Method and system for implementing a single weight (SW) single channel (SC) MIMO system with no insertion loss

• US 8,477,803 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kent, Mark, Erceg, Vinko, Landau, Uri M., Rooyen, Pieter van
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US13/324,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20120082270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/101, 455/132, 455136-140, 455272-273, 370/328, 370/338, 370/334, 370/464, 375/148, 375/144, 375/347, 375/349
• US Class Current: 370/464
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03019 adaptive, i.e. capable of adjustment during data reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

In a RF communications system, aspects for implementing a single weight single channel MIMO system with no insertion loss may comprise generating at least one control signal that is utilized to control at least one of a plurality of received signals in a WCDMA and/or HSDPA system. A phase of a first of the plurality of received signals may be adjusted outside of a first processing path used to process that signal so that it is equivalent to a phase of at least a second of the plurality of received signals. A gain in the first processing path may be equivalent to a gain in a second processing path that is utilized to process the second of the plurality of received signals. The control signal may be utilized to adjust a phase and/or an amplitude of at least one of a plurality of received signals.

Claims

1. A method for processing a plurality of received signals in a receiver that each corresponds to a respective RF chain and antenna, comprising:

adjusting, by circuitry, a phase of a local oscillator signal based on at least one control signal to provide an adjusted local oscillator signal;

mixing the adjusted local oscillator signal with a first of the plurality of received signals to provide a first down-converted signal;

mixing the local oscillator signal with a second of the plurality of received signals to provide a second down-converted signal;

combining the first down-converted signal with the second down-converted signal to provide a combined signal;

providing, by a processor, a first output signal based on the combined signal, wherein the first output signal comprises channel estimates and a timing signal that specifies a location of signal clusters; and

generating by a weight generator, the at least one control signal based on the first output signal and sending the at least one control signal to the circuitry, a first RF chain and a second RF chain.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is used to control the first of the plurality of received signals in a WCDMA system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is used to control the first of the plurality of received signals in a HSDPA system.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the HSDPA system co-exists on a same carrier as WCDMA services or UMTS services.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the at least one control signal further comprises using at least one optimization algorithm, wherein the at least one optimization algorithm includes one or more of the following:

a maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) algorithm, a maximum signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) algorithm, and a minimum bit error rate (BER) algorithm.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry continuously adjusts the phase of the local-oscillator signal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a maximum ratio combiner, a despreader, a diversity processor and a cell combiner, wherein the despreader and the diversity processor are communicatively disposed between the maximum ratio combiner and the cell combiner.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the phase of the local oscillator signal increases a signal to noise ratio of the combined signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor provides a second output signal and a third output signal based on the combined signal, wherein the second output signal of the processor includes a voice signal, and wherein the third output signal of the processor includes a data signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight generator is communicatively disposed between the circuitry and the processor.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is part of a MIMO communications system.

12. A wireless communications device for processing a plurality of received signals that each corresponds to a respective RF chain and antenna, comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a phase of a local oscillator signal based on at least one control signal to provide an adjusted local oscillator signal;

a first mixer configured to mix the adjusted local oscillator signal with a first of the plurality of received signals to provide a first down-converted signal;

a second mixer configured to mix the local oscillator signal with a second of the plurality of received signals to provide a second down-converted signal;

a combining node configured to combine the first down-converted signal with the second down-converted signal to provide a combined signal;

a processor configured to receive the combined signal and provide, based on at least the combined signal, a first output signal that includes channel estimates and a timing signal that specifies a location of signal clusters; and

a weight generator configured to generate the at least one control signal based on the first output signal and send the at least one control signal to the circuitry, a first RF chain and a second RF chain.

13. The wireless communications device according to claim 12, wherein the channel estimates and the timing signal are provided on a per-base-station basis.

14. The wireless communications device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to provide a second output signal and a third output signal based on the received combined signal, wherein the second output signal includes a voice signal, and wherein the third output signal includes a data signal.

15. The wireless communications device according to claim 12, wherein the weight generator is further configured to generate the at least one control signal using at least one optimization algorithm, wherein the at least one optimization algorithm includes one or more of the following:

a maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) algorithm, a maximum signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SFNR) algorithm, and a minimum bit error rate (BER) algorithm.

16. A wireless communications device for processing a plurality of received signals that each corresponds to a respective RF chain and antenna, comprising:

circuitry configured to adjust a phase of a local oscillator signal based on at least one control signal to provide an adjusted local oscillator signal;

a first mixer configured to mix the adjusted local oscillator signal with a first of the plurality of received signals to provide a first down-converted signal;

a second mixer configured to mix the local oscillator signal with a second of the plurality of received signals to provide a second down-converted signal;

a combining node configured to combine the first down-converted signal with the second down-converted signal to provide a combined signal;

a processor configured to receive the combined signal and provide, based on at least the combined signal, a first output signal that includes channel estimates and a timing signal that specifies a location of signal clusters, a second output signal that includes a voice signal, and a third output signal that includes a data signal; and

a weight generator configured to generate the at least one control signal based on the first output signal.

17. The wireless communications device according to claim 16, wherein the channel estimates and the timing signal are provided on a per-base-station basis.

18. The wireless communications device according to claim 16, wherein the weight generator is further configured to send the at least one control signal to a first RF chain and a second RF chain.

19. The wireless communications device according to claim 16, wherein the weight generator is further configured to generate the at least one control signal using at least one optimization algorithm, wherein the at least one optimization algorithm includes one or more of the following:

a maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) algorithm, a maximum signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) algorithm, and a minimum bit error rate (BER) algorithm.