Amplitude maximization-based ILO frequency tuning loop using look up table

Abstract

A frequency tuning loop (FTL) according to an embodiment of the present specification comprises an AML connected to an ILO, and a TLG connected to the AML. The AML includes i) a comparator to which a first voltage based on an output of the ILO and a second voltage generated by the TLG are input, and ii) a finite state machine (FSM) to which an FCW related to a target frequency and an output of the comparator are input. On the basis of an output of the FSM, a self-resonant frequency of the ILO is tuned to the target frequency at which the first voltage is at maximum. The FSM is characterized by including a lookup table (LUT) in which a parameter of the frequency tuning loop, based on the FCW, is stored.

Description

Amplitude maximization-based ILO frequency calibration loop using a lookup table

[0001] The present invention relates to an amplitude maximization-based ILO frequency correction loop using a lookup table.

[0002] Mobile communication systems were developed to provide voice services while ensuring user mobility. However, mobile communication systems have expanded their scope to include data services as well as voice. Currently, due to the explosive increase in traffic leading to resource shortages and users demanding higher-speed services, more advanced mobile communication systems are required.

[0003] The requirements for next-generation mobile communication systems largely include the ability to accommodate explosive data traffic, a dramatic increase in transmission rates per user, a significantly increased number of connected devices, very low end-to-end latency, and high energy efficiency. To achieve this, various technologies are being researched, such as dual connectivity, massive multiple input multiple output (MMIMO), in-band full duplex, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), super wideband support, and device networking.

[0004] Meanwhile, injection-locked oscillators (ILOs) are gaining attention for their ability to achieve low power consumption and low phase noise. However, if the frequency characteristics of the ILO are not accurately corrected, phase noise performance deteriorates, and the stability of the injection lock also becomes an issue. Therefore, ILOs are typically used in conjunction with a frequency tuning loop (FTL) to correct the frequency.

[0005] According to existing Frequency Tuning Loops (FTLs), multi-level frequency correction is not supported. In other words, existing FTLs have limitations in supporting various frequencies.

[0006] The purpose of this specification is to propose a frequency correction loop that supports multi-level frequency correction.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved in this specification are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs from the description below.

[0008] A frequency tuning loop (FTL) according to one embodiment of the present specification includes an amplitude maximization loop (AML) connected to an injection locked oscillator (ILO) and a target level generator (TLG) connected to the amplitude maximization loop (AML).

[0009] The amplitude maximization loop (AML) comprises i) a comparator into which a first voltage based on the output of the ILO and a second voltage generated by the TLG are input, and ii) a finite state machine (FSM) into which a frequency control word (FCW) associated with the target frequency and the output of the comparator are input.

[0010] Based on the output of the above FSM, the self-resonant frequency of the above ILO is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum.

[0011] The above FSM is characterized by including a lookup table (LUT) in which parameters of the frequency correction loop based on the above FCW are stored.

[0012] The output of the above FSM may include i) a first output related to the control voltage of the ILO for adjusting the first voltage, ii) a second output related to adjusting the second voltage, and iii) a third output related to adjusting the bank capacitance of the ILO.

[0013] The second output can be input to the TLG. The first output and the third output can be input to the ILO.

[0014] Based on the fact that the first voltage is greater than the second voltage, the comparator can output 1. Based on the fact that the second voltage is greater than the first voltage, the comparator can output 0.

[0015] Based on the output of the comparator being 1, the operating state of the FSM may be a first state. Based on the first state, the second voltage may increase.

[0016] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the first state is 0, the operating state can be changed to a second state. Based on the second state, the first voltage can be increased.

[0017] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state is 1, the operating state can be changed to the first state.

[0018] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state is 0, the operating state can be changed to a third state. Based on the third state, the maximization of the first voltage can be completed.

[0019] Based on the fact that the FCW associated with the above target frequency is one of the FCWs stored in the LUT, the output of the FSM can be determined based on the parameter stored in the LUT.

[0020] A wireless device according to another embodiment of the present specification includes one or more transceivers. The one or more transceivers are characterized by including i) an injection-locked oscillator (ILO) and ii) one of the frequency tuning loops (FTL) described above.

[0021] A method according to another embodiment of the present specification comprises the steps of generating a first voltage and a second voltage, comparing the first voltage and the second voltage, and performing voltage maximization based on a frequency control word (FCW) associated with a target frequency based on the result of comparing the first voltage and the second voltage.

[0022] Based on the above comparison results, the operating state of the Finite State Machine (FSM) is determined.

[0023] The self-resonant frequency of the injection-locked oscillator (ILO) is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum by the output of the FSM associated with the above operating state.

[0024] Based on the fact that the above FCW is one of the FCWs stored in the lookup table (LUT) of the above FSM, the output of the above FSM is determined based on the parameters stored in the LUT.

[0025] According to the embodiments of the present specification, multi-level frequency correction is supported by a frequency correction loop equipped with a lookup table. In addition, through a frequency correction loop having high accuracy, low power consumption, and multi-frequency correction performance, the limitations of previously proposed FTLs can be overcome and the usability of ILOs can be increased.

[0026] The effects obtainable in this specification are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an example of a communication system applicable to the present specification.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an example of a wireless device that can be applied to the present specification.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for processing a transmission signal applicable to the present specification.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating another example of a wireless device to which the present specification applies.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an example of a portable device to which the present specification applies.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating physical channels applicable to the present specification and a signal transmission method using them.

[0033] Figure 7 is a figure showing an example of a communication structure that can be provided in a 6G system.

[0034] Figure 8 illustrates various frequency tuning loops.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an amplitude maximization frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0037] FIG. 11 illustrates the operation of a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0038] FIG. 12 illustrates a timing diagram of a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0039] FIG. 13 illustrates a transmitter and a receiver equipped with a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0040] FIG. 14 illustrates a frequency correction loop according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0041] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0042] The following embodiments are combinations of the components and features of this specification in a specific form. Each component or feature may be considered optional unless otherwise explicitly stated. Each component or feature may be implemented in a form not combined with other components or features. Additionally, some components and / or features may be combined to constitute the embodiments of this specification. The order of operations described in the embodiments of this specification may be changed. Some components or features of any embodiment may be included in another embodiment, or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment.

[0043] In the description of the drawings, procedures or steps that could obscure the gist of the specification have not been described, nor have procedures or steps that are understandable to those skilled in the art been described.

[0044] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as "comprising" or "including" a component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Furthermore, terms such as "...part," "...unit," and "module" as used in the specification refer to a unit that performs at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, "one (a or an)," "one," "the," and similar related terms may be used in the context describing this specification (particularly in the context of the following claims) to include both singular and plural forms, unless otherwise indicated in this specification or clearly contradicted by the context.

[0045] The embodiments of this specification have been described with a focus on the data transmission and reception relationship between a base station and a mobile station. Here, the base station refers to a terminal node of a network that communicates directly with a mobile station. Specific operations described herein as being performed by a base station may, in some cases, be performed by an upper node of the base station.

