JP2005354465A - Radio relay system for broadcasting station - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio relay system for broadcasting stations, wherein a relay line is secured to prevent breaks of communication due to a fault or breakdown of an antenna. <P>SOLUTION: The radio relay system for broadcasting stations integrates a STL link and a FPU link being one-way relay lines independent of each other conventionally, and comprises a studio radio station A and a relay radio station B to constitute a pair of links, each radio station being provided with two antennas. With such a dual antenna configuration that either of antennas 3 or 4 of either of the radio stations is switched to by an antenna switch 5 in the case of a fault, breakdown, or the like, a relay line is secured in the radio relay system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio relay system for a broadcasting station having a double antenna.

In a wireless relay system that wirelessly relays video information for relay using a directional antenna using microwaves, quasi-millimeter waves, and the like, the wireless communication device is duplexed in order to prevent communication interruption due to equipment failure (for example, Non-patent document 1.). As for the duplexing, the transmitter and the receiver using active parts are duplexed, but the antenna is not equipped with a spare, and the common switch may be switched from the failed transmitter / receiver to the standby transmitter / receiver by the switch. Many. The same applies to STL (Studio to Transmitter Link) links that transmit information from studios to relay stations and FPU (Field Pick Up Unit) links that transmit information from fields to relay stations in the radio relay link for broadcasting stations. Antenna duplication is not performed. The reason for this is that the antenna does not use active parts, so the failure probability is low, and it is difficult to secure a space for attaching the spare antenna to a facility such as a radio tower to which the directional antenna is attached. However, if there is no spare antenna, there is a problem that communication is interrupted in the wireless relay section even if it is necessary to secure communication by disaster relay etc. when an accident that damages the antenna due to disaster such as earthquake or typhoon occurs .
DIGITAL MICROWAVE / UHF RADIOS C11 SERIES Catalog TOSHIBA CORPORATION

  A radio relay link for a broadcasting station that does not have a spare antenna has a problem that communication cannot be interrupted when the antenna is broken or damaged due to a disaster such as an earthquake or a typhoon.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a radio relay system for a broadcasting station that can secure a relay line and prevent communication interruption even if an antenna fails or is damaged. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a radio relay system for a broadcasting station according to the present invention is a radio relay system for a broadcasting station that relays radio between a studio of a broadcasting station and a relay station using a directional antenna. A studio radio station having two antennas: an STL link transmission antenna that relays information to a location; and an FPU link reception antenna that relays information from the relay location to the studio; and the STL link reception antenna; A relay radio station having two antennas, a transmission antenna of the FPU link, and each radio station has a connection destination of the antenna connected to the transmitter or receiver of the one link on the other side. It is characterized by comprising antenna switching means for performing mutual switching between the antenna connected to the receiver or transmitter of the link.

  In addition, the radio relay system for a broadcast station of the present invention is a radio relay system for a broadcast station that relays radio between a studio of a broadcast station and a relay station using a directional antenna. The radio relay system is installed on the studio side. A first transmitter of the STL link that relays information from the studio to the relay station, a first transmission antenna of the STL link, and a first FPU link that relays information from the relay station to the studio. And the second receiving antenna of the FPU link, the first antenna, the first transmitter, and the first receiver connected to the first receiver, the output from the first transmitter being the first First hybrid means for outputting to the first receiver a radio wave output to the first antenna and received via the first antenna, and the second antenna and the first transmission And the output from the first transmitter connected to the first receiver to the second antenna, and the radio wave received via the first antenna to the first receiver. A studio radio station comprising a second hybrid means; a second receiver and a third antenna of the STL link, a second transmitter and a fourth transmitter of the FPU link, installed on the relay station side; An antenna, the fourth antenna, the second transmitter, and the second receiver connected to the output from the second transmitter to the fourth antenna, and the fourth antenna A third hybrid means for outputting radio waves received via the second receiver to the second receiver, and the third antenna, the second transmitter, and the second receiver connected to the second receiver, The output from the transmitter is output to the third antenna. And, characterized by comprising a relay radio station and a fourth hybrid means for outputting the electric waves received via the third antenna to the second receiver.

  According to the present invention, the studio radio station and the relay radio station are each provided with two antennas by making the STL link and the FPU link, which have conventionally been independent one-way relay lines, one-to-one links. Even if one of the antennas for transmission or reception of the radio station fails or is damaged, the antenna switcher switches to the other antenna that is normal, or hybrid means are used. By adopting a dual antenna configuration for both transmission and reception, it is possible to provide a radio relay system capable of securing a relay line against an antenna accident.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless relay system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the radio relay system includes a studio radio station A and a relay radio station B that constitute two opposing relay lines. The studio radio station A and the relay radio station B are respectively a transmitter (1A, 1B) and a receiver. Machine (2A, 2B), antenna (3A, 3B), antenna (4A, 4B), antenna switcher (5A, 5B) and monitor control unit (6A, 6B). In the studio radio station A and the relay radio station B, the maintenance management device (terminal) 7 of each radio station or the host computer 8 having the monitoring control function of each radio station is the monitor control unit (6A, 6B). In some cases, both or one of them may be connected.

  The link formed by transmitter 1A-antenna switching unit 5A-antenna 3A-antenna 4B-antenna switching unit 5B-receiver 2B corresponds to a radio relay link which is a broadcast program relay line conventionally called an STL link, and is relayed from the studio. Send radio waves to the place. The link formed by the transmitter 1B, the antenna switch 5A, the antenna 3B, the antenna 4A, the antenna switch 5A, and the receiver 2A corresponds to a radio relay link that is a program material relay line conventionally called an FPU link. The conventional FPU link was operated with the transmission point as the field and the relay station as the reception point. However, in the wireless relay system of the present invention, the transmission point is set as the relay station and the studio is set as the reception point. Send relay radio waves. And the radio relay system for broadcasting stations provided with the link which opposed between the studio and the relay station is comprised.

  Both links are originally operated independently, and the operation status varies, and communication is not always performed in both directions at the same time. Therefore, also in the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the STL link transmits the disaster situation online from the local station studio of the nationwide network to the center during the news broadcast, and the FPU link transmits the coverage information of the program. Independent operations are performed with different usage purposes for links that are received off-line from the center during idle time (and vice versa).

  The radio relay system according to the embodiment of the present invention constitutes a radio relay system in which independent STL links and FPU links are integrated as a pair, and an antenna accident occurs due to the redundant configuration of antennas in each radio station. Even so, radio propagation paths are secured to prevent communication disruption. Hereinafter, the configuration and processing outline of the radio relay system for broadcasting stations in the embodiment will be described.

  Since the STL link and the FPU link are installed as a relay device between the same studio and the relay station, the antenna 3A and the antenna 4A of the studio radio station are connected to the same facility or equipment such as a radio tower or building close to the studio. The antenna 3B and the antenna 4B of the relay radio station B are similarly installed in the vicinity. Then, the STL link antenna 3A and antenna 4B, and the FPU link antenna 3B and antenna 4A are installed so that the radio propagation paths are adjacent to each other to form a pair of radio links. Further, the beam coverage area of the STL link antenna 3A covers the FPU link antenna 3B, and the beam coverage area of the FPU link antenna 4A is also installed so as to cover the opposing STL link antenna 4B. The same applies to the remaining antennas 3B and 4B.) The most typical configuration example is when both radio links communicate with each other through two radio propagation paths in which radio wave beams are close in parallel.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between frequencies used by the STL link and the FPU link. In FIG. 2, the frequency used for the radio relay link for the broadcasting station is shown as a frequency band BT. c1 to c7 are frequencies of channels used as radio links in the frequency band. For example, c1 is used for the STL link and c3 is used for the FPU link, and interference such as interference is avoided between the two channels. The gain band Ag indicates the gain band of the antenna used for the radio relay link for broadcasting stations, and covers the frequency band BT of the radio relay link for broadcasting stations throughout. Note that the gain band Ag does not have to cover the entire frequency band BT as long as it covers both bands of the two links forming a pair.

  As described above, the radio relay system according to the present embodiment includes two antennas for each of the studio radio station A and the relay radio station B, and the antenna of the other link of the radio station facing the coverage area of the antenna of one link. Covering each other, the antenna can be complemented and operated between both links.

  In the following description, when the matters common to the studio radio station A and the relay radio station B are described, the above components are described by omitting the symbols A and B like the radio station and transmitter 1, for example. . It should be noted that the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2 are internally duplicated, and the normal system transmitter 1 or the receiver 2 remaining when one of the systems fails may be connected to the antenna. Needless to say.

The antenna switching unit 5 is connected to the monitor control unit 6 and switches between antennas used for the STL link and the FPU link. (The antenna changer 5 and the monitor control unit 6 may be combined into one, but here are separated into two for functional explanation.)
The antenna switching unit 5 performs cross switching as a connection destination between the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2 and the antennas 3 and 4 alternately. During normal operation, the transmitter 1 is connected to the transmitting antenna 3 via the antenna switch 5 and the receiver 2 is connected to the receiving antenna 4. On the other hand, when a failure occurs, the receiver 2 is connected to the antenna 3 for transmission of the other link via the antenna switch 5, and the transmitter 1 is connected to the other link via the antenna switch 5. It is connected to the antenna 4 that was used for receiving the link. (If the transmission / reception relationship is reversed, transmission and reception may be interchanged.) This antenna switching is performed by a switch operation by a radio station operator or by a switching signal from the monitor control unit 6. Done.

  The monitor control unit 6 is connected to the maintenance management device 7 or the host computer 8, and monitors the transmission / reception levels of the antennas 3 and 4 to detect an abnormality, and outputs an alarm to these devices. On the other hand, the monitor control unit 6 receives a priority command for setting the antenna switching priority from the maintenance management device 7 or the host computer 8.

  This priority is used to set which of the STL link and the FPU link is prioritized to secure communication when an antenna accident occurs. For example, the priority is given to the link transmitting the live broadcast information of the program. To secure the communication and stop the communication of the other waiting link.

  When the alarm is generated, the monitor control unit 6 transmits an antenna switching signal to the antenna switch 5. Further, the monitor control unit 6 includes a local priority setting switch (not shown), and the antenna is used even when the link to be given priority from the maintenance management device 7 or the host computer 8 is not set. It is possible to set the priority of whether or not to switch the antenna in accordance with an alarm notifying that a failure has occurred.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a configuration for measuring the transmission level from the antenna 3A in order to detect a failure or the like of the transmission antenna 3A of the studio radio station A. As a method for measuring the transmission level from the antenna 3A, the receiver 2A receives the side lobe output of the c1 channel from the antenna 3A by the antenna 4A and outputs it to the monitor control unit 6. Further, as another method of receiving the radio wave transmitted from the antenna 3 by the own station, there is a pole between the radio propagation path of the opposite relay link, for example, the antenna 3A of the studio radio station and the antenna 4B of the relay radio station. Such a small reflector 63 is provided, and the reflected wave from the reflector 63 is received by the receiver 4A by the antenna 4A and output to the monitor control unit 6A for measurement (see FIG. 3A). As another method, the reflected wave may be received and measured by the monitor receiver 64 and the monitor antenna 65 (see FIG. 3B) of the monitor control unit 6. In addition to this, the reception level at the receiver 2B of the relay radio station B which is the counterpart station is transmitted to the monitor control unit 6A of the studio radio station A via another communication channel (not shown). Alternatively, any failure detection method may be used as long as the method detects that an accident has occurred.

  And, when the transmission level of the radio wave is constantly monitored and the transmission level under monitoring deviates from a predetermined value by using the reception level of the radio wave from the normal transmission antenna as a reference, the transmission antenna is damaged, etc. Or, it is determined that an accident has occurred.

On the other hand, the detection method of the failure of the receiving antenna 4A or the occurrence of an accident may be any method as long as it detects the failure or the accident of the antenna 4A such as using the self-diagnosis and failure isolation function in the receiver 2A. It's okay. (The other relay radio station B also detects an antenna abnormality in the same manner as the studio radio station A.)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when performing failure recovery when an antenna accident occurs in the wireless relay system of this embodiment.

In this example, a local station studio sends news about disasters such as typhoons to the national broadcast program via the STL link to the center online, and receives program coverage information offline via the FPU link. A processing procedure will be described. Now, the local station host computer 8 inputs a command to the monitor control unit 6 (step 1), gives priority to the STL link, and transmits information on the actual broadcast of the disaster situation where the broadcast must be secured. . (On the contrary, when receiving live broadcast information from the center, priority is set for the FPU link.)
Note that the priority setting of the STL link priority when the antenna 3 fails is the maintenance of the radio station connected to the monitor control unit 6A by the operator of the studio radio station B when the host computer is not connected to the monitor control unit 6A. A control signal for setting a priority may be input to the monitor control unit 6A by inputting a priority setting command from the management device 7. As another method, a priority setting switch (not shown) provided in the monitor control unit 6A may be used.

  If the priority setting means is not provided in the studio radio station A, the antenna switch 5 is provided with an operator who has received a notification that an antenna accident has occurred on the link for which priority has been set or has detected an alarm. The antenna to which the transmitter 1A is connected may be switched by a manual switch (not shown). In the relay radio station B, this priority setting method is the same as that for the studio radio station A.

  The monitor control unit 6 to which the priority setting command is input stores the priority of the antenna switching condition (step 2).

