Multi-channel RX/TX calibration and local oscillator mismatch mitigation

• US 8,532,598 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Breslin, Donald, Gilbert, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US12/942,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 455/208, 455/209, 455/315, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/226.1
• US Class Current: 455/209
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/11 for calibration

Abstract

A method and system of optimizing transmit beam forming in a multiple radio wireless system is provided. A stimulus signal can be provided to an analog receive input of a device under test (DUT), wherein the DUT includes multiple radios. A receive phase and amplitude can be measured at baseband using the stimulus signal for each radio. At this point, a receive weight and its conjugate can be determined using the receive phases and amplitudes. A calibration vector and its conjugate can also be determined, wherein a product of the receive weight conjugate and the calibration vector conjugate generate a transmit weight. This transmit weight can be applied to transmit signals during the transmit beam forming using the multiple radios.

Claims

1. A method of resolving local oscillator ambiguity in a radio frequency (RF) device, the method comprising:

providing an identical stimulus signal to all receive chains of the RF device;

measuring a receive phase and a receive amplitude at baseband for each receive chain using the identical stimulus signal during an initialization of the RF device;

determining a receive weight using the receive phase and the receive amplitude for each receive chain;

comparing each determined receive weight with a stored receive weight, the stored receive weight based at least in part on a calibration of the RF device; and

deriving a local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value based at least in part on the comparing,

wherein deriving the local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value includes determining a phase shift sign based at least in part on a radio architecture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the identical stimulus signal includes shunting one antenna port to the receive chains.

3. A method of resolving local oscillator ambiguity in a radio frequency (RF) device, the method comprising:

providing an identical stimulus signal to all receive chains of the RF device;

measuring a receive phase and a receive amplitude at baseband for each receive chain using the identical stimulus signal during an initialization of the RF device;

determining a receive weight using the receive phase and the receive amplitude for each receive chain;

comparing each determined receive weight with a stored receive weight, the stored receive weight being based at least in part on a calibration of the RF device; and

deriving a local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value based at least in part on the comparing,

wherein deriving the local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value includes generating receive and transmit coefficients to determine a calibration phase compensation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the identical stimulus signal includes shunting one antenna port to the receive chains.

5. A radio frequency system, comprising:

a first radio having a first receive component and a first transmit component;

a second radio having a second receive component and a second transmit component;

a receive channel calibration unit coupled to the first receive component and the second receive component, the receive channel calibration unit configured to determine a first receive phase difference during calibration and a second receive phase difference during a local oscillator initialization using an identical stimulus signal; and

a digital portion to determine a local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value based at least in part on a difference between the first receive phase difference and the second receive phase difference, and to generate receive and transmit coefficients to determine a calibration phase compensation.

6. The radio frequency system of claim 5, wherein the first radio is positioned on a first integrated circuit and the second radio is positioned on a second integrated circuit, wherein the first integrated circuit is different than the second integrated circuit.

7. The radio frequency system of claim 5, wherein the local oscillator initial phase ambiguity correction value is used in a transmit phase calibration for the first transmit component and the second transmit component.

8. The radio frequency system of claim 5, wherein the receive channel calibration unit determines a receive phase shift difference of a stimulus signal with a fixed phase difference at a receive antenna port.

9. The radio frequency system of claim 8, wherein the stimulus signal is generated by either the first radio or the second radio.