System and method for reducing noise in a recording receiver
First Claim
1. A method for recording data from a wireless communication transmission with a receiver in a device that includes a digital processor, the method comprising:
- disabling at least a portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor when the receiver is in a receive mode;
starting a capture sequence for the receiver in the receive mode;
receiving the wireless communication transmission during the receive mode;
identifying an received in-phase (I) signal and a received quadrature-phase (Q) signal from the received wireless communication transmission during the receive mode, wherein the received in-phase (I) signal and the received quadrature phase (Q) signal correspond to a complex base-band signal;
digitizing the complex base-band signal from a captured transmission during the receive mode, wherein the digitized complex base-band signal comprises a digitized in-phase (I) signal and a digitized quadrature phase (Q) signal;
storing the digitized complex base-band signal in a buffer without further processing;
exiting the receive mode after the capture sequence is completed and after each digitized complex base-band signal is stored;
re-enabling the previously disabled at least the portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor after the receive mode is exited; and
reassembling digital data from the wireless communication transmission using the previously stored digitized complex base-band signals with the digital processor when re-enabled after the receive mode is exited such that the effects of noise in the digitized complex base-band signal are minimized by disabling the at least the portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor while the digitized complex base-band signal is received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method is related to wireless communication devices with a reduced-noise recording receiver. The recording receiver receives a transmitted signal, converts the received signal to a digital base-band signal and stores the digitized base-band signal in a buffer for subsequent processing. The stored digital signals are subsequently processed to recover the transmitted data signal. The overall signal integrity in the receiver is improved by performing signal processing after reception is complete. The IF processing section of the receiver includes a frequency band translation section. The frequency band translation section translates the frequency band of the IF signal into a non-harmonically related frequency band. Since the IF signal is in an unrelated frequency band, data can be recovered from the transmission signal with improved signal-to-noise characteristics. At least a portion of the non-essential electronics are disabled during reception to avoid additional interference and sources of noise.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for recording data from a wireless communication transmission with a receiver in a device that includes a digital processor, the method comprising:
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disabling at least a portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor when the receiver is in a receive mode; starting a capture sequence for the receiver in the receive mode; receiving the wireless communication transmission during the receive mode; identifying an received in-phase (I) signal and a received quadrature-phase (Q) signal from the received wireless communication transmission during the receive mode, wherein the received in-phase (I) signal and the received quadrature phase (Q) signal correspond to a complex base-band signal; digitizing the complex base-band signal from a captured transmission during the receive mode, wherein the digitized complex base-band signal comprises a digitized in-phase (I) signal and a digitized quadrature phase (Q) signal; storing the digitized complex base-band signal in a buffer without further processing; exiting the receive mode after the capture sequence is completed and after each digitized complex base-band signal is stored; re-enabling the previously disabled at least the portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor after the receive mode is exited; and reassembling digital data from the wireless communication transmission using the previously stored digitized complex base-band signals with the digital processor when re-enabled after the receive mode is exited such that the effects of noise in the digitized complex base-band signal are minimized by disabling the at least the portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor while the digitized complex base-band signal is received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for recording data from a wireless communication transmission with a receiver, the method comprising:
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disabling at least a portion of non-essential electronics when the receiver is in a receive mode; starting a capture sequence for the receiver in the receive mode; receiving the wireless communication transmission during the receive mode; identifying an received in-phase (I) signal and a received quadrature-phase (Q) signal from the received wireless communication transmission during the receive mode, wherein the received in-phase (I) signal and the received quadrature phase (Q) signal correspond to a complex base-band signal; digitizing the complex base-band signal from a captured transmission during the receive mode, wherein the digitized complex base-band signal comprises a digitized in-phase (I) signal and a digitized quadrature phase (Q) signal; storing the digitized complex base-band signal in a buffer without further processing such that the effects of noise in the digitized complex base-band signal are minimized by disabling the at least the portion of non-essential electronics while the digitized complex base-band signal is received; and scheduling the capture interval such that the capture sequence begins a small time interval prior to an expected start time of the received transmission such that the digitized complex base-band signal includes information from the small time interval prior to the expected start time of the received transmission.
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12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
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an antenna circuit that produces an RF signal in response to a FM signal that is in a particular frequency band; an RF amplifier circuit is coupled to the antenna circuit and produces an amplified RF signal in response to the RF signal; an IF signal processor circuit is coupled to the RF amplifier circuit and produces an IF signal in response to the amplified RF signal in a frequency range determined by a local oscillator; a base-band signal processor circuit is coupled to the IF signal processor circuit and produces a base-band signal in response to the IF signal; a post detector processor circuit is coupled to the base-band signal processor circuit and produces two digital signals in response to the base-band signal, the two digital signals corresponding to a digitized I and Q base-band signal; a buffer circuit is coupled to the post detector processor circuit and stores the digitized I and Q base-band signals when active, wherein the digitized I and Q base-band signals are stored in the buffer for post processing such that signal processing may be performed on the stored digitized I and Q base-band signals at a subsequent time after an entire transmission has been received; a digital processor that is arranged to reassemble digital data from the FM signal using the previously stored digitized I and Q base-band signals when the digital processor is enabled; and a control circuit that is arranged to;
disable at least a first portion of non-essential electronics including the digital processor when the apparatus is in a receive mode, enable at least a second portion of non-essential electronics that are used for adjusting the frequency range determined by the local oscillator when the apparatus is in a non-receive mode; and
enabling the digital processor for reassembling digital data in the non-receive mode after all of the I and Q base-band signals associated with a complete transmission are stored. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for wireless communication in a watch having a watch band, comprising:
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an antenna that produces an RF signal in response to a FM signal that is in a particular frequency band, wherein the antenna is formed in the watch-band; an RF amplifier is coupled to the antenna and produces an amplified RF signal in response to the RF signal; an IF signal processor is coupled to the RF amplifier and produces an IF signal in response to the amplified RF signal that is in a frequency range determined by an oscillation frequency of a local oscillator; a base-band signal processor is coupled to the IF signal processor and produces a base-band signal in response to the IF signal; a post detector processor is coupled to the base-band signal processor and produces two digital signals in response to the base-band signal, the two digital signals corresponding to a digitized I and Q base-band signal; a buffer is coupled to the post detector processor and stores the digitized I and Q base-band signals when active, wherein the digitized I and Q base-band signals are stored in the buffer for post processing such that signal processing may be performed on the stored digitized I and Q base-band signals at a subsequent time after an entire transmission has been received; a digital processor that is arranged for re-assembling digital data captured from the FM signal via the digitized I and Q base-band signals stored in the buffer when the digital processor is enabled; a means for selectively disabling non-essential portions of the apparatus including the digital processor when the apparatus is operated in a receive mode such that noise effects associated with the non-essential portions of the apparatus are mitigated; a voltage controlled oscillator that is arranged to adjustably select the oscillation frequency for the local oscillator in a non-receive mode when the voltage controlled oscillator is operated in a phase-locked loop, and wherein the voltage controlled oscillator is arranged to maintain the oscillation frequency for the local oscillator when operated in an open-loop during the receive mode; and a means for selectively enabling non-essential portions of the apparatus including operating the voltage controlled oscillator in a phase-locked loop when the apparatus is operated in a non-receive mode, and operating the digital processor to reassemble digital data in the non-receive mode after all of the I and Q base-band signals associated with a complete transmission are stored. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification