Method and system for reducing signal interference

• US 20090170438A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Quellan, Inc. (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Laskar, Joy, Kim, Andrew Joo, Tentzeris, Emmanouil M., Gebara, Edward, Stelliga, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/123 using adaptive balancing or compensation means adaptive filter circuits and algorithms H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7103 the interference being multiple access interference

Abstract

Signals propagating on an aggressor communication channel can cause interference in a victim communication channel. A sensor coupled to the aggressor channel can obtain a sample of the aggressor signal. The sensor can be integrated with or embedded in a system, such as a flex circuit or a circuit board, that comprises the aggressor channel. The sensor can comprise a dedicated conductor or circuit trace that is near an aggressor conductor, a victim conductor, or an EM field associated with the interference. An interference compensation circuit can receive the sample from the sensor. The interference compensation circuit can have at least two operational modes of operation. In the first mode, the circuit can actively generate or output a compensation signal that cancels, corrects, or suppresses the interference. The second mode can be a standby, idle, power-saving, passive, or sleep mode.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for interference suppression, comprising the steps of:

receiving a sample of a communication signal imposing interference on a GSM radio receiver of a cellular device;

providing an interference compensation signal in response to processing the sample with a model; and

suppressing the interference in response to applying the interference compensation signal to the interference,

wherein a lane of a data bus of a flex circuit provides the sample via sensing electromagnetic energy coupling onto the lane from at least one other lane of the data bus.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the lane of the data bus is dedicated to sensing the electromagnetic energy.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the lane comprises a sensor.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein an interference sensor comprises the lane of the data bus and a lane of another data bus

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the data bus comprises a plurality of traces running substantially parallel to one another along a surface of the flex circuit,

wherein the lane comprises one of the traces, and

wherein the another lane comprises another one of the traces.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one of the traces extends across other traces of the plurality of traces adjacent a terminal end of the data bus.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the one of the traces crosses other traces of the plurality of traces adjacent a digital signal processing chip.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein electromagnetic energy coupling onto the lane from the at least one another lane comprises electromagnetic energy transmitting across a physical separation between the lane and the at least one another lane.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the lane provides the sample via sensing the electromagnetic energy coupling onto the lane from the at least one other lane during a time period when the lane is void of purposeful data.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the cellular device comprises a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a hand-held radio, a handset, a radio handset, a portable wireless device, a cellular telephone, or a personal data assistant.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the flex circuit comprises a flex cable.

32. A system for suppressing interference imposed on a victim communication signal by an aggressor communication signal, the system comprising

a circuit that comprises an input port, an output port, and a signal processing circuit connected between the input port and the output port,

wherein the signal processing circuit is operative to produce an interference compensation signal at the output port, for application to the victim communication signal, via processing a sample of the aggressor communication signal transmitted through the input port, and

wherein the input port connects to a sampling system that comprises:

a first circuit trace, running along a surface of a flex circuit of a portable wireless device, that is dedicated to sensing the aggressor communication signal flowing on a second circuit trace running along the surface of the flex circuit.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the first circuit trace extends substantially adjacent the second circuit trace on the flex circuit.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the first circuit trace crosses over the second circuit trace adjacent a signal processing chip.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the first circuit trace crosses under the second circuit trace adjacent a signal processing chip.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the first circuit trace crosses the second circuit trace at a terminal end of a signal bus.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the second circuit trace crosses the first circuit trace adjacent a terminal end of a data bus.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggressor communication signal is operative to convey data from an imaging device of the portable wireless device to a digital signal processing circuit.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggressor communication signal is operative to convey digital signals from a digital signal processing circuit to a display of the portable wireless device.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the portable wireless device comprises a cellular device, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a hand-held radio, a handset, a radio handset, a cellular telephone, or a personal data assistant.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the output port connects to a general/global system for mobile communications.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the first circuit trace and the second circuit trace are embedded in the flex circuit

43. A communication system comprising:

an array of adjacent traces extending along a surface of a flex circuit to form a bus for transmitting communication signals; and

an interference sensor embedded in the flex circuit.

44. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises a trace extending across the bus.

45. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises a trace extending under the bus.

46. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises a lane of the bus.

47. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises an embedded conductor running parallel and alongside the array of adjacent traces for a distance and crossing over or under the array of adjacent traces near a terminal of the bus.

48. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises an electrical conductor embedded in the flex circuit and running parallel to the array of adjacent traces and crossing over or under the array of adjacent traces near an end of the bus.

49. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the flex circuit comprises a flex cable.

50. The communication system of claim 43, wherein the interference sensor comprises one of the adjacent traces and a lane of another flex circuit bus.

51. A method for interference suppression, comprising the steps of:

receiving a sample of an aggressor communication signal from a sensor embedded in a flex circuit;

via processing the received sample, emulating interference that the aggressor communication signal imposes on a victim communication signal; and

suppressing the imposed interference in response to applying the emulated interference to the victim communication signal.

52. A method in accordance with claim 51, wherein the sensor comprises a lane of a signal bus that is embedded in the flex circuit.

53. A method in accordance with claim 51, wherein the sensor comprises a first lane of a first flex circuit signal bus and a second lane of a second flex circuit signal bus.

54. A method in accordance with claim 51, wherein the flex circuit comprises a flex cable.

55. A method for interference compensation, comprising:

acquiring a sample of an aggressor communication signal using an interference sensor embedded in a flex cable, the aggressor communication signal imposing interference on a victim communication signal;

processing the sample to produce an interference compensation signal; and

applying the interference compensation signal to the victim communication signal.