Radio receiving apparatus and method

• US 20050163270A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Kuniaki, Tsujimura, Akihiro, Sato, Kazumi, Akita, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas

Abstract

Radio receiving apparatus comprises antennas, radio units adjusting gains of received signals, and outputting the adjusted received signals, respectively, converters converting the adjusted received signals into digital signals, selector device which selects several of the digital signals, combination of the selected digital signals exhibiting good receiving characteristic, controller which determines the gains and outputs single control signal included in information of the determined gains to certain radio units, the certain radio units being included in the radio units and connected to certain converters of the converters which output digital signals included in the selected combination, weight calculator which calculates weight for each of the selected digital signals to enhance the receiving characteristic if the controller outputs the single control signal, synthesizer which synthesizes, into synthetic digital signal, digital signals obtained by multiplying each of the selected digital signals by the weight, and demodulator which demodulates the synthetic digital signal.

Claims

1. A radio receiving apparatus comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of radio units adjusting gains of received signals output from the antennas, and outputting the adjusted received signals, respectively;

a plurality of converters converting the adjusted received signals into a plurality of digital signals;

a selector device which selects several of the digital signals, a combination of the selected digital signals exhibiting a good receiving characteristic;

a controller which determines the gains and outputs a single control signal included in information of the determined gains to certain radio units, the certain radio units being included in the radio units and connected to certain converters of the converters which output digital signals included in the selected combination;

a weight calculator which calculates a weight for each of the selected digital signals to enhance the receiving characteristic if the controller outputs the single control signal;

a synthesizer which synthesizes, into a synthetic digital signal, a plurality of digital signals obtained by multiplying each of the selected digital signals by the weight; and

a demodulator which demodulates the synthetic digital signal.

2. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector device includes:

a measuring unit configured to measure a power value of each of the digital signals; and

a selection unit configured to select, based on the power value, several of the digital signals, form the combination, estimate a signal-to-noise ratio of a synthetic signal obtained by synthesizing the digital signals, and select the combination which exhibits a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

3. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit includes:

a first estimation unit configured to estimate signal-to-noise ratios of the digital signals, based on the power value;

a formation unit configured to form the combination;

a second estimation unit configured to estimate the signal-to-noise ratio, based on the estimated signal-to-noise ratios; and

a sub selection unit configured to select the combination which includes a plurality of digital signals for exhibiting a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the formation unit forms the combination including number of the digital signals with values other than 0.

5. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first estimation unit includes:

a storage which stores a plurality of signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to a plurality of power values which the digital signals have; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a power value of each of the digital signals, acquire, from the storage, a signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to the power value if the storage stores a value corresponding to the power value, and acquire the signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to the power value by interpolation if the storage fails to store the value corresponding to the power value.

6. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit includes:

a determining unit configured to determine a power region to which the power value of each of the digital signals belongs, the power region being included in a plurality of power regions of a power range;

a count unit configured to count a plurality of digital signals belonging to each of the power regions to obtain number of the digital signals, assign each of weights to the power regions, and multiply the number of the digital signals by a corresponding weight to provide the multiplication result as a signal concentration for each of the power regions; and

a sub selection unit configured to select the combination of the digital signals which includes a digital signal belonging to a region which has a maximum one of signal concentrations provided for the power regions.

7. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit includes:

a first extraction unit configured to extract all combinations of two digital signals from the digital signals to calculate a power difference of the two digital signals included in each of the combinations; and

a second extraction unit configured to extract, from all the combinations, a combination of two digital signals having a smallest power difference, and select the extracted combination and at least one of digital signals having power values falling within a power range which includes power values of the two digital signals included in the extracted combination.

8. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector device includes:

an extraction unit configured to extract all combinations of two digital signals from the digital signals to calculate a correlation value of the two digital signals included in each of the combinations; and

a calculator which calculates an average of correlation values calculated between all the combinations, selects, based on the average, several of the digital signals, forms a plurality of combinations of the selected digital signals, and selects one of the formed combinations.

9. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the calculator selects a combination of digital signals which make the average maximum, if the weight calculator calculates the weight for each of the selected digital signals, the synthetic digital signal of the selected digital signals having a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

10. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the calculator selects combinations of digital signals which make the average minimum, if the weight calculator calculates the weight for each of the selected digital signals, the synthetic digital signal which of the selected digital signals having a maximum signal-to-interference ratio.

11. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of power values of the digital signals included in the selected combination;

a determination unit configured to determine a maximum power value included in the measured power values and a digital signal which have the maximum power value; and

a generator which generates the single control signal for adjusting a plurality of amplitudes of received signals output from several of the radio units, the received signal corresponding to the maximum power value being converted into a digital signal by a corresponding one of the converters, the generator outputting the single control signal to the radio units.

12. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of power values of the digital signals included in the selected combination;

a calculator which calculates an average of the measured power values; and

a generator which generates the single control signal included in information of a plurality of amplitudes of received signals output from several of the radio units, a magnitude of the amplitude corresponding to a magnitude of the average, the received signals being converted into a plurality of digital signals by corresponding converters, the generator outputting the single control signal to the radio units.

13. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight calculator includes:

a first acquisition unit configured to acquire the digital signals, the first acquisition unit outputting zero signals corresponding to several of the acquired digital signals which fails to be included in the selected combination, the first acquisition unit outputting the digital signals which are included in the selected combination; and

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the zero signals and the digital signals output from the first acquisition unit, and calculate a weight for each of the digital signals.

14. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight calculator includes:

a plurality of calculators which differ in number of digital signals for which weights are calculated;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the selected combination, detect number of the digital signals included in the selected combination, select one of the calculators which corresponds to the detected number, and output the selected combination to the selected calculator; and

a selection unit configured to select one of the calculators which corresponds to the number of the digital signals included in the selected combination, and output a plurality of weights for the digital signals included in the selected combination.

15. A radio receiving apparatus comprising:

n (n;

a natural number not less than

     2) adjustment units configured to adjust each of gains of n signals received via n antennas, and output the received signals, respectively;

n converters which convert the n received signals into n digital signals;

a selector device which selects several of the n digital signals a combination of the selected digital signals exhibiting a good receiving characteristic;

a controller which determines the gains and outputs a single control signal included in information of the determined gains to certain adjustment units, the certain adjustment units being included in the adjustment units and connected to certain converters of the converters which output digital signals included in the selected combination;

a weight calculator which calculates a weight for each of the selected digital signals to enhance the receiving characteristic if the controller outputs the single control signal;

a synthesizer which synthesizes, into a synthetic digital signal, a plurality of digital signals obtained by multiplying each of the digital signals by the weight; and

a demodulator which demodulates the synthetic digital signal.

16. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the selector device includes:

n measuring units configured to measure power values of n digital signals; and

a selection unit configured to select, based on the power values, several of n digital signals, form the combination, estimate a signal-to-noise ratio of a synthetic signal obtained by synthesizing the digital signals, and select the combination which exhibits a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

17. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the selector device includes:

an extraction unit configured to extract all combinations of two digital signals from the n digital signals to calculate a correlation value of the two digital signals included in each of the combinations; and

a calculator which calculates an average of correlation values calculated between all the combinations, selects, based on the average, several of the n digital signals, forms a plurality of combinations of the selected digital signals, and selects one of the formed combinations.

18. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller includes:

a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of power values of the digital signals included in the selected combination;

a determination unit configured to determine a maximum power value included in the measured power values and a digital signal which have the maximum power value; and

a generator which generates the single control signal for adjusting a plurality of amplitudes of received signals output from several of the radio units, the received signal corresponding to the maximum power value being converted into a digital signal by a corresponding one of the converters, the generator outputting the single control signal to the n adjustment units.

19. The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the weight calculator includes:

a first acquisition unit configured to acquire the n digital signals, the first acquisition unit outputting zero signals corresponding to several of the n acquired digital signals which fails to be included in the selected combination, the first acquisition unit outputting the n digital signals which are included in the selected combination; and

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the zero signals and the digital signals output from the first acquisition unit, and calculate a weight for each of the digital signals.

20. A radio receiving method comprising:

adjusting each of gains of n (n;

a natural number not less than

     2) signals received via n antennas, and outputting the received signals, respectively;

converting the n received signals into n digital signals;

selecting several of the n digital signals a combination of the selected digital signals exhibiting a good receiving characteristic;

determining the gains and outputting a single control signal included in information of the determined gains of the received signals which are converted into digital signals included in the selected combination;

calculating a weight for each of the selected digital signals to enhance the receiving characteristic if the single control signal is output;

synthesizing, into a synthetic digital signal, a plurality of digital signals obtained by multiplying each of the digital signals by the weight; and

demodulating the synthetic digital signal.