JP2003032136A - Wireless receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless receiver that can continue communication even when part of a plurality of amplifier sections is out of order. SOLUTION: A wireless receiver 100 includes a band filter 50 that extracts a signal with a prescribed frequency band from an input signal, a cooling means 40 that cools the band filter 50, a thermal insulating container 30 that contains the band filter 50 and insulates external heat, a distribution section 60 that distributes the signal with a prescribed frequency band extracted by the band filter 50, a plurality of amplifier sections 70 that respectively amplify the signals distributed by the distribution section 60, and a synthesis section 80 that synthesizes the signals respectively outputted from the amplifier sections 70.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radio communication device for extracting a signal in a predetermined frequency band from an input signal with low noise.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a conventional radio receiver 200. A conventional radio receiver 200 includes an antenna 110 that receives a signal, an antenna feeder 115 that transmits the received signal, an input terminal 120, a bandpass filter 150 that passes a signal of a predetermined frequency, and an amplifier that amplifies the signal. 170, an isolator 160 for matching the bandpass filter 150 and the amplification section 170, and an output terminal 190. The bandpass filter 150 is a superconducting filter made of a superconducting material that exhibits superconducting properties at extremely low temperatures. In order to cool the bandpass filter 150 to an extremely low temperature, the bandpass filter 150 is arranged inside the heat insulation container 130,
It is cooled to a cryogenic temperature by the cooling member 145 and the cooling means 140 connected to the cooling member 145. Then, the band-pass filter 150 is stably kept at an extremely low temperature to reduce the insertion loss of the band-pass filter 150 and to make the attenuation characteristic steep.

Further, the isolator 160 and the amplification section 170.
Is also disposed inside the heat shield container 130, and the cooling member 1
It is cooled by 45. In particular, the noise generated by heat in the amplifier 170 is reduced by maintaining the amplifier 170 in a stable and extremely low temperature.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional radio receiver 200 includes the bandpass filter 150 and the amplifier 170.
An isolator 160 is provided between and. Since the isolator 160 is a normal inexpensive isolator made of a ferromagnetic material such as ferrite, the characteristics of the isolator 160 change significantly at extremely low temperatures, and the quality of the signal received by the wireless receiver 200 deteriorates. There is a problem.

A cryogenic isolator that exhibits good characteristics at cryogenic temperatures can also be applied to the conventional radio receiver 200. However, the cryogenic isolator is extremely expensive, and it is not possible to meet the demand for the supply of an inexpensive wireless receiver which accompanies the recent popularization of non-sexual communication.

Further, in the conventional radio receiver 200, if the signal of the predetermined frequency band extracted by the bandpass filter 150 is not amplified to an appropriate level signal due to the failure of the amplifier 170, the radio receiver continues the communication. There is also the problem of becoming difficult.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a radio receiver capable of solving the above problems. This object is achieved by a combination of features described in independent claims of the invention. The dependent claims define further advantageous specific examples of the present invention.

[0008]

That is, according to the radio receiver of the first aspect of the present invention, a band filter for extracting a signal of a predetermined frequency band from an input signal, and a cooling means for cooling the band filter. , A heat insulation container that houses at least a band filter and insulates it from the outside, a distribution unit that distributes at least a signal of a predetermined frequency band extracted by the band filter, and a plurality of units that respectively amplify the signals distributed by the distribution unit. There is provided a radio receiver including an amplification section and a combination section that combines signals output from each of the plurality of amplification sections.

At least one of the plurality of amplifying units may be arranged inside the heat-shielding container, and the cooling means may cool the amplifying unit arranged inside the heat-shielding container. The cooling means may be arranged inside the heat shield container and the cooling means may cool the distribution unit arranged in the heat shield container. Also, at least one of the distributor, the synthesizer, and the plurality of amplifiers is disposed inside the heat shield container, and the cooling unit is disposed inside the heat shield container, the synthesizer, and the plurality of amplifiers. You may cool an amplifier part. Furthermore, the bandpass filter is preferably made of a superconducting material.

The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention, and sub-combinations of these feature groups can also serve as the invention.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention, and the features described in the embodiments Not all combinations are essential to the solution of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a wireless receiver 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless receiver 100 of this embodiment is
For example, it is a base station radio receiver used in mobile communication and satellite communication. The wireless receiver 100 includes an input terminal 20, a bandpass filter 50, a heat shield container 30, and a cooling unit 40.
A distributor 60, an amplifier 70, a combiner 80, and an output terminal 90. The wireless receiver 100 also includes an antenna 10, an antenna feeder 15, a cooling means power supply terminal 42, and an amplifier power supply terminal 76.

The input terminal 20 supplies the input signal received by the antenna 10 to the bandpass filter 50 via the antenna feeder 15.

The bandpass filter 50 extracts a signal in a predetermined frequency band from the input signal supplied from the input terminal 20. The bandpass filter 50 is, for example, a superconducting filter having a superconducting material as a constituent element. The superconducting material is preferably a high temperature superconducting material so that the superconducting material can be kept in a superconducting state. The high-temperature superconducting material is, for example, Bi-based, Ti-based, Pb-based, Y-based copper oxide or the like. High temperature superconducting filter (HTSF: High tem)
perature Superconducting
Filter) is, for example, a thin film HTSF having a microstrip structure or a thick film HTSF having a cavity resonator structure.

The distributor 60 receives a signal in a predetermined frequency band from the band filter 50. The distributor 60 is, for example, a 3 dB coupler or a Wilkinson coupler. Distributor 6
0 distributes the signal of the predetermined frequency extracted by the bandpass filter 50. The distribution unit 60 equally distributes signals in a predetermined frequency band, for example. Further, the distribution unit 60 may distribute signals having a predetermined frequency at different rates.

The heat shield container 30 accommodates the band filter 50 and insulates it from the outside. The heat shield container 30 preferably has a structure that blocks heat from the outside by vacuum heat insulation, for example. The heat shield container 30 is, for example, a Dewar bottle.

The amplifier 70 receives the signals distributed by the distributor 60. The amplification unit 70 includes the distribution unit 6
Each of the signals received from 0 is amplified. Amplifier 70
The electric power for operating is supplied from the external power source to each of the amplification units 70 through the amplification unit power supply terminal 76. The amplification unit 70 is preferably housed in the heat shield container 30 to reduce noise. In this case, the amplification unit 70
For example, a cryogenic amplifier (CLNA: Cryogenic)
Low Noise Amplifier).

The synthesizing section 80 synthesizes the signals output from the respective amplifying sections 70. The combining unit 80 has, for example, 3 dB.
(Decibel) coupler, Wilkinson coupler. The output terminal 90 outputs the signal combined by the combining unit 80 to the outside.

The cooling means 40 uses the cooling member 45 to cool the bandpass filter 50 to a temperature at which the bandpass filter 50 exhibits a superconducting state. The cooling member 45 is, for example, a cold head. Electric power for operating the cooling means 40 is supplied from the outside through the cooling means power supply terminal 42. The cooling means 40 here is, for example, a cryogenic refrigerator. The cryogenic refrigerator is a refrigerator that maintains a cryogenic temperature of several tens of K by utilizing a heat exchange cycle by compression / expansion of helium gas or the like. The cryogenic refrigerator is preferably a refrigerator that adopts, for example, a small Stirling-type pulse refrigeration system.

When the amplifying section 70, the distributing section 60, and the synthesizing section 80 are housed in the heat shield container 30 as shown in the figure, the cooling means 40 further includes the amplifying section 70 and the distributing section in addition to the bandpass filter 50. The section 60 and the synthesis section 80 are cooled.
The cooling means 40 includes a bandpass filter 50 and an amplification section 70.
The distribution unit 60 and the synthesizing unit 80 may be cooled to different temperatures. For example, the cooling unit 40 has a temperature higher than that of the bandpass filter 50, an amplifier 70, a distributor 60, and a combiner 80.
And may be cooled.

Next, an example of the operation of the wireless receiver 100 will be described. The bandpass filter 50 extracts a signal in a predetermined frequency band from the input signal supplied from the input terminal 20. The distributor 60 receives the signal of the predetermined frequency band extracted by the bandpass filter 150 from the first amplifier 70-.
It is distributed to the first, second amplification section 70-2, and Nth amplification section 70-3.

Here, for example, the case where the first amplifying section 70-1 fails will be taken as an example. In this case, the first amplification unit 70-1
Is, for example, the combining unit 80 without amplifying the distributed signal.
Or output no signal to the combining unit 80. However, the synthesizing unit 80 includes the other second amplifying units 70-
Receive the amplified signal from the second class. Therefore, even if the first amplifying unit 70-1 fails, the wireless receiver 100 is
Communication can be continued.

FIG. 2 shows the cooling means 40 of the radio receiver 100.
An example of the cooling pattern according to FIG. The member surrounded by the dotted line in the drawing is arranged inside the heat shield container 30 and is cooled by the cooling means 40.

FIG. 2A shows an example in which the bandpass filter 50 and the amplifying section 70 are arranged in the same heat blocking container. When the bandpass filter 50 and the amplification unit 70 are arranged inside the heat insulation container 30, the cooling unit 40 cools the bandpass filter 50 and the amplification unit 70. Further, for example, when at least one amplification unit 70 is arranged inside the heat shield container 30,
The cooling unit 40 may cool only the amplification unit 70.
The cooling unit 40 may cool the plurality of amplification units 70 to different temperatures. In this example, the wireless receiver 10
By cooling only some of the 0 components, efficient cooling can be achieved. In addition, the cost of the wireless receiver 100 can be reduced.

FIG. 2B shows an example in which the band-pass filter 50 and the amplification section 50 are arranged in different heat shield containers 30. The band-pass filter 50 and the amplification unit 70 are the heat shield container 3
When it is arranged inside 0, the band-pass filter 50 and the amplifying section 70 may be cooled by a plurality of cooling means 40, respectively. In this case, the plurality of cooling units 40 may cool the bandpass filter 50 and the amplification unit 70 to different temperatures. Further, the cooling means 40 for cooling the amplification section 70 is
The amplification unit 70 may be cooled to different temperatures. In this example, by disposing the constituent elements of the wireless receiver 100 in different heat shield containers, the constituent elements can be efficiently cooled. Further, the heat insulation container can be maintained at a temperature suitable for the operation of each component.

FIG. 2C shows an example in which the bandpass filter 50, the distributor 60, the amplifier 70, and the combiner 80 are arranged in different heat shield containers 30. In this case, the cooling means 4
0 may cool the bandpass filter 50, the distribution unit 60, the amplification unit 70, and the combining unit 80 by different cooling means 40. In this case, the plurality of cooling units 40 may cool the bandpass filter 50, the distribution unit 60, the amplification unit 70, and the synthesis unit 80 to different temperatures. In addition, the amplifier 70
The cooling means 40 for cooling the cooling unit may cool the amplification unit 70 to different temperatures. By arranging the components of the wireless receiver 100 in different heat shield containers in this example,
Each component can be cooled efficiently. Further, the heat insulation container can be maintained at a temperature suitable for the operation of each component.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, the radio receiver 100 includes a plurality of heat shield containers 30. The cooling member 45 is arranged in each of the plurality of heat shield containers 30. In this case, the cooling means 40
May cool the members respectively arranged inside the plurality of heat shield containers 30 through the cooling member 45.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inexpensive radio receiver by providing an inexpensive distributor and combiner without providing an expensive isolator. Further, even if some of the plurality of amplifying units are out of order, communication of the wireless receiver can be continued.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a wireless receiver 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a cooling pattern by a cooling means 40 of the wireless receiver 100.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional wireless receiver 200.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 antennas 15 antenna feeder 20 input terminals 30 heat insulation container 40 Cooling means 42 Power supply terminal for cooling means 45 Cooling member 50 band filter 60 distributor 70-1 First amplifier 70-2 Second amplification unit 70-N Nth amplifier 76 Power supply terminal for amplifier 80 Synthesis Department 90 output terminals 100 wireless receiver

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Masaki Sudo             3-14-20 Higashi-Nakano Stock Market, Nakano-ku, Tokyo             Inside Hitachi Kokusai Electric F term (reference) 5K021 CC03                 5K062 AA01 AB05 AD04 AE03 AE04                       BC03

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A band filter for extracting a signal of a predetermined frequency band from an input signal, a cooling unit for cooling the band filter, a heat cutoff container for accommodating at least the band filter and insulating from the outside, and at least the band. A distributor that distributes the signal of the predetermined frequency band extracted by a filter, a plurality of amplifiers that respectively amplify the signals distributed by the distributor, and a combination of the signals output from each of the amplifiers. A radio receiver, comprising: 2. The wireless receiver according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of amplification units is arranged inside the heat-shielding container, and the cooling means is arranged inside the heat-shielding container. A radio receiver, characterized in that the amplified amplification unit is cooled. 3. The wireless receiver according to claim 1, wherein the distribution unit is arranged inside the heat-shielding container, and the cooling unit cools the distribution unit arranged in the heat-shielding container. A wireless receiver characterized by. 4. The wireless receiver according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the distributor, the combiner, and the plurality of amplifiers is disposed inside the heat shield container, and the cooling unit is provided. A radio receiver, characterized in that the distributor, the synthesizer, and the plurality of amplifiers arranged inside the heat shield container are cooled. 5. The wireless receiver according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is made of a superconducting material.