Transmission circuit with output power compensation mechanism and method of operation thereof

Abstract

The present application provides a transmission circuit with output power compensation mechanism, which includes a base frequency and processing circuit, a frequency raising circuit, a radio frequency amplification circuit, a temperature value monitoring circuit and a correction circuit. The base frequency and processing circuit is configured to receive a digital input signal for processing, conversion and amplification according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal. The frequency raising circuit is configured to raise the frequency of the analog output signal to generate a radio frequency signal. The radio frequency amplification circuit is configured to amplify the radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal to an antenna. The temperature value monitoring circuit is configured to monitor and generate an instant temperature value of the radio frequency amplification circuit. The correction circuit is configured to increase at least part of the gain parameter when the instant temperature value is higher than a reference temperature value, and decrease at least part of the gain parameter when the instant temperature value is lower than the reference temperature value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to communication technology, and in particular to a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism and its operation method. Background Technology

[0002] In a communication system, there are transmission circuits for transmitting signals and receiving circuits for receiving signals. The transmission circuit operates by using a baseband and processing circuit to process digital signals, convert them into analog signals, up-frequency them into radio frequency signals, amplify the radio frequency signals, and then transmit them via an antenna.

[0003] However, in the transmission circuit, the amplifier circuit for amplifying radio frequency signals often experiences power fluctuations due to instantaneous temperature differences. This often results in insufficient or excessive power of the transmitted signal, affecting the reception results of the remote electronic device receiving the signal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems of the prior art, one object of the present invention is to provide a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism and a method of operation thereof, so as to improve the prior art.

[0005] This invention includes a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism, comprising: a baseband and processing circuit, an upsampling circuit, an RF amplifier circuit, a temperature monitoring circuit, and a correction circuit. The baseband and processing circuit is configured to receive, process, convert, and amplify a digital input signal according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal. The upsampling circuit is configured to upsample the analog output signal to generate an RF signal. The RF amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the RF signal to generate an output RF signal to an antenna. The temperature monitoring circuit is configured to monitor and generate an instantaneous temperature value of the RF amplifier circuit. The correction circuit is configured to increase at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value causes a decrease in the power of the RF amplifier circuit, and to decrease at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value causes an increase in the power of the RF amplifier circuit.

[0006] The present invention further includes a method for operating a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism, comprising: having a baseband and processing circuit receive, process, convert, and amplify a digital input signal according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal; having an up-frequency circuit up-frequency the analog output signal to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal; having an RF amplifier circuit amplify the RF signal to generate an output RF signal to an antenna; having a temperature monitoring circuit monitor and generate an instantaneous temperature value of the RF amplifier circuit; and having a correction circuit increase at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value causes a decrease in the power of the RF amplifier circuit, and decrease at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value causes an increase in the power of the RF amplifier circuit.

[0007] Regarding the features, implementation, and effects of this case, the preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The figures shown are power waveforms of a transmission circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention transmitting signals under different usage scenarios; and

[0010] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0012] 100: Transmission circuit; 110: Baseband and processing circuit; 110A: Baseband circuit

[0013] 110B: Processing circuit; 120: Up-conversion circuit; 130: Radio frequency amplifier circuit

[0014] 140: Temperature monitoring circuit; 150: Calibration circuit; 155A: Digital gain compensation circuit

[0015] 155B: Analog gain compensation circuit; 160: Baseband signal processing circuit

[0016] 170: Digital amplitude modulation circuit; 180: Digital-to-analog conversion circuit

[0017] 190: Analog amplifier circuit 195: Antenna

[0018] 300: Transmission circuit operation method S310~S350: Steps

[0019] AAP: Analog gain parameter; AAS: Analog signal; AGT: Analog gain compensation table

[0020] AOS: Analog Output Signal; DAP: Digital Gain Parameter; DAS: Digital Amplified Signal

[0021] DGT: Digital Gain Compensation Table; DIS: Digital Input Signal; DPS: Digital Processing Signal

[0022] ORS: Output radio frequency signal; RFS: Radio frequency signal

[0023] T1~T4: Time interval; TR: Reference temperature value; TV: Real-time temperature value Detailed Implementation

[0024] One object of the present invention is to provide a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism and its operation method, which monitors the temperature of the radio frequency amplifier circuit and adjusts the base frequency and gain parameters of the front-end processing circuit accordingly, thereby compensating for the power of the radio frequency amplifier circuit as the temperature changes.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of a transmission circuit 100 with an output power compensation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transmission circuit 100 includes: a base frequency and processing circuit 110, a frequency upsampling circuit 120, an RF amplifier circuit 130, a temperature monitoring circuit 140, and a correction circuit 150.

[0026] The baseband and processing circuit 110 is configured to receive, process, convert, and amplify the digital input signal DIS according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal AOS.

[0027] In one embodiment, the baseband and processing circuit 110 includes: a baseband signal processing circuit 160, a digital amplitude modulation circuit 170, and a digital-to-analog conversion circuit 180 (in... Figure 1 The DAC is labeled as a Chinese DAC and the analog amplifier circuit 190.

[0028] The baseband signal processing circuit 160 and the digital amplitude modulation circuit 170 are part of the baseband circuit 110A included in the baseband and processing circuit 110. The baseband signal processing circuit 160 is configured to process the digital input signal DIS to generate a digital processed signal DPS. The digital amplitude modulation circuit 170 is configured to amplify the digital processed signal according to the digital gain parameter DAP included in the gain parameter to generate a digital amplified signal DAS.

[0029] The digital-to-analog converter circuit 180 and the analog amplifier circuit 190 are part of the processing circuit 110B included in the baseband and processing circuit 110. The digital-to-analog converter circuit 180 is configured to perform a digital-to-analog conversion on the digital amplified signal DAS to generate an analog signal AAS. The analog amplifier circuit 190 is configured to amplify the analog signal AAS according to the analog gain parameter AAP included in the gain parameters to generate an analog output signal AOS.

[0030] The up-frequency circuit 120 is configured to up-frequency the analog output signal AOS according to a carrier wave (not shown) to generate a radio frequency signal RFS.

[0031] The radio frequency amplifier circuit 130 is configured to amplify the radio frequency signal RFS to generate an output radio frequency signal ORS to the antenna 195 for transmission to a remote electronic device via the antenna 195.

[0032] Temperature monitoring circuit 140 is configured to monitor and generate instantaneous temperature value TV of radio frequency amplifier circuit 130. In different embodiments, temperature monitoring circuit 140 may be located outside and adjacent to radio frequency amplifier circuit 130, or it may be located inside radio frequency amplifier circuit 130 for monitoring.

[0033] The correction circuit 150 is configured to increase at least a portion of the gain parameter of the baseband and processing circuit 110 when the instantaneous temperature value TV causes the power of the RF amplifier circuit 130 to decrease, and to decrease at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value causes the power of the RF amplifier circuit 130 to increase.

[0034] In one embodiment, the correction circuit 150 includes a digital gain compensation circuit 155A and an analog gain compensation circuit 155B. The digital gain compensation circuit 155A and the analog gain compensation circuit 155B are respectively configured to determine the adjustment method based on the relationship between the instantaneous temperature value TV and the pre-stored reference temperature value TR.

[0035] In one embodiment, the calibration circuit 150 is a hardware circuit, and the reference temperature value TR is stored in the electronic fuse memory (e-fuse) of this hardware circuit or in the corresponding driver program (not shown in the figure) for the calibration circuit 150 to access and make judgments. In one embodiment, the reference temperature value TR is a pre-selected temperature value, and its actual value can be selected according to actual needs (e.g., but not limited to the temperature at which the RF amplifier circuit 130 maintains an operating time at room temperature that is neither too long nor too short). The present invention is not limited to any fixed value.

[0036] More specifically, the digital gain compensation circuit 155A is configured to increase the digital gain parameter DAP when the instantaneous temperature value TV is greater than the reference temperature value TR. In one embodiment, the digital gain compensation circuit 155A is further configured to retrieve the digital gain compensation table DGT and determine the magnitude of the digital gain parameter DAP by looking up the table based on the temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value TV and the reference temperature value TR.

[0037] On the other hand, the analog gain compensation circuit 155B is configured to reduce the analog gain parameter AAP when the instantaneous temperature value TV is less than the reference temperature value TR. In one embodiment, the analog gain compensation circuit 155B is further configured to retrieve the analog gain compensation table AGT and determine the magnitude of the analog gain parameter AAP by looking up the table based on the temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value TV and the reference temperature value TR.

[0038] In one embodiment, the digital gain compensation table DGT and the analog gain compensation table AGT can be pre-stored in a storage circuit (not shown) further included in the transmission circuit 100. Furthermore, the digital gain compensation table DGT and the analog gain compensation table AGT can be obtained from a training program that modifies the relationship between temperature and power in the RF amplifier circuit 130.

[0039] The following will provide a more detailed explanation of how the transmission circuit 100 operates in different usage scenarios.

[0040] Please refer to the following at the same time Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B . Figure 2A and Figure 2B The following are power waveform diagrams illustrating the signal transmission of the transmission circuit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention under different usage scenarios. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents power magnitude.

[0041] exist Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B In the diagram, time intervals T1 to T4 represent different states of the transmission circuit 100. The transmission circuit 100 transmits signals (i.e., receives the digital input signal DIS and generates the analog output signal AOS) in time intervals T1 and T3, and is indicated by the letter TX. In time intervals T2 and T4, it stops transmitting signals.

[0042] In one embodiment, the transmitting circuit 100 may share the antenna 195 with the receiving circuit (not shown) further included in the communication system, thus enabling... Figure 2A The power of the receiving circuit is illustrated in the example at time intervals T2 and T4, and is indicated by the letter RX. However, the invention is not limited thereto.

[0043] like Figure 2A As shown, in this usage scenario, the transmission circuit 100 remained inactive for an extended period during time interval T2, only commencing operation during time interval T3, and transmitting signals for a relatively long time during T3. The RF amplifier circuit 130, due to the transition from prolonged inactivity to continuous operation, experienced a continuous temperature rise, causing the instantaneous temperature value TV to exceed the reference temperature value TR. Without a proper compensation mechanism, the temperature rise caused a decrease in the signal power output of the RF amplifier circuit 130, resulting in an unstable signal output and a power waveform as shown... Figure 2A The dotted dashed line segments shown.

[0044] During long-term signal transmission, the temperature rise of the RF amplifier circuit 130 is not drastic. Therefore, the correction circuit 150 can make minor adjustments to the continuously operating RF amplifier circuit 130 using the digital gain compensation circuit 155A. The digital gain compensation circuit 155A will increase the digital gain parameter DAP because the instantaneous temperature value TV is greater than the reference temperature value TR. Furthermore, the digital gain compensation circuit 155A can retrieve the digital gain compensation table DGT and determine the value of the digital gain parameter DAP by looking up the table based on the temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value TV and the reference temperature value TR.

[0045] Therefore, after the compensation mechanism operates, a stable signal output can be achieved, making the power waveform as follows: Figure 2A The solid line segment shown.

[0046] like Figure 2B As shown, the transmission circuit 100 did not operate for a long time during time interval T2 in this usage scenario, and only started operating during time interval T3. The RF amplifier circuit 130 will experience a temperature drop due to its inactivity, causing the instantaneous temperature value TV to be lower than the reference temperature value TR. Without a proper compensation mechanism, the temperature drop causes the signal power output by the RF amplifier circuit 130 to increase, preventing a stable signal output and resulting in a power waveform as shown... Figure 2A The dotted dashed line segments shown.

