Systems and methods for shared analog-to-digital conversion in a communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127033-A1
Application number	US-201414532918-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A low noise block circuit includes a first input signal trace configured to receive a first satellite signal centered at a first frequency; a second signal trace configured to receive a second satellite signal centered at a second frequency; a combiner having a first input connected to the first input signal trace and a second input connected to the second signal trace, and configured to combine the first and second satellite signals to generate and output a combined satellite signal; and an analog-to-digital converter element having a first input coupled to receive the combined satellite signal, and configured to convert the combined satellite signal from an analog signal to a digital signal.

First claim

1 . In a low noise block integrated circuit having a plurality of analog inputs, an analog-to-digital converter and a digital CSS, a method comprising:
receiving a first satellite signal centered at a first frequency; receiving a second satellite signal centered at a second frequency; combining the first and second satellite signals to form a combined signal; the analog-to-digital converter transforming the combined signal from an analog signal to a digital signal; and providing the digital signal to the digital CSS.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second frequency are the same frequency, and further comprising adjusting at least one of the first and second frequencies prior to combining the satellite signals.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second frequency are different frequencies.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third satellite signal centered at a third frequency; receiving a fourth satellite signal centered at a fourth frequency; translating the third satellite signal to a fifth frequency, combining the translated third satellite signal with fourth satellite signals to form a second combined signal; a second analog-to-digital converter transforming the combined signal from an analog signal to a second digital signal; and providing the second digital signal to the digital CSS.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the third and fourth frequency are the same frequency and wherein translating comprises translating the third frequency to a frequency far enough away from the fourth frequency to avoid interference between the translated third satellite signal with the fourth satellite signal upon combining.

6 . A low noise block circuit comprising:
a first input signal trace configured to receive a first satellite signal centered at a first frequency; a second signal trace configured to receive a second satellite signal centered at a second frequency; a combiner having a first input connected to the first input signal trace and a second input connected to the second signal trace, and configured to combine the first and second satellite signals to generate and output a combined satellite signal; and an analog-to-digital converter element having a first input coupled to receive the combined satellite signal, and configured to convert the combined satellite signal from an analog signal to a digital signal.

7 . The low noise block circuit of claim 6 , wherein the first and second satellite signals are at the same frequency and further comprising a frequency translator, configured to change the frequency of at least one of the first and second satellite signals prior to sending the at least one of the first and second satellite signals to the combiner.

8 . The low noise block circuit of claim 6 , further comprising a CSS having an input coupled to receive the digital signal from the analog-to-digital converter.

9 . A low noise block circuit comprising:
a first input signal trace configured to receive a first Ka-band satellite signal centered at a first frequency; a second signal trace configured to receive a first Ku-band satellite signal centered at a second frequency; a combiner having a first input connected to the first input signal trace and a second input connected to the second signal trace, and configured to combine the first Ka-band satellite signal with the first Ku-band satellite signal to generate and output a combined satellite signal; an analog-to-digital converter having a first input coupled to receive the combined satellite signal, and configured to convert the combined satellite signal from an analog signal to a digital signal; a third input signal trace configured to receive a second Ka-band satellite signal centered at the first frequency; a fourth signal trace configured to receive a second Ku-band satellite signal centered at the second frequency; a combiner having a first input connected to the first input signal trace and a second input connected to the second signal trace, and configured to combine the second Ka-band satellite signal with the second Ku-band satellite signal to generate and output a second combined satellite signal; and a second analog-to-digital converter having a first input coupled to receive the second combined satellite signal, and configured to convert the second combined satellite signal from an analog signal to a digital signal.

10 . The low noise block of claim 9 , further comprising:
a fifth input signal trace configured to receive a third Ka-band satellite signal centered at the first frequency; a sixth signal trace configured to receive a fourth Ka-band satellite signal centered at the first frequency; a frequency translator configured to translate the third Ka-band satellite signal to a different frequency; a third combiner having a first input connected to the an output of the frequency translator and a second input connected to the sixth signal trace, and configured to combine the third Ka-band satellite signal with the translated third Ka-band satellite signal to generate and output a third combined satellite signal; and a third analog-to-digital converter having a first input coupled to receive the third combined satellite signal, and configured to convert the third combined satellite signal from an analog signal to a digital signal.

11 . In a WiFi front-end module integrated circuit having a plurality of analog inputs, an analog-to-digital converter and a baseband processor, a method comprising:
receiving a first WiFi signal centered at a first frequency; receiving a second WiFi signal centered at a second frequency; combining the first and second WiFi signals to form a combined signal; the analog-to-digital converter transforming the combined signal from an analog signal to a digital signal; and providing the digital signal to the digital baseband processor.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second frequency are the same frequency, and further comprising adjusting at least one of the first and second frequencies prior to combining the WiFi signals.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second frequency are different frequencies.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a third WiFi signal centered at a third frequency; receiving a fourth WiFi signal centered at a fourth frequency; translating the third WiFi signal to a fifth frequency, combining the translated third WiFi signal with fourth WiFi signals to form a second combined signal; a second analog-to-digital converter transforming the combined signal from an analog signal to a second digital signal; and providing the second digital signal to the digital CSS.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the third and fourth frequency are the same frequency and wherein translating comprises translating the third frequency to a frequency far enough away from the fourth frequency to avoid interference between the translated third WiFi signal with the fourth WiFi signal upon combining.

16 . A WiFi front-end module comprising:
a first input signal trace configured to receive a first WiFi signal centered at a first frequency; a second signal trace configured to receive a second WiFi signal centered at a second frequency; a combiner having a first input connected to the first input signal trace and a second input connected to the second signal trace, and configured to combine the first and second WiFi signals to generate and output a combined WiFi signal; and an analog-to-digital converter element having a first input coupl

Assignees

• Entropic Communications Inc

Inventors

• Petrovic Branislav
• Yu Tommy
• Brandon Troy
• Duncan Ralph

Classifications

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04B1/0007

  wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage · CPC title

• H04B7/18528

  Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system · CPC title

• H04B7/18523

  Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service (arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20) · CPC title