Antenna Control Device, Reception Device, And Antenna Control Method

• US 20110001667A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanafusa, Sumio, Matsumura, Kohji
• Application Number:
  US12/865,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/374
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/32 the primary active element being end-fed and elongated
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

A reception device includes: a variable-directivity antenna; an antenna amplifier which amplifies a signal inputted from the variable-directivity antenna; a regulator which supplies DC power to the antenna amplifier; a full wave rectification unit which supplies the DC power to the regulator; a signal line; a DC power source; and a switching unit which switches connection with the DC power source. DC voltage is applied to the DC power source by the signal line so as to control the directivity of the variable-directivity antenna. Moreover, the DC power is supplied to the regulator via the full wave rectification unit. When the connection of the switching unit is switched, the DC voltage supplied to the variable-directivity antenna is reversed between positive and negative voltage but the DC voltage supplied to the regulator is not reversed.

Claims

1. An antenna control device for a communication device that includes:

an antenna portion that has an antenna which performs radio communication of a signal; and

a signal conversion portion that is connected to the antenna portion via a signal line and converts a signal;

the antenna control device comprising;

a direct-current power supply that is disposed in the signal conversion portion and supplies a direct-current voltage;

a switch portion that is disposed in the signal conversion portion and switches connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line, thereby applying a direct-current voltage that has either voltage value of a first positive voltage value and a second negative voltage value to the signal line; and

an antenna switch portion that is disposed in the antenna portion and switches a characteristic of the antenna;

wherein based on a voltage value of the direct-current voltage applied to the signal line, the antenna switch portion switches the characteristic of the antenna.

2. A reception device including:

an antenna portion that has an antenna which receives a signal; and

a demodulation portion that is connected to the antenna portion via a signal line and demodulates an input signal;

the reception device comprising;

a direct-current power supply that is disposed in the demodulation portion and supplies a direct-current voltage;

a switch portion that is disposed in the demodulation portion and switches connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line, thereby applying a direct-current voltage that has either voltage value of a first positive voltage value and a second negative voltage value to the signal line; and

an antenna switch portion that is disposed in the antenna portion and switches a characteristic of the antenna;

wherein based on a voltage value of the direct-current voltage applied to the signal line, the antenna switch portion switches the characteristic of the antenna.

3. The reception device according to claim 2, further comprising;

an antenna amplifier that is disposed in the antenna portion and amplifies a signal input into the antenna; and

a full-wave rectification portion that is disposed in the antenna portion, applies full-wave rectification to the direct-current voltage applied to and input into the signal line, thereby generating a direct-current voltage that is supplied to the antenna amplifier.

4. The reception device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna switch portion switches directivity of the antenna in a reception direction.

5. The reception device according to claim 4, wherein the antenna includes:

at least two parasitic elements whose one end is grounded; and

an electric-power reception element that is disposed between the parasitic elements and inputs a received signal into the demodulation portion via the signal line; and

the antenna switch portion includes a variable-reactance element which is disposed in each of the parasitic elements and whose reactance to a received signal is variable;

wherein the reactance of the variable-reactance element is decided based on the voltage value of the direct-current voltage applied to the signal line.

6. The reception device according to claim 5, wherein

the variable-reactance element is a varactor diode;

an anode of one of the varactor diodes is so disposed as to be situated on a one-end side of the parasitic element that is grounded;

a cathode of one of the other of the varactor diodes is so disposed as to be situated on a one-end side of the parasitic element that is grounded;

a capacitor is disposed between the varactor diode and the grounded one end of the parasitic element; and

the direct-current voltage applied to the signal line is applied across the varactor diode of the parasitic element and the capacitor.

7. The reception device according to claim 2, wherein based on the signal processed by the demodulation portion, the switch portion switches the connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line.

8. The reception device according to claim 2, wherein the signal line is a feeder line that includes two conductive lines.

10. The reception device according to claim 3, wherein based on the signal processed by the demodulation portion, the switch portion switches the connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line.

11. The reception device according to claim 4, wherein based on the signal processed by the demodulation portion, the switch portion switches the connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line.

12. The reception device according to claim 5, wherein based on the signal processed by the demodulation portion, the switch portion switches the connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line.

13. The reception device according to claim 6, wherein based on the signal processed by the demodulation portion, the switch portion switches the connection between the direct-current power supply and the signal line.

14. The reception device according to claim 3, wherein the signal line is a feeder line that includes two conductive lines.

15. The reception device according to claim 4, wherein the signal line is a feeder line that includes two conductive lines.

16. The reception device according to claim 5, wherein the signal line is a feeder line that includes two conductive lines.

17. The reception device according to claim 6, wherein the signal line is a feeder line that includes two conductive lines.

9. An antenna control method for a communication device that includes an antenna portion that has an antenna which performs radio communication of a signal;

and a signal conversion portion that is connected to the antenna portion via a signal line and converts a signal;

the antenna control method comprising the steps for;

applying a direct-current voltage that has either voltage value of a first positive voltage value and a second negative voltage value to the signal line; and

controlling a characteristic of the antenna based on a voltage value of the direct-current voltage applied to the signal line.