Radio communications apparatus with a combining diversity

• US 5,933,466 A
• Filed: 03/03/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Shoichi, Ishibe, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Albert C.
• Application Number:
  US08/808,027
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 375/347, 375/267, 375/349, 375/344, 375/345, 455/137, 455/138, 455/140, 455/273, 455/276.1, 343/712
• US Class Current: 375/347
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3036 in high-frequency amplifiers or in frequency-changers H03G3/3052, H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0865 Independent weighting, i.e. weights based on own antenna reception parameters

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a radio communications apparatus with combining diversity in which received radio signals are weighted appropriately to reduce an error in demodulation and improve in communication quality. In the signal combining diversity radio communications apparatus, the digital reception signals of an intermediate frequency, output from the reception circuit, are demodulated by demodulation circuits into digital demodulation signals of the baseband. The digital demodulation signals are input to the multiplication circuits. The multiplication circuits multiply the digital demodulation signals by the weight coefficients, which are generated by weight coefficient generation circuits and corresponding to the digital demodulation signals, based on C/N ratio detection signals, in order to weight the digital demodulation signals. The weighted demodulation signals are added together by a digital addition circuit. Consequently, the received signals can be weighted appropriately to thereby improve in communication quality.

Claims

1. A radio communications apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reception means for receiving a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter;

a plurality of conversion means for converting radio signals received by said plurality of reception means into first signals having a frequency which is lower than that of the radio signals;

a plurality of demodulation means for demodulating the first signals generated by said plurality of conversion means into baseband signals;

a plurality of detection means for detecting quality of the radio signals received by said plurality of reception means;

weight coefficient generation means for generating weight coefficients to weight the baseband signals based on the quality detected by said plurality of detection means;

delay means for delaying input of the quality to the weight coefficient generation means by a predetermined period of time;

a plurality of weighting means for weighting the baseband signals by the weight coefficients generated by said weight coefficient generation means; and

combining means for combining the baseband signals weighted by said plurality of weighting means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first control means, arranged between said plurality of conversion means and said plurality of demodulation means, for inputting the baseband signals from said plurality of conversion means to said plurality of demodulation means substantially at once.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said baseband signals are digital signals.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said quality detected by said plurality of detection means, is a carrier-to-noise power ratio.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a total sum of the weight coefficients generated by said weight coefficient generation means is a constant.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means detects the quality at a speed at which said detection means can detect each symbol successively.

7. A radio communications apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reception means for receiving a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter;

a plurality of conversion means for converting radio signals received by said plurality of reception means into baseband signals;

a plurality of detection means for detecting quality of the radio signals received by said plurality of reception means;

weight coefficient generation means for generating weight coefficients for weighting the baseband signals based on the quality detected by said plurality of detection means;

delay means for delaying input of the quality to the weight coefficient generation means by a predetermined period of time so as to adjust a difference between a first processing delay time for generating the baseband signals and a second processing delay time for generating the weighted coefficients;

a plurality of weighting means for weighting the baseband signals by the weight coefficients generated by said weight coefficient generation means;

combining means for combining the baseband signals weighted by said plurality of weighting means; and

demodulation means for demodulating the combined baseband signal generated by said combining means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of first control means, arranged between said plurality of conversion means and said plurality of weighting means, for inputting the baseband signals from said plurality of conversion means to said plurality of weighting means substantially at once.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said baseband signals are digital signals.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said quality detected by said plurality of detection means is a carrier-to-noise power ratio.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a total sum of the weight coefficients generated by said weight coefficient generation means is a constant.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said detection means detect the quality at a speed at which said detection means can detect each symbol successively.

13. A radio communications apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reception means for receiving a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter;

a plurality of conversion means for converting radio signals received by said plurality of reception means into baseband signals;

generation means, for detecting reception quality of the radio signals received by said plurality of reception means and for generating weight coefficients based on the detected reception quality of the radio signals;

a plurality of weighting means for receiving the baseband signals and the weight coefficients and weighting the baseband signals based on the weight coefficients;

timing adjusting means for adjusting input timings of the baseband signals and the weight coefficients to said plurality of weighting means to each other so as to adjust a difference between a first processing delay time for generating the baseband signals and a second processing delay time for generating the weight coefficients; and

combining means for combining the baseband signals weighted by said plurality of weighting means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said timing adjusting means includes delay means for delaying input of the weight coefficients to said plurality of weighting means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the timing adjusting means makes phases of the radio signals input to said plurality of weighting means coincident with each other.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said generation means includes detecting means for detecting said reception quality of said radio signals and weight coefficients generating means for generating weight coefficients based on the each detected reception quality, and said timing adjusting means for receiving said reception quality and delaying input of said quality to the weight coefficients generation means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said generation means detects the quality of each symbol of the Radio signal, and said weighting means weights each symbol.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said conversion means directly frequency-converts said radio signal into said baseband signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said reception quality is a carrier-to-noise power ratio.