[0046] That is, in a network consisting of multiple network nodes including a base station, various operations performed for communication with a mobile station may be performed by the base station or other network nodes other than the base station. In this case, 'base station' may be replaced by terms such as fixed station, Node B, eNB (eNode B), gNB (gNode B), ng-eNB, advanced base station (ABS), or access point.

[0047] Additionally, in the embodiments of this specification, the term terminal may be replaced with terms such as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station (MSS), mobile terminal, or advanced mobile station (AMS).

[0048] Furthermore, the transmitting end refers to a fixed and / or mobile node that provides data or voice services, and the receiving end refers to a fixed and / or mobile node that receives data or voice services. Therefore, in the case of the uplink, a mobile station can be the transmitting end and a base station can be the receiving end. Similarly, in the case of the downlink, a mobile station can be the receiving end and a base station can be the transmitting end.

[0049] The embodiments of this specification may be supported by standard documents disclosed in at least one of the wireless access systems, such as IEEE 802.xx systems, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) systems, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) systems, 3GPP 5G (5th generation) NR (New Radio) systems and 3GPP2 systems, and in particular, the embodiments of this specification may be supported by the documents 3GPP TS (technical specification) 38.211, 3GPP TS 38.212, 3GPP TS 38.213, 3GPP TS 38.321 and 3GPP TS 38.331.

[0050] In addition, the embodiments of this specification may be applied to other wireless access systems and are not limited to the systems described above. For example, they may be applicable to systems applied after the 3GPP 5G NR system and are not limited to specific systems.

[0051] That is, obvious steps or parts not described in the embodiments of this specification may be described by referring to the aforementioned documents. Additionally, all terms disclosed in this specification may be explained by the aforementioned standard documents.

[0052] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description disclosed below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to describe exemplary embodiments of the present specification and is not intended to represent the only embodiment in which the technical configuration of the present specification can be implemented.

[0053] Additionally, specific terms used in the embodiments of this specification are provided to aid in understanding this specification, and the use of such specific terms may be modified in other forms without departing from the technical spirit of this specification.

[0054] The following technology can be applied to various wireless access systems such as CDMA (code division multiple access), FDMA (frequency division multiple access), TDMA (time division multiple access), OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access), and SC-FDMA (single carrier frequency division multiple access).

[0055] For the sake of clarity in the following description, the explanation is based on 3GPP communication systems (e.g., LTE, NR, etc.), but the technical concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. LTE may refer to technology from 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 8 onwards. Specifically, LTE technology from 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 10 onwards is referred to as LTE-A, and LTE technology from 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 13 onwards may be referred to as LTE-A pro. 3GPP NR may refer to technology from TS 38.xxx Release 15 onwards. 3GPP 6G may refer to technology from TS Release 17 and / or Release 18 onwards. "xxx" indicates a specific standard document number. LTE / NR / 6G may be collectively referred to as 3GPP systems.

[0056] Regarding the background technology, terms, abbreviations, etc. used in this specification, reference may be made to matters described in standard documents published prior to the present invention. For example, reference may be made to standard documents 36.xxx and 38.xxx.

[0057] Communication systems applicable to the present specification

[0058] Although not limited thereto, the various descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts of operation disclosed in this specification may be applied to various fields requiring wireless communication / connection (e.g., 5G) between devices.

[0059] Examples are provided in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings and descriptions, the same reference numerals may represent the same or corresponding hardware blocks, software blocks, or function blocks unless otherwise described.

[0060] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an example of a communication system to which the present specification applies. Referring to FIG. 1, the communication system (100) to which the present specification applies includes a wireless device, a base station, and a network. Here, a wireless device refers to a device that performs communication using wireless access technology (e.g., 5G NR, LTE) and may be referred to as a communication / wireless / 5G device. Although not limited thereto, a wireless device may include a robot (100a), a vehicle (100b-1, 100b-2), an XR (extended reality) device (100c), a hand-held device (100d), a home appliance (100e), an IoT (Internet of Thing) device (100f), and an AI (artificial intelligence) device / server (100g). For example, a vehicle may include a vehicle equipped with wireless communication capabilities, an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle capable of performing inter-vehicle communication, etc. Here, the vehicle (100b-1, 100b-2) may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., a drone). The XR device (100c) includes an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) / mixed reality (MR) device and may be implemented in the form of a head-mounted device (HMD), a head-up display (HUD) equipped in a vehicle, a television, a smartphone, a computer, a wearable device, a home appliance, digital signage, a vehicle, a robot, etc. The portable device (100d) may include a smartphone, a smart pad, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch, smart glasses), a computer (e.g., a laptop, etc.). The home appliance (100e) may include a TV, a refrigerator, a washing machine, etc. The IoT device (100f) may include a sensor, a smart meter, etc.For example, the base station (120) and network (130) may also be implemented as wireless devices, and a specific wireless device (120a) may act as a base station / network node for other wireless devices.

[0061] Wireless devices (100a to 100f) can be connected to a network (130) through a base station (120). AI technology may be applied to the wireless devices (100a to 100f), and the wireless devices (100a to 100f) can be connected to an AI server (100g) through the network (130). The network (130) can be configured using a 3G network, a 4G (e.g., LTE) network, or a 5G (e.g., NR) network. The wireless devices (100a to 100f) may communicate with each other through the base station (120) / network (130), but they may also communicate directly (e.g., sidelink communication) without going through the base station (120) / network (130). For example, vehicles (100b-1, 100b-2) can communicate directly (e.g., V2V (vehicle to vehicle) / V2X (vehicle to everything) communication). Also, IoT devices (100f) (e.g., sensors) can communicate directly with other IoT devices (e.g., sensors) or other wireless devices (100a to 100f).

[0062] Wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can be established between wireless devices (100a~100f) / base station (120) and between base station (120) / base station (120). Here, wireless communication / connection can be established through various wireless access technologies (e.g., 5G NR), such as uplink / downlink communication (150a), sidelink communication (150b) (or D2D communication), and communication between base stations (150c) (e.g., relay, IAB (integrated access backhaul)). Through wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c), wireless devices and base stations / wireless devices, and base stations and base stations can transmit / receive wireless signals to / from each other. For example, wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can transmit / receive signals through various physical channels. To this end, based on the various proposals of this specification, at least some of the following may be performed: a process for setting various configuration information for transmitting / receiving wireless signals, a process for various signal processing (e.g., channel encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, resource mapping / demapping, etc.), a resource allocation process, etc.

[0063] Communication systems applicable to the present specification

[0064] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an example of a wireless device that can be applied to the present specification.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 2, the first wireless device (200a) and the second wireless device (200b) can transmit and receive wireless signals through various wireless access technologies (e.g., LTE, NR). Here, {the first wireless device (200a), the second wireless device (200b)} may correspond to {the wireless device (100x), the base station (120)} and / or {the wireless device (100x), the wireless device (100x)} of FIG. 1.

