Apparatus to reconfigure an 802.11a/n transceiver to support 802.11j/10 MHz mode of operation

• US 20080310558A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaikwad, Rohit V., Lam, David Chuong
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 3/007 by converting the oscillations into two quadrature related signals H03D3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed to dynamically reconfigure a communications receiver to support one or more single stream modes of operation, multiple stream modes of operation, and/or propriety modes of operation. The communications receiver is configured to support according to a first single stream mode of operation, multiple stream mode of operation, and/or proprietary mode of operation according to a known single stream communications standard, a known multiple stream communications standard and/or a proprietary communications standard. The communications receiver may receive a single stream communications signal and/or a multiple stream communications signal having a second single stream mode of operation, multiple stream mode of operation, and/or proprietary mode of operation according to a known single stream communications standard, a known multiple stream communications standard and/or a proprietary communications standard. The communications receiver may be dynamically re-configured to the second single stream mode of operation, multiple stream mode of operation, and/or proprietary mode of operation to process the single stream communications signal and/or a multiple stream communications signal.

Claims

1. A communications receiver configured to support a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, comprising:

an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to convert one or more communication signals from an analog representation to a digital representation to produce one or more digital communication signals based on a sampling clock;

a receiver filter configured to filter the one or more digital communication signals to produce one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals based on the sampling clock;

multiple stream baseband processing module configured to process the one or more encoded communication signals using a multiple stream communications standard based on the sampling clock; and

single stream baseband processing module configured to process at least one of the one or more digital communication signals and the one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals using a single stream communications standard based on the sampling clock,

wherein at least one of the receiver filter, multiple stream baseband processing module, and the sampling clock is dynamically configurable to support the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

2. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation includes a standard defined signal channel bandwidth.

3. The communications receiver of claim 2, wherein the standard defined signal channel bandwidth corresponds to at least one of a single stream mode of operation and a multiple stream mode of operation.

4. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the second mode of operation includes at least one of a standard defined mode of operation and a non-standard channel bandwidth.

5. The communications receiver of claim 4, wherein the standard defined signal channel bandwidth corresponds to at least one of a single stream mode of operation and a multiple stream mode of operation.

6. The communications receiver of claim 4, wherein the non-standard defined mode of operation corresponds to a proprietary communications protocol.

7. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the multiple stream communications standard includes at least one of a known multiple stream communications standard and a proprietary communications protocol.

8. The communications receiver of claim 7, wherein the known multiple stream communications standard includes an IEEE 802.11n™

standard.

9. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the single stream communications standard includes at least one of a known single stream communications standard and a proprietary communications protocol.

10. The communications receiver of claim 9, wherein the known single stream communications standard includes at least one of:

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a™

standard;

an IEEE 802.11b™

standard;

an IEEE 802.11j™

standard; and

an IEEE 802.11g™

standard.

11. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the multiple stream baseband processing module comprises:

a Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT) calculation module to transform the one or more encoded communication signals from a time domain representation into a frequency domain representation to produce frequency domain communication signals;

an equalization module to compensate for interference and/or distortion embedded in the frequency domain communication signals to produce equalized communication signals;

a sampling frequency offset (SFO) compensation module to adjust the equalized communication signals based on a SFO compensation value to produce compensated communication signals;

a demodulator to demodulate the compensated communication signals to produce demodulated communication signals; and

a decoding module to decode the demodulated communication signals to produce a decoded communication according at least one of the known multiple stream communications standard and the proprietary communications protocol.

12. The communications receiver of claim 11, wherein the SFO compensation value is dynamically adjustable to support the second mode of operation.

13. The communications receiver of claim 12, wherein the SFO compensation value is adjusted from a first SFO compensation value corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second SFO compensation value corresponding to the second mode of operation.

14. The communications receiver of claim 11, wherein the multiple stream baseband processing module further comprises:

a signal metric computational module to calculate at least one signal metric to produce a calculated signal metric based on at least one of;

the equalized communication signals and the demodulated communication signals; and

a SFO computational module to calculate the SFO compensation value based on the calculated signal metric.

