Receiving apparatus for swallow-type capsule endoscope

• US 7,881,668 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Takeshi, Homan, Masatoshi, Shigemori, Toshiaki, Matsui, Akira, Fujimori, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Lana N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsieh; Ping Y
• Application Number:
  US12/052,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/63.4, 455/66.1, 455/67.11, 455/133, 455/134, 455/161.3, 455/327, 370/342, 370/441, 600/424, 600/419, 600/407, 600/410, 600/411, 600/425, 606/2, 606/20, 606/27, 606/32, 324/307, 324/308, 324/309
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence

Abstract

A receiving apparatus is for receiving radio signals including image information transmitted by a mobile transmitting device through a plurality of receiving antennas. The receiving apparatus includes a plurality of frequency converters for outputting modulated signals obtained by converting respective radio signal received through the plurality of receiving antennas by different modulation frequencies; a superposing unit for superposing each of the modulated signals generated by the plurality of frequency converters on a frequency axis; a cable with a single coaxial cable where each of the modulated signals superposed by the superposing unit is transmitted; and a receiving unit for demodulating each modulated signal input through the cable to receive and output the image information.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus for receiving radio signals including image information transmitted by a mobile transmitting device through a plurality of receiving antennas, comprising:

a plurality of frequency converters for outputting modulated signals obtained by converting respective radio signal received through the plurality of receiving antennas by different modulation frequencies;

a superposing unit for superposing each of the modulated signals generated by the plurality of frequency converters on a frequency axis;

a cable with a single coaxial cable where each of the modulated signals superposed by the superposing unit is transmitted; and

a receiving unit for demodulating each modulated signal input through the cable to receive and output the image information;

wherein the receiving unit includes;

a plurality of demodulating units for demodulating the respective modulated signals output from the superposing unit to output base band signals thereof; and

a signal processing unit for generating a base band signal having a high likelihood based on the plurality of the base band signals output from the demodulating units, and generating and outputting image information based on the base band signal.

2. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit synthesizes and outputs the plurality of the base band signals.

3. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit selects and outputs received image information having fewest errors.

4. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit includes

wherein the plurality of demodulating units further output signal strength signals each indicating a signal strength;

a switching unit for switching outputs of the demodulating units;

a selection instruction unit for selecting one of the demodulating units which demodulates a modulated signal having a highest signal strength based on the signal strength signals output from the demodulating units to output a switching instruction signal to the switching unit; and

the signal processing unit generating and outputting the image information based on the base band signal output from the demodulating unit selected by the switching unit.

5. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible flat cable connecting between the plurality of antennas and the superposing unit, wherein the frequency converters are planar circuits formed on the flat cable.