Method of crossover region phase correction when summing signals in multiple frequency bands

• US 7,711,510 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lecroy Corporation (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pupalaikis, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman; Hal D
• Application Number:
  US11/960,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20080120053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 702/79, 702/72, 702/75, 702/76, 702/106, 702/190
• US Class Current: 702/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/0272 for sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/16 Spectrum analysis; Fourier analysis

Abstract

A signal processing system compensates for the relative phase difference between multiple frequency bands so that the combination of the bands is constructive throughout a substantial portion of the band overlap or crossover region. In one embodiment, a signal combining system may include a comparator for determining a relative phase difference between the two signals within a predefined crossover region, a phase adjusting element for adjusting a phase of one of the two signals; and a combiner for combining the phase-adjusted signal and the other of the two signals.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a phase relationship between signals from multiple frequency bands that are being summed to reduce potential destructive interference therebetween, comprising the steps of:

identifying a crossover region corresponding to a frequency range in which a lower frequency content signal overlaps with a higher frequency content signal;

determining a magnitude difference between a magnitude of the lower frequency content signal and a magnitude of the higher frequency content signal in the crossover region, a small magnitude difference being indicative of a possibility of excessive destructive interference between the signals;

comparing the determined magnitude difference to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the determined magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold;

if it is determined that the determined magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold, determining a phase difference in the crossover region between the signals and adjusting a phase of one of the signals so that the phase difference between the signals is reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of excessive destructive interference between the signals; and

combining the adjusted signal with the other of the signals, thereby producing a composite frequency content having a substantially reduced crossover region phase error, and a substantially reduced likelihood of destructive interference between the signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an integer samples delay.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying a fractional sample delay filter.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying an allpass filter to adjust the relative phase of the signals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the integer samples delay, the fractional sample delay filter, and the allpass filter are convolved using impulse responses thereof to generate a single filter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of one of the signals is performed in accordance with the function:

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the signals is substantially constructive at the frequencies where the phase of the one of the two signals is adjusted.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising minimizing a weighted least squares error between the phases of the signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the phase of the one of the signals signal comprises iteratively determining a plurality of filter parameters.

10. A method for improving a response upon the combination of two signals to reduce potential destructive interference therebetween, comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude difference between the two signals in a crossover region between the two signals, a small magnitude difference being indicative of a possibility of excessive destructive interference between the signals;

comparing the determined magnitude difference to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the determined magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold;

if it is determined that the determined magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold, determining a relative phase difference between the two signals within the crossover region;

adjusting a phase of one of the two signals to reduce a phase difference therebetween; and

combining the phase-adjusted signal and the other of the two signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the crossover region is predetermined.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the combination of the signals is substantially constructive at the frequencies where the phase of the one of the two signals is adjusted.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising minimizing a least squares weighted error between the phases of the signals.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the phase of the one of the two signals comprises iteratively determining a plurality of filter parameters and applying a phase unwrapping algorithm.

15. A system for improving a response upon the combination of two or more signals to reduce potential constructive interference therebetween, comprising:

a comparator for comparing a magnitude difference between the two or more signals in a crossover region therebetween to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold;

a phase adjusting element for adjusting a phase of one or more of the two or more signals if it is determined that the magnitude difference is less than the predetermined threshold, thereby reducing the possibility of excessive destructive interference between the signals, said phase adjusting element employing one or more filter coefficient and delay specification; and

a combiner for combining the phase-adjusted signals and the other of the signals.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the combination of the signals is constructive at the frequencies where the phase of the one or more of the two or more signals is adjusted.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the signals overlap at the frequencies where the phase of the one or more of the two or more signals is adjusted.