  When this priority is set, in the studio radio station A, when the monitor 6 detects that the transmission antenna 3A has failed, the antenna switch 5A selects the connection destination of the transmitter 1A of the STL link to which the priority is set. The antenna 3A is switched to the receiving antenna 4A for the FPU link. Since this switching is a cross-switching, the receiver 2A is connected to the failed antenna 3A, and the FPU link signal cannot be received, but the information received on the FPU link for which priority is not set is offline. Since the information is handled, even if reception is interrupted, there is no immediate problem at the local station. On the other hand, even if an accident occurs in the FPU antenna 4A for which priority is not set, the antenna 4A to which the receiver 2A is connected is not switched to the antenna 3A in order to ensure STL link communication.

  Now, assume that the antenna 3A is damaged by strong winds, flying objects, etc. at the X mark in FIG. 1 and a communication failure occurs in the STL link. The monitor control unit 6A monitors and measures the reception level of the side lobe from the transmitting antenna 3A received via the antenna 4A by the monitor receiver 6. Then, it is assumed that the antenna 3A is damaged (antenna accident) when the reception level deviates from a predetermined level (step 3).

  The monitor control unit 6A generates an alarm for an antenna accident and transmits a switching signal for switching the antenna to the antenna switching unit 5A (step 4).

  The antenna switch 5A that has received the switching signal switches the connection destination of the transmitter 1A from the antenna 3A to the receiving antenna 4A of the FPU link (step 5). The output of the transmitter 1A is transmitted as a radio wave directed from the antenna 4A to the antenna 4B of the relay radio station B as indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1 (step 6).

  Since the antenna 4A is originally an FPU link reception antenna, the center of the beam is directed to the FPU link transmission antenna 3B of the relay radio station B, but the coverage area also covers the STL link antenna 4B. . Therefore, the relay radio station B receives the radio wave from the antenna 4A of the studio radio station A according to the normal time by the antenna 4B (step 7). Then, the STL link is reconfigured and the communication failure is restored again (step 8).

  The above is the processing method of failure recovery in the case of an antenna accident on the transmitting side. However, when the receiving antenna 4B of the STU link to which the priority is set also fails in the relay radio station B corresponding to the receiving side, Since the transmitting antenna 3B of the other FPU link can receive radio waves from the STU link, the failure is restored by switching to the other transmitting antenna 3B and performing reception.

  When a failure occurs in the reception antenna 4B, the failure detection is performed by a method such as monitoring the reception level of the receiver 2B. Since the procedure of the antenna switching operation after the failure detection can be easily estimated from the switching procedure of the transmitting antenna 3A described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the configuration of the first embodiment, by setting the priority, it is possible to recover from a communication failure when an accident occurs in the antenna of the link that is transmitting information for which communication must be ensured. The first embodiment is effective when an acceptable margin for the reception level cannot be taken, such as when the distance between both radio stations is long.

(Second Embodiment)
The radio relay system according to the second embodiment is suitable, for example, when the distance between two radio stations is short and the reception margin is large. Each radio station can use both antennas for transmission and reception, so that even if one of the antennas breaks down, the other antenna can transmit and receive, so that an upper and lower link can always be secured between the two radio stations.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless relay system according to the second embodiment. The radio relay system of the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the antenna switch 5 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is replaced with hybrids 91 and 92. Yes. That is, instead of the antenna switch 5, the common terminal of the hybrid 91 is connected to the antenna 3, the common terminal of the hybrid 92 is connected to the antenna 4, and the input terminals of the hybrids 91 and 92 are connected to the transmitter 1. At the same time, by connecting the output terminal to the receiver 2, the two antennas 3 and 4 are used for both transmission and reception.

  That is, in the second embodiment, an STL link and an FPU link are configured by a combination of two parallel beams that form a pair. On the receiving side, in addition to a pair of main radio propagation paths constituted by parallel beams, a pair of sub radio propagation paths formed by side beams are constituted. Therefore, even if one of the two antennas included in each radio station breaks down, communication is ensured by the sub-radio propagation path if the other one antenna can be used. Accordingly, since it is possible to continue communication with the STL link and the FPU link at the same time, priority setting is not necessary in the second embodiment. For example, even if a local station studio sends disaster status information to the center, the center edits the transmitted disaster status information and broadcasts the news program to the whole country to the local station studio again. In the station studio, it is possible to secure wireless relay links in both the upper and lower directions.