[0066] The first wireless device (200a) includes one or more processors (202a) and one or more memories (204a), and may additionally include one or more transceivers (206a) and / or one or more antennas (208a). The processor (202a) controls the memory (204a) and / or transceivers (206a) and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or sequences of operation disclosed herein. For example, the processor (202a) may process information within the memory (204a) to generate a first information / signal and then transmit a wireless signal containing the first information / signal through the transceiver (206a). Additionally, the processor (202a) may receive a wireless signal containing a second information / signal through the transceiver (206a) and then store information obtained from the signal processing of the second information / signal in the memory (204a). Memory (204a) may be connected to the processor (202a) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (202a). For example, memory (204a) may store software code including instructions for performing some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (202a) or for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or sequences of operation disclosed in this specification. Here, the processor (202a) and memory (204a) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement wireless communication technology (e.g., LTE, NR). A transceiver (206a) may be connected to the processor (202a) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals through one or more antennas (208a). The transceiver (206a) may include a transmitter and / or receiver. The transceiver (206a) may be combined with an RF (radio frequency) unit. In this specification, a wireless device may refer to a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0067] The second wireless device (200b) includes one or more processors (202b) and one or more memories (204b), and may additionally include one or more transceivers (206b) and / or one or more antennas (208b). The processor (202b) controls the memory (204b) and / or transceivers (206b) and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or sequences of operation disclosed herein. For example, the processor (202b) may process information within the memory (204b) to generate a third information / signal and then transmit a wireless signal containing the third information / signal through the transceiver (206b). Additionally, the processor (202b) may receive a wireless signal containing a fourth information / signal through the transceiver (206b) and then store information obtained from the signal processing of the fourth information / signal in the memory (204b). The memory (204b) may be connected to the processor (202b) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (202b). For example, the memory (204b) may store software code including instructions for performing some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (202b) or for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or sequence diagrams of operation disclosed in this specification. Here, the processor (202b) and the memory (204b) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement wireless communication technology (e.g., LTE, NR). The transceiver (206b) may be connected to the processor (202b) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals through one or more antennas (208b). The transceiver (206b) may include a transmitter and / or receiver. The transceiver (206b) may be used in combination with an RF unit. In this specification, a wireless device may refer to a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0068] Hereinafter, hardware elements of the wireless device (200a, 200b) will be described in more detail. Although not limited thereto, one or more protocol layers may be implemented by one or more processors (202a, 202b). For example, one or more processors (202a, 202b) may implement one or more layers (e.g., functional layers such as PHY (physical), MAC (media access control), RLC (radio link control), PDCP (packet data convergence protocol), RRC (radio resource control), and SDAP (service data adaptation protocol). One or more processors (202a, 202b) may generate one or more PDUs (Protocol Data Units) and / or one or more SDUs (service data units) according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts of operation disclosed herein. One or more processors (202a, 202b) may generate messages, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts of operation disclosed in this specification. One or more processors (202a, 202b) may generate a signal (e.g., baseband signal) including a PDU, SDU, message, control information, data, or information according to the functions, procedures, proposals, and / or methods disclosed in this specification and provide it to one or more transceivers (206a, 206b). One or more processors (202a, 202b) may receive a signal (e.g., baseband signal) from one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) and may obtain a PDU, SDU, message, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts of operation disclosed in this specification.

[0069] One or more processors (202a, 202b) may be referred to as a controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or microcomputer. One or more processors (202a, 202b) may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), one or more programmable logic devices (PLDs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) may be included in one or more processors (202a, 202b). Descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts disclosed herein may be implemented using firmware or software, and the firmware or software may be implemented to include modules, procedures, functions, etc. Firmware or software configured to perform the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation sequences disclosed in this specification may be included in one or more processors (202a, 202b) or stored in one or more memories (204a, 204b) and driven by one or more processors (202a, 202b). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation sequences disclosed in this specification may be implemented using firmware or software in the form of code, instructions, and / or sets of instructions.

[0070] One or more memories (204a, 204b) may be connected to one or more processors (202a, 202b) and may store various forms of data, signals, messages, information, programs, codes, instructions, and / or commands. One or more memories (204a, 204b) may be composed of ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), flash memory, hard drives, registers, cache memory, computer-readable storage media, and / or combinations thereof. One or more memories (204a, 204b) may be located inside and / or outside of one or more processors (202a, 202b). Additionally, one or more memories (204a, 204b) may be connected to one or more processors (202a, 202b) through various technologies such as wired or wireless connections.

[0071] One or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may transmit user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the methods and / or operation flowcharts, etc., of this specification to one or more other devices. One or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operation flowcharts, etc., disclosed in this specification from one or more other devices. For example, one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may be connected to one or more processors (202a, 202b) and may transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, one or more processors (202a, 202b) may control one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) to transmit user data, control information, or wireless signals to one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more processors (202a, 202b) may control one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) to receive user data, control information, or wireless signals from one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may be connected to one or more antennas (208a, 208b), and one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may be configured to transmit and receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as described in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts of operation disclosed herein through one or more antennas (208a, 208b). In this specification, one or more antennas may be a plurality of physical antennas or a plurality of logical antennas (e.g., antenna ports). One or more transceivers (206a, 206b) can convert the received wireless signal / channel, etc. from an RF band signal to a baseband signal in order to process the received user data, control information, wireless signal / channel, etc. using one or more processors (202a, 202b).One or more transceivers (206a, 206b) can convert user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. processed using one or more processors (202a, 202b) from baseband signals to RF band signals. To this end, one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) may include (analog) oscillators and / or filters.

[0072] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for processing a transmission signal applicable to the present specification. For example, the transmission signal may be processed by a signal processing circuit. In this case, the signal processing circuit (300) may include a scrambler (310), a modulator (320), a layer mapper (330), a precoder (340), a resource mapper (350), and a signal generator (360). In this case, for example, the operation / function of FIG. 3 may be performed in the processor (202a, 202b) and / or transceiver (206a, 206b) of FIG. 2. Also, for example, the hardware element of FIG. 3 may be implemented in the processor (202a, 202b) and / or transceiver (206a, 206b) of FIG. 2. For example, blocks 310 to 350 may be implemented in the processor (202a, 202b) of FIG. 2, and block 360 may be implemented in the transceiver (206a, 206b) of FIG. 2, but are not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0073] A codeword can be converted into a wireless signal through the signal processing circuit (300) of FIG. 3. Here, the codeword is an encoded bit sequence of an information block. The information block may include a transmission block (e.g., UL-SCH transmission block, DL-SCH transmission block). The wireless signal may be transmitted through various physical channels (e.g., PUSCH, PDSCH) of FIG. 6. Specifically, the codeword can be converted into a scrambled bit sequence by a scrambler (310). The scrambled sequence used for scrambling is generated based on an initialization value, which may include ID information of a wireless device, etc. The scrambled bit sequence may be modulated into a modulation symbol sequence by a modulator (320). The modulation method may include pi / 2-BPSK (pi / 2-binary phase shift keying), m-PSK (m-phase shift keying), m-QAM (m-quadrature amplitude modulation), etc.

