Rfic and electronic device including the same

Abstract

As an embodiment of the present application, the radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises: a transmitting circuit configured to acquire a plurality of transmitting signals; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers configured to amplify a plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals reflected from a target; a receiving switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers, and configured to couple one of the first ports and the first single port based on switching; and a receiving chain circuit coupled to the first single port and configured to process one of the plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the first port in the baseband.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This application relates to an RFIC and an electronic device including the same. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, due to the advancement of smart home environments, the pursuit of energy efficiency, the improvement of user experience, the increasing need for contactless product recognition, and the pursuit of differentiation from existing products, the application of radar technology to home appliances is gradually increasing. Similar to commercial radar (e.g., automotive radar), radar systems applied to home appliances may also require MIMO (multiple input multiple output) to extract information such as the user's location or speed.

[0003] However, since radar systems applied to home appliances possess attributes such as relatively lower complexity, lower durability, and lower power consumption compared to commercial radars, lighter weight can be pursued compared to commercial radars. The problem to be solved

[0004] This application is intended to solve the aforementioned problem, and the objective of this application is to provide a lightweight RFIC using a single-pole x-path throw (SPxT) switch and an electronic device including the same. means of solving the problem

[0005] As an embodiment of the present application, the radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises: a transmitting circuit configured to acquire a plurality of transmitting signals; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers configured to amplify a plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals reflected from a target; a receiving switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers, and configured to couple one of the first ports and the first single port based on switching; and a receiving chain circuit coupled to the first single port and configured to process one of the plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the first port in the baseband.

[0006] As an embodiment of the present application, the RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) comprises: a transmitting circuit configured to acquire a plurality of transmitting signals; a receiving switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port, configured to couple one of the plurality of first ports and the first single port based on switching; a low-noise amplifier coupled to the first single port; and a receiving chain circuit coupled to the low-noise amplifier and configured to process one of the plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the first port among the plurality of receiving signals reflected from a target in the baseband.

[0007] As an embodiment of the present application, the electronic device comprises: a processor configured to process a baseband signal in the digital domain; a radio frequency integrated chip (RFIC) configured to acquire a plurality of transmission signals from the baseband signal or to acquire the baseband signal from a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of transmission signals reflected from a target; a plurality of transmission antennas configured to transmit the plurality of transmission signals; and a plurality of reception antennas configured to receive the plurality of reception signals, wherein the RFIC comprises: a transmission circuit configured to acquire the plurality of transmission signals; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers coupled to the plurality of reception antennas and configured to amplify the plurality of reception signals; a reception switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers and configured to couple one of the first ports and the first single port based on switching; and a reception chain circuit coupled to the first single port and configured to process one of the plurality of reception signals corresponding to the first port in the baseband. Effects of the invention

[0008] According to the present application, a lightweight RFIC and an electronic device including the same can be provided through an SPxT (single-pole x-path throw) switch. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an RFIC according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates an RFIC having a structure different from FIG. 1 according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a transmission circuit according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a transmission circuit having a structure different from FIG. 3 according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates a transmission circuit according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates a receiving chain circuit according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 7 illustrates an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 8 and 9 are waveform diagrams for explaining the transmission and reception operation of a transmitted signal and a received signal when the same transmitting antenna is activated during a unit time interval according to some exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 10 and FIGS. 11 are waveform diagrams for explaining the transmission and reception operation of a transmission signal and a reception signal when the same receiving antenna is activated during a unit time interval according to some exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 12 and FIGS. 13 are waveform diagrams for explaining the transmission and reception operation of a transmitted signal and a received signal according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram illustrating the transmission operation of a transmission signal when transmission antennas are activated simultaneously according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0010] In the following, embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and in detail so that a person skilled in the art can easily practice the present application.

[0011] In the following, terms used in this application to refer to electronic devices or RF (radio frequency) related components or products (e.g., antenna, RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit), power amplifier (PA), driver amplifier (DA), low noise amplifier (LNA), mixer, analog baseband (ABB) circuit, frequency synthesizer, phase shifter, chain circuit, etc.) are merely examples provided for convenience of explanation, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to these terms. That is, other terms having equivalent technical meanings may be used. For example, RFIC may be replaced with RF chip, RF circuit, RF module, etc.

[0012] Hereinafter, in this application, the 'coupled' of configuration A and configuration B may include both configuration A and configuration B being connected or electrically connected.

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an RFIC according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, an RFIC (100a) according to some exemplary embodiments may include a transmitting circuit (110), a plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn), a receiving switching circuit (RSW), and a receiving chain circuit (120).

[0015] A transmitting circuit (110) is coupled to a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm), and a plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1~LNAn) are coupled to a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn). For example, the plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) and the plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) may be implemented on a substrate or chip different from the RFIC (100a), and the transmitting circuit (110) may be coupled to the plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) through a plurality of balls, and the plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1~LNAn) may be coupled to the plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) through a plurality of balls.

[0016] Multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) and multiple receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) support MIMO (multiple input multiple output) and can transmit or receive signals or power. Multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) can transmit multiple transmitting signals generated, acquired, or processed from a transmitting circuit (110), and multiple receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) can receive multiple receiving signals from the outside.

[0017] For example, if a radar system is supported in the RFIC (100a), multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) can transmit multiple transmission signals toward a target, and multiple receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) can receive multiple receiving signals corresponding to multiple transmission signals reflected from the target. At this time, depending on the position or speed of the target, time delay or frequency fluctuation due to the Doppler effect may occur in the multiple receiving signals.

[0018] A plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) and a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) can form an antenna array. For example, the plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) and / or the plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) can operate according to beamforming.

[0019] Multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) can be configured in m numbers (where m is a natural number), and multiple receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) can be configured in n numbers (where n is a natural number that is the same as or different from m).

[0020] For example, if a radar system is supported in the RFIC (100a), multiple transmitted signals and multiple received signals may be FMCW (frequency modulation continuous wave) signals.

[0021] The transmission circuit (110) may be configured to acquire or generate a plurality of transmission signals to be transmitted to a target from a baseband signal.

[0022] Multiple low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn) can be configured to amplify multiple received signals. Specifically, the multiple low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn) can amplify the strength of the received signals while minimizing noise. The multiple low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn) can be configured in a number (n) equal to the number of receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn). By directly coupling the multiple low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn) to the multiple receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn), the multiple low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn) can directly amplify multiple received signals without passing through other components. Therefore, the noise figure for multiple received signals can be improved.

[0023] The receive switching circuit (RSW) can be coupled to the output terminals of a plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn). The receive switching circuit (RSW) includes a plurality of first ports (Ps1) and a first single port (SP1) coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn). The number of the plurality of first ports (Ps1) is n. For example, the receive switching circuit (RSW) can be implemented as an SPxT (single-pole x-path throw) switch.

[0024] A receiving switching circuit (RSW) can couple a first port among a plurality of first ports (Ps1) with a first single port (SP1) based on switching. Depending on the switching, one of the first ports may vary. Depending on various embodiments, the time during which one of the first ports remains coupled with the first single port (SP1) may vary. When one of the first ports and the first single port (SP1) are coupled according to the switching, one receiving antenna corresponding to one of the first ports may be activated.

[0025] According to some exemplary embodiments, a logic circuit (not shown) for generating or acquiring a control signal for switching of a receive switching circuit (RSW) and applying the control signal to the receive switching circuit (RSW) may be additionally included in the RFIC (100a). Alternatively, a logic circuit (not shown) may be included in an electronic device in which the RFIC (100a) may be included.

[0026] The first single port (SP1) is coupled to the receiving chain circuit (120).

[0027] A receiving chain circuit (120) may be configured to process one receiving signal corresponding to a first port of one of a plurality of receiving signals in the baseband. Corresponding to a first single port (SP1), the RFIC (100a) may include a single receiving chain circuit (120). According to some exemplary embodiments, the receiving chain circuit (120) may be configured to provide at least one of frequency mixing (or frequency down conversion), signal amplification and gain control, buffering, filtering, power distribution, I (in-phase) / Q (quadrature) path provision, or AD (analog-to-digital) conversion for a plurality of receiving signals.

[0028] The RFIC (100a) according to the above-described embodiments can operate with only a single receiving chain circuit (120) through a receiving switching circuit (RSW), so the chip area can be reduced. In addition, the noise figure for multiple receiving signals can be improved by coupling a plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1~LNAn) to a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn).

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an RFIC having a structure different from FIG. 1 according to some exemplary embodiments. Below, a detailed description of configurations that overlap with FIG. 1 will be omitted.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, a receiving switching circuit (RSW) included in an RFIC (100b) according to some exemplary embodiments may be directly coupled to a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn). Accordingly, a plurality of first ports (Ps1) are coupled to a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn).

[0031] According to some exemplary embodiments, the RFIC (100b) includes a single low-noise amplifier (LNA). The input of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) is coupled to a first single port (SP1) of a receive switching circuit (RSW). The output of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) is coupled to a receive chain circuit (120).

[0032] A receiving switching circuit (RSW) according to some exemplary embodiments couples one of a plurality of first ports (Ps1) with a first single port (SP1) according to switching, and a receiving signal corresponding to one of the first ports is provided to the input terminal of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) through the first single port (SP1). The low-noise amplifier (LNA) can low-noise amplify the receiving signal and output the amplified receiving signal to a receiving chain circuit (120).

[0033] The RFIC (100b) includes a single receive chain circuit (120), similar to the low-noise amplifier (LNA). The receive chain circuit (120) is coupled to the low-noise amplifier (LNA).

[0034] The RFIC (100b) according to the embodiments described above can operate based on a single low-noise amplifier (LNA), so the number of low-noise amplifiers (LNA) and the number of receiving chain circuits (120) can be reduced.

[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates a transmission circuit according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3, a transmitting circuit (110a) according to some exemplary embodiments may include a transmitting chain circuit (111), a transmitting switching circuit (TSW), and a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm).

[0037] The transmit chain circuit (111) may be configured to process baseband signals corresponding to a plurality of transmit signals. Corresponding to a second single port (SP2) included in the transmit switching circuit (TSW), the RFIC may include a single transmit chain circuit (111). According to some exemplary embodiments, the transmit chain circuit (111) may be configured to provide at least one of digital-to-analog (DA) conversion for a digital signal, frequency mixing (or frequency up conversion) for a baseband signal, frequency modulation, filtering, or amplification.

[0038] The transmit switching circuit (TSW) includes a second single port (SP2) coupled to the transmit chain circuit (111) and a plurality of second ports (Ps2) coupled to a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm). The number of the plurality of second ports (Ps2) is m. For example, the transmit switching circuit (TSW) can be implemented as an SPxT switch.

[0039] The transmit switching circuit (TSW) may be configured to couple a second single port (SP2) and one of a plurality of second ports (Ps2) based on switching. Depending on the switching, one second port may vary. Depending on various embodiments, the time during which one second port maintains coupling with the second single port (SP2) may vary. When one second port and the second single port (SP2) are coupled according to the switching, one transmit antenna corresponding to the one second port may be activated.

[0040] According to some exemplary embodiments, a logic circuit (not shown) for generating or acquiring a control signal for switching of a transmit switching circuit (TSW) and applying the control signal to the transmit switching circuit (TSW) may be additionally included in the RFIC. Alternatively, a logic circuit (not shown) may be included in an electronic device in which the RFIC may be included.

[0041] Multiple power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) are coupled with multiple second ports (Ps2) and multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm). Multiple power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) may be configured in a number equal to (m) the number of multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm). Multiple power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) can amplify a signal output from the transmitting chain circuit (111).

[0042] The transmitting circuit (110a) according to the embodiments described above can operate with only a single transmitting chain circuit (111) through the transmitting switching circuit (TSW), so the chip area can be reduced. In addition, the RFIC including the transmitting circuit (110a) can simultaneously have the advantage of area reduction due to the transmitting switching circuit (TSW) and the receiving switching circuit (RSW). Furthermore, as a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) are coupled to a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm), the isolation between the transmitting path and the receiving path is increased, and higher output signal transmission can be enabled.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a transmission circuit having a structure different from FIG. 3 according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, a transmitting circuit (110b) according to some exemplary embodiments may include a transmitting chain circuit (111), a power amplifier (PA), and a transmitting switching circuit (TSW).

[0045] Unlike FIG. 3, the transmitting switching circuit (TSW) may be directly coupled to a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm). Accordingly, a plurality of second ports (Ps2) included in the transmitting switching circuit (TSW) are coupled to a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm).

[0046] According to some exemplary embodiments, the RFIC includes a single power amplifier (PA). The input of the power amplifier (PA) is coupled to a transmitting chain circuit (111), and the output of the power amplifier (PA) is coupled to a second single port (SP2).

[0047] The transmitting circuit (110b) according to the embodiments described above can operate as a single transmitting chain circuit (111) and a single power amplifier (PA), so the chip area can be reduced. Additionally, the RFIC including the transmitting circuit (110b) can simultaneously have the advantage of area reduction due to the transmitting switching circuit (TSW) and the receiving switching circuit (RSW).

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates a transmission circuit according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, a transmitting circuit (110c) according to some exemplary embodiments includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) (112), a frequency synthesizer (113), a plurality of phase converters (PS1 to PSm), a plurality of driving amplifiers (DA1 to DAm), and a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm).

[0050] The DAC (112) is configured to output a baseband signal based on DA conversion. The DAC (112) converts the digital signal into a baseband signal, which is an analog signal.

[0051] The frequency synthesizer (113) may be configured to perform at least one of frequency up-conversion or frequency modulation on a baseband signal converted from a DAC (112). In some exemplary embodiments, the frequency synthesizer (113) may acquire or generate a local oscillator (LO) signal (LO) and perform frequency up-conversion on the baseband signal based on the LO signal (LO). The frequency synthesizer (113) may output the acquired or generated LO signal (LO).

[0052] In some exemplary embodiments, the frequency synthesizer (113) can increase the frequency of the LO signal (LO) linearly over time. In this case, the signal upconverted according to the LO signal (LO) may be an FMCW signal.

[0053] A plurality of phase converters (PS1 to PSm) are configured to perform phase conversion on the output of the frequency synthesizer (113). Each phase converter can individually adjust each signal (i.e., the output of the frequency synthesizer (113)). Through the phase conversion of the plurality of phase converters (PS1 to PSm), a plurality of transmitted signals can form a beam in a specific direction.

[0054] Multiple driving amplifiers (DA1~DAm) are configured to amplify the output of multiple phase converters (PS1~PSm) and output the amplified signal to multiple power amplifiers (PA1~PAm). Through the multiple driving amplifiers (DA1~DAm), the strength of the output of the multiple phase converters (PS1~PSm) can be amplified first.

[0055] Multiple power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) are configured to amplify the output of multiple driving amplifiers (DA1~DAm).

[0056] A plurality of phase converters (PS1~PSm), a plurality of driving amplifiers (DA1~DAm), and a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1~PAm) are configured in m numbers.

[0057] According to some exemplary embodiments, in addition to the configurations described above, the transmitting circuit (110c) may further include a power splitter (not shown). The power splitter may distribute the output of the frequency synthesizer (113) to a number of paths (m) corresponding to a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm).

[0058] According to the embodiments described above, the transmitting circuit (110c) can improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by simultaneously transmitting transmission signals through a plurality of transmission chains (a plurality of phase converters (PS1 to PSm), a plurality of driving amplifiers (DA1 to DAm), and a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm)). Additionally, the RFIC including the transmitting circuit (110c) can simultaneously have the advantages of improved SNR and reduced chip area due to the receiving switching circuit (RSW).

[0059] The transmission circuit according to FIGS. 3 to 5 described above may correspond to the transmission circuit of FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 2.

[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates a receiving chain circuit according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 6, a receiving chain circuit (120) according to some exemplary embodiments includes a mixer (MX), an analog baseband circuit (121), and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (122). In some exemplary embodiments, the receiving chain circuit (120) may correspond to the receiving chain circuit of FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 2 described above.

[0062] The mixer (MX) is configured to perform frequency down-conversion on the output of the low-noise amplifier based on the LO signal (LO). In some exemplary embodiments, the LO signal (LO) may be provided from the frequency synthesizer of FIG. 5 described above. The mixer (MX) outputs a signal having the down-converted frequency to the analog baseband circuit (121).

[0063] The analog baseband circuit (121) is configured to output a baseband signal based on processing of the output of the mixer (MX). In some exemplary embodiments, the analog baseband circuit (121) may be configured to perform at least one of signal amplification and gain control, buffering, filtering, power distribution, or IQ path provision.

[0064] The ADC (122) is configured to perform AD conversion on a baseband signal. Through AD conversion, the baseband signal can be converted into a digital signal.

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (200) according to some exemplary embodiments includes a processor (210), an RFIC (220), a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1–TAm) and a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1–RAn). For example, the electronic device (200) may be a transceiver.

[0067] The processor (210) is configured to process baseband signals in the digital domain. For example, the processor (210) may acquire, generate, or process a digital signal corresponding to a transmitted signal and provide the digital signal to the RFIC (220). Alternatively, the processor (210) may receive a digital signal corresponding to a received signal from the RFIC (220) and process the digital signal to acquire information.

[0068] As some exemplary embodiments, the processor (210) can process digital signals based on FFT (fast Fourier transform), STFT (short-time Fourier transform), 2D and / or 3D FFT.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, the processor (210) can detect a target through a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) for a digital signal corresponding to a received signal. CFAR is an algorithm for setting a constant false alarm, which determines that there is a reflected signal to the target even though there is no reflected signal, due to a noise level that fluctuates due to changes in the surrounding environment. CFAR can detect a target from a received signal based on a noise level and a threshold corresponding to the surrounding environment.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, the processor (210) may calculate the distance to the target based on the frequency difference (i.e., beat frequency) between the transmitted signal and the received signal, calculate the angle to the target based on the phase difference between the transmitted signal and the received signal, or calculate the speed of the target based on the Doppler effect.

[0071] The RFIC (220) is configured to obtain a plurality of transmission signals from a baseband signal or to obtain a baseband signal from a plurality of reception signals corresponding to a plurality of transmission signals reflected from a target. According to various embodiments, the RFIC (220) may be configured based on FIGS. 1 to 6 described above. That is, the RFIC (220) may include a transmission switching circuit (TSW) coupled between a transmission chain circuit and a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm) or to the output terminal of a plurality of power amplifiers (PA1 to PAm), and / or a reception switching circuit coupled between a reception chain circuit and a plurality of low-noise power amplifiers or to the input terminal of a plurality of low-noise amplifiers (LNA1 to LNAn).

[0072] Multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) are configured to transmit multiple transmission signals, and multiple receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) are configured to receive multiple reception signals.

[0073] The electronic device (200) according to the embodiments described above can be made lighter through a transmitting switching circuit and / or a receiving switching circuit.

[0074] In the following, embodiments related to the operation of an electronic device according to the embodiments described above are explained. In the following, the time point 'tx' (where x is a natural number) is defined to represent an arbitrary time point only in each figure and may be the same or different from one another.

