Array-antenna radio communication apparatus

• US 6,594,509 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Katsuhiko, Takakusaki, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/701,651
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562, 455/67.1, 455/67.4, 455/423, 455/424, 342/144, 342/378, 370/320, 370/321, 370/335, 370/337, 370/342, 370/345
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence

Abstract

A reception radio circuit 104 and a reception radio circuit 105 receive radio communication signals from a mobile station 109 and calibration signals from a CAL-CDMA radio signal transmission section 110 through respective a reception antenna 102 and a reception antenna 103, followed by performing down-conversion of received signals. A reception CDMA signal processing section B (for CAL) 107 measures characteristic errors of respective reception radio circuits while observing the calibration signals undergoing down-conversion, before holding the measured characteristic errors in a compensation table of a recorder 108. A reception CDMA signal processing section A (for communication) 106 performs CDMA demodulation processing of radio communication signals from the mobile station 109, which signals are subjected to the down-conversion, at the same time as observing operation of the reception CDMA signal processing section B (for CAL) 107, on the basis of the characteristic errors held in the compensation table.

Claims

1. An array antenna radio communication apparatus comprising:

frequency conversion means for performing frequency conversion on reception signals in which a communication signal and a calibration signal are multiplexed into the same frequency band;

extraction means for extracting each signal from the reception signals which is subjected to the frequency conversion;

calibration means which is capable of performing calibration processing based on the extracted calibration signals in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation means for demodulating the extracted communication signals based on the result of the calibration processing.

2. An array antenna radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calibration means executes calibration processing at the same time or intermittently of the demodulation of the demodulation means.

3. An array antenna radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising channel determination means for determining channel assigned to the calibration signals based on an state of channels assigned to communication signals, and extraction means extracts calibration signal based on the determined channel.

4. An array antenna radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising signal generation means for generating calibration signal for a communication end, wherein calibration signal multiplexed onto reception signals are signals transmitted from a communication end in the middle of communication.

5. An array antenna radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein reception signals are subjected to multiplexing of a Code Division Multiple Access system.

6. An array antenna radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein reception signals are subjected to multiplexing of a Time Division Multiple Access system.

7. An array antenna radio communication apparatus comprising:

extraction means for extracting each signal from reception signals in which at least two communication signals are multiplexed into the same frequency band;

position detection means for detecting positions of communication ends which perform communication using the communication signals;

calibration means capable of performing calibration processing based on the detected position of one of the communication ends and the extracted communication signal which is used by the one of the communication ends in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation means for demodulating the extracted communication signal used by another communication end based on a result of the calibration processing.

8. An array antenna radio communication apparatus comprising:

signal generation means for generating calibration signals;

addition means for adding reception signals including the communication signals and the calibration signals;

frequency conversion means for performing frequency conversion on the added signals;

extraction means for extracting each signal from the signals which is subjected to the frequency conversion;

calibration means capable of executing calibration processing based on the extracted calibration signals in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation means for demodulating the extracted communication signals based on a result of the calibration processing.

9. A base station apparatus provided with an array antenna radio communication apparatus, wherein said array antenna radio communication apparatus comprises:

frequency conversion means for performing frequency conversion on reception signals in which a communication signal and a calibration signal are multiplexed into the same frequency band;

extraction means for extracting each signal from the reception signals which is subjected to the frequency conversion;

calibration means which is capable of performing calibration processing based on the extracted calibration signals in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation means for demodulating the extracted communication signals based on the result of the calibration processing.

10. A radio communication terminal apparatus performing radio communication with a base station provided with an array antenna radio communication apparatus, wherein said array antenna radio communication apparatus comprises:

frequency conversion means for performing frequency conversion on reception signals in which a communication signal and a calibration signal are multiplexed into the same frequency band;

extraction means for extracting each signal from the reception signals which is subjected to the frequency conversion;

calibration means which is capable of performing calibration processing based on the extracted calibration signals in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation means for demodulating the extracted communication signals based on the result of the calibration processing.

11. An array antenna radio communication method comprising the steps of:

frequency conversion step for performing frequency conversion on reception signals in which a communication signal and a calibration signal are multiplexed into the same frequency band;

extraction step for extracting each signal from the reception signals which is subjected to the frequency conversion;

calibration step which is capable of performing calibration processing based on the extracted calibration signals in the middle of communication using the communication signals; and

demodulation step for demodulating the extracted communication signals based on the result of the calibration processing.