software is falsified, by using said information for detecting falsification.

11. A method for delivering software according to claim 9, wherein

said information for detecting falsification is a cyclic redundancy check code.

13. A software defined radio according to claim 12, wherein

said information for detecting falsification is a cyclic redundancy check code.

15. A server according to claim 14, wherein

said information for detecting falsification is a cyclic redundancy check code.

12. A software defined radio, comprising:

means for decoding data obtained by encrypting software with information for detecting falsification added thereto, said software including transmission and reception characteristic information and a control program for controlling said radio so as to satisfy said transmission and reception characteristic information; and

means for inspecting whether said software is falsified, by using said information for detecting falsification

14. A server for delivering software to a radio in a wireless form, said software including transmission and reception characteristic information and a control program for controlling said radio so as to satisfy said transmission and reception characteristic information, said server comprising:

means for adding information for detecting falsification to said software;

means for encrypting said software with said information for detecting falsification added thereto; and

means for transmitting said encrypted software to said radio.

16. A method for delivering software held in a server to a radio, wherein

said server holds a plurality of pieces of software including transmission and reception characteristic information serving as a specification, and a control program for controlling said radio so as to satisfy said transmission and reception characteristic information, and

said server holds, for each software of a plurality of pieces of software, information indicating which specification the software corresponds to, and information concerning a type of said radio in which an approval inspection of the software was conducted, and

said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a download request of software from said radio, said type and the specification of said radio being specified in said request;

selecting software corresponding to said type and said specification from said plurality of pieces of software; and

transmitting said selected software to said radio.

17. A method for downloading software held in a server to a radio in order to alter a specification of said radio, said software including transmission and reception characteristic information and a control program for controlling said radio so as to satisfy said transmission and reception characteristic information, said method comprises in said radio the steps of:

receiving a list of pieces of software which can be downloaded from said server, said list including information indicating which specification the software corresponds to, and information concerning a type of said radio in which an approval inspection of the software was conducted;

selecting software conforming to the specification to be implemented after alteration and the type of the own radio from said list; and

requesting downloading of said selected software from said server.