15. The communications receiver of claim 14, wherein the SFO compensational value corresponds to the second mode of operation.

16. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver filter adjusts a PHY receiver filter bandwidth from a first PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.

17. The communications receiver of claim 1, wherein the sampling frequency is adjusted from a first nominal operating frequency corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second nominal operation frequency corresponding to the second mode of operation.

18. The communications receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio receiver to downconvert the one or more communication signals to produce one or more downconverted communication signals, wherein the radio receiver is dynamically configurable to support the second mode of operation.

19. The communications receiver of claim 18, wherein the radio receiver comprises:

a low noise amplifier to amplify the one or more communication signals to produce one or more attenuated communications signals;

a mixer to downconvert the attenuated communications signal to produce one or more downconverted communications signals;

a radio receiver filter to filter the one or more downconverted communications signals to produce one or more filtered communications signals; and

a variable gain amplifier (VGA) to amplify the one or more filtered communications signals to produce the one or more downconverted communication signals, wherein the receiver filter is dynamically configurable to support the second mode of operation.

20. The communications receiver of claim 19, wherein the radio receiver filter adjusts a radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth from a first radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.

21. The communications receiver of claim 18, wherein the radio receiver comprises:

a low noise amplifier to amplify the one or more communication signals to produce one or more attenuated communications signals;

a mixer to downconvert the attenuated communications signal to produce one or more downconverted communications signals;

a first combination module to combine the one or more downconverted communications signals and one or more lowpass filtered communications signals to produces one or more highpass filtered communications signals;

a radio receiver filter to filter the one or more highpass filtered communications signal to produce one or more bandpass filtered communications signals;

a first variable low pass filter to filter the one or more highpass amplified communications signals to produce the one or more lowpass filtered communications signals;

a second combination module to combine the one or more bandpass communications signals and one or more lowpass amplified communications signals to produces one or more highpass amplified communications signals;

a variable gain amplifier (VGA) to amplify the highpass amplified communications signal to produce the one or more downconverted communication signals;

a second variable low pass filter to filter the one or more downconverted communication signals to produce the one or more lowpass amplified communications signals, wherein at least one of the radio receiver filter, the first variable low pass filter, and the second variable low pass filter is dynamically configurable to support the second mode of operation.

22. The communications receiver of claim 21, wherein at least one of the radio receiver filter, the first variable low pass filter, and the second variable low pass filter adjusts a bandwidth from a first filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.

23. A method to receive one or more communication signals by a communications receiver configured to support a first mode of operation, comprising:

(A) configuring the communications receiver to support a second channel bandwidth;

(B) converting the one or more communication signals having the second channel bandwidth from an analog representation to a digital representation to produce one or more digital communication signals based on a sampling clock;

(C) filtering the one or more digital communication signals to produce one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals based on the sampling clock;

(D) processing the one or more encoded communication signals using a multiple stream communications standard based on the sampling clock when the one or more communication signals includes a multiple stream communications signal; and

(E) processing at least one of the one or more digital communication signals and the one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals using a single stream communications standard based on the sampling clock when the one or more communication signals includes a single stream communications signal,

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first mode of operation includes a standard defined signal channel bandwidth.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the standard defined signal channel bandwidth corresponds to at least one of a single stream mode of operation and a multiple stream mode of operation.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein step (A) comprises:

(A)(i) configuring the communications receiver to support at least one of a standard defined mode of operation and a non-standard channel bandwidth.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein step (A)(i) comprises:

(A)(i)(1) configuring the communications receiver to support at least one of the known single stream communications standard and the known multiple stream communications standard.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein step (A)(i) comprises:

(A)(i)(1) configuring the communications receiver to support a proprietary communications protocol.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein step (D) comprises:

(D)(i) processing the one or more encoded communication signals using at least one of a known multiple stream communications standard and a proprietary communications protocol

30. The method of claim 29, wherein step (D)(i) comprises:

(D)(i)(1) processing the one or more encoded communication signals using an IEEE 802.11n™

standard.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein step (E) comprises:

(E)(i) processing at least one of the one or more digital communication signals and the one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals using at least one of a known single stream communications standard and a proprietary communications protocol

32. The method of claim 31, wherein step (E)(i) comprises:

(E)(i)(1) processing at least one of the one or more digital communication signals and the one or more encoded multiple stream communication signals using at least one of;

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a™

standard;

an IEEE 802.11b™

standard;

an IEEE 802.11j™

standard; and

an IEEE 802.11g™

standard.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein step (D) comprises:

(D)(i) transforming the one or more encoded communication signals from a time domain representation into a frequency domain representation to produce frequency domain communication signals;

(D)(ii) compensating for interference and/or distortion embedded in the frequency domain communication signals to produce equalized communication signals;

(D)(iii) adjusting the equalized communication signals based on a SFO compensation value to produce compensated communication signals;

(D)(iv) demodulating the compensated communication signals to produce demodulated communication signals; and

(D)(v) decoding the demodulated communication signals to produce a decoded communication according at least one of the known multiple stream communications standard and the proprietary communications protocol.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein prior to step (D)(ii), step (D) further comprises:

(D)(1) dynamically adjusting the SFO compensation value to support the second mode of operation.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein step (D)(1) comprises:

(D)(1)(i) adjusting the SFO compensation value from a first SFO compensation value corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second SFO compensation value corresponding to the second mode of operation.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein step (D)(ii) comprises:

(D)(ii)(1) calculating at least one signal metric to produce a calculated signal metric based on at least one of;

the equalized communication signals and the demodulated communication signals; and

(D)(ii)(2) calculating the SFO compensation signal based on the calculated signal metric.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein step (A) comprises:

(A)(i) adjusting a PHY receiver filter bandwidth from a first PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein step (A) comprises:

(A)(i) adjusting the sampling frequency from a first nominal operating frequency corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second nominal operation frequency corresponding to the second mode of operation.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein prior to step (A), further comprising:

(1) configuring a radio receiver to support the second mode of operation; and

(2) downconverting the one or more communication signals to produce one or more downconverted communication signals.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein step (2) comprises:

(2)(i) amplifying the one or more communication signals to produce one or more attenuated communications signals;

(2)(ii) downconverting the attenuated communications signal to produce one or more downconverted communications signals;

(2)(iii) filtering to filter the one or more downconverted communications signal to produce one or more filtered communications signals; and

(2)(iv) amplify the one or more filtered communications signal to produce the one or more downconverted communication signals.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein step (1) comprises:

(1)(i) adjusting a radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth from a first radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second radio PHY receiver filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein step (2) comprises:

(2)(i) amplifying the one or more communication signals to produce one or more attenuated communications signals;

(2)(ii) downconverting the attenuated communications signal to produce one or more downconverted communications signals;

(2)(iii) combining the one or more downconverted communications signals and one or more lowpass filtered communications signals to produces one or more highpass filtered communications signals;

(2)(iv) filtering the one or more highpass filtered communications signal to produce one or more bandpass filtered communications signals;

(2)(v) filtering the one or more highpass amplified communications signals to produce the one or more lowpass filtered communications signals;

(2)(vi) combining the one or more bandpass communications signals and one or more lowpass amplified communications signals to produces one or more highpass amplified communications signals;

(2)(vii) amplifying the highpass amplified communications signal to produce the one or more downconverted communication signals;

(2)(viii) filtering the one or more downconverted communication signals to produce the one or more lowpass amplified communications signals, wherein at least one of the radio receiver filter, the first variable low pass filter, and the second variable low pass filter is dynamically configurable to support the second mode of operation.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein step (1) comprises:

(1)(i) adjusting at least one filter bandwidth of a radio receiver filter, a first variable low pass filter, and a second variable low pass from a first filter bandwidth corresponding to the first mode of operation to a second filter bandwidth corresponding to the second mode of operation.