Radio apparatus with diversity antennas

• US 6,055,422 A
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Saitoh, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Armstrong, Darnell R.
• Application Number:
  US08/842,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/132, 455/133, 455/131, 455/135, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 455/343, 455/38.3, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/277.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24

Abstract

A radio apparatus includes a plurality of receiving systems connected to multiple antennas providing diversity, respectively, each receiving system including an antenna terminator and a preamplifier. After one receiving system is discriminated from another receiving system based on radio signals received by the receiving systems, respectively, a controller controls the one receiving system such that an antenna terminator is inactive and a preamplifier is active and, at the same time, further controls the other receiving system such that an antenna terminator is active and a preamplifier is inactive.

Claims

1. A radio apparatus comprising:

a plurality of receiving systems connected to multiple antennas providing diversity, respectively, each receiving system comprising;

an antenna terminator for terminating a corresponding antenna of the multiple antennas, the antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a path control switch for selectively switching on and off to provide a path for a radio signal received by the corresponding antenna;

a discriminator for discriminating one receiving system from other receiving systems based on radio signals received by the receiving systems, respectively; and

a controller for simultaneously coordinating the control of the plurality of receiving systems such that a first antenna terminator of the one receiving system is inactive and a corresponding first path control switch is on and a second antenna terminator of each of the other receiving systems is active and corresponding second path control switches are off.

2. The radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path control switch comprises a preamplifier for amplifying the radio signal received by the corresponding antenna, the preamplifier being selectively active and inactive,

wherein the controller controls the one receiving system such that the first antenna terminator is inactive and a first preamplifier is active to produce an amplified radio signal to be used as a received signal and controls the other receiving system such that the second antenna terminator is active and a second preamplifier is inactive.

3. The radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each receiving system further comprises:

a radio-frequency switch for selectively switching the antenna terminator between an active state and an inactive state under control of the controller.

4. The radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the radio-frequency switch is a single-pole single-throw switch, wherein the antenna terminator comprises an antenna matching line connected to the corresponding antenna, the antenna matching line being connected to one terminal of the radio-frequency switch at a predetermined position thereof, the radio-frequency switch being grounded at the other terminal thereof, the antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the corresponding antenna when the radio-frequency switch is open, and the predetermined position of the antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the corresponding antenna when the radio-frequency switch is closed.

5. The radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein radio-frequency switch is a single-pole double-throw switch, wherein the antenna terminator comprises:

an antenna matching line connected to the corresponding antenna, the radio-frequency switch dividing the antenna matching line into an antenna-side line and a preamplifier-side line at a predetermined position of the antenna matching line, a common terminal of the radio-frequency switch being connected to the antenna-side line, a first terminal of the radio-frequency switch being connected to the preamplifier-side line, the antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the corresponding antenna when the radio-frequency switch switches on the first terminal thereof; and

an antenna terminating device connected to a second terminal of the radio-frequency switch at one end thereof and grounded at the other end thereof, the antenna terminating device and the predetermined position of the antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the corresponding antenna when the radio-frequency switch switches on the second terminal thereof.

6. The radio apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the preamplifier is selectively powered on and off under control of the controller such that the preamplifier is active when powered on and inactive when powered off.

7. The radio apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller further controls the receiving systems such that a receiving system is selected one by one from the receiving systems and an antenna terminator and a preamplifier of the selected receiving system become inactive and active, respectively, to produce amplified radio signals which are used to discriminate the one receiving system by the discriminator.

8. The radio apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each receiving system further comprises a band-pass filter followed by the preamplifier, for filtering signal components other than signal components of a predetermined frequency band to supply it to the preamplifier.

9. A radio receiver comprising:

first and second antennas providing spatial diversity;

a first receiving system comprising;

a first antenna terminator for terminating the first antenna, the first antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a first preamplifier for amplifying a radio signal received by the first antenna, the first preamplifier being selectively active and inactive;

a second receiving system comprising;

a second antenna terminator for terminating the second antenna, the second antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a second preamplifier for amplifying a radio signal received by the second antenna, the second preamplifier being selectively active and inactive;

a level detector for detecting first and second signal levels from first and second radio signals received by the first and second receiving systems, respectively;

a comparator for comparing the first and second signal levels to determine one receiving system which provides a higher signal level; and

a controller for simultaneously coordinating the control of the first and second receiving systems such that an antenna terminator of the one receiving system is inactive and a corresponding preamplifier is active and an antenna terminator of the other receiving system is active and a corresponding preamplifier is inactive thereby producing an amplified radio signal from the one receiving system to be used as a received signal.

10. The radio receiver according to claim 9, wherein

the first receiving system further comprises a first radio-frequency switch for selectively switching the first antenna terminator between an active state and an inactive state under control of the controller,

the second receiving system further comprises a second radio-frequency switch for selectively switching the second antenna terminator between an active state and an inactive state under control of the controller.

11. The radio receiver according to claim 10, wherein the first and second radio-frequency switches are a single-pole single-throw switch, wherein

the first antenna terminator comprises a first antenna matching line connected to the first antenna, the first antenna matching line being connected to one terminal of the first radio-frequency switch at a predetermined position thereof, the first radio-frequency switch being grounded at the other terminal thereof, the first antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the first antenna when the first radio-frequency switch is open, and the predetermined position of the first antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the first antenna when the first radio-frequency switch is closed, and

the second antenna terminator comprises a second antenna matching line connected to the second antenna, the second antenna matching line being connected to one terminal of the second radio-frequency switch at a predetermined position thereof, the second radio-frequency switch being grounded at the other terminal thereof, the second antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the second antenna when the second radio-frequency switch is open, and the predetermined position of the second antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the second antenna when the second radio-frequency switch is closed.

12. The radio receiver according to claim 10, wherein the first and second radio-frequency switches are a single-pole double-throw switch, wherein

the first antenna terminator comprises:

a first antenna matching line connected to the first antenna, the first radio-frequency switch dividing the first antenna matching line into an antenna-side line and a preamplifier-side line at a predetermined position of the first antenna matching line, a common terminal of the first radio-frequency switch being connected to the antenna-side line, a first terminal of the first radio-frequency switch being connected to the preamplifier-side line, the first antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the first antenna when the first radio-frequency switch switches on the first terminal thereof; and

a first antenna terminating device connected to a second terminal of the first radio-frequency switch at one end thereof and grounded at the other end thereof, the first antenna terminating device and the predetermined position of the first antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the first antenna when the first radio-frequency switch switches on the second terminal thereof, and

the second antenna terminator comprises;

a second antenna matching line connected to the second antenna, the second radio-frequency switch dividing the second antenna matching line into an antenna-side line and a preamplifier-side line at a predetermined position of the second antenna matching line, a common terminal of the second radio-frequency switch being connected to the antenna-side line, a first terminal of the second radio-frequency switch being connected to the preamplifier-side line, the second antenna matching line maximizing an antenna gain of the second antenna when the second radio-frequency switch switches on the first terminal thereof; and

a second antenna terminating device connected to a second terminal of the second radio-frequency switch at one end thereof and grounded at the other end thereof, the second antenna terminating device and the predetermined position of the second antenna matching line being set to minimize the antenna gain of the second antenna when the second radio-frequency switch switches on the second terminal thereof.

13. The radio receiver according to claim 9, wherein each of the first and second preamplifiers is selectively powered on and off under control of the controller such that the preamplifier is active when powered on and inactive when powered off.

14. The radio receiver according to claim 13, wherein the controller further controls the first and second receiving systems such that the first and second preamplifiers are alternately active with the first and second antenna terminators alternately active in a phase opposite to the first and second preamplifiers to produce the first and second radio signals which are used to detect the first and second signal by the level detector.

15. The radio receiver according to claim 9, wherein the first receiving system further comprises a first band-pass filter followed by the first preamplifier, for filtering signal components other than signal components of a predetermined frequency band to supply it to the first preamplifier, and the second receiving system further comprises a second band-pass filter followed by the second preamplifier, for filtering signal components other than signal components of a predetermined frequency band to supply it to the second preamplifier.

16. In a radio apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving systems connected to multiple antennas providing diversity, respectively, each receiving system comprising:

an antenna terminator for terminating a corresponding antenna of the multiple antennas, the antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a path control switch for selectively switching on and off to provide a path for a radio signal received by the corresponding antenna,

a control method for the radio apparatus, comprising the steps of;

a) discriminating one receiving system from other receiving systems based on radio signals received by the receiving systems, respectively; and

b) simultaneously coordinating the control of the plurality of receiving systems such that a first antenna terminator of the one receiving system is inactive and a corresponding first path control switch is on and

a second antenna terminator of each of the other receiving systems is active and corresponding second path control switches are off.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the path control switch comprises a preamplifier for amplifying the radio signal received by the corresponding antenna, the preamplifier being selectively active and inactive,

wherein, in the step b), the one receiving system is controlled such that the first antenna terminator is inactive and a first preamplifier is active to produce an amplified radio signal to be used as a received signal, and

in the step c), the other receiving system is controlled such that the second antenna terminator is active and a second preamplifier is inactive.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the preamplifier is selectively powered on and off such that the preamplifier is active when powered on and inactive when powered off.

19. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the step a) comprises the steps of:

controlling the receiving systems such that a receiving system is selected one by one from the receiving systems and an antenna terminator and a preamplifier of only the selected receiving system become inactive and active, respectively, to produce amplified radio signals corresponding to the receiving systems;

comparing signal levels which are detected from the amplified radio signals, respectively;

discriminating the one receiving system providing a higher signal level.

20. In a radio receiver comprising:

first and second antennas providing spatial diversity;

a first receiving system comprising;

a first antenna terminator for terminating the first antenna, the first antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a first preamplifier for amplifying a radio signal received by the first antenna to produce a first amplified radio signal, the first preamplifier being selectively active and inactive;

a second receiving system comprising;

a second antenna terminator for terminating the second antenna, the second antenna terminator being selectively active and inactive; and

a second preamplifier for amplifying a radio signal received by the second antenna to produce a second amplified radio signal, the second preamplifier being selectively active and inactive,

a method for receiving a radio signal, the method comprising the steps of;

detecting first and second signal levels from first and second amplified radio signals received by the first and second receiving systems, respectively;

comparing the first and second signal levels to determine one receiving system which provides a higher signal level;

simultaneously coordinating the inactivation of both an antenna terminator of the one receiving system and a preamplifier of the other receiving system and the activation of

both an antenna terminator of the other receiving system and a preamplifier of the one receiving system to produce an amplified radio signal from the one receiving system; and

receiving the amplified radio signal as the radio signal to be received.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein each of the first and second preamplifiers is selectively powered on and off such that the preamplifier is active when powered on and inactive when powered off.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the first and second amplified radio signals are obtained by the steps of alternately activating the first and second antenna terminators and alternately activating the first and second preamplifiers in a phase opposite to the first and second antenna terminators.