Power detection techniques and discrete gain state selection for wireless networking

• US 20040202133A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Filipovic, Daniel F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/005 Control of transmission; Equalising

Abstract

A wireless communication device may include a receiver coupled to a modem. The receiver may receive a wireless packet according to a wireless networking protocol such as a protocol in the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless protocols. Upon receiving a packet, the receiver may processes the packet according to a selected one of a plurality of discrete gain states. The modem coupled to the receiver may select the gain state used to process the packet such as by sending one or more signals to the receiver to reduce the gain state after determining that the current gain state is too large. The modem may implement a plurality of power detection modules in order to detect signals at varying power levels. The implementation of a plurality of power detectors may allow the gain state selection process to be performed very quickly as required by some wireless networking protocols.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a wireless packet according to a wireless networking protocol;

selecting one of a plurality of discrete gain states for processing of the packet; and

processing the packet according to the selected discrete gain state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the packet according to the selected discrete gain state comprises:

adjusting the gain of one or more amplifiers used to process a received RF signal corresponding to the packet; and

amplifying the received RF signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a power level associated with the packet processed according to the selected gain state;

enabling demodulation components upon detecting the power level; and

demodulating the packet using the demodulation components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the gain state comprises processing the packet according to a first gain state, and adjusting to a second gain state upon identifying that a power level associated with the packet when processed according to the selected gain state is greater than a threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the gain state further comprises processing the packet according to a second gain state, and adjusting to a third gain state upon identifying that a power level associated with the packet when processed according to the second gain state is still greater than the threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the gain state occurs within a training period associated with the packet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the training period corresponds to a training period for a wireless standard selected from the following group:

IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, and IEEE 802.11g.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a power level associated with the packet using a plurality of power detection modules, wherein each of the power detection modules uses a power detection algorithm that is different from that of the other power detection modules.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a number of samples integrated by a first power detection module is different than a number of samples integrated by a second power detection module.

10. A method comprising:

determining power associated with a baseband signal using first and second algorithms;

generating a first power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a first threshold; and

generating a second power indicator when the power as calculated using the second algorithm exceeds a second threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling demodulation components upon generating the first or second power indicator; and

demodulating the baseband signal using the demodulation components.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising when the power as calculated using the second algorithm does not exceed the second threshold, generating an indicator that no signal was detected.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first algorithm calculates power by integrating sums of magnitudes of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second algorithm calculates power by integrating sums of squares of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal, wherein a number of samples integrated by the second algorithm is different than a number of samples integrated by the first algorithm.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a third power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a gain-state-switch threshold, and upon generating the third power indicator, adjusting a discrete gain state of a wireless communication device.

16. A method comprising:

determining power associated with a baseband signal using first and second algorithms;

generating a gain-state-switch power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a first threshold;

generating a high power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a second threshold;

generating a low power indicator when the power as calculated using the second algorithm exceeds a third threshold; and

adjusting a gain state of a wireless communication device upon generating the gain-state-switch power indicator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the gain state comprises reducing the gain state.

18. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver that receives a wireless packet according to a wireless networking protocol, and processes the packet according to a selected one of a plurality of discrete gain states; and

a modem coupled to the receiver, that selects the gain state used to process the packet.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the modem includes a plurality of power detection modules that respectively measure power associated with the packet using different algorithms.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the modem selects the gain state by identifying that a power level associated with the packet when processed according to the selected gain state is greater than a threshold and sending a signal to the receiver to reduce the gain state.

21. A receiver comprising:

circuitry that receives a wireless packet according to a wireless networking protocol; and

circuitry that processes the packet according to a selected one of a plurality of discrete gain states.

22. The receiver of claim 21, wherein the receiver processes the wireless packet according to a first gain state, and adjusts to a second gain state upon receiving a signal that indicates that a detected power level associated with the packet when processed according to the first gain state is greater than a threshold.

23. The receiver of claim 22, wherein the receiver processes the packet according to the second gain state and adjusts to a third gain state upon receiving a signal that indicates that a detected power level associated with the packet when processed according to the second gain state is greater than the threshold.

24. A modem comprising:

a first power detection module that calculates power associated with a baseband signal using a first algorithm and generates a first power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a first threshold; and

a second power detection module that calculates power associated with the baseband signal using a second algorithm and generates a second power indicator when the power as calculated using the second algorithm exceeds a second threshold.

25. The modem of claim 24, further comprising logic coupled to the first and second power detection modules to ensure that the second power detection module does not generate the second power indicator in the event that the first power indicator is generated.

26. The modem of claim 24, wherein the first algorithm calculates power by integrating sums of magnitudes of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal.

27. The modem of claim 26, wherein the second algorithm calculates power by integrating sums of squares of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal, wherein a number of samples integrated by the second algorithm is different than a number of samples integrated by the first algorithm.

28. The modem of claim 24, wherein the modem generates a third power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a gain-state-switch threshold, and wherein upon generating the third power indicator the modem adjusts a discrete gain state of a wireless communication device.

29. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver that receives a wireless packet according to a wireless networking protocol; and

a modem that selects a discrete gain state for processing of the packet, wherein the receiver and the modem process the packet according to the selected discrete gain state.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the receiver processes the wireless packet according to a first gain state, and adjusts to a second gain state upon receiving from the modem a signal that indicates that a detected power level is greater than a threshold.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 30, wherein the receiver processes the packet according to the second gain state and adjusts to a third gain state upon receiving from the modem a signal that indicates that a detected power level associated with the second gain state is greater than the threshold.

32. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the modem includes:

a first power detection module that calculates power of a baseband signal associated with the packet using a first algorithm and generates a first power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a first threshold; and

a second power detection module that calculates power of a baseband signal associated with the packet using a second algorithm and generates a second power indicator when the power as calculated using the second algorithm exceeds a second threshold.

33. The wireless communication device of claim 32, wherein the modem further includes logic coupled to the first and second power detection modules to ensure that the second power detection module will not generate the second power indicator in the event that the first power indicator is generated.

34. The wireless communication device of claim 32, wherein the first algorithm calculates power by integrating sums of magnitudes of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal.

35. The wireless communication device of claim 32, wherein the second algorithm calculates power by integrating sums squares of in-phase and quadrature-phase components of samples of the baseband signal, wherein a number of samples integrated by the second algorithm is different than a number of samples integrated by the first algorithm.

36. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the modem generates a third power indicator when the power as calculated using the first algorithm exceeds a gain-state-switch threshold, and wherein upon generating the third power indicator the modem adjusts a discrete gain state of a wireless communication device.

37. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a packet according to a wireless networking standard; and

means for processing the packet according to one of a plurality of gain states.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for selecting the gain state used for processing the packet.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for determining power associated with the packet using first and second algorithms.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for amplifying a received RF signal according to a selected one of the plurality of gain states.