Circuit and method for a circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509346-B2
Application number	US-201514950420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A circuit comprises a transmitter to provide a transmit signal. The circuit also comprises a coupler element to receive the transmit signal at an input port, to provide a first representation of the transmit signal at an antenna port and a second representation of the transmit signal at a testing port. The circuit further comprises a monitoring receiver unit. The monitoring receiver unit is coupled to the testing port. Furthermore, the monitoring receiver unit is configured to determine a characteristic of the second representation of the transmit signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit, comprising:
a transmitter to provide a transmit signal;
a coupler element to receive the transmit signal at an input port, to provide a first representation of the transmit signal at an antenna port and a second representation of the transmit signal at a testing port; and
a monitoring receiver unit arranged to be coupled to the testing port, to determine a characteristic of the second representation of the transmit signal
a monitoring mixer, arranged to be coupled between the testing port and the monitoring receiver unit, to receive the second representation of the transmit signal, and to down-convert the second representation of the transmit signal; and
a bypass element, arranged to be coupled between a test signal generator and the testing port and in parallel to the monitoring mixer.

2. The circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a further coupler element to receive a further transmit signal at a further input port and to provide a first representation of the further transmit signal at a further antenna port and a second representation of the further transmit signal at a further testing port;
at least a further transmitter, coupled to the further input port, to provide a further transmit signal; and
wherein the monitoring receiver unit is coupled to the further testing port, to determine a characteristic of the second representation of the further transmit signal.

3. The circuit according to claim 2 , further comprising a monitoring circuit coupled to the monitoring receiver, the monitoring circuit being configured to:
compare the characteristic of the second representation of the transmit signal to the characteristic of the second representation of the further transmit signal; and
provide an adjustment signal causing a modification of the characteristic of at least one of the transmit signal and the further transmit signal if a comparison indicates that a deviation of the characteristic of the second representation of the transmit signal from the characteristic of the second representation of the further transmit signal is outside a predetermined range.

4. The circuit according to claim 2 , further comprising a transmit signal distribution network coupled between a transmit signal generator, the transmitter and the at least one further transmitter, the transmit signal distribution network being configured to provide the transmit signal to the transmitter and the at least one further transmitter.

5. The circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a test signal generator coupled to the testing port, wherein the test signal generator is configured to provide a test signal, wherein the coupler element is further configured to receive the test signal at the testing port, to provide the test signal at a receiver port, to receive a receive signal at the antenna port and to provide the receive signal at the receiver port; and
a signal receiver coupled to the receiver port, the signal receiver being configured to determine a characteristic of the test signal.

6. The circuit according to claim 5 , further comprising a further coupler element configured to receive the test signal at a further testing port, to provide the test signal at a further receiver port, to receive a further receive signal at a further antenna port and to provide the further receive signal at the further receiver port; and
a further signal receiver coupled to the further receiver port, the further signal receiver being configured to determine a further characteristic of the test signal.

7. The circuit according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a further monitoring circuit, coupled to the signal receiver and the further signal receiver, the further monitoring circuit being configured to:
compare the characteristic of the test signal to the further characteristic of the test signal; and
provide an adjustment signal causing a modification of the characteristic of at least one of the receive signal and the further receive signal or of one of the receiver and the further receiver if a comparison indicates that a deviation of the characteristic of the test signal from the further characteristic of the test signal is outside a predetermined range.

8. The circuit according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a receive mixer coupled between the receiver port and the signal receiver, the receive mixer being configured to:
receive a local oscillator (LO) signal at a local oscillator input port; and to down-convert the signal of the receiver port using the local oscillator signal.

9. The circuit according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a further receive mixer coupled between the further receiver port and the further signal receiver, the further receive mixer being configured to:
receive the local oscillator signal at a further local oscillator input port; and to down-convert the signal of the further receiver port using the local oscillator signal.

10. The circuit according to claim 9 , further comprising a LO signal distribution network coupled between a local oscillator, the receive mixer and the further receive mixer, the LO signal distribution network being configured to provide the LO signal to the receive mixer and the at least one further receive mixer.

11. The circuit according to claim 6 , further comprising a test signal distribution network coupled between the test signal generator, the testing port and the further testing port, the test signal distribution network being configured to provide the test signal to the testing port and the at least one further testing port.

12. The circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmit signal generator, coupled to the transmitter, the transmit signal generator being configured to generate a common transmit signal using a LO signal.

13. The circuit according to claim 10 , further comprising a local oscillator, to provide a local oscillator signal to at least one of the test signal generator, the transmit signal generator and a receive mixer.

14. The circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a receive mixer coupled to a receiver port of the coupler element to receive signals from the antenna port.

15. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass element is arranged to be coupled to a first node, wherein the monitoring mixer is arranged to be coupled to the first node.

16. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is one of a frequency, an amplitude and a phase.

17. A method for a circuit, comprising:
providing a transmit signal;
splitting the transmit signal to provide a first transmit signal portion to an input port of a first directional coupler and a second first transmit signal portion to an input port of a second directional coupler;
providing at least first and second representations of the first transmit signal portion from the first directional coupler;
providing the first representation of the first transmit signal portion to an antenna;
providing the second representation of the first transmit signal portion to a distribution network;
receiving the second representation of the first transmit signal portion; and
determining a characteristic of the second representation of the first transmit signal portion.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
providing at least first and second representations of the second transmit signal portion;
providing the first representation of the second transmit signal portion to further antenna; providing the second representation of the second transmit signal p

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Wagner Christoph
• Jaeger Herbert

Classifications

• H04B1/04 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B17/12 Primary

  of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase · CPC title

• H04B17/10

  of transmitters · CPC title

• H04B17/0085

  using test signal generators · CPC title

• H04B17/102

  Power radiated at antenna · CPC title