Millimeter-wave-band radio communication method in which both a modulated signal and an unmodulated carrier are transmitted to a system with a receiver having plural receiving circuits

• US 7,599,672 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi, Ogawa, Hiroyo, Shoji, Yozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J
• Application Number:
  US10/563,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.4, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/132, 455/137, 455/272, 455/273, 455/276.1, 455/255, 455/258, 455/296
• US Class Current: 455/137
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• 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: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/22 for receivers in which no local oscillation is generated
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0845 per branch equalization, e.g. by an FIR-filter or RAKE receiver per antenna branch rake receivers as such H04B1/7115

Abstract

A receiver receives an RF-band modulated signal transmitted from a transmitter, as well as an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and a product of the two components is generated to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal. In the receiver, a small planar antenna having a broad beam characteristic such as a single-element patch antenna is combined with an amplifier and a mixer circuit, which are formed on a micro planar circuit by an MMIC technique, so as to form a unit receiving circuit. A plurality of such unit receiving circuits are disposed on the receiver at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band, and detection outputs from the unit receiving circuits are power-mixed. Thus, the receiver serves as a high-gain antenna having a detection function, and can realize a broad beam radiation characteristic comparable to that of a single-element antenna. The composed IF-band composite output is demodulated in an IF-band demodulation circuit. The present invention enables construction of a low-cost radio communication system, transmission of high-quality signals, and production of a wide beam antenna which has a high gain and which is convenient for use.

Claims

1. A millimeter-wave band radio communication method in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of receiving circuits, each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

mixing signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

before mixing the signals, making phase adjustment and amplitude weighting of each of the signals respectively detected by one of the receiving circuits.

2. A millimeter-wave band radio communication method in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from the transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of receiving circuits, each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band, three or more of the receiving circuits being disposed at irregular intervals which differ from one another; and

mixing signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated.

3. A millimeter-wave band radio communication method in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of receiving circuits, each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

mixing signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

providing two or more substrates each carrying at least one receiving circuit, and changing intervals between the substrates manually or automatically in accordance with power of the IF-band composite output.

4. A millimeter-wave band radio communication method in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of receiving circuits, each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band, the receiving circuits being arranged two-dimensionally along longitudinal and transverse directions or three-dimensionally; and

mixing signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated.

5. A millimeter-wave band radio communication method according to claim 4, wherein an antenna used in the transmitter is adapted to transmit circularly polarized waves, and about a half of antennas in the receiving circuits are adapted to receive horizontally polarized waves and the other half of the antennas in the receiving circuits are adapted to receive vertically polarized waves.

6. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the system comprising:

a plurality of receiving circuits each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, and disposed at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

a detection output composing section that mixes signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output;

an IF signal demodulation section that receives the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section, and demodulates the IF-band composite output; and

a variable phase shifter and a variable attenuator that perform phase adjustment and amplitude weighting, respectively, for each signal respectively detected by a receiving circuit before the detection output composing section mixes the signals.

7. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the system comprising:

a plurality of receiving circuits each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, and disposed at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

a detection output composing section that mixes signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section that receives the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section, and demodulates the IF-band composite output, wherein

three or more of the receiving circuits are provided and disposed at irregular intervals which differ from one another.

8. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal transmitted and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the system comprising:

a plurality of receiving circuits each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, and disposed at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

a detection output composing section that mixes signals detected at individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section that receives the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section, and demodulates the IF-band composite output, wherein

two or more substrates each carrying at least one receiving circuit are provided, and intervals between the substrates are changed manually or automatically in accordance with power of the IF-band composite output.

9. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal and an un-modulated carrier transmitted from a transmitter, the un-modulated carrier having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the RF-band modulated signal, and generates a product of received signals to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the system comprising:

a plurality of receiving circuits each formed as a single constituent element by combining a planar printed small receiving antenna and a micro planar receiving circuit, and disposed at intervals smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

a detection output composing section that mixes signals detected by individual ones of the receiving circuits to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section that receives the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section, and demodulates the IF-band composite output, wherein

the receiving circuits are arranged two-dimensionally along longitudinal and transverse directions or three-dimensionally.

10. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system according to claim 9, wherein an antenna used in the transmitter is adapted to transmit circularly polarized waves, and about half or a portion of antennas of the receiving circuits are adapted to receive first polarized waves and the other antennas are adapted to receive second polarized waves having a second polarization direction perpendicular to a first polarization direction of the first polarized waves.