[0047] The RF amplifier circuit 130 experiences a significant temperature variation between prolonged inactivity and stable operation. Therefore, the correction circuit 150, via the analog gain compensation circuit 155B, can make a substantial adjustment to the RF amplifier circuit 130, which is still operating at a relatively low temperature upon initial recovery (e.g., but not limited to, five times the adjustment amount relative to the digital gain compensation circuit 155A). In this case, the analog gain compensation circuit 155B will decrease the analog gain parameter AAP because the instantaneous temperature value TV is less than the reference temperature value TR. Furthermore, the analog gain compensation circuit 155B can retrieve the analog gain compensation table AGT and determine the magnitude of the analog gain parameter AAP based on the temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value TV and the reference temperature value TR.

[0048] Therefore, after the compensation mechanism operates, a stable signal output can be achieved, making the power waveform as follows: Figure 2B The solid line segment shown.

[0049] In one embodiment, since the length of a packet in the signal transmitted by the RF amplifier circuit 130 is, for example, but not limited to, 200 microseconds, and the temperature monitoring circuit 140 only needs a few nanoseconds to monitor the instantaneous temperature value TV, it can quickly feed back to the correction circuit 150 to adjust for instantaneous temperature changes.

[0050] It should be noted that the above implementation is illustrated using the temperature change caused by the operating time of the RF amplifier circuit 130 as an example. In other embodiments, the correction circuit 150 can also compensate for power changes in response to temperature variations in the environment where the transmission circuit 100 is located, through monitoring by the temperature monitoring circuit 140.

[0051] Furthermore, the method described above, which uses either the digital gain compensation circuit 155A or the analog gain compensation circuit 155B for gain adjustment depending on the temperature conditions, is merely an example. In other embodiments, the correction circuit 150 may also selectively perform gain adjustment using both the digital gain compensation circuit 155A and the analog gain compensation circuit 155B simultaneously. The invention is not limited thereto.

[0052] Therefore, the transmission circuit with output power compensation mechanism of the present invention can monitor the temperature of the radio frequency amplifier circuit, thereby adjusting the base frequency and gain parameters of the front-end processing circuit, and thus compensating for the power of the radio frequency amplifier circuit as the temperature changes.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 3 . Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a transmission circuit operation method 300 with an output power compensation mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] In step S310, the baseband and processing circuit 110 receives the digital input signal DIS, processes it, converts it, and amplifies it according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal AOS.

[0055] In step S320, the up-frequency circuit 120 up-frequencys the analog output signal AOS to generate the radio frequency signal RFS.

[0056] In step S330, the radio frequency amplifier circuit 130 amplifies the radio frequency signal RFS to generate an output radio frequency signal ORS to the antenna 195.

[0057] In step S340, the temperature monitoring circuit 140 monitors and generates the instantaneous temperature value TV of the radio frequency amplifier circuit 130.

[0058] In step S350, the correction circuit 150 increases at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value TV causes a decrease in the power of the RF amplifier circuit 130, and decreases at least a portion of the gain parameter when the instantaneous temperature value TV causes an increase in the power of the RF amplifier circuit 130. The gain parameter may be the digital gain parameter DAP corresponding to the digital amplitude modulation circuit 170 in the baseband and processing circuit 110, and the analog gain parameter AAP corresponding to the analog amplifier circuit 190.

[0059] It should be noted that the above-described implementation is merely an example. In other embodiments, those skilled in the art can make modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0060] In summary, the transmission circuit and its operation method with output power compensation mechanism in this invention can monitor the temperature of the RF amplifier circuit and adjust the base frequency and gain parameters of the front-end processing circuit accordingly, thereby achieving power compensation for the RF amplifier circuit as the temperature changes.

