RADIO RECEIVERS FOR POSITION DETERMINATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

A radio receiver for receiving radio signals from at least one position determination system, having a receiving apparatus, and an antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement has at least one radio signal antenna for receiving radio signals and a first feed element and a second feed element. The first feed element and the second feed element have different polarization-dependent sensitivities. The antenna arrangement has a first radio signal line and a second radio signal line. The first radio signal line is designed to provide a radio signal received by the antenna arrangement as a first radio reception signal. The second radio signal line is designed to provide a further radio signal received by the antenna arrangement as a second radio reception signal. A signal processing apparatus designed to determine a position of the radio receiver on the basis of the first radio reception signal and the second radio reception signal.

Claims

1. A radio receiver for receiving radio signals from at least one position determination system, comprising: a receiving apparatus, which has an antenna arrangement, wherein the antenna arrangement has at least one radio signal antenna for receiving radio signals and also a first feed element and a second feed element, wherein the first feed element and the second feed element have different polarization-dependent sensitivities, wherein the antenna arrangement has a first radio signal line and a second radio signal line, wherein the first radio signal line is designed to provide a radio signal received by the antenna arrangement as a first radio received signal, and wherein the second radio signal line is designed to provide a further radio signal received by the antenna arrangement as a second radio received signal; and a signal processing apparatus designed to determine a position of the radio receiver on the basis of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal.

2. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radio signal line and the second radio signal line are coupled to the at least one radio signal antenna.

3. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna arrangement has a further radio signal antenna, wherein the first radio signal line is coupled to the first radio signal antenna, and wherein the second radio signal line is coupled to the second radio signal antenna.

4. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is connected downstream of the receiving apparatus, and the signal processing apparatus is supplied with the first radio received signal via the first radio signal line and is supplied with the second radio received signal via the second radio signal line.

5. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus has antenna information about the polarization-dependent reception sensitivity of the first feed element and of the second feed element in order to use the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal to determine the polarization or polarization components of a radio signal received from the first feed element and the second feed element.

6. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein the signal processing apparatus is designed to use the antenna information to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in order to distinguish whether the received radio signals were reflected and/or scattered before reception by the receiving apparatus.

7. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is designed to split the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal into a plurality of digital signals and to perform a propagation time calculation for the plurality of digital signals in order to obtain position information for the radio receiver.

8. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal processing apparatus is designed to generate final position information from the position information by a temporal shift of individual digital signals from the plurality of digital signals.

9. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is designed to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in sync.

10. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, which further has a radio-frequency signal processor, that is connected downstream of the antenna arrangement and is connected upstream of the signal processing apparatus, wherein the signal processor is designed to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in sync in order to supply the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in filtered and amplified fashion to the signal processing apparatus.

11. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein an intermediate-frequency signal processor is connected downstream of the signal processor and is connected upstream of the signal processing apparatus, which intermediate-frequency signal processor is designed to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in order to shift the frequency of the first radio received signal and of the second radio received signal and to split them into a plurality of digital signals, before the plurality of digital signals is supplied to the signal processing apparatus.

12. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal processor and the intermediate-frequency signal processor are integrated in the signal processing apparatus.

13. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal each have a separate signal processor and a separate intermediate-frequency signal processor provided for them, wherein the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate signal processors and the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate intermediate-frequency signal processors is in sync.

14. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is designed to measure the signal strength of the first radio received signal and of the second radio received signal.

15. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna arrangement has a multi-feed antenna designed to receive a plurality of radio signals having different polarizations and to provide the signal processing apparatus with a plurality of radio received signals.

16. The radio receiver as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal each have a separate signal processor and a separate intermediate-frequency signal processor provided for them, wherein the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate signal processors and the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate intermediate-frequency signal processors is in sync.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Further exemplary embodiments are explained with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0049] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a few embodiments of a radio receiver;

[0050] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a few embodiments of an antenna arrangement;

[0051] FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of a signal processor and an intermediate-frequency signal processor; and

[0052] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a few embodiments of reception of radio signals by the radio receiver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a radio receiver 100 for receiving radio signals 101 from at least one position determination system 103. The radio receiver 100 comprises a receiving apparatus 105, which has an antenna arrangement 107, wherein the antenna arrangement 107 has at least one radio signal antenna 109 for receiving radio signals 101 and a first feed element 111 and a second feed element 113. The first feed element 111 and the second feed element 113 have different polarization-dependent sensitivities. The antenna arrangement 107 has a first radio signal line 117 and a second radio signal line 119, wherein the first radio signal line 117 is designed to provide a radio signal received by the antenna arrangement 107 as a first radio received signal and the second radio signal line 119 is designed to provide a further radio signal received by the antenna arrangement 107 as a second radio received signal. The radio receiver 100 has a signal processing apparatus 115 designed to determine a position of the radio receiver 100 on the basis of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal.

