Transceiver arrangement and method for processing a signal

• US 8,843,090 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Boos, Zdravko
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/549,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20120282867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 455131-137, 455/139, 455/141, 455/144, 455/146, 455/149, 455/205, 455/207, 455/209, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/115.3, 455/73
• US Class Current: 455/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/082 selecting best antenna path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/084 Equal gain combining, only phase adjustments antenna beam scanning or forming by phase or amplitude control H01Q3/26, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas

Abstract

A transceiver arrangement includes a first receive path including a first connection and a first receive amplifier, and a second receive path including a second connection, a second receive amplifier, and a frequency conversion device. The transceiver also includes a controllable coupling device configured to couple an output of the first receive amplifier to an input of the frequency conversion device on the second signal path, and a control circuit configured to provide a control signal to the coupling device for selectively combining signals delivered by the first and second receive amplifiers in the correct phase based on a parameter which is derived from a signal present at the first connection or second connection, or both. The parameter derived from the received signal represents whether a signal strength of the received signal or a signal quality of the received signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A transceiver arrangement, comprising:

a first receive path comprising a first connection and a first receive amplifier;

a second receive path comprising a second connection, a second receive amplifier, and a frequency conversion device;

a controllable coupling device configured to couple an output of the first receive amplifier to an input of the frequency conversion device on the second signal path; and

a control circuit configured to provide a control signal to the coupling device for selectively combining signals delivered by the first and second receive amplifiers in the correct phase based on a parameter which is derived from a signal present at the first connection or second connection, or both,

wherein the signals are selectively combined prior to the frequency conversion device; and

wherein the parameter derived from the received signal represents whether a signal strength of the received signal or a signal quality of the received signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

2. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmit path comprising a tap to provide a transmit signal;

a compensation circuit coupled to the tap of the transmit path at an input end thereof, and to an input of the frequency conversion device at the output end thereof, and configured to suppress a transmit signal component cross-feeding onto the first or second receive path.

3. The transceiver arrangement of claim 2, wherein the compensation circuit comprises an output element configured to couple out a component of the signal to be delivered by the transmit path.

4. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the controllable coupling device is configured to couple the output of the first receive amplifier to the frequency conversion device in a first switching state and the outputs of the first and second receive amplifier to the frequency conversion device in a second switching state.

5. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a device configured to detect the signal strength or the signal quality of a signal that is derived from a signal at the first connection or the second connection for generating the parameter.

6. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first receive amplifier is configured to exhibit a smaller noise figure than the second receive amplifier.

7. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first receive path is configured to be coupled to a first antenna and the second receive path is configured to be coupled to a second antenna.

8. The transceiver arrangement of claim 7, wherein the second connection of the second receive path is coupled to the second antenna via a coupling element, and wherein the tap of the transmit path is coupled to the second antenna via the coupling element.

9. The transceiver arrangement of claim 7, further comprising a filter device arranged between the first connection and a terminal that is configured to couple to the first antenna.

10. The transceiver arrangement of claim 7, wherein the coupling between the second connection and another terminal that is configured to couple to the second antenna is arranged without filter therebetween.

11. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first and the second receive amplifiers have a different linear transfer characteristic or a different noise figure from one another.

12. The transceiver arrangement claim 1, wherein a noise figure of the first receive amplifier is smaller than a smaller noise figure of the second receive amplifier.

13. The transceiver arrangement of claim 1, wherein the parameter derived from the received signal further represents whether the signal strength of the received signal falls below a second predetermined threshold that is less than the first predetermined threshold.

14. The transceiver arrangement of claim 13, wherein the parameter derived from the received signal further represents whether the signal strength of the received signal falls between the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold.

15. A transceiver arrangement, comprising:

a first signal path configured to amplify a received signal with a signal strength;

a second signal path configured to amplify the received signal;

a frequency conversion device; and

a selection circuit configured to selectively couple the first signal path, the second signal path or both signal paths to the frequency conversion device based on a parameter derived from the received signal,

wherein the signals on the first and second signal paths are selectively combined prior to the frequency conversion device; and

wherein the parameter derived from the received signal represents whether a signal strength of the received signal or a signal quality of the received signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold.

16. The transceiver arrangement of claim 15, wherein the parameter derived from the received signal further represents whether the signal strength of the received signal falls below a second predetermined threshold that is less than the first predetermined threshold.

17. The transceiver arrangement of claim 16, wherein the parameter derived from the received signal further represents whether the signal strength of the received signal falls between the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold.

18. A method for processing a signal, comprising:

receiving the signal at a receiver;

determining a parameter characterizing the received signal, wherein the parameter comprises a signal to noise ratio or a mobile radio standard;

evaluating the parameter; and

selecting at least one of the following based on the evaluation of the parameter;

receiving the signal via a first signal path and processing the signal;

receiving the signal via a second, different signal path and processing the signal; and

receiving the signal via the first signal path and the second signal path and jointly processing the signal received via the first and the second signal path, wherein jointly processing the signal comprises selectively combining the signals from the first signal path and the second signal path prior to a frequency conversion using a frequency conversion device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving and joint processing comprises:

amplifying the received signal on the first signal path with a first gain factor;

amplifying the received signal on the second signal path with a second gain factor; and

adding the amplified signals of the first and second signal path in the correct phase.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a signal to be transmitted;

amplifying and transmitting the provided signal;

determining a signal component of the signal to be transmitted cross-feeding onto the first or second signal path;

coupling out a component of the signal to be transmitted; and

adding the component coupled out to the received signal with inverted phase to compensate for the cross-feeding signal component.

21. A method for processing a signal, comprising:

receiving the signal at a receiver;

determining a parameter characterizing the received signal, wherein determining a parameter comprises at least one of the following;

determining whether a power or a signal quality of the received signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

determining a signal/noise ratio in the received signal;

determining an adjacent channel power with respect to a useful channel in the received signal; and

determining a data error rate after a demodulation of the received signal evaluating the parameter; and

selecting at least one of the following based on the evaluation of the parameter;

receiving the signal via a first signal path and processing the signal;

receiving the signal via a second, different signal path and processing the signal; and

receiving the signal via the first signal path and the second signal path and jointly processing the signal received via the first and the second signal path, wherein jointly processing the signal comprises selectively combining the signals from the first signal path and the second signal path prior to a frequency conversion using a frequency conversion device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a parameter characterizing the received signal further comprises:

determining whether the signal power of the received signal exceeds the first predetermined threshold and determining whether the signal power of the received signal falls below a second predetermined threshold that is less than the first predetermined threshold;

receiving the signal via the first signal path and processing the signal if the signal power of the received signal exceeds the first predetermined threshold; and

receiving the signal via the second, different signal path and processing the signal if the signal power of the received signal falls below the second predetermined threshold.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a parameter characterizing the received signal further comprises:

determining whether the signal power of the received signal falls between the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold; and

receiving the signal via the first signal path and the second signal path and jointly processing the signal received via the first and the second signal path if the signal power of the received signal falls between the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold.