Proximity detection using a hybrid transceiver

• US 10,651,957 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rimini, Roberto, Fernando, Udara, Mehdizad Taleie, Shahin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US16/404,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20190305859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/343 using sawtooth modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for proximity detection using a hybrid-transceiver. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a hybrid transceiver coupled to a first antenna and a second antenna. The hybrid transceiver is configured to generate, in a digital domain, a digital baseband radar signal. The hybrid transceiver is also configured to transmit, via the first antenna, a radio-frequency transmit signal that is derived from the digital baseband radar signal. Via the second antenna, the hybrid transceiver is configured to receive a radio-frequency receive signal, which includes a portion of the radio-frequency transmit signal that is reflected by an object. In an analog domain, the hybrid transceiver is configured to generate an analog receive signal that includes a beat frequency, which is indicative of a frequency offset between the radio-frequency transmit signal and the radio-frequency receive signal. The analog receive signal is derived from the radio-frequency receive signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a local oscillator;

a transmitter comprising an upconversion mixer, an input of the upconversion mixer coupled to the local oscillator;

a receiver comprising a downconversion mixer; and

downconversion reference selection circuitry comprising;

a first input node coupled to an output of the upconversion mixer;

a second input node coupled to the local oscillator; and

a first output node coupled to an input of the downconversion mixer,

the downconversion reference selection circuitry configured to selectively;

connect the first input node to the first output node; and

connect the second input node to the first output node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the local oscillator is configured to generate a local oscillator signal;

the upconversion mixer is configured to upconvert an analog transmit signal using the local oscillator signal to generate an upconverted analog transmit signal;

the downconversion mixer is configured to downconvert an analog receive signal using a reference signal to generate a downconverted analog receive signal; and

the downconversion reference selection circuit is configured to selectively provide, to the downconversion mixer, the upconverted analog transmit signal as the reference signal or the local oscillator signal as the reference signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a first antenna coupled to the transmitter; and

a second antenna coupled to the receiver, wherein;

the first antenna and the transmitter are jointly configured to transmit a frequency-modulated radar signal based on a proximity detection mode, the frequency-modulated radar signal derived from the upconverted analog transmit signal;

the second antenna and the receiver are jointly configured to receive a reflected frequency-modulated radar signal based on the proximity detection mode, the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal comprising at least a portion of the frequency-modulated radar signal that is reflected by an object, the analog receive signal derived from the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal;

the downconversion reference selection circuitry is configured to provide, to the downconversion mixer, the upconverted analog transmit signal as the reference signal based on the proximity detection mode; and

the downconverted analog receive signal comprises a beat frequency indicative of a frequency offset between the upconverted analog transmit signal and the analog receive signal, the beat frequency associated with a range to the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

an antenna array comprising a first antenna element and a second antenna element, wherein;

the first antenna comprises the first antenna element;

the second antenna comprises the second antenna element; and

the receiver is configured to receive the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal via the second antenna element during at least a portion of time that the transmitter transmits the frequency-modulated radar signal via the first antenna element based on the proximity detection mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the second antenna and the receiver are jointly configured to receive a downlink signal based on a wireless communication mode, the analog receive signal derived from the downlink signal; and

the downconversion reference selection circuitry is configured to provide, to the downconversion mixer, the local oscillator signal as the reference signal based on the wireless communication mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an intermediate-frequency circuit coupled to a baseband transmit node, a baseband receive node, an intermediate-frequency transmit node, and an intermediate-frequency receive node, the intermediate-frequency circuit comprising;

the upconversion mixer, another input of the upconversion mixer coupled to the baseband transmit node, and the output of the upconversion mixer coupled to the intermediate-frequency transmit node;

the downconversion mixer, another input of the downconversion mixer coupled to the intermediate-frequency receive node, and an output of the downconversion mixer coupled to the baseband receive node; and

the local oscillator, the local oscillator comprising an intermediate-frequency local oscillator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a digital front-end circuit coupled to the intermediate-frequency circuit via the baseband transmit node, the digital front-end circuit comprising;

a radar signal generator;

a communication signal generator;

a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the baseband transmit node; and

digital baseband selection circuitry comprising;

a third input node coupled to the radar signal generator;

a fourth input node coupled to the communication signal generator; and

a second output node coupled to the digital-to-analog converter, the digital baseband selection circuitry configured to selectively;

connect the third input node to the second output node; and

connect the fourth input node to the second output node.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the downconversion reference selection circuitry and the digital baseband selection circuitry are together configured to selectively;

connect the output of the upconversion mixer to the input of the downconversion mixer and connect the radar signal generator to the digital-to-analog converter based on a proximity detection mode; and

connect the local oscillator to the input of the downconversion mixer and connect the communication signal generator to the digital-to-analog converter based on a wireless communication mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the radar signal generator is configured to generate a digital baseband radar signal;

the communication signal generator is configured to generate a digital baseband uplink signal;

the digital-to-analog converter is configured to generate an analog transmit signal based on a digital baseband signal; and

the digital baseband selection circuitry is configured to selectively provide, to the digital-to-analog converter, the digital baseband radar signal as the digital baseband signal or the digital baseband uplink signal as the digital baseband signal.