[0054] The radio receiver 100 can be at an arbitrary position relative to the transmitting stations of the position determination system 103. The distance between transmitting station and radio receiver 100 may be limited by the signal strength of the radio signal 101 transmitted by the transmitting station and the antenna gain of the antenna arrangement 107. Position determination in three-dimensional space can involve radio signals 101 from three transmitting stations being used. Since the time between the position determination system 103 and the radio receiver 100 may be asynchronous, a fourth transmitting station can be used in order to realise accurate position determination for the radio receiver 100. The radio receiver 100 may be arranged in a smartphone, vehicle on the earth's surface or aircraft in the atmosphere, in particular. To determine the position of the radio receiver 100, it may be advantageous for the radio receiver 100 to know the position of the transmitting stations, or for the position of the transmitting stations to be contained in the radio signals 101 as information.

[0055] In one embodiment, the radio signals 101 of the transmitting stations of the position determination system 103 are right-hand circularly polarized. In order to detect changes in the polarization of the originally right-hand circularly polarized radar signal 101, the antenna arrangement 107 can advantageously have at least one radio signal antenna 109 that can have different reception sensitivities for circularly and/or elliptically polarized radio signals 101 and can provide said reception sensitivities as radio received signals via different radio signal lines 117, 119. For example one radio signal antenna 109 having an increased reception sensitivity for right-hand circularly polarized radio signals 101 as compared with radio signals 101 having other polarizations and one radio signal antenna 109 having an increased reception sensitivity for left-hand circularly polarized radio signals as compared with radio signals 101 having other polarizations.

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a schematic depiction of a radio receiver 100 that further has a signal processor 203, in particular a radio-frequency signal processor, that is connected downstream of the antenna arrangement 107 and is connected upstream of the signal processing apparatus 115, wherein the signal processor 203 is designed to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in sync in order to supply the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in filtered and amplified fashion to the signal processing apparatus 115.

[0057] The first radio received signal and the second radio received signal can each be designed to have a separate signal processor 203, wherein the processing of the first radio received signal and of the second radio received signal by the separate signal processors 203 is in sync.

[0058] The signal processors 203 may be connected to one another via an electrical line, in particular a synchronization line 209, wherein the processing of the radio received signals by the signal processors 203 can be in sync via the synchronization line 209.

[0059] The antenna arrangement 107 can have a plurality of radio signal antennas 109, 201, 205, in particular three radio signal antennas 109, 201, 205, that may each be connected, in particular electrically connected, to the signal processor 203 via a separate radio signal line 117, 119, 211. The radio received signals processed by the separate signal processors 203 may be provided to the signal processing apparatus 115 via separate signal lines. The signal processing apparatus 115 generates position information that may be provided for further processing. In addition to the position information, the signal processing apparatus 115 can provide further information concerning the received radio signals 101. This information may be the polarizations, the signal levels, the angles of incidence, the frequency and/or the number of received radio signals 101, in particular. Moreover, information about the number and/or position of the transmitting stations from which the radio receiver 100 has received a radio signal 101 may be provided.

[0060] The extension of the antenna arrangement 107 by the plurality of radio signal antennas 109, 201, 205, in particular the extension by a plurality of feed elements 111, 113, 207, may have advantageously increased the power of the radio receiver 100, in particular in regard to more accurate and/or faster position determination.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a schematic depiction of a radio receiver 100, which has an intermediate-frequency signal processor 301 that is connected downstream of the signal processor 203 and is connected upstream of the signal processing apparatus 115. The intermediate-frequency signal processor 301 is designed to process the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal in order to shift, in particular down-convert, the frequency of the first radio received signal and of the second radio received signal and to split them into a plurality of digital signals 501, before the plurality of digital signals 501 is supplied to the signal processing apparatus 115.

[0062] The signal processor 203 and the intermediate-frequency signal processor 301 may be integrated in the signal processing apparatus 115.

[0063] The first radio received signal and the second radio received signal may each be designed to have a separate signal processor 203 and a separate intermediate-frequency signal processor 301, wherein the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate signal processors 203 and the processing of the first radio received signal and the second radio received signal by the separate intermediate-frequency signal processors 301 is in sync.

[0064] The intermediate-frequency signal processors 301 may be connected to one another via an electrical line, in particular a synchronization line 303, wherein the processing of the radio received signals by the intermediate-frequency signal processors 301 can be in sync via the synchronization line 209.

[0065] FIG. 4A shows a schematic depiction of the antenna arrangement 107, which has a radio signal antenna 109 for receiving radio signals 101. The first feed element 111 and the second feed element 113 have different polarization-dependent sensitivities, and the first radio signal line 117 is designed to provide a first radio received signal and the second radio signal line 119 is designed to provide a second radio received signal.

[0066] The integration of two different polarization-dependent reception sensitivities in one radio signal antenna 109 may have advantageously reduced the installation space of the antenna arrangement 107.

[0067] FIG. 4B shows a schematic depiction of the antenna arrangement 107, which has a radio signal antenna 109 for receiving radio signals 101. The first feed element 111 and the second feed element 113 have different polarization-dependent sensitivities, and the first radio signal line 117 is designed to provide a first radio received signal and the second radio signal line 119 is designed to provide a second radio received signal.

[0068] In particular, the radio signal antenna 109 can have two different linear-polarization-dependent reception sensitivities, forming an angle, and can supply the differently linearly polarized radio signals 101 to a polariser 401 as radio received signals via separate lines. The polariser 401 may be part of the antenna arrangement 107. The polariser 401 may be designed to convert the radio signals 101 received in linear-polarization-dependent fashion into circularly polarized signals.

[0069] The radio signal antenna 109 may be a dual linearly polarized radio signal antenna 109, in particular. The polariser 401 can be made up of radio-frequency power splitters and/or delay elements. Furthermore, multi-feed antennas can be used, so that the installation space of the antenna arrangement 107 may advantageously have been reduced.

[0070] FIG. 5 shows a schematic depiction of the processing of a radio received signal using the signal processor 203 and the intermediate-frequency signal processor 301. The signal processor 203 has a filter apparatus 503 to which the radio received signal is provided via the radio signal line 117. The filter apparatus 503 is designed to filter the radio received signal. Furthermore, the signal processor 203 has an amplification apparatus 505 designed to amplify the radio received signal. The processing of the radio received signal by the signal processor 203 may be connected to further signal processors by the synchronization line 209, so that the signal processing by the signal processor and the further signal processors can be in sync.

[0071] The intermediate-frequency signal processor 301 can have a further amplification apparatus 507, to which the radio received signal processed by the signal processor 203 is provided. The further amplification apparatus 507 may be designed to amplify the radio received signal and to provide it to an analog-to-digital converter 509. The analog-to-digital converter 509 may be designed to shift the radio received signal from a first carrier signal to a second carrier signal, to sample and/or correlate the radio received signal and/or to split the radio received signal into a plurality of digital signals 501. The signal processing apparatus 115 can realise further splitting of the signals into baseband signals of the transmitting stations and associated correlator signals, which together form the digital signals 501 that can be provided at a signal output of the intermediate-frequency signal processor 301.

[0072] The further amplification apparatus 507 and/or the analog-to-digital converter 509 can be in sync via shared or separate synchronization lines 303, so that the processing of the radio received signals with amplification apparatuses and analog-to-digital converters in further intermediate-frequency signal processors 301 can be in sync.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a schematic depiction of a radio receiver 100 that receives a direct radio signal 101 and/or an indirect radio signal 601 from the position determination system 103. In particular, the direct and indirect radio signals 101, 601 may be sent by the same transmitting station of the position determination system 103.

[0074] The radio receiver 100 may be arranged in a vehicle and/or the indirect radio signal 601 may be reflected from an obstacle, in particular a building. The reflection of the indirect radio signal 601 by the obstacle means that the polarization of the indirect radio signal 601 can change. In particular, the polarization direction may have changed from right-hand circular to left-hand circular. Furthermore, the reception angle and/or signal strength of the indirect radio signal 601 can differ from the reception angle and/or signal strength of the direct radio signal 101.

[0075] FIG. 7 shows a schematic depiction of a radio receiver 100 that receives two indirect radio signals 601, 701 from the position determination system 103. In particular, the two indirect radio signals 601, 701 may be sent by the same transmitting station of the position determination system 103.

[0076] The indirect radio signal 601 may be reflected from an obstacle, in particular a building. The indirect radio signal 701 may be scattered from an obstacle, in particular a building. The reflection and/or scatter of the radio signals 601, 701 by an obstacle means that the polarization, reception angle and/or signal strength of the respective radio signal 601, 701 can change. In particular, the interaction with an obstacle may have changed the polarization of the indirect radio signals 601, 701 from circularly polarized to elliptically polarized.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0077] 100 Radio receiver [0078] 101 Radio signal [0079] 103 Position determination system [0080] 105 Receiving apparatus [0081] 107 Antenna arrangement [0082] 109 Radio signal antenna [0083] 111 Feed element [0084] 113 Feed element [0085] 115 Signal processing apparatus [0086] 117 Radio signal line [0087] 119 Radio signal line [0088] 201 Radio signal antenna [0089] 203 Signal processor [0090] 205 Radio signal antenna [0091] 207 Feed element [0092] 209 Synchronization line [0093] 211 Radio signal line [0094] 301 Intermediate-frequency signal processor [0095] 303 Synchronization line [0096] 401 Polariser [0097] 501 Digital signal [0098] 503 Filter apparatus [0099] 505 Amplification apparatus [0100] 507 Amplification apparatus [0101] 509 Analog-to-digital converter [0102] 601 Radio signal [0103] 701 Radio signal