Noise cancellation in a predistortion architecture

• US 6,819,720 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Willetts, Mark N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Chieh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US10/184,466
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 375/296, 375/278, 375/284, 375/285, 330/149
• US Class Current: 375/296
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3247 using feedback acting on predistortion circuits H03F1/3264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3294 Acting on the real and imaginary components of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/372 Noise reduction and elimination in amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0425 with linearisation using predistortion

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for canceling spurious noise content in transmitted signals. During transmission, the transmitted signals are fed back to circuitry adapted to provide a predistortion component for signals to be transmitted, as well as to compensate for spurious noise injected into the system. In a first path, the circuitry will predistort the baseband signals to provide a predistorted output. Along a second path, a fast Fourier transform is performed on the feedback signal. The resultant frequency domain signal is then processed to detect spurious noise content above an identified defined threshold. The spurious noise content is used to recreate a replica of the noise content. The replica will have the same phase and frequency and a magnitude sufficient to reduce or eliminate the content to a desired degree. The replicated signal is then negatively added to the predistorted signals to create a final signal for transmission.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) downconverting an intermediate frequency (IF) feedback signal derived from signals being transmitted to first quadrature signals;

b) predistorting baseband quadrature signals based on the first quadrature signals to create predistorted quadrature signals;

c) performing a Fourier transform on the IF feedback signal to create a frequency domain signal;

d) detecting a spurious signal exceeding a threshold in the frequency domain signal;

e) generating cancellation quadrature signals corresponding to a frequency, phase, and amplitude of the spurious signal; and

f) combining the cancellation quadrature signals and the predistorted quadrature signals to create final quadrature signals for transmission such that an impact of the spurious signal on the signals being transmitted is reduced.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) coupling a radio frequency (RF) feedback signal from the signals being transmitted;

b) downconverting the RF feedback signal to create an analog IF feedback signal; and

c) digitizing the analog IF feedback signal to create the IF feedback signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

a) converting the analog quadrature signals to analog to create analog quadrature signals; and

b) modulating and amplifying the analog quadrature signals to create the signals being transmitted.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step further comprises:

a) controlling an oscillator to generate precancellation quadrature signals having corresponding frequency and phase to the spurious signal;

b) adjusting the magnitude of the precancellation quadrature signals to create the cancellation quadrature signals having a magnitude corresponding to an amount of the spurious signal to cancel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the various quadrature signals is represented by in-phase and quadrature phase signals.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the baseband quadrature signals based on data to be transmitted.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a) downconversion circuitry adapted to downconvert an intermediate frequency (IF) feedback signal derived from signals being transmitted to first quadrature signals;

b) predistortion circuitry adapted to predistort baseband quadrature signals based on the first quadrature signals to create predistorted quadrature signals;

c) transform circuitry adapted to perform a Fourier transform on the IF feedback signal to create a frequency domain signal;

d) spurious signal level detection circuitry adapted to detect a spurious signal exceeding a threshold in the frequency domain signal;

e) cancellation circuitry adapted to generate cancellation quadrature signals corresponding to a frequency, phase, and amplitude of the spurious signal; and

f) summation circuitry adapted to combine the cancellation quadrature signals and the predistorted quadrature signals to create final quadrature signals for transmission such that an impact of the spurious signal on the signals being transmitted is reduced.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a) a coupler adapted to couple a radio frequency (RF) feedback signal from the signals being transmitted;

b) second downconversion circuitry adapted to downconvert the RF feedback signal to create an analog IF feedback signal; and

c) an analog-to-digital converter adapted to digitize the analog IF feedback signal to create the IF feedback signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising;

a) a digital-to-analog converter adapted to convert the analog quadrature signals to analog to create analog quadrature signals; and

b) transmission circuitry adapted to modulate and amplify the analog quadrature signals to create the signals being transmitted.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the cancellation circuitry further comprises:

a) a oscillator,

b) in-phase and quadrature phase attenuators;

c) a controller adapted to;

i) control the oscillator to generate precancellation quadrature signals having corresponding frequency and phase to the spurious signal; and

ii) control the in-phase and quadrature phase attenuators to adjust the magnitude of the precancellation quadrature signals to create the cancellation quadrature signals having a magnitude corresponding to an amount of the spurious signal to cancel.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the various quadrature signals is represented by in-phase and quadrature phase signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a baseband processor for creating the baseband quadrature signals based on data to be transmitted.

13. A system comprising:

a) means for downconverting an intermediate frequency (IF) feedback signal derived from signals being transmitted to first quadrature signals;

b) means for predistorting baseband quadrature signals based on the first quadrature signals to create predistorted quadrature signals;

c) means for performing a Fourier transform on the IF feedback signal to create a frequency domain signal;

d) means for detecting a spurious signal exceeding a threshold in the frequency domain signal;

e) means for generating cancellation quadrature signals corresponding to a frequency, phase, and amplitude of the spurious signal; and

f) means for combining the cancellation quadrature signals and the predistorted quadrature signals to create final quadrature signals for transmission such that an impact of the spurious signal on the signals being transmitted is reduced.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a) means for coupling a radio frequency (RF) feedback signal from the signals being transmitted;

b) means for downconverting the RF feedback signal to create an analog IF feedback signal; and

c) means for digitizing the analog IF feedback signal to create the IF feedback signal.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising;

a) means for converting the analog quadrature signals to analog to create analog quadrature signals; and

b) means for modulating and amplifying the analog quadrature signals to create the signals being transmitted.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for generating further comprises:

a) means for controlling an oscillator to generate precancellation quadrature signals having corresponding frequency and phase to the spurious signal;

b) means for adjusting a magnitude of the precancellation quadrature signals to create the cancellation quadrature signals having a magnitude corresponding to an amount of the spurious signal to cancel.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the various quadrature signals are represented by in-phase and quadrature phase signals.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for creating the baseband quadrature signals based on data to be transmitted.