POWER SAVING TECHNIQUE FOR DIGITAL TO TIME CONVERTERS

• US 20150091384A1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Palaskas, Georgios, Klepser, Bernd-Ulrich, Menkhoff, Andreas, Boos, Zdravko, Boehme, Andreas, Bruennert, Michael, Madoglio, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 9,847,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/361 Modulation using a single or unspecified number of carriers, e.g. with separate stages of phase and amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This document discusses apparatus and methods for reducing energy consumption of digital-to-time converter (DTC) based transmitters. In an example, a wireless device can include a digital-to-time converter (DTC) configured to receive phase information from a baseband processor and to provide a first modulation signal for generating a wireless signal, and a detector configured to detect an operating condition of the wireless device and to adjust a parameter of the DTC in response to a change in the operating condition.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a digital-to-time converter (DTC) configured to receive phase information from a baseband processor and to provide a first modulation signal for generating a wireless signal; and

a detector configured to detect an operating condition of the wireless device and to adjust a parameter of the DTC in response to a change in the operating condition.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in transmission power of the wireless device, to enable or disable at least a portion of the DTC in response to a change in transmission power.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in transmission power of the wireless device, to disable at least a portion of the DTC in response to a decrease in transmission power, and to enable at least a portion of the DTC in response to an increase in transmission power.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a second DTC configured to receive the phase information from the baseband processor and to provide the first modulation signal for generating the wireless signal.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the detector is configured to disable the second DTC if a transmission power of the wireless device exceeds a first threshold.

6. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the detector is configured to disable the first DTC if a transmission power of the wireless device falls below the first threshold.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the DTC includes a first noise shaper located in a process path of the DTC;

and

wherein the detector is configured to adjust a parameter of the first noise shaper in response to a change in the operating condition.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the first noise shaper is integrated with the DTC.

9. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in transmission power of the wireless device and to change an order of the first noise shaper in response to the change in transmission power.

10. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to increase an order of the first noise shaper in response to an increase in the transmission power;

and

wherein the detector is configured to decrease an order of the first noise shaper in response to a decrease in the transmission power.

11. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in presence of a coexistence band of an additional wireless protocol in a channel of the wireless device and to change an order of the first noise shaper in response to the change in presence of the coexistence band.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the detector is configured to increase an order of the first noise shaper in response to the presence of the coexistence band;

and

wherein the detector is configured to reduce the order of the first noise shaper in response to an absence of the coexistence band.

13. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in duplex distance of a channel of the wireless device and to change an order of the first noise shaper in response to the change in the duplex distance.

14. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the detector is configured to increase an order of the first noise shaper in response to a decrease in the duplex distance;

and

wherein the detector is configured to reduce the order of the first noise shaper in response to an increase of the duplex distance.

15. A method for operating a wireless transmitter comprising:

receiving phase information from a baseband processor at a first digital-to-time converter (DTC);

adjusting a parameter of the first DTC in one or more frequency bands of the phase information;

detecting a first change in an operating condition of the wireless transmitter; and

adjusting a parameter of the first DTC in response to the first change.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting a change in transmission power of the wireless transmitter;

and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes disabling a portion of the first DTC in response to the change in transmission power.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting a decrease in transmission power of the wireless transmitter;

and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes disabling the first DTC and enabling a second DTC.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting an increase in transmission power of the wireless transmitter;

and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes enabling the first DTC and disabling the second DTC.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting a change in transmission power of the wireless transmitter;

wherein adjusting a parameter includes increasing an order of a first noise shaper in response to an increase in the transmission power; and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes decreasing an order of the first noise shaper in response to a decrease in the transmission power.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting a parameter includes disabling the first noise shaper in response to an increase in the transmission power.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting a change in presence of a coexistence band of an additional wireless protocol in a channel of the wireless device;

wherein adjusting a parameter includes increasing an order of a first noise shaper in response to detecting an increased presence of the coexistence band; and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes decreasing an order of the first noise shaper in response to detecting a decreased presence of the coexistence band.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a first change includes detecting a change in duplex distance of a channel of the wireless device;

wherein adjusting a parameter includes increasing an order of a first noise shaper in response to a decrease in the duplex distance; and

wherein adjusting a parameter includes decreasing an order of the first noise shaper in response to an increase in the duplex distance.

23. A wireless transmitter including;

an amplitude processing path configure to receive a baseband signal and to provide a channel amplitude signal;

a phase processing path configured to receive the baseband signal and to provide a channel phase signal;

a digital-to-time converter (DTC) configured to provide a frequency modulated output clock signal using the channel phase signal;

a divider module located in the phase processing path prior to the DTC;

first and second noise shapers located in the phase processing path prior to the DTC, wherein the first noise shaper is located prior to the divider, and wherein the second noise shaper is located after the divider; and

a mixer configured to receive the channel amplitude signal and the frequency modulated clock signal and to provide a reconstructed signal to a power amplifier for amplification.

24. The wireless transmitter of claim 23, including a summing node;

and

a pre-distortion module configured to modulate a spectrum of the phase processing path using a pre-distortion processing path coupled to the phase processing path at the summing node.

25. The wireless transmitter of claim 24, including a third noise shaper located in the pre-distortion processing path.

26. The wireless transmitter of claim 25, including a fourth noise shaper located in the amplitude processing path.