[0075] Below, the following details may be assumed.

[0076] - Each transmitted signal and received signal has the same pulse width of Tc and pulse repetition interval (PRI) of Tp (PRI is defined as the time interval between the start points of two consecutive transmitted signals; however, for convenience, in this application, the time interval between the start points of the received signals is assumed to be the same as the PRI of the transmitted signal).

[0077] - Matching transmission and reception signals are transmitted and received during the same time interval.

[0078] However, this is for convenience of explanation and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For example, a received signal received through an actual channel may have a pulse width and PRI that are somewhat different from the transmitted signal, and the received signal may be delayed somewhat compared to the transmitted signal.

[0079] FIGS. 8 and 9 are waveform diagrams for explaining the transmission and reception operation of a transmitted signal and a received signal when the same transmitting antenna is activated during a unit time interval according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0080] First, referring to FIG. 8, a transmitting circuit (e.g., see FIG. 1 to 4) operates one of a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm) corresponding to a plurality of transmitting signals during a unit time interval. Specifically, a transmitting switching circuit included in the transmitting circuit couples a second port and a second single port during a unit time interval. Accordingly, the electronic device repeatedly transmits transmitting signals through a single transmitting antenna during a unit time interval. There is an interval of (Tp - Tc) between each transmitting signal. For example, there is an interval of t1 to t2 between the first transmitting signal (TS1) and the second transmitting signal (TS2).

[0081] For example, the unit time interval can be defined as nTp, which is the product of the number of receiving antennas and the PRI. Thus, in FIGS. 8 and 9, the unit time interval is a time interval during which one transmitting antenna repeatedly transmits n transmission signals (TS1~TSn) while one transmitting antenna is active, or a time interval during which n receiving antennas sequentially receive n reception signals (RS1~RSn). Depending on the number of receiving antennas n, the number of transmission signals n that one transmitting antenna repeatedly transmits in the unit time interval is also adjusted.

[0082] For example, the electronic device repeatedly transmits n transmission signals (TS1 to TSn) through the first transmitting antenna (TA1) during a unit time interval defined as a time interval up to t7. Subsequently, the electronic device repeatedly transmits n transmission signals (TS1 to TSn) through the second transmitting antenna (TA2) during a new unit time interval (t7 to t12). The electronic device may repeat the operation of repeatedly transmitting n transmission signals (TS1 to TSn) during a unit time interval m times according to the embodiments described above. Ultimately, the electronic device may repeat the operation corresponding to the unit time interval by sequentially switching the transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm) through a transmitting switching circuit during m unit time intervals (mnTp).

[0083] Next, referring to FIG. 9, in response to the operation of the transmitting circuit of FIG. 8, a receiving switching circuit (e.g., see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) can sequentially switch a plurality of first ports during a unit time interval of nTp. Depending on the switching, a plurality of receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn) can be sequentially activated.

[0084] For example, during a unit time interval up to t6, the first receiving antenna to the nth receiving antenna (RA1 to RAn) can receive a single receiving signal as they are sequentially activated. The first receiving antenna (RA1) receives a first receiving signal having a pulse width of Tc up to t1, and the second receiving antenna (RA2) receives a second receiving signal having a pulse width of t2 to t3. When the nth receiving antenna (RAn) completes receiving the nth receiving signal, one unit time interval ends.

[0085] According to the embodiments described above, the electronic device can repeat the operation of repeatedly receiving n received signals (RS1~RSn) during a unit time interval m times. Ultimately, the electronic device can repeat the operation of sequentially switching the receiving antennas (RA1~RAn) through a receiving switching circuit during a single unit time interval m times over m unit time intervals (mnTp).

[0086] According to the embodiments described above, the received signals received between different receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn) are adjacent in the time domain compared to the transmitted signals transmitted between different transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm), so there is an advantage in maintaining coherency between the received signals.

[0087] FIGS. 10 and FIGS. 11 are waveform diagrams for explaining the transmission and reception operation of a transmission signal and a reception signal when the same receiving antenna is activated during a unit time interval according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0088] First, referring to FIG. 10, a transmitting switching circuit (e.g., see FIG. 1 to FIG. 4) can sequentially switch a plurality of second ports during a unit time interval. Depending on the switching, a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm) can be sequentially activated.

[0089] For example, the unit time interval can be defined as mTp, which is the product of the number of transmitting antennas and the PRI. Thus, in FIGS. 10 and 11, the unit time interval is a time interval in which m transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) sequentially transmit m transmitting signals (TS1~TSm) while one receiving antenna is active, or a time interval in which one receiving antenna repeatedly receives m receiving signals (RS1~RSm).

[0090] For example, during a unit time interval up to t6, the first transmitting antenna to the m-th transmitting antenna (TA1 to TAm) can be sequentially activated to transmit a single transmission signal. The first transmitting antenna (TA1) transmits a first transmission signal having a pulse width of Tc up to t1, and the second transmitting antenna (TA2) transmits a second transmission signal having a pulse width of t2 to t3. When the m-th transmitting antenna (TAm) completes the transmission of the m-th transmission signal, one unit time interval ends.

