Radio receiver circuit, communication apparatus, and adaptation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634705-B2
Application number	US-201314912091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A receiver circuit comprising a transformer arrangement comprising a transformer structure, multiple and distributed receiver units arranged to be connected to one and same antenna via the transformer arrangement and arranged to operate on the same frequency and bandwidth as each other, wherein the transformer arrangement is arranged to input the antenna signal and to output signals at different output ports for the respective receiver unit, and a combiner circuit arranged to combine outputs of the multiple receiver units such that the combiner circuit outputs a combined signal, and corresponding communication apparatus, method and computer program are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A receiver circuit comprising:
a transformer arrangement comprising a transformer structure;
multiple and distributed receiver units arranged to be connected to one and same antenna via the transformer arrangement and arranged to operate on the same frequency and bandwidth as each other, wherein the transformer arrangement is arranged to receive an antenna signal from the antenna and to output signals at different output ports for the respective receiver unit, wherein each of the output signals at the different output ports has a lower signal power level than a signal power level of the antenna signal; and
a combiner circuit arranged to combine outputs of the multiple receiver units with same phase such that the combiner circuit outputs a combined signal.

2. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each receiver unit comprises a mixer circuit, wherein a phase of an oscillator signal fed to an oscillator input of respective mixer circuit is adapted for the respective port of the transformer arrangement which the respective receiver unit is connected to such that the combiner circuit outputs a combined baseband signal as the combined signal.

3. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each receiver unit comprises a low-noise amplifier, wherein the input of the respective low-noise amplifier is connected to the respective output port of the transformer arrangement.

4. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the combiner is arranged to provide an analog combined signal, and the receiver circuit further comprises an analog-to-digital converter arranged to convert the analog combined signal to a digital signal.

5. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each receiver unit further comprises an analog-to-digital converter arranged to convert an analog partial signal of each receiver unit to a digital partial signal, and the combiner is arranged to combine the digital partial signals of the multiple receiver units to provide an combined digital signal as the combined signal.

6. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is arranged to selectively disable or enable receiver units among the multiple receiver units according to a receiving condition.

7. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by disabling or enabling parts of circuitry arranged in parallel in the radio unit.

8. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by a tunable bias voltage.

9. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by a tunable bandwidth of a low pass filter of the radio unit.

10. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the transformer structure is an autotransformer structure comprising a conductive element connected to receive the antenna input signal and the output ports are distributed along the conductive element.

11. The receiver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the transformer structure comprises a primary winding connected to receive the antenna input signal and a secondary winding having the output ports distributed along the secondary winding.

12. The receiver circuit of claim 10 , wherein the distribution of the output ports includes that the output ports partly overlaps each other along their connection to the transformer structure.

13. The receiver circuit of claim 10 , wherein the distribution of the output ports includes that the output ports are, along their connection to the transformer structure, distributed without any overlap.

14. The receiver circuit of claim 10 , wherein input transistors of respective receiver unit are integrated with the transformer structure to form the connection to the transformer structure.

15. A method of controlling adaption of a receiver circuit comprising a transformer arrangement comprising a transformer structure; multiple receiver units arranged to be connected to one and same antenna via the transformer arrangement, and arranged to operate on the same frequency and bandwidth as each other wherein the transformer arrangement is arranged to input an antenna signal from the antenna and to output signals at different output ports for the respective receiver unit, and wherein each of the output signals at the different output ports has a lower signal power level than a signal power level of the antenna signal; and a combiner circuit arranged to combine outputs of the multiple receiver units such that the combiner circuit outputs a combined signal, the method comprising:
determining received signal conditions; and
selectively disabling or enabling receiver units among the multiple receiver units based on the determined received signal conditions.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each receiver unit comprises a mixer circuit, the method further comprising
controlling a phase of an oscillator signal fed to respective one of the mixers.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by parts of circuitry arranged in parallel in respective radio unit being configured to be disabled or enabled, wherein the method comprises controlling enabling and disabling of the paralleled parts of the circuitry.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by a tunable bias voltage, wherein the method comprises controlling the bias voltage for each radio unit.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein each radio unit is configurable by a tunable bandwidth of a low pass filter of the radio unit, wherein the method comprises controlling tuning of the bandwidth of the respective low pass filter.

20. A nontransitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a programmable controller of a receiver circuit, causes the controller to perform a method of controlling adaption of the receiver circuit, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a transformer arrangement comprising a transformer structure; multiple receiver units arranged to be connected to one and same antenna via the transformer arrangement, and arranged to operate on the same frequency and bandwidth as each other wherein the transformer arrangement is arranged to input an antenna signal from the antenna and to output signals at different output ports for the respective receiver unit, and wherein each of the output signals at the different output ports has a lower signal power level than a signal power level of the antenna signal; and a combiner circuit arranged to combine outputs of the multiple receiver units such that the combiner circuit outputs a combined signal, the method comprising:
determining received signal conditions; and
selectively disabling or enabling receiver units among the multiple receiver units based on the determined received signal conditions.

21. A communication apparatus comprising a receiver circuit according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Mu Fenghao

Classifications

• H04B1/18

  Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line (coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H) · CPC title

• H04W52/0283

  with sequential power up or power down of successive circuit blocks, e.g. switching on the local oscillator before RF or mixer stages · CPC title

• H04B1/1036

  with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters (H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H) · CPC title

• H04B1/06 Primary

  Receivers · CPC title

• H04B1/1615 Primary

  Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely (battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34) · CPC title