Device and method for automatically controlling transmission power

• US 5,974,093 A
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): TSE, YOUNG TOI
• Application Number:
  US08/777,762
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/297, 375/224, 375/307, 370/311, 370/318, 370/320, 370/335, 370/342, 370/441, 370/479, 455/126, 455/127, 455/522, 455/561
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

A device and method for automatically controlling transmission power of a CDMA site, by automatically controlling high frequency power of the CDMA site. The circuit for automatically controlling transmission power of a site in a CDMA mobile communication system, including: at least, one digital processing unit for encoding data on a transmission channel; a transmitter for converting, filtering and amplifying a signal output from the digital processor; a power amplifier for amplifying transmission data to propagate the amplified data in the air; a variable attenuator interposed between the transmitter and the power amplifier, for varying data output from the transmitter to be transmitted to the power amplifier; a power measurer for measuring the transmission power from the power amplifier; a detector for comparing a calculated value of the transmission power with a measurement value of the transmission power to obtain an error power therefrom; a power controller for comparing an absolute value of the error power with a predetermined permissible variation, to control the variable attenuator in association with the comparison result; and a coupler for coupling the power amplifier to the power measurer.

Claims

1. A device for automatically controlling transmission power of a site in a mobile communication system, comprising:

at least one digital processor for encoding transmission data of a respective transmission channel;

a transmitter for converting, filtering and amplifying a signal output from said digital processor;

a power amplifier for amplifying a signal output from the transmitter to propagate amplified transmission data of the respective transmission channel via an antenna;

a variable attenuator interposed between said transmitter and said power amplifier, for varying the signal output from said transmitter to be transmitted to said power amplifier;

a power measurer for measuring a current transmission power of said power amplifier;

a detector for comparing a calculated value of the normal transmission power of said power amplifier with a measurement value of the current transmission power of said power amplifier to obtain an error power therefrom;

a power controller for comparing an absolute value of said error power with a permissible variation, to control said variable attenuator in response to the comparison result; and

a coupler for coupling said power amplifier to said power measurer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises a variable amplifier, a frequency converter operating in association with a local oscillator, and a filter for converting, filtering and amplifying the signal output from said digital processor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said detector comprises a personal computer for calculating said error power based on said calculated value of the normal transmission power.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said power controller controls said variable attenuator according to the absolute value of the error power when the absolute value of the error power is higher than said permissible variation, and wherein said power controller stores said error power and controls said variable attenuator according to the error power stored when the absolute value of the error power is less than said permissible variation.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises:

a variable amplifier for amplifying the signal output from said digital processor of a respective channel to produce a variable amplified signal;

a first converter for modulating said variable amplified signal in accordance with a first local oscillation signal to produce a first modulated signal;

a first filter for filtering said first modulated signal to produce a first filtered signal;

a first amplifier for amplifying said first filtered signal to produce a first amplified signal;

a second converter for modulating said first amplified signal in accordance with a second local oscillation signal to produce a second modulated signal;

a second filter for filtering said second modulated signal to produce a second filtered signal;

a third converter for modulating said second filtered signal in accordance with a third local oscillation signal to produce a third modulated signal; and

a third filter for filtering said third modulated signal to produce an output signal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said calculated value of the normal transmission power represents an ideal value of the normal transmission power and is determined by (X² /127²) times (Y), where X represents a digital gain of transmission channel, and Y represents the normal transmission power per channel when the digital gain is 127.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said detector corresponds to a personal computer for detecting an intensity of the current transmission power to produce said measurement value and comparing said measurement value with said calculated value of the normal transmission power to obtain said error power.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said mobile communication system propagates said amplified transmission data using a code division multiple access modulation technique.

5. A method for automatically controlling transmission power of a site in a mobile communication system including a high frequency power transmitter, a power amplifier, a power measurer, a detector, a power controller, and a variable attenuator interposed between said high frequency power transmitter and said power amplifier, comprising the steps of:

calculating a transmission power of said power amplifier at a steady operation state by said detector to generate a calculated value of the steady-state transmission power;

measuring a current transmission power of said power amplifier to generate a measurement value of the transmission power;

detecting an error power by subtracting said calculated value from said measurement value;

comparing an absolute value of said error power with a permissible variation;

controlling said variable attenuator in accordance with said error power when said absolute value of the error power is higher than said permissible variation; and

storing said error power when said absolute value of the error power is lower than said permissible variation, and controlling said variable attenuator in accordance with said stored error power.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said calculated value of the steady-state transmission power represents an ideal value of the transmission power and is determined by (X² /127²) times (Y), where X represents a digital gain of transmission channel, and Y represents the transmission power per channel when the digital gain is 127.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein said detector corresponds to a personal computer for detecting an intensity of the current transmission power to produce said measurement value and comparing said measurement value with said calculated value of the transmission power to obtain said error power.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein said mobile communication system propagates amplified transmission data using a code division multiple access modulation technique.

13. A device for automatically controlling transmission power of a transmission site in a mobile communication system, comprising:

at least one digital processor for processing an information signal of a respective channel;

a transmitter for modulating said information signal from said digital processor to produce a transmission signal for transmission via an antenna;

a power amplifier for amplifying said transmission signal for transmission at a desirable transmission power via said antenna;

a variable attenuator disposed between said transmitter and said power amplifier, for attenuating said transmission signal output from said transmitter before amplification by said power amplifier in accordance with an error power value to adjust the transmission power of said transmission signal from said power amplifier before transmission via said antenna;

a power controller for automatically adjusting the transmission power of said transmission signal by providing said error power value to said variable attenuator; and

a transmission power setting unit connectable to said power controller and a coupler coupling between said power amplifier and said antenna during the setting of said transmission site, for measuring an intensity of a current transmission power of said power amplifier to produce a measurement value reflecting the intensity of the current transmission power of said power amplifier, and comparing said measurement value with a known value of normal transmission power to produce said error power value.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said power controller automatically controls the transmission power adjustment, during the setting of said transmission site, by:

determining whether an absolute value of said error power value is within a permissible range;

when the absolute value of said error power value is within said permissible range, storing said error power value in an internal memory, and subsequently providing said error power value stored in said internal memory to said variable attenuator for the transmission power adjustment; and

alternatively, when the absolute value of said error power value is not within said permissible range, directly providing said error power value to said variable attenuator for the transmission power adjustment.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said transmission power setting unit comprises:

a power measurer connected to said coupler for measuring the intensity of the current transmission power from said power amplifier; and

a detector connected to said power measurer for comparing said measurement value with said known value of normal transmission power to produce said error power value.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein said transmission power setting unit corresponds to a personal computer connected to said power controller and said coupler, during the setting of said transmission site, for measuring the intensity of the current transmission power from said power amplifier and comparing said measurement value with said known value of normal transmission power to produce said error power value.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein said transmitter comprises:

a variable amplifier for amplifying said information signal output from said digital processor of the respective channel to produce a variable amplified signal;

a first converter for modulating said variable amplified signal in accordance with a first local oscillation signal to produce a first modulated signal;

a first filter for filtering said first modulated signal to produce a first filtered signal;

a first amplifier for amplifying said first filtered signal to produce a first amplified signal;

a second converter for modulating said first amplified signal in accordance with a second local oscillation signal to produce a second modulated signal;

a second filter for filtering said second modulated signal to produce a second filtered signal;

a third converter for modulating said second filtered signal in accordance with a third local oscillation signal to produce a third modulated signal; and

a third filter for filtering said third modulated signal to produce said transmission signal.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein said known value of normal transmission power represents an ideal value of the transmission power and is determined by (X² /127²) times (Y), where X represents a digital gain of transmission channel, and Y represents the transmission power per channel when the digital gain is 127.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein said mobile communication system propagates said transmission signal via said antenna using a code division multiple access modulation technique.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein said mobile communication system propagates said transmission signal via said antenna using a code division multiple access modulation technique.