[0091] According to the embodiments described above, the electronic device can repeat the operation of repeatedly transmitting m transmission signals (TS1~TSm) during a unit time interval n times. Ultimately, the electronic device can repeat the operation of sequentially switching transmission antennas (TA1~TAm) through a transmission switching circuit during a single unit time interval n times over n unit time intervals (mnTp).

[0092] Next, referring to FIG. 11, in response to the operation of the transmitting circuit of FIG. 10, the receiving circuit (e.g., see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) operates one of the receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn) corresponding to a plurality of receiving signals during a unit time interval. Accordingly, the electronic device continuously receives receiving signals during a unit time interval through one receiving antenna.

[0093] Depending on the number of transmitting antennas m, the number of received signals m that a single receiving antenna repeatedly transmits in a unit time interval is also adjusted.

[0094] For example, the electronic device continuously receives m received signals (RS1 to RSm) through the first receiving antenna (RA1) during a unit time interval defined as a time interval up to t7. Subsequently, the electronic device continuously receives m received signals (RS1 to RSm) through the second receiving antenna (RA2) during a new unit time interval (t7 to t12). The electronic device may repeat the operation of continuously receiving m received signals (RS1 to RSm) during a unit time interval m times according to the embodiments described above. Ultimately, the electronic device may repeat the operation corresponding to the unit time interval by sequentially switching the receiving antennas (RA1 to RAn) through the receiving switching circuit during m unit time intervals (mnTp).

[0095] According to the embodiments described above, transmission signals transmitted between different transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) are adjacent in the time domain compared to reception signals received between different receiving antennas (RA1~RAn), so there is an advantage in maintaining coherence between transmission signals.

[0096] In the embodiments described above, the unit time interval (mTp or nTp) is a unit interval in which received signals are processed coherently, and can be viewed as a CPI (coherent processing interval).

[0097] If a target CPI value or a target PRI value exists, according to various embodiments, the electronic device may adjust the CPI value or the PRI value by adjusting the coupling time between a single port and a single port corresponding to a single transmitting antenna and / or a single receiving antenna through a transmitting switching circuit and / or a receiving switching circuit. For example, the electronic device may increase the CPI value and the PRI value by increasing the coupling time, or decrease the CPI value and the PRI value by decreasing the coupling time.

[0098] FIGS. 12 and 13 are waveform diagrams illustrating the transmission and reception operations of a transmission signal and a reception signal according to some exemplary embodiments. In FIGS. 12 and 13, two transmission signals (TX1, TX2) and three reception signals (RX1~RX3) are assumed as examples, and the transmission and reception signals are assumed to be FMCW signals. However, this is for convenience of explanation and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0099] First, referring to FIG. 12, the first transmitting antenna (TA1) repeatedly transmits three transmission signals during a unit time interval up to t6, with a number equal to the number of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn). A PRI of Tp is defined for each transmission signal. The unit time interval is defined as 3Tp, which is the product of the number of receiving antennas and the PRI.

[0100] While the first transmitting antenna (TA1) is activated, the first to third receiving antennas (RA1 to RA3) are activated sequentially. For example, the first receiving antenna (RA1) receives a transmission signal up to t1, the second receiving antenna (RA2) receives a transmission signal from t2 to t3, and the third receiving antenna (RA3) receives a transmission signal from t4 to t5.

[0101] Afterwards, the second transmitting antenna (TA2) repeatedly transmits three transmission signals during the unit time interval from t6 to t12. While the second transmitting antenna (TA2) is active, the first to third receiving antennas (RA1 to RA3) are sequentially activated to receive three reception signals.

[0102] Next, referring to FIG. 13, the first to third receiving antennas (RA1 to RA3) are sequentially activated during a unit time interval up to t4. The unit time interval is defined as 2Tp, which is the product of the number of transmitting antennas and the PRI. For example, the first transmitting antenna (TA1) transmits a transmission signal up to t1, the second transmitting antenna (TA2) transmits a transmission signal from t2 to t3, and the third transmitting antenna (TA3) transmits a transmission signal from t4 to t5.

[0103] The first receiving antenna repeatedly receives two transmitted signals during the unit time interval up to t4, equal to the number of receiving antennas (RA1~RAn).

[0104] Afterwards, during the next unit time interval (t4 to t8), the first and second transmitting antennas (RA1 to RA2) are sequentially activated to transmit two transmission signals. The second receiving antenna repeatedly receives two transmission signals during the unit time interval from t4 to t8.

[0105] Afterwards, during the next unit time interval (t8~t12), the first and second transmitting antennas (RA1~RA2) are sequentially activated to transmit two transmission signals, and the third receiving antenna repeatedly receives two transmission signals.