[0074] A complex modulation symbol sequence can be mapped to one or more transmission layers by a layer mapper (330). The modulation symbols of each transmission layer can be mapped to the corresponding antenna port(s) by a precoder (340) (precoding). The output z of the precoder (340) can be obtained by multiplying the output y of the layer mapper (330) by an N*M precoding matrix W, where N is the number of antenna ports and M is the number of transmission layers. Here, the precoder (340) can perform precoding after performing transform precoding (e.g., a discrete Fourier transform (DFT)) on the complex modulation symbols. Alternatively, the precoder (340) can perform precoding without performing transform precoding.

[0075] A resource mapper (350) can map the modulation symbols of each antenna port to a time-frequency resource. The time-frequency resource may include multiple symbols (e.g., CP-OFDMA symbols, DFT-s-OFDMA symbols) in the time domain and multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain. A signal generator (360) generates a radio signal from the mapped modulation symbols, and the generated radio signal can be transmitted to another device through each antenna. To this end, the signal generator (360) may include an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) module, a cyclic prefix (CP) inserter, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a frequency uplink converter, etc.

[0076] The signal processing process for a received signal in a wireless device can be configured as the inverse of the signal processing process (310–360) of FIG. 3. For example, a wireless device (e.g., 200a, 200b of FIG. 2) can receive a wireless signal from the outside through an antenna port / transceiver. The received wireless signal can be converted into a baseband signal through a signal restorer. To this end, the signal restorer may include a frequency downlink converter, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a CP remover, and a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module. Subsequently, the baseband signal can be restored into a codeword through a resource de-mapper process, a postcoding process, a demodulation process, and a de-scrambling process. The codeword can be restored into the original information block through decoding. Accordingly, a signal processing circuit (not shown) for a received signal may include a signal restorer, a resource de-mapper, a postcoder, a demodulator, a de-scrambler, and a decoder.

[0077] Wireless device structure applicable to the present specification

[0078] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating another example of a wireless device to which the present specification applies.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 4, the wireless device (400) corresponds to the wireless device (200a, 200b) of FIG. 2 and may be composed of various elements, components, units / parts, and / or modules. For example, the wireless device (400) may include a communication unit (410), a control unit (420), a memory unit (430), and additional elements (440). The communication unit may include a communication circuit (412) and transceiver(s) (414). For example, the communication circuit (412) may include one or more processors (202a, 202b) and / or one or more memories (204a, 204b) of FIG. 2. For example, the transceiver(s) (414) may include one or more transceivers (206a, 206b) and / or one or more antennas (208a, 208b) of FIG. 2. The control unit (420) is electrically connected to the communication unit (410), the memory unit (430), and additional elements (440) and controls the general operation of the wireless device. For example, the control unit (420) may control the electrical / mechanical operation of the wireless device based on a program / code / command / information stored in the memory unit (430). Additionally, the control unit (420) may transmit information stored in the memory unit (430) to an external (e.g., another communication device) via a wireless / wired interface through the communication unit (410), or store information received from an external (e.g., another communication device) via a wireless / wired interface through the communication unit (410) in the memory unit (430).

[0080] The additional element (440) can be configured in various ways depending on the type of wireless device. For example, the additional element (440) may include at least one of a power unit / battery, an input / output unit, a driving unit, and a computing unit. Although not limited thereto, the wireless device (400) may be implemented in the form of a robot (Fig. 1, 100a), a vehicle (Fig. 1, 100b-1, 100b-2), an XR device (Fig. 1, 100c), a portable device (Fig. 1, 100d), a home appliance (Fig. 1, 100e), an IoT device (Fig. 1, 100f), a digital broadcasting terminal, a hologram device, a public safety device, an MTC device, a medical device, a fintech device (or financial device), a security device, a climate / environment device, an AI server / device (Fig. 1, 140), a base station (Fig. 1, 120), a network node, etc. Wireless devices can be used in a movable or fixed location depending on the use—e.g., service.

[0081] In FIG. 4, various elements, components, units / parts, and / or modules within the wireless device (400) may be entirely interconnected via a wired interface, or at least partially connected via a communication unit (410). For example, within the wireless device (400), the control unit (420) and the communication unit (410) may be connected via a wire, and the control unit (420) and the first unit (e.g., 430, 440) may be connected wirelessly via the communication unit (410). Additionally, each element, component, unit / part, and / or module within the wireless device (400) may include one or more additional elements. For example, the control unit (420) may be composed of one or more sets of processors. For example, the control unit (420) may be composed of a set of a communication control processor, an application processor, an electronic control unit (ECU), a graphics processing processor, a memory control processor, etc. As another example, the memory unit (430) may be composed of RAM, DRAM (dynamic RAM), ROM, flash memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory and / or a combination thereof.

[0082] Mobile devices to which this specification applies

[0083] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an example of a portable device to which the present specification applies.

[0084] FIG. 5 illustrates a portable device to which the present specification applies. The portable device may include a smartphone, a smartpad, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses), a portable computer (e.g., a laptop, etc.). The portable device may be referred to as an MS (mobile station), UT (user terminal), MSS (mobile subscriber station), SS (subscriber station), AMS (advanced mobile station), or WT (wireless terminal).

[0085] Referring to FIG. 5, the portable device (500) may include an antenna unit (508), a communication unit (510), a control unit (520), a memory unit (530), a power supply unit (540a), an interface unit (540b), and an input / output unit (540c). The antenna unit (508) may be configured as part of the communication unit (510). Blocks 510 to 530 / 540a to 540c correspond to blocks 410 to 430 / 440 of FIG. 4, respectively.

[0086] The communication unit (510) can transmit and receive signals (e.g., data, control signals, etc.) with other wireless devices and base stations. The control unit (520) can control the components of the portable device (500) to perform various operations. The control unit (520) may include an application processor (AP). The memory unit (530) can store data / parameters / programs / code / commands required for the operation of the portable device (500). Additionally, the memory unit (530) can store input / output data / information, etc. The power supply unit (540a) supplies power to the portable device (500) and may include wired / wireless charging circuits, batteries, etc. The interface unit (540b) can support the connection between the portable device (500) and other external devices. The interface unit (540b) may include various ports (e.g., audio input / output ports, video input / output ports) for connection with external devices. The input / output unit (540c) can receive or output video information / signals, audio information / signals, data, and / or information input from a user. The input / output unit (540c) may include a camera, a microphone, a user input unit, a display unit (540d), a speaker and / or a haptic module, etc.

[0087] For example, in the case of data communication, the input / output unit (540c) acquires information / signals (e.g., touch, text, voice, image, video) input by the user, and the acquired information / signals can be stored in the memory unit (530). The communication unit (510) converts the information / signals stored in the memory into wireless signals and can directly transmit the converted wireless signals to another wireless device or to a base station. Additionally, the communication unit (510) can receive wireless signals from another wireless device or base station and then restore the received wireless signals to their original information / signals. The restored information / signals are stored in the memory unit (530) and then can be output in various forms (e.g., text, voice, image, video, haptic) through the input / output unit (540c).

[0088] Physical channels and general signal transmission

[0089] In a wireless access system, a terminal can receive information from a base station via a downlink (DL) and transmit information to a base station via an uplink (UL). The information transmitted and received by the base station and the terminal includes general data information and various control information, and various physical channels exist depending on the type and purpose of the information they transmit and receive.

[0090] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating physical channels applicable to the present specification and a signal transmission method using them.

[0091] When a terminal is turned on again after being turned off, or when it newly enters a cell, it performs initial cell search operations, such as synchronizing with the base station, in step S611. To do this, the terminal receives the primary synchronization channel (P-SCH) and secondary synchronization channel (S-SCH) from the base station to synchronize with the base station and obtain information such as the cell ID.

[0092] Subsequently, the terminal can obtain in-cell broadcast information by receiving a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal from the base station. Meanwhile, during the initial cell search phase, the terminal can check the downlink channel status by receiving a Downlink Reference Signal (DL RS). After completing the initial cell search, the terminal can obtain more specific system information by receiving the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) based on the physical downlink control channel information in step S612.

[0093] Subsequently, the terminal may perform a random access procedure, such as steps S613 through S616, to complete the connection to the base station. To this end, the terminal transmits a preamble through a physical random access channel (PRACH) (S613) and receives a random access response (RAR) for the preamble through a physical downlink control channel and a corresponding physical downlink shared channel (S614). The terminal transmits a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) using scheduling information within the RAR (S615) and performs a contention resolution procedure, such as receiving a physical downlink control channel signal and a corresponding physical downlink shared channel signal (S616).

[0094] A terminal that has performed the procedure described above may subsequently perform the reception of a physical downlink control channel signal and / or a physical downlink shared channel signal (S617) and the transmission of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) signal and / or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) signal (S618) as a general uplink / downlink signal transmission procedure.

[0095] Control information transmitted by a terminal to a base station is collectively referred to as uplink control information (UCI). UCI includes HARQ-ACK / NACK (hybrid automatic repeat and request acknowledgment / negative-ACK), SR (scheduling request), CQI (channel quality indication), PMI (precoding matrix indication), RI (rank indication), BI (beam indication) information, etc. In this case, UCI is generally transmitted periodically via PUCCH, but depending on the embodiment (e.g., when control information and traffic data need to be transmitted simultaneously), it may be transmitted via PUSCH. Additionally, the terminal may transmit UCI non-periodically via PUSCH in response to a request or instruction from the network.

[0096] Figure 7 is a figure showing an example of a communication structure that can be provided in a 6G system.

[0097] 6G systems are expected to have 50 times higher simultaneous wireless connectivity than 5G wireless communication systems. URLLC, a key feature of 5G, will become an even more dominant technology in 6G communication by providing end-to-end latency of less than 1ms. Unlike the frequently used area spectrum efficiency, 6G systems will exhibit significantly superior volume spectrum efficiency. 6G systems can provide very long battery life and advanced battery technologies for energy harvesting, meaning mobile devices in 6G systems will not require separate charging. New network characteristics in 6G may include the following.

[0098] - Satellite Integrated Network: 6G is expected to be integrated with satellites to provide a global mobile population. Integrating terrestrial, satellite, and airborne networks into a single wireless communication system is crucial for 6G.

[0099] - Connected Intelligence: Unlike previous generations of wireless communication systems, 6G is innovative and will update wireless evolution from "connected things" to "connected intelligence." AI can be applied at each stage of the communication process (or at each step of the signal processing described below).

[0100] - Seamless integration of wireless information and energy transfer: 6G wireless networks will transfer power to charge the batteries of devices such as smartphones and sensors. Therefore, wireless information and energy transfer (WIET) will be integrated.

[0101] - Ubiquitous Super 3D Connectivity: Connectivity to the network and core network functions of drones and very low Earth orbit satellites will create Super 3D connectivity in 6G ubiquitous.

[0102] Some general requirements regarding the new network characteristics of 6G mentioned above may be as follows.

[0103] - Small cell networks: The idea of ​​small cell networks was introduced to improve the quality of received signals in cellular systems as a result of increased throughput, energy efficiency, and spectrum efficiency. Consequently, small cell networks are an essential feature of communication systems for 5G and beyond 5G (5GB). Therefore, 6G communication systems also adopt the characteristics of small cell networks.

[0104] - Ultra-dense heterogeneous network: Ultra-dense heterogeneous networks will be another important characteristic of 6G communication systems. Multi-tier networks composed of heterogeneous networks improve overall QoS and reduce costs.

[0105] - High-capacity backhaul: Backhaul connections are characterized as high-capacity backhaul networks to support high-volume traffic. High-speed fiber optics and free-space optics (FSO) systems can be possible solutions to this problem.

[0106] - Radar technology integrated with mobile technology: High-precision localization (or location-based services) through communication is one of the functions of 6G wireless communication systems. Therefore, radar systems will be integrated with 6G networks.

[0107] - Softwarization and virtualization: Softwarization and virtualization are two important features that form the basis of the design process in 5GB networks to ensure flexibility, reconfigurability, and programmability. Additionally, billions of devices can be shared across a shared physical infrastructure.

[0108] The symbols / abbreviations / terms used in this specification are as follows.

[0109] ILO: Injection-locked oscillator.

[0110] FTL: Frequency tuning loop.

[0111] FCW: Frequency control word.

[0112] f SR.ILO : self-resonant frequency of an ILO.

[0113] LUT: Look-up table.

[0114] FSM: Finite-state machine.

[0115] AML: Amplitude maximization loop.

[0116] TLG: Target level generator.

[0117] The problem to be solved by the present specification is as follows.

[0118] The present specification aims to propose an ILO FTL having the characteristics of high accuracy, low power consumption, background operation, and multi-frequency tunability.

[0119] ILOs are used as frequency multipliers or filters and are gaining popularity due to their ability to achieve low power consumption and low phase noise. However, if the frequency characteristics of the ILO are not accurately corrected, phase noise performance deteriorates, and the stability of the injection lock also becomes an issue. For this reason, ILOs are typically used in conjunction with a background frequency tuning loop (FTL) to correct the frequency.

[0120] FIG. 8 illustrates various frequency tuning loops. FIG. 8(a) illustrates a replica-based FTL, and FIG. 8(b) illustrates a TDC FTL.

[0121] Below, the 1) description, 2) advantages, and 3) limitations of previously defined background FTLs are explained in detail.

[0122] Replica-based FTL

[0123] 1) Replica-based FTL uses a Frequency Locked Loop (FLL) that generates a control voltage for the replica ILO regardless of injection to identify deviations in the self-resonant frequency of the ILO and then apply this to the main ILO.

[0124] 2) Replica-based FTL has the advantage of background calibration capabilities.

[0125] 3) Replica-based FTL requires the same power, area, and FLL overhead as the main ILO. Replica-based FTL has accuracy issues due to inconsistencies between ILOs. Additionally, injection signals can affect performance.

[0126] Time-to-Digital Converter FTL (Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) FTL)

[0127] 1) TDC FTL detects a phase change at the injection moment to correct ILO.