10. An apparatus comprising:

oscillation means for generating a local oscillator signal;

transmission means for upconverting an analog transmit signal using the local oscillator signal to generate an upconverted analog transmit signal, the transmission means coupled to the oscillation means;

reception means for downconverting an analog receive signal using a reference signal to generate a downconverted analog receive signal; and

downconversion reference selection means for selectively providing, to the reception means, the upconverted analog transmit signal as the reference signal and the local oscillator signal as the reference signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

proximity detection means for transmitting a frequency-modulated radar signal derived from the upconverted analog transmit signal and receiving a reflected frequency-modulated radar signal, the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal comprising at least a portion of the frequency-modulated radar signal that is reflected by an object, the analog receive signal derived from the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal; and

downlink means for receiving a downlink signal, the analog receive signal derived from the downlink signal,

wherein the downconversion reference selection means is configured to;

provide, to the reception means, the upconverted analog transmit signal as the reference signal based on the proximity detection means transmitting the frequency-modulated radar signal; and

provide, to the reception means, the local oscillator signal as the reference signal based on the downlink means receiving the downlink signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

uplink means for transmitting an uplink signal, the uplink signal derived from the upconverted analog transmit signal;

first digital generation means for generating a digital baseband radar signal, the frequency-modulated radar signal derived from the digital baseband radar signal;

second digital generation means for generating a digital baseband uplink signal, the uplink signal derived from the digital baseband uplink signal;

conversion means for generating the analog transmit signal based on a digital baseband signal; and

digital baseband selection means for selectively providing, to the conversion means, the digital baseband radar signal as the digital baseband signal to enable the proximity detection means to transmit the frequency-modulated radar signal and the digital baseband uplink signal as the digital baseband signal to enable the uplink means to transmit the uplink signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

object detection means for determining a range to the object based on a beat frequency of the downconverted analog receive signal, the beat frequency being a frequency difference between the analog receive signal and the upconverted analog transmit signal based on the proximity detection means transmitting the frequency-modulated radar signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting a transmission parameter of the uplink signal based on the beat frequency,

wherein the uplink means is configured to transmit the uplink signal using the transmission parameter.

15. A method for operating a hybrid transceiver for proximity detection, the method comprising:

generating a local oscillator signal;

upconverting, via an upconversion mixer of a transmitter, an analog transmit signal using the local oscillator signal to generate an upconverted analog transmit signal;

downconverting, via a downconversion mixer of a receiver, an analog receive signal using a reference signal to generate a downconverted analog receive signal; and

selectively providing, to the downconversion mixer, the upconverted analog transmit signal as the reference signal based on a proximity detection mode and providing the local oscillator signal as the reference signal based on a wireless communication mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a frequency-modulated radar signal based on the proximity detection mode, the frequency-modulated radar signal derived from the upconverted analog transmit signal;

receiving a reflected frequency-modulated radar signal based on the proximity detection mode, the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal comprising at least a portion of the frequency-modulated radar signal that is reflected by an object, the analog receive signal derived from the reflected frequency-modulated radar signal; and

determining a range to the object based on a beat frequency of the downconverted analog receive signal, the beat frequency representative of a frequency offset between the upconverted analog transmit signal and the analog receive signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

adjusting a transmission parameter based on the range to the object;

upconverting, via the upconversion mixer of the transmitter, another analog transmit signal using the local oscillator signal to generate another upconverted analog transmit signal; and

transmitting an uplink signal using the transmission parameter, the uplink signal derived from the other upconverted analog transmit signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a digital baseband radar signal;

generating a digital baseband uplink signal;

selectively providing, to a digital-to-analog converter, the digital baseband radar signal based on the proximity detection mode and the digital baseband uplink signal based on the wireless communication mode;

generating, via the digital-to-analog converter, the analog transmit signal based on the digital baseband radar signal; and

generating, via the digital-to-analog converter, the other analog transmit signal based on the digital baseband uplink signal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a downlink signal based on the wireless communication mode; and

determining information contained within the downlink signal based on the wireless communication mode.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the local oscillator signal comprises an intermediate-frequency local oscillator signal;

the analog transmit signal comprises a baseband transmit signal;

the upconverted analog transmit signal comprises an intermediate-frequency transmit signal;

the analog receive signal comprises an intermediate-frequency receive signal; and

the downconverted analog receive signal comprises a baseband receive signal.