[0061] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes to the technical features of the present invention based on the explicit or implicit content of the present invention, and these changes may all fall within the scope of patent protection claimed by the present invention. In other words, the scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism, characterized in that, include: A baseband and processing circuit is configured to receive a digital input signal, process it, convert it, and amplify it according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal. A frequency upsampling circuit configured to upsampling the analog output signal to generate a radio frequency signal; A radio frequency amplifier circuit configured to amplify the radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal to an antenna; A temperature monitoring circuit is configured to monitor and generate an instantaneous temperature value of the radio frequency amplifier circuit. as well as A calibration circuit, comprising: A digital gain compensation circuit is configured to increase a digital gain parameter included in the gain parameter by a first adjustment amount when the instantaneous temperature value is greater than a pre-stored reference temperature value, causing a power drop in the RF amplifier circuit; and An analog gain compensation circuit is configured to reduce an analog gain parameter included in the gain parameter by a second adjustment amount when the power of the RF amplifier circuit increases due to the instantaneous temperature value being less than the reference temperature value. The second adjustment range is greater than the first adjustment range.

2. The transmission circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baseband and processing circuit includes: A baseband signal processing circuit is configured to process the digital input signal to generate a digital processed signal. A digital amplitude modulation circuit is configured to amplify the digitally processed signal according to the digital gain parameter to generate a digitally amplified signal; A digital-to-analog converter circuit configured to perform digital-to-analog conversion on the digitally amplified signal to generate an analog signal; and An analog amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the analog signal according to the analog gain parameter to generate an analog output signal.

3. The transmission circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The correction circuit is a hardware circuit, and the reference temperature value is stored in an electronic fuse memory or a corresponding driver program of the hardware circuit.

4. The transmission circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The digital gain compensation circuit is further configured to retrieve a digital gain compensation table and determine the magnitude of the digital gain parameter by looking up the table based on a temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value and the reference temperature value. The analog gain compensation circuit is also configured to retrieve an analog gain compensation table and determine the magnitude of the analog gain parameter by looking up the table based on the temperature difference value.

5. A method for operating a transmission circuit with an output power compensation mechanism, characterized in that, include: A baseband processing circuit receives a digital input signal, processes it, converts it, and amplifies it according to at least one gain parameter to generate an analog output signal. A frequency upsampling circuit upsampling the analog output signal to generate a radio frequency signal; An RF amplifier circuit amplifies the RF signal to generate an output RF signal to an antenna; A temperature monitoring circuit monitors and generates an instantaneous temperature value for the radio frequency amplifier circuit. as well as When a digital gain compensation circuit included in a correction circuit causes a power drop in the RF amplifier circuit due to an instantaneous temperature value exceeding a pre-stored reference temperature value, it adjusts a digital gain parameter included in the gain parameter by a first adjustment margin; and When the power of the RF amplifier circuit increases due to the instantaneous temperature value being less than the reference temperature value, an analog gain compensation circuit included in the correction circuit reduces an analog gain parameter included in the gain parameter by a second adjustment amount. The second adjustment range is greater than the first adjustment range.

6. The transmission circuit operation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transmission circuit operation method further includes: The baseband signal processing circuit includes a baseband signal processing circuit to process the digital input signal and generate a digital processed signal. The digital amplitude modulation circuit included in the baseband and processing circuit amplifies the digital processed signal according to the digital gain parameter to generate a digital amplified signal; The baseband and processing circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter to perform digital-to-analog conversion on the digitally amplified signal, generating an analog signal; and An analog amplifier circuit, included in the fundamental frequency and processing circuit, amplifies the analog signal according to the analog gain parameter to generate an analog output signal.

7. The transmission circuit operation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The correction circuit is a hardware circuit, and the reference temperature value is stored in an electronic fuse memory or a corresponding driver program of the hardware circuit.

8. The transmission circuit operation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The digital gain compensation circuit also retrieves a digital gain compensation table and determines the magnitude of the digital gain parameter by looking up the table based on a temperature difference between the instantaneous temperature value and the reference temperature value. as well as The analog gain compensation circuit is further configured to retrieve an analog gain compensation table and determine the magnitude of the analog gain parameter by looking up the table based on the temperature difference value.

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