[0128] 2) TDC FTL has the advantage of enabling precise tuning at the moment of injection.

[0129] 3) TDC FTL is not suitable for mm-wave applications due to high power consumption.

[0130] Envelope Monitoring FTL

[0131] 1) Envelope Monitoring FTL monitors the envelope of the ILO output and adjusts the ILO when a lock failure is detected.

[0132] 2) Envelope Monitoring FTL has advantages in terms of power consumption.

[0133] 3) Envelope Monitoring FTL adjusts only to the edge of the lock-range and does not guarantee phase noise reduction or stability.

[0134] Amplitude Maximization FTL

[0135] 1) Amplitude Maximization FTL focuses on maximizing the amplitude of the ILO when the injection frequency matches the magnetic resonance frequency of the ILO.

[0136] 2) Amplitude Maximization FTL has high accuracy with low power consumption.

[0137] 3) Amplitude Maximization FTL lacks background operation capabilities. In other words, Amplitude Maximization FTL does not support multi-level frequencies.

[0138] The accuracy, power consumption, and multi-level performance of the FTLs described above and the FTL (Proposed Amplitude Maximization FTL) according to the embodiments of this specification described below are summarized in Table 1 below.

[0139]

[0140] Referring to Table 1, most existing FTLs have issues with accuracy or power consumption. According to existing FTLs, multi-level frequency correction, which is necessary when using ILO for various frequencies, is not supported.

[0141] This specification proposes an Amplitude Maximization FTL that supports multi-level frequencies. Specifically, this specification proposes an Amplitude Maximization FTL capable of performing background operations for multi-level frequencies that were not supported by existing amplitude maximization FTLs among the FTLs described above. The proposed FTL can be used in applications such as frequency hopping ILOs. An FTL according to an embodiment of this specification will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 9 and FIG. 10.

[0142] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an amplitude maximization frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0143] Referring to Fig. 9, tuning is performed as follows by an ILO FTL that supports multi-level. Specifically, the self-resonant frequency (f) of the ILO SR.ILO Tuning is performed by varying ) so that the amplitude of the ILO reaches its maximum point. A frequency calibration loop for this operation can be configured as shown in FIG. 10.

[0144] FIG. 10 illustrates a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 10, the frequency correction loop includes a Target Level Generator (TLG) and an Amplitude Maximization Loop (AML).

[0146] The operation of the frequency correction loop is explained in detail below.

[0147] V by AML ILOV is obtained. Specifically, AML uses an envelope detector (1017) and a low-pass filter (1015) to convert the peak amplitude of the ILO (1016) into a DC voltage, V which is a DC voltage proportional to the amplitude of the ILO (1016). ILO Gets.

[0148] TLG is the target voltage V TLG It generates TLG's Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). Specifically, TLG Target voltage V by )(1011) TLG is generated.

[0149] V ILO and V TLG Based on the comparison results of V ILO is maximized. Specifically, V ILO and V TLG It is compared through a comparator (1014). The comparison result (D comp Based on ), through the logic of a Finite State Machine (FSM) (1013) f SR.ILO is changed / adjusted. Such f SR.ILO Through changes / adjustments of V ILO is maximized. In this case, f SR.ILO To change / adjust, the FSM (1013) i) the control voltage (control voltage, V) of the ILO C.ILO ) and / or ii) ILO's tank capacitance (C ILO ) can be changed / adjusted. Specifically, f SR.ILO The fine tuning of is the control voltage (V) of the ILO. C.ILO D for controlling ) C.ILO It can be performed based on f SR.ILOThe coarse tune of is the ILO's tank capacitance (C ILO It can be performed based on ).

[0150] The FSM (1013) has a lookup table (LUT) that stores parameters of a frequency correction loop (FTL) for each frequency control word (FCW). This enables background tuning for multi-level frequencies. Here, FCW refers to a command or data packet used to accurately set and control frequencies in a communication system or electronic equipment.

[0151] The role of FCW is as follows.

[0152] Frequency Setting: Set the system's operating frequency to the desired value.

[0153] Frequency Change: Control system operation by changing the frequency in real time.

[0154] Frequency Synthesis: Generating a new frequency by combining multiple frequencies

[0155] Frequency stabilization: Minimizing frequency fluctuations caused by changes in the external environment

[0156] FCW may include the following information.

[0157] Frequency value: A numerical value representing the frequency to be set

[0158] Frequency change rate: Specifies the speed at which the frequency is changed.

[0159] Frequency Synthesis Information: Information required when combining multiple frequencies

[0160] Control Mode: Frequency Control Method (e.g., Manual, Automatic)

[0161] The operation of the FSM described above will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11.

[0162] FIG. 11 illustrates the operation of a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification. Specifically, FIG. 11 illustrates a state diagram of an FSM equipped in the frequency correction loop described above.

[0163] Referring to Fig. 11, at S0, the FSM is V ILO and V TLG V so that it becomes the same TLG It increases from the lowest value. Specifically, the FSM is the TLG's DAC TLG The value entered into (D TLG Increases ) V TLG Ga V ILO S0 persists until the moment it exceeds. At this time, the comparator is V ILO Ga V TLG If greater than, output 1(D COMP = 1). The comparator is V TLG Ga V ILO If greater than, output 0(D COMP = 0).

[0164] Comparator output (D COMP When ) is flipped (1 -> 0), the FSM enters S1 and operates. The FSM operates V through i) S0 and ii) S1~S3. TLG and V ILO It controls so that it rises competitively. Specifically, at S1, the FSM is D C.ILO By controlling V ILO It raises V in each state of the FSM (e.g., S1). TLG Ga V ILO If greater than (D COMP = 0), enters the next state (e.g., S2) and operates. V ILO As it continues to rise, V TLG If it becomes larger (D COMP = 1), the FSM operates by entering the previous state (e.g., S0) from the current state (e.g., S3).

[0165] If V ILOV in any state TLG Cases where it cannot exceed (i.e., D COMP (If is 0 in S3), the FSM enters S4, forms a dead-zone, and terminates the FTL update. The FSM uses the TLG's DAC TLG The value entered into (D TLG Lower ) by DZ to V TLG Ga V ILO Control to make it lower (D COMP = 1). Afterwards, the FSM enters S5 from S4 and operates.

[0166] S5 is in a dead-zone state, and V TLG Ga V ILO It is maintained at a lower voltage level than a constant voltage (D COMP = 1).

[0167] If D COMP When it is flipped (D COMP = 0), determining that the amplitude of ILO has decreased, the FSM enters S6 and operates. In S6, the FSM is D COMP V until it is flipped TLG By decreasing , the current V ILO Finds. D COMP If it is flipped (D COMP = 1), the FSM enters S0 and returns to V ILO Maximization of is performed. The above-described operation is explained with reference to the timing diagram.

