Wireless communication device, wireles transmission system and wireless transmission method

• US 20110076944A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mihota, Norihito
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wireless communication device, including: a plurality of communication units for transmission adapted to modulate and transmit a transmission subject signal; the communication units for transmission including a communication unit or units for transmission which adopt a method which modulates the amplitude and a communication unit or units for transmission which adopt a modulation method which modulates at least the phase or the frequency and requires transmission power lower than that of the method which modulates the amplitude.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a plurality of communication units for transmission adapted to modulate and transmit a transmission subject signal;

said communication units for transmission including a communication unit or units for transmission which adopt a method which modulates the amplitude and a communication unit or units for transmission which adopt a modulation method which modulates at least the phase or the frequency and requires transmission power lower than that of the method which modulates the amplitude.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the total number of the communication units for transmission is three or more;

and

the number of the communication units for transmission which adopt the method which modulates the amplitude is one.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the modulation method which requires transmission power lower than that of the method which modulates the amplitude is one of a method which modulates only the phase and another method which modulates both of the amplitude and the phase.

4. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a plurality of communication units for reception adapted to convert a reception signal into a signal having a lower frequency;

said communication units for reception including a communication unit or units which adopt an injection locking method which recovers a carrier signal by injection locking based on the reception signal and a communication unit or units which do not adopt the injection locking method.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein

the total number of the communication units for reception is three or more;

and

the number of the communication units for reception which adopt the injection locking method is one.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein the communication unit or units for reception which adopt the injection locking method adopt, as a modulation method for use for communication, a method which modulates only the amplitude.

7. A wireless transmission system, comprising:

a plurality of communication pairs each including a communication unit for transmission and a communication unit for reception;

said communication pairs including a communication pair or pairs for transmission which adopt, as a method for communication therein, a method which modulates the amplitude and a communication pair or pairs for transmission which adopt, as a method for communication therein, a modulation method which modulates at least the phase or the frequency and requires transmission power lower than that of the method which modulates the amplitude.

8. The wireless transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said communication pairs include a communication pair or pairs which adopt an injection locking method which recovers a carrier signal by injection locking based on a reception signal and a communication pair or pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method.

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

the communication unit for transmission of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method includes a first carrier signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal for modulation and a first frequency converter configured to frequency-convert a transmission subject signal with the carrier signal for modulation generated by said first carrier signal generator to generate a modulation signal;

and

the communication unit for reception of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method includes a second carrier signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal for demodulation synchronized with the carrier signal for modulation generated by said first carrier signal generator by the injection of the received signal and a second frequency converter configured to frequency-convert the received modulation signal with the carrier signal for demodulation generated by said second carrier signal generator.

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

the communication unit for transmission of each of the communication pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method includes a frequency converter configured to frequency-convert a transmission subject signal based on the carrier signal for modulation generated by said first carrier signal generator of the communication unit for transmission of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method to generate a modulation signal;

and

the communication unit for reception of each of the communication pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method includes a frequency converter configured to frequency-convert the received modulation signal based on the carrier signal for demodulation generated by said second carrier signal generator of the communication unit for reception of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method.

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

frequency division multiplexing for carrying out communication at the same time within a plurality of frequency wavebands is applied;

the communication unit for transmission of each of the communication pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method including an auxiliary carrier signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal having a frequency different from the frequency of the carrier signal for modulation based on the carrier signal for modulation generated by said first carrier signal generator of the communication unit for transmission of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method, said frequency converter frequency-converting the transmission subject signal based on the carrier signal generated by said auxiliary carrier signal generator to generate a modulation signal;

the communication unit for reception of each of the communication pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method including an auxiliary carrier signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal having a frequency different from the frequency of the carrier signal for demodulation based on the carrier signal for demodulation generated by said second carrier signal generator of the communication unit for reception of each of the communication pairs which adopt the injection locking method, said frequency converter frequency-converting the received modulation signal based on the carrier signal generated by said auxiliary carrier signal generator.

12. The wireless transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said communication pairs carry out communication through a radio signal transmission path through which said communication pairs can carry out wireless information transmission independently of each other.

13. The wireless transmission system according to claim 12, wherein said communication pairs carry out communication with the same frequency at the same time individually through different channels of the radio signal transmission path.

14. The wireless transmission system according to claim 12, wherein the radio signal transmission path has a structure for transmitting a radio signal while the radio signal is confined thereto.

15. The wireless transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the radio signal transmission path is a dielectric transmission path configured from a dielectric material having a characteristic capable of transmitting the radio signal.

16. The wireless transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the radio signal transmission path is a hollow waveguide which configures the transmission path for the radio signal and on which a shielding material for suppressing outside radiation of the radio signal is provided while the inner side of the shielding material is a hollow waveguide.

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

the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception are accommodated in a housing of the same electronic apparatus, or

the communication unit for transmission is accommodated in a housing of a first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception is accommodated in a housing of a second electronic apparatus such that, when the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus are disposed in position and integrated with each other, the radio signal transmission path is formed between the communication unit for transmission in the first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception in the second electronic apparatus.

18. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication pairs each including a communication unit for transmission and a communication unit for reception;

said communication pairs including a communication pair or pairs which adopt an injection locking method which recovers a carrier signal by injection locking based on a reception signal and a communication pair or pairs which do not adopt the injection locking method.

19. A wireless communication method, comprising a step of:

carrying out multiplex communication using a plurality of communication pairs each including a communication unit for transmission and a communication unit for reception prepared in advance such that a method which modulates the amplitude is adopted as a modulation method for use for communication between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception of some of the communication pairs and a modulation method which modulates at least the phase or the frequency and requires transmission power lower than that of the method which modulates the amplitude is used for communication between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception of the remaining ones of the communication pairs.

20. A wireless communication method, comprising a step of:

carrying out broadcast communication or multiplex communication using a plurality of communication pairs each including a communication unit for transmission and a communication unit for reception prepared in advance such that an injection locking method which recovers a carrier signal by injection locking based on a reception signal is adopted for communication between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception of some of the communication pairs while the injection locking method is not adopted for communication between the communication unit for transmission and the communication unit for reception of the remaining ones of the communication pairs.