Wireless transmission system, wireless communication device, and wireless communication method

• US 20110051780A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KAWASAKI, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/04 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/122 using digital generation of carrier signals digital function generators G06F1/02, H04L17/10; generating pulses having stepped portions using digital techniques H03K4/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/20 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/365 Modulation using digital generation of the modulated carrier (not including modulation of a digitally generated carrier)

Abstract

A wireless transmission system includes: a communication unit for transmission; and a communication unit for reception. The communication units for transmission and reception are housed in a housing of the same electronic apparatus, or the communication unit for transmission is housed in a housing of first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception is housed in a housing of second electronic apparatus and a wireless signal transmission path enabling wireless information transmission between the communication units is formed between the communication units when the first and the second electronic apparatus are disposed at given positions to be integrated with each other. The communication unit for transmission includes a first carrier signal generating unit and a first frequency converter, and the communication unit for reception includes a second carrier signal generating unit, and a second frequency converter.

Claims

1. A wireless transmission system comprising:

a communication unit for transmission; and

a communication unit for reception, wherein

the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception are housed in a housing of the same electronic apparatus, or the communication unit for transmission is housed in a housing of first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception is housed in a housing of second electronic apparatus and a wireless signal transmission path enabling wireless information transmission between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception is formed between the communication unit for transmission in the first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception in the second electronic apparatus when the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus are disposed at given positions to be integrated with each other,

the communication unit for transmission includes

a first carrier signal generating unit configured to generate a modulation carrier signal, and

a first frequency converter configured to carry out frequency conversion of a transmission-subject signal by a modulation carrier signal generated by the first carrier signal generating unit to generate a modulated signal, and the communication unit for transmission sends out the modulated signal to the wireless signal transmission path, and

the communication unit for reception includes

a second carrier signal generating unit configured to generate a demodulation carrier signal locked with a modulation carrier signal generated by the first carrier signal generating unit through injection of a signal received via the wireless signal transmission path to the second carrier signal generating unit, and

a second frequency converter configured to carry out frequency conversion of a modulated signal received via the wireless signal transmission path by a demodulation carrier signal generated by the second carrier signal generating unit.

2. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit for transmission includes

a reference carrier signal processor configured to acquire a reference carrier signal contributing to generation of the demodulation carrier signal locked with the modulation carrier signal and send out the reference carrier signal to the wireless signal transmission path, and

the second carrier signal generating unit generates the demodulation carrier signal through injection of the reference carrier signal received via the wireless signal transmission path to the second carrier signal generating unit.

3. The wireless transmission system according to claim 2, wherein

the reference carrier signal generating unit carries the reference carrier signal on a phase axis different from a modulation axis on which the transmission-subject signal of a modulated signal output from the first frequency converter is carried.

4. The wireless transmission system according to claim 2, wherein

the second carrier signal generating unit includes:

a reception-side local oscillator configured to generate an output signal locked with the reference carrier signal injected to the reception-side local oscillator; and

a phase adjuster configured to carry out phase adjustment so that a phase of the demodulation carrier signal that is based on an output signal generated by the reception-side local oscillator and is input to the second frequency converter corresponds with a phase of a modulated signal input to the second frequency converter.

5. The wireless transmission system according to claim 4, wherein

the phase adjuster adjusts a phase of an injection-locked output signal of the reception-side local oscillator in such a way that phase difference between an injection signal to the reception-side local oscillator and the injection-locked output signal is cancelled, when the reception-side local oscillator is operating in an injection locking mode.

6. The wireless transmission system according to claim 4, wherein

the phase adjuster adjusts a phase of a component of the reference carrier signal in an output signal of the reception-side local oscillator in such a way that phase difference between a modulation axis on which the transmission-subject signal is carried and an axis on which the reference carrier signal is carried is cancelled, when the reception-side local oscillator is operating in an amplifier mode.

7. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the second carrier signal generating unit generates the demodulation carrier signal through injection of the modulated signal received via the wireless signal transmission path to the second carrier signal generating unit.