  In the second embodiment, the receiver 2 receives the received signals from the antenna 3 and the antenna 4, but the receiver 2 receives these two received signals when the receiving antenna is normal. In a normal state, only signals received from opposing antennas may be selected and demodulated in order to transmit and receive the original parallel beam. This antenna selection signal for reception may be set by a method such as inputting to the monitor control unit 6 from the maintenance terminal of each radio station in the same manner as the priority setting in the first embodiment.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the radio relay system for broadcasting stations concerning the Example of this invention. The figure explaining the relationship of the frequency and antenna which an STL link and an FPU link use. The block diagram of the structure which measures the transmission level of the antenna 3A for transmission of the studio radio station A. The flowchart which shows the flow of a restoration process of the antenna failure of the wireless relay system of a present Example. The block diagram which shows the structure of 2nd Embodiment of the radio relay system for broadcasting stations concerning the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Studio radio station B Relay radio station 1A, 1B Transmitter 2A, 2B Receiver 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B Antenna 5A, 5B Antenna switch 6A, 6B Monitor control unit 63 Reflector 64 Monitor receiver 65 Monitor antenna 7 Maintenance Management device 8 Host computer 91, 92 Hybrid

Claims (7)

In a radio relay system for broadcast stations that wirelessly relays between a broadcast station studio and a relay station using a directional antenna,
A studio radio station having two antennas: an STL link transmission antenna that relays information from the studio to the relay station, and an FPU link reception antenna that relays information from the relay station to the studio;
A relay radio station having two antennas, a reception antenna of the STL link and a transmission antenna of the FPU link;
Each wireless station is
Antenna switching means for switching the connection destination of the antenna connected to the transmitter or receiver of the one link to the antenna connected to the receiver or transmitter of the other link is provided. A wireless relay system for broadcasting stations. Each radio station further includes:
Priority setting means for setting a priority for securing communication by giving priority to any one of the two links to each of the monitoring means;
When the own station detects a failure of any of the antennas, the priority is set when the failed antenna is a transmission antenna of the link with the priority set against the set priority. A switching signal for switching the connection destination of the transmitter of the selected link to the receiving antenna of the link for which the priority is not set is transmitted to the antenna switching means, and the reception of the link for which the failed antenna is set for the priority priority If it is an antenna, a monitor for switching the antenna by transmitting a switching signal for switching the connection destination of the receiver of the link for which the priority is set to the transmission antenna of the link for which the priority is not set to the antenna switching means Characterized by comprising control means Wireless relay system for a broadcasting station according to claim 1. The antennas are installed so that the radio propagation path between the transmission antenna and the reception antenna of the STL link and the radio propagation path between the transmission antenna and the reception antenna of the FPU link are parallel to each other. And
And the coverage of the antenna of each link is
The radio relay system for a broadcasting station according to claim 1, wherein the radio station system covers the antenna of the radio station facing and the antenna of the other link. The monitor control means includes
A small reflector is installed in the radio propagation path of the opposite link, and the reception level of the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from one link is set to the reception antenna of the other link installed in the radio station on the transmission side, and 3. The radio relay system for broadcasting stations according to claim 2, wherein a failure of the transmission antenna is detected by measurement with a receiver or a monitor receiver further provided in the monitor control means. The monitor control means includes
Detecting a failure of the transmission antenna by receiving and measuring a side lobe from the transmission antenna of the one link at the reception antenna of the other link installed in the radio station where the transmission antenna is installed. The radio relay system for a broadcasting station according to claim 2, The priority setting means includes
The host computer that monitors and controls the broadcasting of the studio sets a priority for ensuring communication with respect to either the STL link or the FPU link that relays the information of the program being broadcast online. The radio relay system for broadcast stations according to claim 2, wherein: In a radio relay system for broadcast stations that wirelessly relays between a broadcast station studio and a relay station using a directional antenna,
The wireless relay system is
The STL link first transmitter and the STL link first transmission antenna which are installed on the studio side and relay information from the studio to the relay station, and relay information from the relay station to the studio A first receiver of the FPU link and a second receive antenna of the FPU link, the first antenna, the first transmitter and the first receiver connected to the first transmitter from the first transmitter; First hybrid means for outputting an output to the first antenna and for outputting a radio wave received via the first antenna to the first receiver; and the second antenna and the first transmission Connected to the first receiver and the first receiver, the output from the first transmitter is output to the second antenna, and the radio wave received via the first antenna is output to the first receiver. Second hive to And studio radio station and a head means,
The second receiver and third antenna of the STL link, the second transmitter and fourth antenna of the FPU link, the fourth antenna, and the second antenna installed on the relay station side An output from the second transmitter connected to the transmitter and the second receiver is output to the fourth antenna, and radio waves received via the fourth antenna are transmitted to the second receiver. The third hybrid means for outputting to the second antenna, and the third antenna, the second transmitter, and the second receiver, and outputs the output from the second transmitter to the third antenna. And a relay radio station comprising a fourth hybrid means for outputting a radio wave received via the third antenna to the second receiver.

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