Millimeter wave-band radio communication method and system

• US 20060160514A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Ogawa, Hiroyo, Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi, Shoji, Yozo
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/276.100
• 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 transmitted from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising steps of:

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 detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

before being mixed to obtain the IF-band composite output, making phase adjustment and amplitude weighting for the detection outputs from the individual receiving circuits.

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

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 detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

disposing three or more of the receiving circuits at irregular intervals which differ from one another.

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

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 detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

providing two or more substrates each carrying the receiving circuit, and changing the intervals between the substrates manually or automatically in accordance with the 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 transmitted from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components to thereby restore an IF-band transmission source signal, the method comprising steps of:

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 detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output, which is then demodulated; and

arranging the individual receiving circuits two-dimensionally along longitudinal and transverse directions or three-dimensionally.

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 half the antennas used in the receiver are adapted to receive horizontally polarized waves and the remaining antennas 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 transmitted from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components 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 for mixing detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output;

an IF signal demodulation section for receiving the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section and for demodulating the IF-band composite output; and

a variable phase shifter and a variable attenuator for performing phase adjustment and amplitude weighting, respectively, for the detection output from each receiving circuit before mixing of the detection output at the detection output composing section.

7. A millimeter-wave band radio communication system in which a receiver receives both an RF-band modulated signal transmitted from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components 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 for mixing detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section for receiving the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section and for demodulating the IF-band composite output, wherein

three or more 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 from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components 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 for mixing detection outputs obtained through detection at the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section for receiving the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section and for demodulating the IF-band composite output, wherein

two or more substrates each carrying the receiving circuit are provided, and the intervals between the substrates are changed manually or automatically in accordance with the 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 transmitted from a transmitter and an un-modulated carrier also transmitted from the transmitter and having a phase noise characteristic coherent with that of the modulated signal, and generates a product of the two components 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 sufficiently smaller than a wavelength corresponding to an IF band;

a detection output composing section for mixing detection outputs from the individual receiving circuits so as to output an IF-band composite output; and

an IF signal demodulation section for receiving the IF-band composite output from the detection output composing section and for demodulating the IF-band composite output, wherein

the individual 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 the antennas of the receiving circuits of the receiver are adapted to receive first polarized waves and the remaining antennas are adapted to receive second polarized waves perpendicular to the first polarized waves.