8. The wireless transmission system according to claim 7, wherein

the communication unit for reception includes

a direct-current component suppressor configured to suppress a direct-current component that is included in a demodulated signal output from the second frequency converter and is attributed to the reference carrier signal.

9. The wireless transmission system according to claim 7, wherein

the second carrier signal generating unit includes:

a reception-side local oscillator configured to generate an output signal locked with the modulated signal injected to the reception-side local oscillator; and

a phase adjuster configured to adjust a phase of an injection-locked output signal of the reception-side local oscillator in such a way that phase difference between the injection-locked output signal and an injection signal to the reception-side local oscillator is cancelled, when the reception-side local oscillator is operating in an injection locking mode.

10. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit for transmission includes

a modulation-subject signal processor configured to suppress a near-direct-current component in the transmission-subject signal to be modulated, and

the first frequency converter carries out frequency conversion of a processed signal resulting from processing by the modulation-subject signal processor by a modulation carrier signal generated by the first carrier signal generating unit to generate the modulated signal.

11. The wireless transmission system according to claim 10, wherein

the modulation-subject signal processor carries out direct-current free coding for the transmission-subject signal that is a digital signal.

12. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit for reception includes

an injection locking detector configured to detect information indicating a state of injection locking in the second carrier signal generating unit, and

at least one of the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception includes

an injection locking adjuster configured to carry out locking adjustment based on the information that is detected by the injection locking detector and indicates the state of injection locking so that the demodulation carrier signal generated by the second carrier signal generating unit is locked with a modulation carrier signal generated by the first carrier signal generating unit.

13. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the injection locking adjuster carries out the locking adjustment by changing amplitude of a signal to be injected to the second carrier signal generating unit and/or frequency of an output signal of the second carrier signal generating unit in free-running oscillation of the second carrier signal generating unit.

14. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the injection locking adjuster carries out the locking adjustment by changing frequency of a modulation carrier signal generated by the first carrier signal generating unit and/or amplitude of a signal to be sent out to the wireless signal transmission path.

15. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the wireless signal transmission path has a structure for transmitting a wireless signal while confining the wireless signal in a transmission path.

16. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the carrier signal generating unit includes

an oscillator circuit including a tank circuit, and

whole of the oscillator circuit including the tank circuit is formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

17. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein

the second frequency converter restores the transmission-subject signal by carrying out the frequency conversion by synchronous detection.

18. A wireless communication device comprising:

a carrier signal generating unit configured to generate a demodulation millimeter-wave-band carrier signal locked with a modulation millimeter-wave-band carrier signal through injection of a wireless signal received via a wireless signal transmission path to the carrier signal generating unit; and

a frequency converter configured to carry out frequency conversion of a millimeter-wave-band modulated signal received via the wireless signal transmission path by a demodulation millimeter-wave-band carrier signal generated by the carrier signal generating unit, wherein

the carrier signal generating unit includes

an oscillator circuit including a tank circuit, and

whole of the oscillator circuit including the tank circuit and the frequency converter are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

19. A wireless communication device comprising:

a carrier signal generating unit configured to generate a modulation millimeter-wave-band carrier signal; and

a frequency converter configured to carry out frequency conversion of a transmission-subject signal by a modulation millimeter-wave-band carrier signal generated by the carrier signal generating unit to generate a millimeter-wave-band modulated signal, wherein

the carrier signal generating unit includes

an oscillator circuit including a tank circuit, and

whole of the oscillator circuit including the tank circuit and the frequency converter are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

20. A wireless communication method comprising the steps of:

disposing a communication unit for transmission and a communication unit for reception in a housing of electronic apparatus;

forming a wireless signal transmission path enabling wireless information transmission between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception;

by the communication unit for transmission, carrying out frequency conversion of a transmission-subject signal by a modulation carrier signal to generate a modulated signal, and sending out the generated modulated signal to the wireless signal transmission path; and

by the communication unit for reception, generating a demodulation carrier signal locked with the modulation carrier signal by using a signal received via the wireless signal transmission path as an injection signal, and demodulating the transmission-subject signal by carrying out frequency conversion of the modulated signal received via the wireless signal transmission path by the demodulation carrier signal.