Adaptive array antenna used in multi-carrier wave radio communications

• US 6,087,986 A
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Namekata, Minoru, Shoki, Hiroki, Mukai, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/933,275
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 342/380, 342/383, 342/378, 455/272, 455/273, 455/275, 455/276.1
• US Class Current: 342/383
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/28 using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/36 Means for anti-jamming , e.g. ECCM, i.e. electronic counter-counter measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided an adaptive array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements for receiving radio waves transmitted via multi-carrier waves, weighting means for weighting received signals received by the plurality of antenna elements with weight amounts for the respective antenna elements, adding means for adding up weighted signals by the weighting means, extracting means for extracting particular carrier components from the received signals received by the plurality of antenna elements, and weight setting means for setting the weight amounts for the respective antenna elements to the weighting means on the basis of the particular carrier components extracted by the extracting means.

Claims

1. An adaptive array antenna comprising:

antenna elements which receive radio waves transmitted via a multi-carrier transmission system;

weighting circuits which weight received signals output from said antenna elements;

an adder which adds up weighted signals output from said weighting circuits;

an extractor which extracts only components of a first carrier from said received signals; and

a weight setting circuit which sets weights for the respective antenna elements outputting received signals to said weighting circuits based upon the components extracted by said extractor.

2. An antenna according to claim 1, wherein said weight setting circuit includes:

a first estimating circuit which estimates a first transmission environment for the first carrier based upon the components extracted by said extractor;

a second estimating circuit which estimates a second transmission environment for a second carrier on the basis of the first transmission environment estimated by said first estimating circuit;

a first calculating circuit which calculates a first weight for the first carrier based upon the first transmission environment estimated by said first estimating circuit; and

a second calculating circuit which calculates a second weight for the second carrier based upon the second transmission environment estimated by said second estimating circuit.

3. An antenna according to claim 2, wherein said first estimating circuit includes an estimator which estimates the first transmission environment based upon incoming directions of a desired wave and a jamming wave, a receiving power and a receiving delay time for the first carrier.

4. An antenna according to claim 2, wherein said first calculating circuit and said second calculating circuit each include a calculator which calculates the first and second weights by any one of least means square algorithm, a constant modulus algorithm or a recursive least square algorithm.

5. An antenna according to claim 1, wherein said weight setting circuit includes:

an estimating circuit which estimates a first transmission environment for the first carrier based upon the components extracted by said extractor; and

a calculating circuit which calculates a first weight for the first carrier and a second weight for a second carrier based upon the first transmission environment estimated by said estimating circuit.

6. An antenna according to claim 5, wherein said calculating circuit includes:

a first calculator which calculates the first weight based upon the first transmission environment estimated by said estimating circuit; and

a second calculator which calculates the second weight based upon the first weight calculated by said first calculator.

7. An antenna according to claim 5, wherein said calculating circuit includes:

a calculator which calculates the first and second weights based upon the first transmission environment.

8. An antenna according to claim 5, wherein said estimating circuit includes an estimator which estimates the first transmission environment based upon incoming directions of a desired wave and a jamming wave, a receiving power and a receiving delay time for the first carrier.

9. An antenna according to claim 5, wherein said calculating circuit includes a calculator which calculates the first and second weights by any one of a least means square algorithm, a constant modulus algorithm or a recursive least square algorithm.

10. A multi-carrier radio communication system comprising:

a transmission system for transmitting data and pilot signal data carried on carrier waves;

an adaptive array antenna according to claim 1;

a receiving unit connected to said adaptive array antenna; and

controlling means for controlling antenna characteristics of said antenna elements of said adaptive array antenna, on the basis of said pilot signal data obtained via said receiving unit.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for transmitting a signal while assigning said data on a plurality of carrier waves and said pilot signal data on an exclusive carrier wave different from said plurality of carrier waves.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for rendering a modulation mode for said plurality of carrier waves different from that of said exclusive carrier.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for rendering a transmission speed for said plurality of carrier waves different from that of said exclusive carrier.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for transmitting a signal by assigning said data and said pilot signal data on a plurality of carrier waves, by a coding multiplex operation in a spectrum diffusion communication mode.

15. A system according to claim,10, wherein said transmission system includes means for transmitting a signal by assigning said data and said pilot signal data to a plurality of carrier waves, by a time-division multiplex operation.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for transmitting a signal by assigning said data to a plurality of carrier waves, by a coding multiplex operation in a spectrum diffusion communication mode, and assigning said pilot signal data to only a code of a part of said plurality of carrier waves.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein said transmission system includes means for transmitting a signal by assigning said data to a plurality of carrier waves, by a time-division multiplex operation, and assigning said pilot signal data to only a time slot of a part of said plurality of carrier waves.