Determination of antenna noise temperature for handheld wireless devices

• US 7,519,329 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Qi, Yihong, Jarmuszewski, Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hai V
• Application Number:
  US11/173,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20070004338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal

Abstract

Antenna noise temperature is determined for a handheld wireless communication device which typically includes a radio, e.g. having a wireless transceiver and associated circuitry connected thereto, and an antenna connected to the radio. The method includes measuring an antenna thermal noise component, measuring a radio noise component, measuring an environmental background noise component, and determining the antenna noise temperature based upon the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise, and environmental background noise components. The method may include measuring antenna efficiency, and determining further includes weighting at least one of the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise and environmental background noise components based upon the measured antenna efficiency.

Claims

1. A method of determining an antenna noise temperature for a handheld wireless communication device comprising a radio and an antenna connected thereto, the method comprising:

measuring an antenna thermal noise component;

measuring a radio noise component generated by the radio of the wireless handheld communication device;

measuring an environmental background noise component; and

determining the antenna noise temperature based upon the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise, and environmental background noise components.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the radio comprises a wireless transceiver and associated circuitry connected thereto.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising measuring antenna efficiency;

and wherein determining further comprises weighting at least one of the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise and environmental background noise components based upon the measured antenna efficiency.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the antenna noise temperature T_t is defined as

T_t=η

T_A+(1-2η

)T_P+η

T_R

where η

is measured antenna efficiency, T_A is the environmental background noise component, T_P is the antenna thermal noise component, and T_R is the radio noise component.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the antenna thermal noise component is based upon a measured conductive sensitivity.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the antenna thermal noise component T_p is defined as

$T_P=\frac{P_{\mathrm{sig}·}}{}$

min F ·

SNR out ·

min ·

k ·

B

where SNR_out.min is the minimum detectable signal to noise ratio, P_sig.min is the minimum input signal level, k is Boltzman'"'"'s constant, B is channel bandwidth and F is a device noise figure which is defined as a ratio of the input signal-to-noise ratio and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR_in/SNR_out).

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the radio noise component is based upon a measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an anechoic chamber at room temperature.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the radio noise component T_R is defined as

$T_R=\frac{P_{\mathrm{sig}·}}{}$

min F ·

SNR out ·

min ·

k ·

B ·

η

- ( 1 - η

) ⁢

T P η

where SNR_out.min is the minimum detectable signal to noise ratio, P_sig.min is the minimum input signal level, k is Boltzman'"'"'s constant, B is channel bandwidth, F is a device noise figure which is defined as a ratio of the input signal-to-noise ratio and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR_in/SNR_out), η

is measured antenna efficiency, and T_P is the antenna thermal noise component.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the environmental background noise component is based upon measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an operating environment including a plurality of noise sources.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the environmental background noise component T_A is defined as

$T_A=\frac{P_{\mathrm{sig}·}}{}$

min F ·

SNR out ·

min ·

k ·

B ·

η

- ( 1 - 2 ⁢

η

) ⁢

T P η

- T R

where SNR_out.min is the minimum detectable signal to noise ratio, P_sig.min is the minimum input signal level, k is Boltzman'"'"'s constant, B is channel bandwidth, F is a device noise figure which is defined as a ratio of the input signal-to-noise ratio and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR_in/SNR_out), η

is measured antenna efficiency, T_P is the antenna thermal noise component, and T_R is the radio noise component.

11. A method of determining an antenna noise temperature for a handheld wireless communication device comprising a radio, including a wireless transceiver and associated circuitry connected thereto, and an antenna connected to the radio, the method comprising:

measuring an antenna thermal noise component;

measuring a radio noise component generated by at least one of the wireless transceiver and the associated circuitry of the radio of the wireless handheld communication device;

measuring an environmental background noise component;

measuring antenna efficiency;

weighting the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise and environmental background noise components based upon the measured antenna efficiency; and

determining the antenna noise temperature based upon the weighted antenna thermal noise, radio noise and environmental background noise components.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the antenna noise temperature T_t is defined as

T_t=η

T_A+(1-2η

)T_P+η

T_R

where η

is measured antenna efficiency, T_A is the environmental background noise component, T_P is the antenna thermal noise component, and T_R is the radio noise component.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the antenna thermal noise component is based upon a measured conductive sensitivity.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the radio noise component is based upon a measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an anechoic chamber at room temperature.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein the environmental background noise component is based upon measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an operating environment including a plurality of noise sources.

16. A method for determining receive sensitivity for a wireless handheld device comprising an antenna and a radio connected thereto, the radio comprising a wireless transceiver and associated circuitry connected thereto, the method comprising:

determining an antenna radiation pattern; and

independently determining a thermal noise temperature by

measuring an antenna thermal noise component,

measuring a radio noise component generated by at least one of the wireless transceiver and the associated circuitry of the radio of the wireless handheld communication device,

measuring an environmental background noise component, and

determining the antenna noise temperature based upon the measured antenna thermal noise, radio noise, and environmental background noise components; and

determining the receive sensitivity based upon antenna radiation pattern and the thermal noise temperature.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the antenna noise temperature T_t is defined as

T_t=η

T_A+(1-2η

)T_P+η

T_R

where η

is measured antenna efficiency, T_A is the environmental background noise component, T_P is the antenna thermal noise component, and T_R is the radio noise component.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the antenna thermal noise component is based upon a measured conductive sensitivity.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the radio noise component is based upon a measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an anechoic chamber at room temperature.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein the environmental background noise component is based upon measured radiated sensitivity of the communication device in an operating environment including a plurality of noise sources.