Receiver

1. A receiver configured to receive a radio signal comprising a preamble comprising a synchronization pattern and a payload containing data, the receiver comprising:

an antenna configured to receive the radio signal;

a low noise amplifier configured to amplify an output from the antenna by applying a first variable gain;

a down-conversion module configured to down-convert an output from the low noise amplifier;

a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify an output from the down-conversion module by applying a second variable gain;

an auto gain controller configured to, in accordance with strength of the radio signal, firstly adjust the first variable gain, and after fixing the first variable gain, adjust the second variable gain;

a synchronization acquisition module configured to acquire the synchronization pattern not using a portion of the preamble to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied but using at least part of a portion of the preamble to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied; and

a demodulator configured to demodulate the payload in synchronization with the synchronization pattern acquisition by the synchronization acquisition module, wherein

the preamble is formed with a plurality of symbols existing in a first time, and

a sum of

a time in which there exists a symbol to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied,

a time in which there exists a symbol to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied, and

a time in which there exists a symbol to be used by the synchronization acquisition module,

is longer than the first time.

2. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein

the preamble is formed with a plurality of symbols, and

the low noise amplifier is configured to

apply the first variable gain being adjusted to a first number of the symbols from the beginning, and

apply the fixed first variable gain to the following symbols.

3. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein phase shifting between an input signal and an output signal at the variable gain amplifier due to a fluctuation in the second variable gain is smaller than phase shifting between an input signal and an output signal at the low noise amplifier due to a fluctuation in the first variable gain.

4. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein

the preamble is formed with a plurality of symbols,

the synchronization acquisition module comprises:

a plurality of multipliers each configured to multiply each corresponding symbol by a first coefficient, the multipliers being provided for the respective symbols;

an adder configured to add up results of the multiplications performed by the multipliers; and

a determiner configured to determine whether there exists the synchronization pattern based on a result of the addition performed by the adder, and

the coefficient by which a symbol having the first variable gain being adjusted applied thereto is multiplied is 0.

5. The receiver of claim 4 , wherein

the low noise amplifier is configured to

apply the first variable gain being adjusted to a first number of the symbols from the beginning, and

apply the fixed first variable gain to the following symbols, and

the coefficient by which the first number of symbols from the beginning is multiplied is 0.

6. The receiver of claim 1 , further comprising

a frequency corrector configured to correct a frequency of the received radio signal not using the portion of the preamble to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied but using at least part of the portion of the preamble to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied.

7. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein

the radio signal is an FSK-modulated time domain signal, and

the receiver further comprises

a time-to-frequency converter configured to convert the time domain signal into a frequency domain signal, the time-to-frequency converter being located between the variable gain amplifier and the demodulator.

8. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein

the low noise amplifier and the variable gain amplifier are configured to amplify the time domain signal, and

the synchronization acquisition module is configured to acquire the synchronization pattern from the frequency domain signal.

9. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the time domain signal is a constant envelope signal.

10. A receiver configured to receive a radio signal comprising a preamble comprising a synchronization pattern and a payload containing data, the receiver comprising:

an antenna configured to receive the radio signal;

a low noise amplifier configured to amplify an output from the antenna by applying a first variable gain;

a down-conversion module configured to down-convert an output from the low noise amplifier;

a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify an output from the down-conversion module by applying a second variable gain;

an auto gain controller configured to, in accordance with strength of the radio signal, firstly adjust the first variable gain, and after fixing the first variable gain, adjust the second variable gain;

a synchronization acquisition module configured to acquire the synchronization pattern not using a portion of the preamble to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied but using at least part of a portion of the preamble to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied; and

a demodulator configured to demodulate the payload in synchronization with the synchronization pattern acquisition by the synchronization acquisition module, wherein

the preamble is formed with a first number of symbols, and

a sum of

a number of symbols to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied,

a number of symbols to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied, and

a number of symbols to be used by the synchronization acquisition module,

is larger than the first number.

11. A receiver configured to receive a radio signal comprising a preamble comprising a synchronization pattern and a payload containing data, the receiver comprising:

an antenna configured to receive the radio signal;

a low noise amplifier configured to amplify an output from the antenna by applying a first variable gain;

a down-conversion module configured to down-convert an output from the low noise amplifier;

a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify an output from the down-conversion module by applying a second variable gain;

an auto gain controller configured to adjust the first variable gain and the second variable gain in accordance with strength of the radio signal;

a synchronization acquisition module configured to acquire the synchronization pattern using at least part of a portion of the preamble to which a constant gain of the first variable gain applied; and

a demodulator configured to demodulate the payload in synchronization with the synchronization pattern acquisition by the synchronization acquisition module,

wherein, when there are a plurality of portions to which the constant gain of the first variable gain is applied, the synchronization acquisition module is configured to acquire the synchronization pattern using the longest one of the portions.

12. The receiver of claim 11 , wherein the synchronization acquisition module is configured to acquire the synchronization pattern without using a portion of the preamble in which the first variable gain has just been switched.

13. The receiver of claim 11 , further comprising

a use interval selector configured to monitor the first variable gain, and to select an interval among the preamble to be used by the synchronization acquisition module.

14. The receiver of claim 11 , wherein phase shifting between an input signal and an output signal at the variable gain amplifier due to a fluctuation in the second variable gain is smaller than phase shifting between an input signal and an output signal at the low noise amplifier due to a fluctuation in the first variable gain.

15. The receiver of claim 11 , wherein

the preamble is formed with a plurality of symbols,

the synchronization acquisition module comprises:

a plurality of multipliers each configured to multiply each corresponding symbol by a first coefficient, the multipliers being provided for the respective symbols;

an adder configured to add up results of the multiplications performed by the multipliers; and

a determiner configured to determine whether there exists the synchronization pattern based on a result of the addition performed by the adder, and

the coefficient by which a symbol having the first variable gain being adjusted applied thereto is multiplied is 0.

16. The receiver of claim 11 , further comprising

a frequency corrector configured to correct a frequency of the received radio signal not using the portion of the preamble to which the first variable gain being adjusted is applied but using at least part of the portion of the preamble to which the second variable gain being adjusted is applied.