[0106] FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram illustrating the transmission operation of a transmission signal when transmission antennas are activated simultaneously according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 14, a transmitting circuit according to some exemplary embodiment (e.g., see FIG. 5) can transmit multiple transmission signals through multiple transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm) for every PRI. That is, the transmitting circuit can operate all of the multiple transmitting antennas (TA1 to TAm) corresponding to the multiple transmission signals during a unit time interval.

[0108] The transmitting circuit can enable multiple transmitting signals to have different phases for each of the multiple transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) through multiple phase converters.

[0109] A pulse width Tc and a PRI Tp are defined for each transmission signal. m transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) are all activated for each PRI. The m transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) each transmit the first transmission signal (TS1-1~TS1-m) up to t1, and then transmit the second transmission signal (TS2-1~TS2-m) for t2~t3 in the next PRI (t2~t4). The m transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) can repeat the transmission operation n times, which is the number of receiving antennas. That is, finally, the m transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) each transmit the nth transmission signal (TAn-1~TAn-m) for t5~t6.

[0110] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 15, in step S110, the electronic device activates the first transmitting antenna (TA1) and the first receiving antenna (RA1). According to the embodiments described above, the electronic device can activate the first transmitting antenna (TA1) through a transmitting switching circuit and activate the first receiving antenna (RA1) through a receiving switching circuit.

[0112] In step S120, the electronic device transmits a first transmission signal (TS1) through a first transmission antenna (TA1). The first transmission signal (TS1) is reflected by a target and may have a predetermined time delay.

[0113] In step S130, the electronic device receives a first receiving signal (RS1) corresponding to a first transmitting signal (TS1) reflected through a first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0114] In step S140, the electronic device activates the second receiving antenna (RA2) through switching.

[0115] In step S150, the electronic device transmits a second transmission signal (TS2) through the first transmission antenna (TA1).

[0116] In step S160, the electronic device receives a second receiving signal (RS2) corresponding to a second transmitting signal (TS2) reflected through the second receiving antenna (RA2).

[0117] The steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated depending on the number of receiving antennas. Alternatively, the steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated in units of time intervals.

[0118] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 16, in step S210, the electronic device activates the first transmitting antenna (TA1) and the first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0120] In step S220, the electronic device transmits a first transmission signal (TS1) through a first transmission antenna (TA1). The first transmission signal (TS1) is reflected by a target and may have a predetermined time delay.

[0121] In step S230, the electronic device receives a first receiving signal (RS1) corresponding to a first transmitting signal (TS1) reflected through a first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0122] In step S240, the electronic device activates the second transmitting antenna (TA2) through switching.

[0123] In step S250, the electronic device transmits a second transmission signal (TS2) through the second transmission antenna (TA2).

[0124] In step S260, the electronic device receives a second receiving signal (RS2) corresponding to a second transmitting signal (TS2) reflected through the first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0125] The steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated depending on the number of transmitting antennas. Alternatively, the steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated in units of time intervals.

[0126] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a method of operation of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 17, in step S310, the electronic device activates a plurality of transmitting antennas (TA1~TAm) and a first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0128] In step S320, the electronic device transmits first to m-th transmission signals (TS1 to TSm) through a plurality of transmission antennas (TA1 to TAm). The first to m-th transmission signals (TS1 to TSm) are reflected by a target and may have a predetermined time delay.

[0129] In step S330, the electronic device receives first to m receiving signals (RS1 to RSm) corresponding to first to m transmitting signals (TS1 to TSm) reflected through the first receiving antenna (RA1).

[0130] In step S340, the electronic device activates the second receiving antenna (RA2) through switching.

[0131] In step S350, the electronic device transmits the first to mth transmission signals (TS1 to TSm) through a plurality of transmission antennas (TA1 to TAm).

[0132] In step S360, the electronic device receives first to m receiving signals (RS1 to RSm) corresponding to first to m transmitting signals (TS1 to TSm) reflected through the second receiving antenna (RA2).

[0133] The steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated depending on the number of receiving antennas. Alternatively, the steps or operations according to the embodiments described above may be repeated in units of time intervals.

[0134] The above description describes specific embodiments for carrying out the present application. In addition to the embodiments described above, the present application may also include embodiments that are simply modified or can be easily modified. Furthermore, the present application may also include technologies that can be easily modified and implemented using the embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present application should not be limited to the embodiments described above, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents to the claims of the present application.

Claims

Claim 1 A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: a transmitting circuit configured to acquire a plurality of transmitting signals; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers configured to amplify a plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals reflected from a target; a receiving switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers, and configured to couple one of the plurality of first ports and the first single port based on switching; and a receiving chain circuit coupled to the first single port and configured to process one of the plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the first port in the baseband. Claim 2 In claim 1, the plurality of transmitted signals and the plurality of received signals are RFICs that are FMCW (frequency modulation continuous wave) signals. Claim 3 In claim 1, the transmitting circuit comprises: a transmitting chain circuit configured to process a baseband signal corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals; a transmitting switching circuit comprising a second single port and a plurality of second ports coupled to the transmitting chain circuit, and configured to couple the second single port and one of the plurality of second ports based on switching; and a plurality of power amplifiers coupled to the plurality of second ports, comprising an RFIC. Claim 4 In claim 1, the transmitting circuit comprises: a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to output a baseband signal corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals based on a digital-to-analog (DA) conversion; a frequency synthesizer configured to perform at least one of frequency up-conversion or frequency modulation for the baseband signal; a plurality of phase converters configured to perform phase conversion for the output of the frequency synthesizer; a plurality of driving amplifiers configured to amplify the output of the plurality of phase converters; and a plurality of power amplifiers configured to amplify the output of the plurality of driving amplifiers. Claim 5 In claim 1, the receiving chain circuit comprises: a mixer configured to perform frequency down-conversion on the output of the low-noise amplifier based on a local oscillator (LO) signal; an analog baseband circuit configured to output a baseband signal based on processing of the output of the mixer; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the baseband signal. Claim 6 In claim 1, the receiving switching circuit is configured to sequentially switch the plurality of first ports during a unit time interval. Claim 7 In Clause 6, the above unit time interval is nT p Defined as, where n is the number of multiple receiving antennas corresponding to the multiple received signals, T p is RFIC, which is the pulse repetition interval (PRI). Claim 8 In claim 6, the above-mentioned transmitting circuit is configured to operate one of a plurality of transmitting antennas corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals during the unit time interval of the RFIC. Claim 9 In claim 6, the above-mentioned transmitting circuit is an RFIC configured to operate all of the plurality of transmitting antennas corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals during the unit time interval. Claim 10 In paragraph 3, the transmission switching circuit is an RFIC configured to couple the one second port and the second single port during a unit time interval. Claim 11 In paragraph 3, the transmitting circuit is an RFIC configured to sequentially switch the plurality of second ports during a unit time interval. Claim 12 A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: a transmitting circuit configured to acquire a plurality of transmitting signals; a receiving switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port, configured to couple one of the plurality of first ports and the first single port based on switching; a low-noise amplifier coupled to the first single port; and a receiving chain circuit coupled to the low-noise amplifier and configured to process one receiving signal corresponding to the one first port among a plurality of receiving signals corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals reflected from a target in the baseband. Claim 13 In claim 12, the transmission circuit comprises: a transmission chain circuit configured to process a baseband signal corresponding to the plurality of transmission signals; a power amplifier coupled to the transmission chain circuit; and a transmission switching circuit comprising a second single port coupled to the power amplifier and a plurality of second ports coupled to a plurality of transmission antennas corresponding to the plurality of transmission signals, and configured to couple the second single port and one of the plurality of second ports based on switching. Claim 14 In claim 12, the receiving switching circuit is an RFIC configured to sequentially switch the plurality of first ports during a unit time interval. Claim 15 In Clause 14, the above unit time interval is nT p Defined as, where n is the number of multiple receiving antennas corresponding to the multiple received signals, T p is RFIC, which is the pulse repetition interval (PRI). Claim 16 In claim 12, the above-mentioned transmitting circuit is configured to operate one of a plurality of transmitting antennas corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals during a unit time interval. Claim 17 In paragraph 13, the transmission switching circuit is an RFIC configured to couple the one second port and the second single port during a unit time interval. Claim 18 An electronic device comprising: a processor configured to process a baseband signal in the digital domain; a radio frequency integrated chip (RFIC) configured to acquire a plurality of transmission signals from the baseband signal or to acquire the baseband signal from a plurality of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of transmission signals reflected from a target; a plurality of transmission antennas configured to transmit the plurality of transmission signals; and a plurality of reception antennas configured to receive the plurality of reception signals, wherein the RFIC comprises: a transmission circuit configured to acquire the plurality of transmission signals; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers coupled to the plurality of reception antennas and configured to amplify the plurality of reception signals; a reception switching circuit comprising a plurality of first ports and a first single port coupled to the plurality of low-noise amplifiers, and configured to couple one of the first ports and the first single port based on switching; and a reception chain circuit coupled to the first single port and configured to process one of the plurality of reception signals corresponding to the first port in the baseband. Claim 19 An electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the transmitting circuit comprises: a transmitting chain circuit configured to process a baseband signal corresponding to the plurality of transmitting signals; a transmitting switching circuit comprising a second single port and a plurality of second ports coupled to the transmitting chain circuit, and configured to couple the second single port and one of the plurality of second ports based on switching; and a plurality of power amplifiers coupled to the plurality of second ports and the plurality of transmitting antennas. Claim 20 In paragraph 18, the receiving switching circuit is an electronic device configured to sequentially switch the plurality of first ports during a unit time interval.

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