Hybrid Receiver for Carrier Aggregation

Solution Overview

Problem

Current receiver designs for carrier aggregation, particularly in LTE systems, face challenges in handling non-contiguous carrier aggregation due to increased complexity and cost, as well as signal degradation from unequal bandwidths and jamming signals, which affect the signal-to-noise ratio.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a hybrid intra-band/inter-band receiver circuit that uses a single receiver configuration to handle both contiguous and non-contiguous carrier aggregation scenarios, with programmable tuning networks and shared low-noise amplifiers to reduce hardware requirements and power consumption, while maintaining effective signal processing across different bandwidths and frequency bands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a receiver design is implemented to handle non-contiguous carrier aggregation, then the ability to process diverse carrier aggregation scenarios is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to process diverse carrier aggregation scenariosVSAvoidreceiver design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver circuit is designed with a universal architecture that can handle multiple carrier aggregation scenarios (contiguous and non-contiguous, intra-band and inter-band) using the same hardware components. The programmable tuning networks and shared low-noise amplifiers enable a single receiver design to adapt to different carrier configurations without requiring separate dedicated circuits for each scenario, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver incorporates programmable tuning networks that can dynamically adjust their characteristics based on the detected carrier aggregation scenario. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the receiver to optimize its performance for different carrier configurations using the same physical hardware, eliminating the need for multiple fixed receiver designs and reducing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If separate receiver paths are used for different carrier aggregation scenarios, then the signal processing performance for each scenario is improved, but the hardware requirements and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing performanceVSAvoidhardware requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple receiver paths into a single shared receiver architecture. The same low-noise amplifiers, mixers, and filtering stages are used for processing both contiguous and non-contiguous carrier aggregation signals. This consolidation reduces hardware requirements and cost while maintaining adequate signal processing performance through software-based optimization and dynamic tuning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver circuit is designed with a universal architecture that can handle multiple carrier aggregation scenarios (contiguous and non-contiguous, intra-band and inter-band) using the same hardware components. The programmable tuning networks and shared low-noise amplifiers enable a single receiver design to adapt to different carrier configurations without requiring separate dedicated circuits for each scenario, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If multiple dedicated receiver circuits are implemented for different carrier bands, then the signal processing capability for each band is improved, but the power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple receiver paths into a single shared receiver architecture. The same low-noise amplifiers, mixers, and filtering stages are used for processing both contiguous and non-contiguous carrier aggregation signals. This consolidation reduces hardware requirements and cost while maintaining adequate signal processing performance through software-based optimization and dynamic tuning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver employs periodic or selective activation of processing paths based on the detected carrier aggregation scenario. Rather than keeping multiple dedicated circuits continuously active, the system dynamically enables only the necessary processing components for the current operational mode, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining high signal processing capability when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS9553615B2Receiver for carrier aggregation

Publication Date: 2017.01.24 AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE LTD

AI summary

A single hybrid receiver is provided for processing both single carrier and carrier aggregated (CA) communications signals where carriers are split into independent receive paths without any additional external components. The receiver receives all contiguous and non-contiguous intra-band CA and inter-band CA signals, including those of unequal bandwidths, allowing for improved rejection and balanced rejection of jamming signals on either side of the two carrier signals.