Transmitter, transmission method, phase adjustment device, and phase adjustment method

A transmission method comprising:

• a first phase shift step of shifting a phase of an input signal within a predetermined range of phases;
• a phase difference signal generation step of generating a phase difference signal based on a phase difference between the input signal the phase of which is shifted in the first phase shift step and a reference signal;
• an extreme value output step of, when the phase difference signal takes an extreme value while the phase of the input signal is being shifted in the first phase shift step, outputting a value of the phase difference signal at a phase shift amount at which the phase difference signal becomes the extreme value;
• a target value output step of outputting a target value based on the value of the phase difference signal output in the extreme value output step;
• a second phase shift step of shifting the phase of the input signal in such a way that a value of the phase difference signal generated in the phase difference signal generation step coincides with the target value;
• and
• outputting, as a transmission wave, the input signal the phase of which is shifted in the second phase shift step.

A phase adjustment device comprising:

• a phase shifter configured to shift a phase of an input signal and to output a shifted signal the phase of which is shifted;
• a first control circuit configured to change, within a predetermined range, a phase shift amount by which the phase shifter shifts the phase of the input signal;
• a phase difference signal output circuit configured to receive the shifted signal output by the phase shifter and a reference signal and to output a phase difference signal based on a phase difference between the shifted signal and the reference signal;
• an extreme value output circuit configured to, when the phase difference signal takes an extreme value while the first control circuit is changing the phase shift amount, output the extreme value of the phase difference signal;
• a target value output circuit configured to output a target value that is set based on the extreme value output by the extreme value output circuit;
• and
• a second control circuit configured to control the phase shift amount of the phase shifter in such a way that a value of the phase difference signal output by the phase difference signal output circuit coincides with the target value output from the target value output circuit.

A phase adjustment method comprising:

• a first phase shift step of shifting a phase of an input signal within a predetermined range of phases;
• a phase difference signal generation step of generating a phase difference signal based on a phase difference between the input signal the phase of which is shifted in the first phase shift step and a reference signal;
• an extreme value output step of, when the phase difference signal takes an extreme value while the phase of the input signal is being shifted in the first phase shift step, outputting a value of the phase difference signal at a phase shift amount at which the phase difference signal becomes the extreme value;
• a target value output step of outputting a target value based on the value of the phase difference signal output in the extreme value output step;
• and
• a second phase shift step of shifting the phase of the input signal in such a way that a value of the phase difference signal generated in the phase difference signal generation step coincides with the target value.