[0168] FIG. 12 illustrates a timing diagram of a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0169] Referring to Fig. 12, V in phase 1 (synchronization) TLG V from the lowest value ILO It rises to the same value as . In phase 2 (maximization), V TLG and V ILOIt is controlled to rise alternately. In any case, V ILO Ga V TLG If a state is reached where it cannot be exceeded, maximization ends and phase 3 begins. That is, D TLG As decreases, AML is turned off. At this time, D for adjusting the control voltage of the ILO C.ILO Ga D TUNE.ILO It can be stored in a lookup table (LUT). Subsequently, if the same FCW is input into the FSM, the D stored in the LUT TUNE.ILO It is loaded, and the ILO is controlled based on it.

[0170] V in phase 3 (dead-zone) TLG is V ILO It is maintained at a voltage lower than a certain level. Due to ILO disturbance (e.g., supply drop), V ILO Ga V TLG If it becomes smaller, phase 4 begins. That is, V in phase 4 (re-activation). ILO The maximization operation is performed again (e.g., phase 1 -> phase 2 -> phase 3).

[0171] FIG. 13 illustrates a transmitter and a receiver equipped with a frequency correction loop according to an embodiment of the present specification. Specifically, referring to FIG. 13 (a), a transmitter for transmitting an OFDM signal may include an ILO equipped with the frequency correction loop described above. Referring to FIG. 13 (b), a receiver for receiving an OFDM signal may include an ILO equipped with the frequency correction loop described above. FIG. 13 is an example of a transmitter and receiver implementation, and the ILO may be implemented to be included in a transceiver. As an example, the transceiver of FIG. 2 may be implemented to include an ILO equipped with the frequency correction loop of FIG. 10.

[0172] FIG. 14 illustrates a frequency correction loop according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 14, a frequency correction loop (140) according to one embodiment of the present specification includes an amplitude maximization loop (AML) (141) and a target level generator (TLG) (142).

[0174] The amplitude maximization loop (141) is connected to an injection locked oscillator (ILO). A target level generator (142) is connected to the amplitude maximization loop (141).

[0175] The amplitude maximization loop (141) is i) a first voltage based on the output of the ILO (e.g., V ILO ) and the second voltage generated by the above TLG (e.g., V TLG ) a comparator into which ) is input and ii) a target frequency (e.g., f INJ The Frequency Control Word (FCW) associated with ) and the output of the comparator (e.g., D COMP It includes a finite state machine (FSM) into which ) is input.

[0176] The output of the above FSM (e.g., D C.ILO , C ILO Based on ), the self-resonant frequency of the ILO is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum.

[0177] The above FSM is the parameter of the frequency correction loop based on the above FCW (e.g., D C.ILO , D TLG , C ILO Includes a lookup table (LUT) where ) is stored.

[0178] The output of the above FSM is i) a first output (e.g., D) related to the control voltage of the ILO for adjusting the first voltage. C.ILO ), ii) a second output related to the adjustment of the second voltage (e.g., D TLG ) and iii) a third output related to the adjustment of the bank capacitance of the above ILO (e.g., C ILO Includes ).

[0179] The above second output (e.g., D TLG ) is input to the above TLG (142). The first output (e.g., D C.ILO ) and the third output (e.g., C ILO ) is input into the above ILO.

[0180] The above first voltage (e.g., V ILO ) is the above second voltage (e.g., V TLG Based on whether it is greater than ), the above comparator outputs 1 (e.g., D COMP =1). The above second voltage (e.g., V TLG ) is the above first voltage (e.g., V ILO Based on whether it is greater than ), the above comparator outputs 0 (e.g., D COMP =0).

[0181] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator is 1, the operating state of the FSM is a first state (e.g., S0 in FIG. 11). Based on the first state, the second voltage increases. That is, the FSM in the first state [increases] the second voltage (e.g., V TLG Controls so that ) increases.

[0182] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the first state is 0, the operating state changes to a second state (e.g., S1 to S3 in FIG. 11). Based on the second state, the first voltage increases (e.g., S1, S3) or decreases (e.g., S3). That is, the FSM in the second state [is] the first voltage (e.g., VILO Controls so that ) increases.

[0183] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state is 1, the operating state is changed to the first state (e.g., S1~S3 -> S0 in FIG. 11).

[0184] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state (e.g., S3 in FIG. 11) is 0, the operating state changes to the third state (e.g., S4 in FIG. 11). Based on the third state, the maximization of the first voltage is completed. The FSM in the third state sets the second voltage to a certain value (e.g., V) greater than the first voltage. DZ It is adjusted to be lower by ). Accordingly, the output of the comparator is changed to 1, and the operating state of the FSM is changed to a fourth state (e.g., S5 in FIG. 11).

[0185] Based on the above fourth state (e.g., S5 in FIG. 11), the second voltage is maintained at a lower state than the first voltage. Accordingly, the output of the comparator is maintained at 1, and the operating state is maintained at the fourth state.

[0186] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the fourth state (e.g., S5 in FIG. 11) is 0, the operating state changes to the fifth state. Based on the fifth state, the second voltage is reduced. The FSM reduces the second voltage until the output of the comparator is flipped (i.e., until the second voltage becomes smaller than the first voltage).

[0187] Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the fifth state (e.g., S6 in FIG. 11) is 1, the operating state is changed to the first state (e.g., S0 in FIG. 11).

[0188] For example, if the first voltage becomes lower than the second voltage due to disturbance (e.g., supply drop) of the ILO, the FSM lowers the second voltage to match the first voltage (e.g., S6 in FIG. 11) and then performs the operation for voltage maximization again from the first state (e.g., S0 in FIG. 11).

[0189] The outputs of the FSM for the FCW (e.g., first to third outputs) may be stored in the above LUT. In this case, the outputs of the FSM for the FCW may be stored for each operating state (e.g., S0 to S6). When an FCW identical to the stored FCW is input to the FSM, the output of the FSM may be determined based on the above LUT. That is, based on the fact that the FCW associated with the target frequency is one of the FCWs stored in the above LUT, the output of the FSM may be determined based on the parameter stored in the above LUT. As an example, the parameter may include the outputs of the FSM for each operating state for the corresponding FCW (e.g., first to third outputs for S0, first to third outputs for S1, etc.).

[0190] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0191] Referring to FIG. 15, a method according to one embodiment of the present specification includes a voltage generation step (S1510), a voltage comparison step (S1520), and a voltage maximization step (S1530).

[0192] In S1510, a first voltage and a second voltage are generated.

[0193] Specifically, the first voltage is generated by an amplitude maximization loop (AML) based on the output of an injection locked oscillator (ILO). The second voltage is generated by a target level generator (TLG).

[0194] In S1520, the first voltage and the second voltage are compared.

[0195] Specifically, a comparator provided in the amplitude maximization loop (AML) compares the first voltage and the second voltage. Based on the first voltage being greater than the second voltage, the comparator outputs 1. Based on the second voltage being greater than the first voltage, the comparator outputs 0.

[0196] In S1530, based on the comparison result of the first voltage and the second voltage, a target frequency (e.g., f) INJ Voltage maximization based on the Frequency Control Word (FCW) associated with ) is performed.

