METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BLOCKER DETECTON AND AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL

• US 20120004005A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Walid, Georgantas, Theodoros, Damgaard, Morten, Sollenberger, Nelson, Leung, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for integrated blocker detection and automatic gain control are provided. In this regard, a communication device may generate one or more first signal strength indications based on a strength of a received signal at a first point in the analog front-end of the communication device. The communication device may generate one or more second signal strength indications based on a strength of the received signal at a second point in a digital processing module of the communication device. The first point in the analog front-end may be an input or an output of a down-conversion mixer. The second point in the digital processing module may be an output of an analog-to-digital converter or an output of a channel selection filter. The communication device may control, utilizing the first signal strength indication(s) and the second signal strength indication(s), a gain of one or more components of the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for communications, the method comprising:

generating one or more first signal strength indications based on a strength of a received signal at a first point in an analog front-end of a communication device;

generating one second signal strength indications based on a strength of said received signal at a second point in a digital processing module of said communication device; and

controlling, utilizing said one or more generated first signal strength indications and said one or more generated second signal strength indications, a gain of one or more components of said communication device.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining, utilizing said one or more first signal strength indications and said one or more second signal strength indications, whether a blocker signal is present in said received signal; and

controlling said gain of said one or more components based on a result of said determination of whether a blocker signal is present.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining, utilizing said one or more first signal strength indications and said one or more second signal strength indications, a strength of a blocker signal present in said received signal; and

controlling said gain based on a result of said determination of said strength of said blocker signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first point in said analog front-end is an output or an output of a down-conversion mixer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second point in said digital processing module is an output of an analog-to-digital converter.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second point in said digital processing module is an output of a channel selection filter.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

generating values of said one or more first signal strength indications periodically or aperiodically; and

controlling said gain based on a comparison of a current value of said one or more first signal strength indications with a previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

scaling said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications by a first scaling factor in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is greater than a sum of said previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications and a first margin; and

scaling said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications by a second scaling factor in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is less than said previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications minus a second margin.

10. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

controlling said gain of one or more components utilizing a first look-up table in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is greater than a sum of a current value of said one or more second signal strength indications and a margin; and

controlling said gain of said one or more components utilizing a second look-up table in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is less than said sum of said current value of said one or more second signal strength indications and a margin.

2. The method according to claim 2, wherein generation of each of said one or more first signal strength indications comprises:

converting an output of a down-conversion mixer to a digital signal;

squaring said digital signal to generate a squared signal;

integrating said squared signal to generate a power signal; and

detecting peaks of said power signal.

11. A system for communications, the system comprising:

one or more circuits and/or processors for use in a communication device, wherein said one or more circuits comprise an analog front-end and a digital processing module, and said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to;

generate one or more first signal strength indications based on a strength of a received signal at a first point in said analog front-end;

generate one or more second signal strength indications based on a strength of said received signal at a second point in said digital processing module of said communication device; and

control, utilizing said generated one or more first signal strength indications and said generated second one or more signal strength indications, a gain of one or more components of said communication device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors comprise a down-conversion mixer and generation of said one or more first signal strength indications comprises:

converting said output of said down-conversion mixer to a digital signal;

squaring said digital signal to generate a squared signal;

integrating said squared signal to generate a power signal; and

detecting peaks of said power signal.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to:

determine, utilizing said one or more first signal strength indications and said one or more second signal strength indications, whether a blocker signal is present in said received signal; and

control said gain of said one or more components based on a result of said determination of whether a blocker signal is present.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to:

determine, utilizing said one or more first signal strength indications and said one or more second signal strength indications, a strength of a blocker signal present in said received signal; and

control said gain of said one or more components based on a result of said determination of said strength of said blocker signal.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said analog front-end comprises a down-conversion mixer and said first point in said analog front-end is an input or an output of said down-conversion mixer.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said digital processing module comprises an analog-to-digital converter and said second point in said digital processing module is an output of said analog-to-digital converter.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said digital processing module comprises a channel selection filter and said second point in said digital processing module is an output of said channel selection filter.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to:

generate values of said one or more first signal strength indications periodically or aperiodically; and

control said gain of said one or more components based on a comparison of a current value of said one or more first signal strength indications with a previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to:

scale said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications by a first scaling factor in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is greater than a sum of said previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications and a first margin;

scale said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications by a second scaling factor in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is less than said previous value of said one or more first signal strength indications minus a second margin.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to:

control said gain of one or more components utilizing a first look-up table in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indications is greater than a sum of a current value of said one or more second signal strength indications and a margin; and

control said gain of said one or more components utilizing a second look-up table in instances that said current value of said one or more first signal strength indication is less than said sum of said current value of said one or more second signal strength indications and a margin.