Beam forming and/or MIMO RF front-end

• US 7,986,650 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, PHUC H
• Application Number:
  US12/480,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/310.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0669 using different channel coding between antennas space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0606 Space-frequency coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0625 Transmitter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0643 block codes

Abstract

An RF front-end includes a transmit adjust module, a PA module, an antenna coupling circuit, a LNA module, and a receive adjust module. The transmit adjust module adjusts coordinates of up-converted analog signals when in a first transmit mode and adjusts coordinates of a plurality of up-converted analog signals when in a second transmit mode to produce to produce multiple adjusted up-converted signals and a plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, respectively, which are subsequently amplified by the PA module. The antenna coupling circuit provides the multiple or the plurality of outbound RF signals to at least some of a plurality of antennas depending on the transmit mode and provides multiple or a plurality of inbound RF signals at least some of the plurality of antennas to the LNA module based on a receive mode. The receive adjust module adjusts coordinates of the multiple or plurality of amplified inbound RF signals based on the receive mode.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises:

a baseband processing module;

an up conversion module; and

an RF front-end, wherein, when the RF transmitter is in an RF beamforming mode;

the baseband processing module is operably coupled to;

convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream; and

convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

the up conversion module is operably coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an up-converted signal;

the RF front-end is operably coupled to;

adjust coordinates of the up-converted signal to produce multiple adjusted up-converted signals;

amplify the multiple adjusted up-converted signals to produce multiple outbound RF signals; and

transmit the multiple outbound RF signals that combine in-air to produce an outbound beamformed RF signal; and

wherein, when the RF transmitter is in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) mode;

the baseband processing module is operably coupled to;

convert the outbound data into a plurality of block encoded streams of outbound symbols; and

convert a plurality of streams of inbound block encoded symbols into the inbound data;

the up conversion module is operably coupled to convert the plurality of block encoded streams of outbound symbols into a plurality of up-converted signals;

the RF front-end is operably coupled to;

adjust coordinates of the plurality of up-converted analog signals to produce a plurality of adjusted up-converted signals;

amplify the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals to produce a plurality of outbound RF signals; and

transmit the plurality of outbound RF signals as an outbound MIMO RF signal.

2. The RF transmitter of claim 1 further comprises, when the RF transmitter is in a baseband beamforming mode:

the baseband processing module coupled to convert the outbound data into a plurality of beamformed streams of outbound symbols;

the up-conversion module coupled to convert the plurality of beamformed streams of outbound symbols into a second plurality of up-converted signals;

the transmit adjust module coupled to adjust coordinates of the second plurality of up-converted analog signals to produce a second plurality of adjusted up-converted signals;

the power amplifier module coupled to amplify the second plurality of adjusted up-converted signals to produce a second plurality of outbound RF signals.

3. The RF transmitter of claim 1 further comprises, when the RF transmitter is in a baseband beamforming and MIMO mode:

the baseband processing module coupled to convert the outbound data into a plurality of beamformed and block encoded streams of outbound symbols;

the up-conversion module coupled to convert the second plurality of beamformed and block encoded streams of outbound symbols into a second plurality of up-converted signals;

the transmit adjust module coupled to adjust coordinates of the second plurality of up-converted analog signals to produce a second plurality of adjusted up-converted signals; and

the power amplifier module coupled to amplify the second plurality of adjusted up-converted signals to produce a second plurality of outbound RF signals.

4. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals; and

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals, wherein at least some of a plurality of antennas have a substantially similar polarization.

5. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a first one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals; and

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a second one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, wherein at least some of a plurality of antennas have a substantially similar polarization.

6. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals; and

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals, wherein at least some of a plurality of antennas have a different polarization.

7. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a first one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals; and

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a second one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, wherein at least some of a plurality of antennas have a different polarization.

8. The RF transmitter of claim 1 further comprises:

the up-conversion module and the RF front-end located on a common die of an integrated circuit.

9. A radio frequency (RF) front-end comprises:

a transmit adjust module coupled to adjust coordinates of an up-converted analog signal when in a first transmit mode to produce multiple adjusted up-converted signals and to adjust coordinates of a plurality of up-converted analog signals when in a second transmit mode to produce a plurality of adjusted up-converted signals;

a power amplifier module coupled to amplify the multiple adjusted up-converted signals when in the first transmit mode to produce multiple outbound RF signals and to amplify the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals when in the second transmit mode to produce a plurality of outbound RF signals;

antenna coupling circuit operable to;

provide the multiple outbound RF signals to two or more of a plurality of antennas when in the first transmit mode;

provide the plurality of outbound RF signals to the two or more of the plurality of antennas when in the second transmit mode;

provide multiple inbound RF signals from the two or more of the plurality of antennas to a low noise amplifier module when in a first receive mode; and

provide a plurality of inbound RF signals from the two or more of the plurality of antennas to the low noise amplifier module when in a second receive mode;

a low noise amplifier module coupled to amplify the multiple inbound RF signals to produce multiple amplified inbound RF signals when in the first receive mode and to amplify the plurality of inbound RF signals to produce a plurality of amplified inbound RF signals when in the second receive mode; and

a receive adjust module coupled to adjust coordinates of the multiple amplified inbound RF signals when in the first receive mode to produce adjusted inbound RF signals and to adjust coordinates of the plurality of amplified inbound RF signals when in the second receive mode to produce a plurality of adjusted inbound RF signals.

10. The RF front-end of claim 9, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals;

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals, wherein the at least some of the plurality of antennas have a substantially similar polarization.

11. The RF front-end of claim 9, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a first one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals;

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a second one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, wherein the at least some of the plurality of antennas have a substantially similar polarization.

12. The RF front-end of claim 9, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals;

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of the up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the multiple adjusted up-converted signals, wherein the at least some of the plurality of antennas have a different polarization.

13. The RF front-end of claim 9, wherein the transmit adjust module comprises:

a first adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a first one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a first phase angle adjust value to produce one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals;

a second adjust module coupled to adjust phase angle of a second one of the plurality of up-converted analog signals based on a second phase angle adjust value to produce a second one of the plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, wherein the at least some of the plurality of antennas have a different polarization.

14. The RF front-end of claim 9 further comprises:

the plurality of antennas, wherein the at least some of the plurality of antennas are transmit antennas of the plurality of antennas and the another at least some of the plurality of antennas are receive antennas.

15. The RF front-end of claim 9 further comprises:

the plurality of antennas, wherein, when in the first or second transmit mode, the plurality of antennas constitutes the at least some of the plurality of antennas and, when in the first or second receive mode, the plurality of antennas constitutes the another at least some of the plurality of antennas.

16. The RF front-end of claim 9 further comprises:

the transmit adjust module, the power amplifier module, the antenna coupling circuit, the low noise amplifier module, and the receive adjust module located on a common die of an integrated circuit.