Processing a beamformed radio frequency (RF) signal

• US 10,560,206 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Inzunza, Eduardo, Eun, Se-Young, Kim, Jong-Min, An, Byung-Kuk, Kim, Jin-Ook, Chou, Joe, Koo, Eng Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Juan A
• Application Number:
  US16/189,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20190181971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 375262
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A device may receive a beamformed wireless signal from a base station. The device may perform a frequency conversion of the beamformed wireless signal to form a frequency converted signal after receiving the beamformed wireless signal. The device may perform, after performing the frequency conversion, processing related to at least one of: analyzing the frequency converted signal, scanning a channel associated with the frequency converted signal, or generating a map related to the frequency converted signal. The device may generate, after performing the processing, output related to at least one of: the analyzing the frequency converted signal, the scanning the channel, or the generating the map.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a beamformed wireless signal from a base station;

performing, by the device, a frequency conversion of the beamformed wireless signal to form a frequency converted signal after receiving the beamformed wireless signal;

determining, by the device and after performing the frequency conversion, a cell identifier of a cell associated with the frequency converted signal;

performing, by the device and after determining the cell identifier, processing related to at least one of;

analyzing the frequency converted signal,

scanning a channel associated with the frequency converted signal, or

generating a map related to the frequency converted signal;

determining, by the device and after performing the frequency conversion, a beam profile for the frequency converted signal; and

generating, by the device, based on the beam profile, and after performing the processing, output related to at least one of;

the analyzing the frequency converted signal,

the scanning the channel, or

the generating the map.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a primary synchronization of the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion; and

wherein performing the processing comprises;

performing the processing after determining the primary synchronization of the frequency converted signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the processing related to analyzing the frequency converted signal comprises:

determining at least one of;

a beam index of the frequency converted signal,

a beam power of the frequency converted signal, or

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the frequency converted signal; and

wherein generating the output related to analyzing the frequency converted signal comprises;

generating the output related to the frequency converted signal after determining the at least one of;

the beam index,

the beam power, or

the SNR.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the processing related to generating the map comprises:

performing an estimation of a radio pattern or a beam pattern of the base station after determining the beam profile; and

wherein generating the output related to generating the map comprises;

generating the output related to generating the map based on the beam profile or based on at least one of the radio pattern or the beam pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the frequency conversion comprises modifying a frequency of the beamformed wireless signal while maintaining at least one of a phase or an amplitude of the beamformed wireless signal.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

decoding a high-level message associated with the frequency converted signal after determining the at least one of;

the beam index,

the beam power, or

the SNR.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the processing related to scanning the channel comprises:

determining a channel power and a beam quality of the frequency converted signal after decoding the high-level message; and

wherein generating the output related to scanning the channel comprises;

generating the output related to scanning the channel after determining the channel power and the beam quality.

8. A device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to;

receive a beamformed wireless signal from a base station;

perform a frequency conversion of the beamformed wireless signal to form a frequency converted signal after receiving the beamformed wireless signal;

determine a primary synchronization of the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion;

determine a cell identifier of a cell associated with the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion and after determining the primary synchronization;

perform, after determining the cell identifier, first processing of the frequency converted signal related to analyzing the frequency converted signal;

perform second processing of the frequency converted signal related to scanning a channel associated with the frequency converted signal;

perform third processing related to generating a map related to the frequency converted signal after performing the second processing;

determine, after performing the frequency conversion, a beam profile for the frequency converted signal; and

generate, based on the beam profile, output related to the first processing after performing the first processing, related to the second processing after performing the second processing, or related to the third processing after performing the third processing.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when receiving the beamformed wireless signal, are configured to:

receive the beamformed wireless signal via an omnidirectional antenna associated with the device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when performing the frequency conversion, are configured to:

perform the frequency conversion using a frequency converter associated with the device.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when performing the first processing, the second processing, or the third processing, are configured to:

perform the first processing, the second processing, or the third processing using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) associated with the device or a microprocessor associated with the device.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when generating the output related to the first processing, are configured to:

generate the output based on at least one of;

a beam index associated with the frequency converted signal,

a beam power of the frequency converted signal, or

a signal-to-noise (SNR) of the frequency converted signal.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when generating the output related to the second processing, are configured to:

generate the output related to the second processing based on a beam quality of the frequency converted signal.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when generating the output related to the third processing, are configured to:

generate the output related to the third processing based on at least one of;

the beam profile,

an estimated radio pattern of the base station, or

an estimated beam pattern of the base station.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a beamformed wireless signal from a base station;

perform a frequency conversion of the beamformed wireless signal to form a frequency converted signal after receiving the beamformed wireless signal;

determine a primary synchronization of the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion;

determine a cell identifier of a cell associated with the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion and after determining the primary synchronization;

perform, after determining the cell identifier, processing related to at least one of;

analyzing the frequency converted signal,

scanning a channel associated with the frequency converted signal, or

generating a map related to the frequency converted signal;

determine, after performing the frequency conversion, a beam profile for the frequency converted signal; and

generate, after performing the processing and based on the beam profile, output related to at least one of;

the analyzing the frequency converted signal,

the scanning the channel, or

the generating the map.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

perform a spectrum analysis of the beamformed wireless signal after performing the frequency conversion; and

wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the primary synchronization, cause the one or more processors to;

determine the primary synchronization after performing the spectrum analysis.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the frequency conversion, cause the one or more processors to:

perform the frequency conversion from a first frequency domain to a second frequency domain,

wherein the second frequency domain is a lower frequency domain relative to the first frequency domain.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

perform an analog-to-digital conversion of the frequency converted signal after performing the frequency conversion.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

store information related to the frequency converted signal in a memory resource prior to performing the processing.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the processing, cause the one or more processors to:

perform the processing using the information after storing the information in the memory resource.