Radio environment analysis apparatus

• US 6,084,928 A
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHU, PHUONG M
• Application Number:
  US09/323,782
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 375/144, 375/148, 375/347, 375/367, 342/147, 342/157, 342/158, 342/194, 342/196, 342/195, 342/417, 342/434, 342/437, 342/443
• US Class Current: 375/347
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/74 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single antenna system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals systems in which the directions of different signals are determined sequentially and displayed simultaneously G01S3/04, G01S3/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence

Abstract

A radio environment analysis apparatus includes a receiver and signal processor. The receiver receives a signal modulated by phase shift keying (PSK) using a pseudo noise (PN) code sequence by an array antenna at a plurality of fixed points on the plane, converts the received signals into intermediate frequencies or demodulated signals, and outputs them. The signal processor processes a signal output from the receiver to analyze the arrival angle, delay time, and relative power of the signal incoming to the receiver. The signal processor has a plurality of normalization units, first estimation unit, arithmetic unit, and second estimation unit. The normalization units individually normalize signals from the receiver and output them as a normalized signal group. The first estimation unit calculates a covariance matrix, and estimates the arrival angle of each incoming signal. The arithmetic unit calculates a weight of the array antenna for suppressing incoming signals except for an incoming signal having the estimated arrival angle, and calculates the product of the weight of the array antenna and the normalized signal group. The second estimation unit calculates a covariance matrix and estimates the delay time and relative power.

Claims

1. A radio environment analysis apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a signal modulated by phase shift keying (PSK) using a pseudo noise (PN) code sequence by an array antenna at a plurality of fixed points on a plane, converting the plurality of received signals into intermediate frequencies or demodulated signals, and outputting the resultant signals; and

a signal processor for processing a signal output from said receiver to analyze an arrival angle, delay time, and relative power of the signal incoming to said receiver,

said signal processor having;

a plurality of normalization means for individually normalizing respective signals from said receiver and outputting the normalized signals as a normalized signal group;

first estimation means for calculating a covariance matrix from the signal group normalized by said normalization means, and estimating an arrival angle of each incoming signal using one of a 2D-MUSIC method and 2D-Unitary ESPRIT method;

arithmetic means for calculating a weight of said array antenna for suppressing incoming signals except for an incoming signal having the arrival angle estimated by said first estimation means, and calculating a product of the calculated weight of said array antenna and the normalized signal group; and

second estimation means for calculating a covariance matrix from a product signal group output from said arithmetic means, and estimating a delay time and relative power using one of the MUSIC method and ESPRIT method.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said array antenna comprises a plurality of antenna elements arrayed on the plane, and

said normalization means normalizes respective outputs from said plurality of antenna elements.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said array antenna comprises one antenna element moving through fixed points on the plane, and

said normalization means normalizes respective outputs from said antenna element at the fixed points.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said normalization means performs Fourier transform for a signal from said receiver and normalizes the signal with the same spectrum as a transmission signal.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a transmitter for transmitting a signal PSK-modulated using a PN code sequence, and

said normalization means normalizes the signal from said receiver by a frequency sweep signal supplied from said transmitter.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first estimation means estimates a combination of arrival elevation and azimuth angles as an arrival angle of an incoming signal, and

said arithmetic means stores information of the incoming signal having the arrival elevation and azimuth angles estimated by said first estimation means, and calculates a weight of said array antenna for suppressing other incoming signals in accordance with the storage result.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processor stores each incoming signal and calculates a weight for suppressing other incoming signals to calculate a normalized signal group and product for all incoming signals having estimated arrival angles, and

calculates a delay time and relative power from a covariance matrix of the obtained product signal group to estimate a combination of the arrival angles, delay times, and relative powers of all signals incoming to said receiver.