Method and apparatus for receiving digital television signals using space diversity and beam-forming

• US 20050024540A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Min-Ho, Moon, Sung-Hoon, Oh, Hae-Sock, Han, Dong-Seog
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/614
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0851 using training sequences or error signal minimizing error signal H04B7/0854
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/211 Ghost signal cancellation H04N23/81 takes precedence

Abstract

A receiver that receives radio signals, and a method for the same. The radio signals may be received by a plurality of antennas and then demodulated by respective converter devices, an estimated channel device estimates a channel for at least one antenna and at least one beam-forming device performs beam-forming on a selected main path signal from among the demodulated incident data signals. The output signals from the at least one beam-forming device are combined. The method of receiving the incident data signals may be accomplished by using space diversity.

Claims

1. A method of receiving digital TV signals, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of incident data signals at a plurality of antennas;

demodulating the incident data signals;

estimating a channel for at least one antenna in response to the demodulated incident data signals;

selecting a main path signal from among the demodulated incident data signals and performing beam-forming on the selected main path signal; and

combining the beam-formed selected main path signal with the demodulated incident data signals to form an output signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing at least one multi-path signal included in the combined output signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an incident data signal includes the main path signal and a plurality of multi-path signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating is performed based on the output signal of at least one beam-former.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating is performed using a field synchronization signal of a data frame contained in each of the demodulated incident data signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the main path signal is selected as a result of comparing at least one level of the demodulated incident data signals with a reference level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein beam-forming is performed using a training sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining used to form the output signal comprises:

delaying at least one demodulated incident data signal by a corresponding delay time; and

combining the delayed at least one demodulated incident data signal with the beam-formed selected main path signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining used to form the output signal is performed using at least one of selective combining, maximal ratio combining, equal gain combining, and feedback combining.

7. The method of 1, wherein beam-forming is performed based on a field synchronization signal of a data frame of the selected main path signal.

11. A method of receiving radio signals, the method comprising:

receiving incident data signals using space diversity;

demodulating the incident data signals;

estimating a channel for each of a plurality of beam-formers using the demodulated incident data signals and output signals of the plurality of beam-formers;

selecting a main path signal from among the demodulated incident data signals, applying a weight to the selected main path signal, and performing beam-forming on the selected main path signal; and

delaying each of the output signals of the plurality of beam-formers by a delay time and combining the delayed output signals.

12. A receiver including a plurality of beam-formers, the receiver comprising:

a plurality of converters, each of which converts radio signals received through a corresponding plurality of antennas, into baseband signals;

a channel estimator, which receives an output of the plurality of converters and an output of the beam-formers, estimates a channel for each of the corresponding plurality of antennas, and outputs control signals; and

at least one controller, which receives the output signals of the beam-formers, and delays each of the output signals of the beam-formers by a delay time in response to a corresponding control signal, and outputs the delayed output signals; and

an adder, which combines the output signals of the at least one controller.

13. The receiver of claim 12, wherein the channel estimator estimates the channel using a field synchronization signal of a data frame contained in each of the output signals of the plurality of beam-formers and output signals of the plurality of converters.

14. The receiver of claim 12 further comprising an equalizer which receives an output signal of the adder and removes multi-path signals to form the radio signals.

15. The receiver of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of beam-formers comprises:

a storing circuit, which stores weights;

an adder, which sums output signals of the storing circuit;

a memory device, which stores a training sequence;

a subtractor, which calculates a difference between the training sequence output from the memory device and an output signal of the adder; and

an adaptive weight controller, which independently controls each of the weights in response to the output signal of the subtractor.

16. The receiver of claim 12, wherein each of the beam-formers performs beam-forming in response to a field synchronization signal of a data frame contained in each of the radio signals.

17. The receiver of claim 14, wherein the equalizer removes the multi-path signals during a payload data period of a data frame contained in each of the radio signals.

18. A receiver for receiving radio signals, the receiver comprising:

a converter, which converts the radio signals received through an antenna array into baseband signals and outputs the baseband signals;

a plurality of beam-formers, each of which receives the baseband signals of the converter and output signals based on the received baseband signals;

a channel estimator, which receives the output baseband signals of the converter and the output signals of each of the plurality of beam-formers and estimates a channel for each of the radio signals;

a control circuit, which receives the output signals of each of the plurality of beam-formers and independently controls a delay time of each of the output signals of the plurality of beam-formers based on channel estimation results of the channel estimator; and

an adder, which combines output signals of the control circuit.

19. The receiver of claim 18 further comprising an equalizer which receives an output signal of the adder and removes multi-path signals to form the radio signals.

20. A receiver comprising:

a plurality of beam-formers, each of which performs beam-forming on a selected main path signal selected from a plurality of demodulated incident signals received and sent through an estimated channel; and

an equalizer that removes multi-path signals from the received demodulated incident signals;

wherein each of the plurality of beam-formers performs beam-forming in response to a field synchronization signal of a data frame of the main path signal, and the equalizer removes the multi-path signals during a payload data period of a data frame contained in each of the multi-path signals.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one beam-forming device configured to receive a plurality of demodulated incident data signals, and select a main path signal having a better channel characteristic from among the plurality of demodulated incident data signals, and perform beam-forming on the main path signal.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a channel estimator device configured to receive a plurality of demodulated incident data signals, from a plurality of antennas, and at least one output signal from at least one beam-forming device, and estimate a channel for at least one of said plurality of antennas, and send a control signal to a control circuit coupled to the at least one beam-forming device, said control signal including at least one of timing and gain information.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a channel estimator device configured to receive a plurality of demodulated incident data signals, from a plurality of antennas, and at least one output signal from at least one beam-forming device, and estimate a channel for at least one of said plurality of antennas, and send a control signal to a control circuit coupled to the at least one beam-forming device, said control signal including at least one of timing and gain information;

the at least one beam-forming device configured to receive said plurality of demodulated incident data signals, and select a main path signal having a better channel characteristic from among the plurality of demodulated incident data signals and perform beam-forming on said main path signal.