[0197] The above comparison result (output of the above comparator (e.g., D) COMP Based on )), the operating state of the finite state machine (FSM) (e.g., S0 to S6 in FIG. 11) is determined. By the output of the FSM associated with the operating state, the self-resonant frequency of the injection-locked oscillator (ILO) is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum.

[0198] Based on the fact that the above FCW is one of the FCWs stored in the lookup table (LUT) of the above FSM, the output of the above FSM is determined based on the parameters stored in the LUT.

[0199] The first voltage or the second voltage is increased or decreased by the output of the FSM associated with the above operating state. For example, the second voltage is increased based on the operating state being S0. For example, the first voltage is increased based on the operating state being S1. For example, the first voltage is decreased based on the operating state being S2. For example, the first voltage is increased based on the operating state being S3. For example, based on the operating state being S4, the second voltage is lower than the first voltage by a certain value (e.g., V DZ It is controlled to be lowered by a certain amount. For example, based on the operating state being S5, the FSM does not perform an operation for updating / controlling the first voltage. The second voltage is maintained at a state lower than the first voltage by a certain value. For example, based on the operating state being S6, the second voltage is reduced.

[0200] The output of the above FSM is i) a first output (e.g., D) related to the control voltage of the ILO for adjusting the first voltage. C.ILO ), ii) a second output related to the adjustment of the second voltage (e.g., D TLG ) and iii) a third output related to the adjustment of the bank capacitance of the above ILO (e.g., C ILO Includes ).

[0201] Based on the first output and the third output, the magnetic resonance frequency of the ILO can be corrected.

[0202] The operation based on the above-described S1510 to S1530 can be implemented by the device of FIG. 2. For example, a terminal / base station (200a or 200b) may include one or more transceivers (206a or 206b) implemented to perform the operation based on S1510 to S1530.

[0203] Here, the wireless communication technology implemented in the wireless devices (200a, 200b) of this specification may include LTE, NR, and 6G, as well as Narrowband Internet of Things for low-power communication. For example, NB-IoT technology may be an example of LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) technology and may be implemented according to standards such as LTE Cat NB1 and / or LTE Cat NB2, but is not limited to the names mentioned above. Additionally, or generally, the wireless communication technology implemented in the wireless devices (200a, 200b) of this specification may perform communication based on LTE-M technology. For example, LTE-M technology may be an example of LPWAN technology and may be referred to by various names such as eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication). For example, LTE-M technology may be implemented in at least one of various standards such as 1) LTE CAT 0, 2) LTE Cat M1, 3) LTE Cat M2, 4) LTE non-BL (non-Bandwidth Limited), 5) LTE-MTC, 6) LTE Machine Type Communication, and / or 7) LTE M, and is not limited to the names mentioned above. Additionally or generally, wireless communication technology implemented in the wireless devices (200a, 200b) of this specification may include at least one of ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) for low-power communication, and is not limited to the names mentioned above. As an example, ZigBee technology can create personal area networks (PANs) related to small / low-power digital communication based on various standards such as IEEE 802.15.4, and may be referred to by various names.

[0204] The embodiments described above are combinations of the components and features of this specification in a specific form. Each component or feature should be considered optional unless otherwise explicitly stated. Each component or feature may be implemented in a form not combined with other components or features. Additionally, it is possible to construct embodiments of this specification by combining some components and / or features. The order of operations described in the embodiments of this specification may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment, or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment. It is obvious that embodiments may be constructed by combining claims that do not have an explicit citation relationship in the claims, or that they may be included as new claims through amendments made after filing.

[0205] Embodiments according to the present specification may be implemented by various means, e.g., hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In the case of implementation by hardware, an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented by one or more ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, etc.

[0206] In the case of implementation by firmware or software, an embodiment of the present specification may be implemented in the form of a module, procedure, function, etc., that performs the functions or operations described above. The software code may be stored in memory and executed by a processor. The memory may be located inside or outside the processor and may exchange data with the processor by various known means.

[0207] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that this specification may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential features of this specification. Accordingly, the detailed description set forth above should not be interpreted restrictively in all respects but should be considered illustrative. The scope of this specification shall be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of this specification are included within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. In a Frequency Tuning Loop (FTL), An Amplitude Maximization Loop (AML) connected to an Injection Locked Oscillator (ILO); and It includes a Target Level Generator (TLG) connected to the Amplitude Maximization Loop (AML), wherein The amplitude maximization loop (AML) comprises i) a comparator into which a first voltage based on the output of the ILO and a second voltage generated by the TLG are input, and ii) a finite state machine (FSM) into which a frequency control word (FCW) associated with a target frequency and the output of the comparator are input. Based on the output of the above FSM, the self-resonant frequency of the above ILO is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum, and A frequency correction loop characterized in that the above FSM includes a lookup table (LUT) in which parameters of the frequency correction loop based on the above FCW are stored.

2. In Paragraph 1, A frequency correction loop characterized in that the output of the above FSM includes i) a first output related to a control voltage of the ILO for adjusting the first voltage, ii) a second output related to adjusting the second voltage, and iii) a third output related to adjusting the bank capacitance of the ILO.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above second output is input to the above TLG, and A frequency correction loop characterized in that the first output and the third output are input to the ILO.

4. In Paragraph 2, Based on the fact that the first voltage is greater than the second voltage, the comparator outputs 1, and A frequency correction loop characterized in that the comparator outputs 0 based on the fact that the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

5. In Paragraph 4, Based on the fact that the output of the above comparator is 1, the operating state of the above FSM is the first state, and A frequency correction loop characterized by the second voltage increasing based on the first state.

6. In Paragraph 5, Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the first state is 0, the operating state is changed to a second state, and A frequency correction loop characterized by the first voltage increasing based on the second state.

7. In Paragraph 6, A frequency correction loop characterized in that the operating state changes to the first state based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state is 1.

8. In Paragraph 6, Based on the fact that the output of the comparator input to the FSM in the second state is 0, the operating state is changed to a third state, and A frequency correction loop characterized by the completion of the maximization of the first voltage based on the third state above.

9. In Paragraph 1, Based on the fact that the FCW associated with the above target frequency is one of the FCWs stored in the LUT, A method characterized in that the output of the above FSM is determined based on the parameters stored in the above LUT.

10. In a wireless device comprising one or more transmitters and receivers, A wireless device characterized in that the above one or more transceivers comprise i) an injection-locked oscillator (ILO) and ii) a frequency tuning loop (FTL) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Regarding the method, Step of generating a first voltage and a second voltage; A step of comparing the first voltage and the second voltage; and The method includes the step of performing voltage maximization based on a Frequency Control Word (FCW) associated with a target frequency, based on the result of comparing the first voltage and the second voltage; Based on the above comparison results, the operating state of the Finite State Machine (FSM) is determined, and The self-resonant frequency of the injection-locked oscillator (ILO) is corrected to the target frequency where the first voltage is maximum by the output of the FSM associated with the above operating state, and A method characterized in that, based on the fact that the FCW is one of the FCWs stored in the lookup table (LUT) of the FSM, the output of the FSM is determined based on the parameters stored in the LUT.

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